4 'Be Bold' Stars!

Hidden Seam was such a wild ride. As my first read by this author, (I know!), it surprised me in so many ways. With all the twists and turns, and revelations I could never have anticipated. I enjoyed this book so much!

Marco Lent has made many choices that have impacted his life irrevocably. Playing the roll of the famous designer’s handsome boyfriend. When Vince Horace passes away, he’s set to inherit a fortune. He’s lived a lie for ten years, so much so that he can’t tell where the lie ends and where the real him remains. But he’s not about let all his sacrifices go to waste. He’s not going to have it all taken away because of a pretty face.

“I had been, my first two decades of life, cold and heartless. And I assumed I always would be.”

Enter said pretty face, Avery McKenna. She’s lived her life searching for answers. Being adopted, she’s always felt the hollowness of that missing link. So when famous fashion designer Vince Horace passing away. She recognizes him from the only piece of her father she has - a old photo.
Going off her intuition, she’s seeking answers.

Reality snag, Vince Horace was openly gay. He had been very vocally supportive of the community.
But, many a gay man has fathered a child. Sooo, could he be her father?!

Marco and Avery’s first encounter was hilarious and swoony and blazing!
There chemistry is on another level, and you feel it immediately.
When they figure out who each other truly is, the battle begins!

“How could a person stay mad at a man like this? How could a woman keep her distance, protect her heart, and keep from falling under his spell?”

This story was packed full of intrigue, mystery and heat.
I was impressed with how much depth these characters possessed. They were so much more than the surface imagine they portrayed.
And I loved how they brought out the truths in each other.

“She walks by me, moving through the crowd and to the door, and there is a moment when I wonder how I’ve lived without her.”

If I had one complaint, it would be how long it took for the two main characters to actually meet. It was at about a quarter into the novel. It was a little frustrating. I just loved them so much together, that I wish they met earlier on.
Other than that, this was a book that I found highly entertaining and unputdownable. If you like your romance with a little intrigue, I’d definitely recommend this read.

**I voluntarily read a copy of this title provided by NetGalley and the publisher**

What a unique premise for this book! Alessandra Torre is a very accomplished author and I was really looking forward to this book and once I got into it, I knew I had never read anything like it.

Marco Lent has just inherited an entire fashion empire following the death of his partner. He is not only feeling his way through what all of this means, he is also a very interesting and complex man. What you think you know about him, may not actually be the reality.

Avery McKenna ran away from her adoptive parents home when she was a teenager and she currently holds a not quite legal job that she cares deeply about. While wanting to know who her biological parents are, she found her birth mother several years prior, however she's still been on the hunt for her biological father due to the fact all she has to go on is a picture from the night she was conceived.

When Avery sees a photo of the recently deceased Vince Horace, the fashion mogul, she can't help but wonder if he's the man in the photo she has. Will sending a letter to Horace's lawyer open up Pandora's Box or will it pave the path to the rest of her life?

I really enjoyed the uniqueness of this book. I think some of the obstacles that had to be overcome in the book might have been overcome a bit too easily, but overall it was very enjoyable and it certainly exhibits the fantastic writing of Torre.

***ARC received for an honest review***

This simply wasn't a story with which I could fall in love.

I was pulled in from the beginning. Criminal (with a heart of gold) Avery - perkily flaunting the edges of organized crime. And Marco - spoiled, edgy and sad - with a secret that could blow up pop culture. Individually they were fascinating - together they made no sense.

<b>"I've got bulletproof windows on this baby. Steel reinforced doors. A front grill guard that a battering ram would have trouble working through. I look forward, at the three thugs standing in front of my car. I should just gas it."</b>

So I swore that I wasn't going to even attempt a plot synopsis for this one. I just typed one out - it was 7 sentences long and made no sense. As in - you wouldn't have even believed it if you read it. Suffice it to say - Marco has a big secret that Avery accidentally uncovers. But he thinks she's manipulating him. So they have sex. And hate. And bicker. I hated them as a couple. They were either screwing, having porny thoughts, or sniping at one another like children. I couldn't feel their vibe.

<b>"'An interesting notion, but I've done that. The experience wasn't good enough for a repeat performance. I think I'll just go back to men.'"</b>

Summary - I enjoyed the story and didn't like the couple. Plus the sex squicked me out. But I wouldn't think you were crazy for reading this one, and I'd love to hear your thoughts when you were done.

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I liked that this one was different. I thought the storyline was pretty unique and I liked all the characters. Avery was super cool. I wish I liked Marco a little more but I just felt I knew way more about Avery than I did Marco. Oh, and this was one sexy story too. Heck yeah those two were smokin’ hot together. The epilogue was great! It gave me the warm fuzzies and it ended in a great place.

