Unmasked Hearts

by K.E. Noel

Madison Mitchell has faced some major hurdles in life... But finally, something has gone right and she’s loving her dream career as an ER nurse. Although successful in her professional life, her personal life has faced some unfortunate events. This includes her depressing love life.
Darius Stone is your stereotypical man whore. He is successful professionally, lives a lavish life and has zero plans of settling down. The playboy lifestyle suits him... or so he has everyone believe.
Fate intervenes and has the two of them coming back into each other's lives after many years, in a way they never thought possible. Can their hearts survive once all their truths are revealed?
This dual point of view best friend’s sister romance has a kick of spiciness to make your heart beat faster as well as some emotional twists and turns. It will be sure to leave you wondering what happens when the masks come off and your heart is completely exposed.

230 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 26, 2025

About the author

Email: k.e.noelauthor@gmail.com

You can find me on TikTok:
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I try to stay active and chat in the book communities 🫶🏻🫶🏻

Reviews

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unmasked Hearts brings the angst and the heat. The connection between the characters felt genuine and layered, and I loved watching their walls slowly come down. Their swoony chemistry and simmering spice were absolute standouts. The burn is slow, but the payoff? Completely worth the wait. ❤️‍🔥📚

[Michael Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely loved this book. waited by the author's side for about 3 weeks to release date and purchased. I was not disappointed. Great story with a great plot and great spice 🌶. Recommend this
100%

[TrishKay850 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic story!! Darius and Maddie are the perfect couple! I highly recommend this book!

[Davida Nunez · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!!

I dont want to say too much because no one likes a spoiler but this was a really sweet refreshing read while still packing heat! Can't wait to read more from this author!!!

[Amber Stratton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the banter and chemistry between the FMC and MMC. The spice was SPICY 🌶️

[Merissa O'Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read! Loved both the fmc and mmc along with the storyline!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a cute romance

This is book is good for a first published book. I enjoyed Maddie and Darius though I will say this isn’t my typical book I read. I only gave 4 stars due to some of the wording but that’s just my opinion. I usually read dark romance very rarely do I read just romance. I did feel that part of it was a little predictable, but like I said was good for a first published book by this author.

[Kaitie Loar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unmasked Hearts is an emotional, beautifully written romance that pulls you in from the very first page and doesn’t let go. K.E. Noel delivers raw vulnerability, genuine character growth, and a love story that feels deeply personal and real.

The characters are layered and flawed in the best way, each carrying their own emotional masks that slowly fall as the story unfolds. The chemistry builds naturally, the angst hits just right, and the emotional payoff is incredibly satisfying.

[Kala Frick · Rating 5 out of 5]

She's an ER Nurse he's a Millionaire/Billionaire for a law firm. They have known each other for years (brother's best friend also!!) Super spicy Halloween scene! It also brought an element of suspense that literally made my jaw drop! It's will also be a great pallet cleanser when you are in between genres!

[Samantha Barrier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing brother’s best friend romance! Not only is there heartwarming romance, a little taste of forbidden love, and delicious spice, but there is also some truly engaging twists and turns as you are enveloped in a suspenseful story about a couple with past trauma who has to learn to embrace their vulnerabilities if they want their relationship to last! Such a good debut novel, and would be interested to see what this author writes in the future!

[Rahe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unmasked hearts A captivating story that layers true emotion with passion. It’s raw, real, and unfiltered in the best way. The author truly made me fall in love with the characters. Plot twist anyone? This book made me laugh out loud, cry, and my heart was pounding with anticipation. Definitely one of my fav Romnace of the year. Will definitely pick this one up again. Just read the book, you won’t a regret it.

[❤️Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great! I really enjoyed Darius and Maddie's love story. It was steamy, sexy and a really sweet story. Loved the connection that they had. Darius is a loveable softy and Maddie brought that out in him.

[Mac23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book and the characters. Great spice level and relatable plot that wasn't overly complicated. This was a great book to pick up for a quick read to cleanse my palate with funny banter and character growth!

[Talulah Kaschmitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has good plot and good spicy. I just wish I had more from this book!

