Tuesday, February 25, 2014

REVIEW: MASKED INNOCENCE BY ALESSANDRA TORRE

A man who always gets what he wants often has something to hide.

Julia Campbell never knows what to expect with win-at-all-costs Brad De Luca. And she’s starting to like it that way. She gave up safe, conventional relationships when she let the elite divorce attorney seduce her into his world. Now that he’s determined to strip her naked of her every inhibition, she’s in danger of falling too deep and too fast.

But their affair begins to feel even more dangerous when a murder leaves a trail of suspicion that points straight to the mob … and Brad. Trusting a man with a bad reputation and a past full of secrets seems like a mistake. But when she’s forced to make a choice, the consequences will take her further than she could’ve ever imagined.

_________________________________________________________________

ebook, 300 pages
Expected publication: February 25th 2014 by Harlequin HQN
Source: eArc received from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for honest review
Purchase: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
_________________________________________________________________

Our Review--
We are usually fairly giddy when Alessandra Torre hits publish on anything, because we really love her style of writing and engaging (albeit, usually varying degrees of shock + awe y'all...*happy sighs*) characters that we remember for a long time. This book though, to say that we aren't ridiculously excited for Masked Innocence being released and for Alessandra is a gross understatement. 

I've been dying to get my hands on this for MONTHS..months, I tell you..and I'm not ashamed to say that I read this in one day. If you read the first book in this series a long time ago, like we did, don't you worry your pretty little head...you will not need a refresher at all. It was very easy to pick up and jump right back in to their story.

Julia and Brad went through some pretty intense moments during Blindfolded Innocence and it encompassed a lot of Brad chasing Julia and not knowing quite what to do with her even if he caught her. He is fifteen years older, so having a twenty one year old go toe to toe with his larger-than-life self scares the shit out of him...and we love being along for the ride. Julia is sassy and sexy, and I really love her character much more in this installment because I feel like she is more sure of herself and what she wants. 

I believe the word I used to describe Julia was ballsy. She's smart, confident, and has no fear of going toe to toe with Brad. I love that she stands up to him...and really, to anyone. It's not that she's completely fearless--she does show vulnerability--but she's not afraid to live, to fall in love, to try things, and to explore this new world that Brad's introducing her to.

Brad. I am seriously surprised by Brad. I am probably the most non-observant reader on the planet, so some things came up and slapped me in the face before I realized them. That was fun and hilarious talking to Shel after the fact. I'm talking...okay, I probably shouldn't follow that train of thought. *blushes* Anyways, the Brad from BI is still a sex god, sinful and stimulating but he has way more layers to his onion than one might have thought before.

Brad was so much more like-able in this book. Maybe it's because we get to see his perspective, or maybe it's because we get to see him interact with Julia more? I dunno...I do know that when he's not in full on sex god mode, he's funny and tender and protective and just a really good guy.

We are always rooting for AT's success (Hell, she gave us our first arc when we started this blog almost a year ago) so I hope you pick up this book or start the series if you're new to it. This installment does not end in a cliffhanger, so be glad for that...but it does bring the heat as Alessandra does a fantastic job of writing original and *stimulating* sex. Beyond that she has written a captivating cast of characters that I can vividly imagine and root for. Fantastic read.

It is a fantastic read. I have lots of questions...like the entire Vegas crew--will that whole strip club part of his life resurface? What about her family? HIS family? The Russian girl? And of course, once the 'honeymoon' phase of Brad and Julia's relationship is over, will they be able to sustain what they have? 

If I thought really hard, I'm sure I could dig up some sort of criticism but I'm still in the post-reading-I- love- this- book- phase. The pacing is fast, the sex is so damn hot, and the characters are developing and growing right before your very eyes...it's good stuff!

Shelley: 5 Stars
Courtney: 5 Stars

About the Author--
Alessandra Torre is a new author who focuses on contemporary erotica. Her first book, Blindfolded Innocence, was published in July 2012, and was an Erotica #1 Bestseller for two weeks. The sequel to Blindfolded, Masked Innocence, will be released in February 2014.
Alessandra lives in the Southern United States and is married, with one young child. She enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and playing with her dogs. Her favorite authors include Lisa Gardner, Gillian Flynn, and Jennifer Cruise.
Learn more about Alessandra on her website at www.alessandratorre.com, or you can find her on Twitter (@ReadAlessandra) or her Facebook fanpage.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AlessandraTorre0
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ReadAlessandra
Website: http://www.alessandratorre.com
Goodreads author

Post a Comment

Comments are bloggy food.

Feed our blog...

© Must Read Books or Die. Made with love by The Dutch Lady Designs.