Hidden Seams by Alessandra Torre blew me away. The romance between Marco and Avery tore my heart into pieces as I was reading. But this was also a story of a girl trying to find out who she is in world, and a man hiding secrets.

"In the darkness, with just sound and touch between us, he is so beautiful. "

Secrets, lies, betrayal..... this was a definite nail bitter from start to finish.

Marco and Avery meet under dire circumstances. After the death of famous fashion designer, Vince Horace. A man that was loved by all, and a man of his word.

When the secrets that Marco has been hiding come out into the open.... things go from bad to worse.

This book delivered a story that was both bold and unique.

**5 stars **

This unique story is more than a romance, it's a story of lies, betrayal and the search for truth.
The writing was seamless and easy to follow.
Told in dual POV's, the characters are multi layered, complicated and likable.
Marco has been playing the game of working towards reaching his inheritance, but when he meets Avery, the stakes are raised and all bets are off. Their insta connection was combustible. The chemistry between them was off the charts, and their push and pull was clever and sharp.
Both are searching for something but as they reach for it, their journey takes a few detours.
Beneath the sizzling hot story of Marco and Avery, there's a complex and somewhat gritty story of redemption and healing.
I was swept up by this unique and incredible story and the only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is because the ending felt somewhat rushed.
4.5 stars!

I couldn't put this book down! I really love Alessandra's unique writing style.

A wildly, intoxicating passionate read that will have you devouring the book instantly. Alessandra Torre proves to her readers once again her prowess and finesse to create a sensual, fun, and intense love story that will have you begging for more. Hidden Seams is a must read especially as Alessandra treats readers to a fantastic heroine that will have you totally smitten with her. So if you are looking for a book where the writing and story development was fantastic then look no further than this book.

This was good! So good. I just really loved the characters. I mean, you wouldn't normally love a guy in a novel who is waited on hand and foot, to a ridiculous degree, but if that man is endearing and real in his love, and when he falls, wears his heart on his sleeve? Definitely. And you wouldn't always love a girl who lives on the edge of what is legal, who's life is kind of shady. But she just wants answers, is real, and she's pretty strong.

I feel like Vince, who is Marco's partner, is like another main character throughout the story, and his presence and life are as much a focus as Marco and Avery. This was an enjoyable story with a happy ever after and a crazy set of circumstances. Very well written, good flow, with likeable characters and a unique plot.

After reading the blurb, the book was so not what I was expecting. It had an interesting and unique plot. The story was hot, sexy and fun. It took me awhile to warm up to them but in then end I couldn't help but fall in love with Marco and Avery. I could not put the book down and read it all in one day, which is a rare feat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Select Publishing for supplying me a copy of Alessandra Torre's "Hidden Seams" in exchange for an honest review.

usually when there's a fake relationship story, you see it play out over the course of the novel and the characters fall in love. sometimes, you see the fake relationship of opposite genders, where the girl is straight and the guy is gay and things get complicated when she meets someone she can really love. but in hidden seams the fake relationship scenario is even more complicated. marco agreed to be vince's fake lover over ten years ago. he was young and wanted a chance in the fashion indusry. and even though he was clearly not gay, vince horace, famous and falmboyantly gay fashion designer, wanted him to pretend to be his partner.

and marco agreed. he had everything to gain and nothing to lose by the pretense. he never cared what anyone thought of him. working in fashion most people already assumed he was gay. and then vince dies. and this is where things are complicated. you don't spend a decade with someone and not have an intimate relationship. it wasn't a sexual relationship, but marco loves and misses vince. and he's in charge of protecting his legacy. but he's also been repressing his needs for far too long.

so when he comes across avery, he behaves impulsively. he knows she is lying, but he doesn't know what she is hiding. and when they have the most mind-blowing sex, it horrifies marco to realize that avery has reason to believe that vince is her father. there are legal manueverings and blowout arguments, but when they agree that all avery wants is knowledge, he trusts her with his secrets.

in some ways marco has to recover the pieces of himself that he lost when he fell into vince's orbit. being with avery could destroy everything, but it also is the first time he's felt alive in a long time. she sets him free even as she captures his heart. and the ups and downs and highs and lows of their relationship is fun to follow.

**hidden seams published on january 16, 2018. i received an digital copy courtesy of netgalley/select publishing in exchange for my honest review.

This wasn't what I expected but everything I wanted.