[Kelly Winfree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cavity inducing

This story is just too sweet. The heart though! Any way, every one needs a man like Darius and a brother like Kendrick.

[Cami Ashby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This booook!!! Soo soo amazing! Absolutely loved being immersed in this love story!! Highly recommend to anyone who love when the guy falls first!! Maddie and Darius are just the cutest couple! 😍

[C.D. Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delicious snack 😜

I have to say, this book is SO good. I loved it, I couldn’t put it down and was sad to see it end. The writing made this an easy read, and delightfully sinful. Really fun, you will not be sorry!

[Janel Bienert · Rating 5 out of 5]

RUN and grab this book… everything about this story is absolutely perfect…
The spicy is spicing! And the romance is just perfect. Be prepared for a roller coaster ride. It’s a good one

[Kylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me on the edge of my seat! The growing chemistry between Darius and Maddie was intoxicatingly addicting and the more I read the more I fell in love with this book! 10/10 recommend so good! Would read again

[Dalana Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!!! The author did such a great job with character development and the relationship between the main characters. Also had some rather spicy scenes 🌶️ which were also done right. Would highly recommend this book!!! 10/10 !!!

[Windy pate · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely a six star read!

This book has it all . Best friends little sister over protective brother
A beautiful strong woman as the fmc she a nurse .
He is a hot shot lawyer/playboy
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read the book your going love it I don’t wanna say to much because I don’t want to let something slip lol

[Alicia Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a clear vision, and I appreciate the author’s dedication to telling this story. It wasn’t quite my personal style, but readers who enjoy this genre may really connect with it.

[Dakota Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I say I loved this book… I LOVED this book!

Just the right amount of spice, just the right amount of romance, just the right amount of story telling, AND the FMC has an incredible name 😂😂😂

Madison and Darius had me wishing I could take my life and switch it with them. Hot shot lawyer with endless amounts of money? Yes please! The fact he is over the moon for Madison makes it 10X better!

[Kristie Pope · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Lee Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a huge contemporary romance fan but I loved this story! It was a great mixture of plot and spice!

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A best friend’s sister romance that delivers everything I love in contemporary romance—intensity, vulnerability, and just the right amount of spice. Madison Mitchell is a strong, relatable heroine who’s thriving in her career as an ER nurse but struggling with the scars of her past. Enter Darius Stone: the charming, emotionally guarded playboy who’s more than meets the eye. Their reunion after years apart is electric, and the emotional tension between them builds with every page.

If you’re looking for a romance that’s heartfelt, sexy, and full of emotional twists, Unmasked Hearts is a must-read. I couldn’t put it down—and I didn’t want to.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the characters in this book. The storyline was great! Full of twists and turns and spice! I did find it a little difficult to read at first. I found some of the writing to be “too descriptive” in areas that didn’t require that much attention to detail. However all and all I think the author did a great job and I look forward to her next book!

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this was a 3.5 for me. I love the story, their history/connection, and the characters. However, it did seem that everything was “to the extreme”. I like her/him, I don’t. We can be together, no we can’t. We can’t fool around, oh we are taking it all the way and doing it all. It was very much 0-100 every scene.

Overall a good novel though and very happy I found it on TikTok!

[Mette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you want a book that will make you stay up all night reading? This is the one!

It was just a wonderful story that had me laughing, crying and just kicking my feet in excitement! The characters are just so sweet and they just compliment each other so beautifully.

[Anna Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ll be honest... I’m usually a dark romance girlie through and through, so this book was definitely a detour from my normal reads. But wow, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it!

Unmasked Hearts pulls you in with its mix of drama, spice, and emotional depth. Madison and Darius had such a magnetic pull, and I found myself flipping pages to see where their story would go next. The hospital setting and real-life challenges added a lot of heart and balance to the heat, which I really appreciated.

It wasn’t what I expected, but in the best way. The pacing kept me hooked, the characters felt layered, and the chemistry was undeniable. While it didn’t quite tip into my all-time favorites list (hence the 4 stars), it’s one I’d definitely recommend if you’re looking for something steamy but with substance and emotional weight.

A solid, satisfying read that made me glad I stepped outside my usual dark romance bubble.