This is quite the emotional conundrum. Logically I'm not supposed to like a man who pretends to be someone he's not to inherit a rather mahoosive fortune. However.. and this is where shit gets complicated. What happens when both parties (i.e the rich man and the fraud) are in complete understanding, infact make an agreement on it?. Surly that doesn't make him a fraud then?. See I didn't want to like Marco but I couldn't help but love him. Such a complex creature, filled to the brim with emotional turmoil. Never will we truly understand why what happened did, what I do believe is that what's their business truly isn't any fucker else's. So yes I can sympathise with a man who made a choice based on circumstances at that moment. Who truly loved that man in his own way and whilst it may not have been what other thought.. IT WAS LOVE. He's a guarded man who really had nobody to vent to. He lost a man he'd spent 10 years, a man I might add who is half responsible for the <b>'lie'</b>. He was on his own rollercoaster of emotions... so yeah he acted like an asshole but he more than made up for it.

"I used to hate kissing. I used to hate it and now, with her, I never want anything else."

I love Avery! She was a fabulous heroine. She's fierce, loyal and determined to find her truth. She stayed true to her character the whole way through regardless of her change in circumstances. She was her own kind of broken and my heart went out to the girl who spent her life looking for where she belonged. A women who cared for others, who lived her life, a fearless women.

Their chemistry was to freaking much!!!. I love me some love hate between characters. I love that teasingly tempting sexual tension. That almost to much chemistry, you know it's going to explode you just don't know when. They had that in spades. I loved their development, it wasn't always easy for them. Two kinds of broken yet they made eachother whole. That connection was palpable through the pages. The character growth believable, not rushed just seemless. The plot fabulously executed with just the right amount of emotion to hit you in the feels but also keep you on the edge waiting for what's to come.

Im one of them fruitcakes who like to analyse characters so for me I found them both fascinating in different ways but there was just something I loved about Marco. It made for an enjoyable read for sure trying to uncover where this was going. I wasn't disappointed by the end but I was a little heartbroken for the pain/guilt Marco bares.

It's been a hot minute since I've read this author but I shall be keeping an eye out in the future. I love her style of writting. Loved it.

I kindly received this ARC from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was incredibly intrigued by this book. The storyline was so different and refreshing. I was completely sucked in from the beginning and I did not put it down until I finished. I loved the characters and I loved seeing the progression of their relationship.

It's actually pretty fun to me when the characters start out more as enemies and seeing how that plays out. That is exactly how I felt reading this. I loved every page and I am always in awe of Alessandra's writing. It is so beautiful. I can't wait to read more from her.

When I started reading I couldn't put it down I read the book i couldn't put it down. Alessandra is magnifysent writer.I cannot wait to read more of her books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.A billion-dollar fashion empire, and it’s about to be mine…I've worked a decade for this. I've sold my soul and my reputation. I've lived a lie, smiled for the cameras, and hated myself, all for this fortune.And then … she pops up. A mysterious heir . I’ve played this game for a decade. I can continue the charade a little longer, keep my hands to myself.

Hidden Seams starts with a twist in the beginning of the story. I love Alassandra’s writing and have been a fan of hers since January 2014. Hidden Seams continued this. I went in blind as I do to most of her books. Marco just lost the only man he loved and inherited a fashion empire. Avery bursts into his life under false pretenses. I loved Marco and his alpha behavior. Avery stole the show though as she was such a feisty heroine. Hidden Seams has the erotic scenes that the author in known for.

<strong>Be Bold.</strong>

When I pick up a book by Alessandra Torre, I usually just go in blind. Mainly because she’s one of those authors who never gives me the same thing twice. I feel like there’s no point comparing her new work with the older, because it won’t compare. It will stand on its own. Which is what I did with Hidden Seams, went in blind, and I can happily say it did not disappoint.

A man who has been putting on a charade for someone else for a decade. A woman who just wants some true answers, and is willing to lie a little for them. Two people who have what the other one wants, but should steer clear of one another. I don’t want to say too much, but I will say that someone dies. There’s money to be inherited, and two people who may or may not want something else more than the money.

This story was interesting. I really enjoyed Avery and her side plot, even though it may not have been “by the book” realistic. It was an interesting spin on a sort of Robin Hood story. She was a character who felt independent without throwing that independence in the readers face. I feel she was very easy to fall for.

I enjoyed Marco. He wasn’t easy to like at some points, but he was easy to understand. Why he did what he did, and continued to put on the charade. When he stopped caring so much about the charade and why, it was easy to fall for him.

I think everyone can enjoy a feel good romance, sprinkled with a teeny bit of potential taboo, dashed with some hot and naughty, and wrapped nicely in an interesting “what will they do?” plot. That’s what Torre has given us with Hidden Seams.

3.5 Stars

If there is one thing I know I can count on when I crack open an Alessandra Torre book is that I’ll get an original story. And sometimes that originality works better for me than others. HIDDEN SEAMS I think falls somewhere in the middle. I liked things about it. Some of them even had me glued to the pages with wide eyed fascination and maybe a little uncomfortable. Some I just couldn’t connect with because there are things I just don’t get.

Our hero has been in a publicly gay relationship with a famous fashion designer for ten years. And now after his death and when Marco is set to inherit that fashion empire and finally be able to have all the liberties he wanted in the company and access to all that fortune, there may be a wrench on the road. Avery.

I don’t want to give you guys many details because I always feel Ms. Torre’s books are better experienced and some things that may not seem like spoilers can diminish the enjoyment of the book. So suffice it to say this story is unexpected. I probably liked Avery more than Marco because I could understand her motivations and thought process more. I just couldn’t put myself in Marcos’ shoes and get to the same conclusions, the same decisions he made. While I found him extremely sexy when it came down to that, I didn’t sympathize with him.

Avery on the other hand is just a broken girl looking for her place in the world and you can’t help but feel for her. She was given up at birth, adopted by a couple that realized later on they weren’t really all that interested in raising a child. She ran away from home and has been searching for her birth parents since, surviving the best way she can and hustling.

While I can’t say this is one of my favorite books by Ms. Torre, I will say that it’s an unconventional one and I can only give her props for choosing to try different things in her stories. I am never bored when I read them.

Let me first say, I love Alessandra Torre. She's one of my favorite Indie Authors!!!
I love her books, characters, everything...... but I just couldn't fall in love with these characters in this particular story.
I liked them.... I just couldn't connect with them. Perhaps I'm just in a funk right now? Idk, but just because I couldn't connect with them doesn't mean you won't.

*Recv'd an ARC via the Author in exchange for an honest review*

5 Oh What A Tangled Web We Weave Stars!!!

What an amazingly spellbinding read that Ms. Torre has given us in Hidden Seams. I thought I knew what I was getting when I read the synopsis and with the teases she would reveal, but it's so much more than a book about two people that you wouldn't think would find love with each other.

Marco is a man that has a very complex history with how his life changed one day ten years ago and what he thought he was getting into turned into so much more. I think he was even surprised by how much his expectations were surpassed and what kind of life he was now living.

Enter into the story a beautiful woman named Avery who is unlike any female character I've read. She's wicked smart, strong, independent and has a business acumen that has made her very comfortable financially...now there may be some issues with the legalities of what she's doing....

One day, their lives intersect and in the most unexpected ways because it appears Avery may have a link to the man that has given Marco the life he's living. Adding onto that there's an attraction that is literally palpable. And oh my goodness they are so hot and dirty together I literally had to turn my ceiling fan on to cool myself off and it's in 30's where I live!!!

I was completely mesmerized by this story and the way it unfolded. Ms. Torre has written with her amazing eye to detail. She develops the scenes down to the granular level allowing her readers to be completely in each scene feeling the emotions and actions of her characters. Avery and Marco have so many facets to them it was so fascinating to watch them grow into people that can find and deserve a forever love. If you're looking for a book that will captivate you from beginning to end then Hidden Seams is your next MUST READ book!!!

When I think of Alessandra Torre, the first word that comes to my mind is refreshing. With her latest release, Hidden Seams, she continues to be a dynamic and refreshing writer, spinning tales that manage to surprise the reader, while still maintaining the style that her readers love.

Marco is one intriguing man. I don’t want to call him troubled but he’s got some issues that he needs to work out. The more we learn about Marco, the more you feel for him. He’s gotten himself into a beneficial mess. The problem with a mess? You still have to clean it up at some point.

Avery is exceptional. I loved her the moment I met her. I feel like no words I use are adequate to describe her. She’s rough around the edges, caring, curious. She isn’t going to put up with just anything. She’s street smart and knows how to handle herself. That said, she does still have a vulnerable and naive side to her. We see that peak out from time to time and for me, that only made me love her character more.

This book is an easy read, and I managed to stay sucked into the story from the minute I started. I tried taking a break and I found myself wondering what was happening and what could happen next. You could easily lose yourself in this story.

The chemistry, and in particular, the sex scenes in this book are fantastic. You could feel the sexual tension between these two. You honestly could feel the intensity and passion of these two characters; it felt like it jumped right off the page. It was fantastic.

If you like books that take your preconceived ideas and twist them up, you’ll love this book. You would also love this book if you want to feel like you are right in the story. Everything just jumped off the page and I could see it so vividly in my mind. An absolutely amazing book from Alessandra Torre.