Blindfolded Innocence

I wasn't sure about this book. I did read the reviews prior to purchase and knew that the main male character (Brad) turns out to be into the swinger lifestyle and frankly, this made me feel uncomfortable. We romance readers want the Happily Ever After endings and this series of two books promises nothing in that direction.This story starts out innocent enough for Julia Campbell. She's fresh out of her second meaningful relationship and has decided to dig into her career and work in that direction. The job she gets puts her into a realm where there is one hot fox named 'Brad De Luca'. It takes weeks but they finally meet up with a fizzle rather than a spark. Julia is a curious young woman and wants to get a look at the man she'd been warned to stay away from. She's actually become somewhat opinionated about what a skank the man is due to what she's heard about him and that curiosity draws her to seek him out. The accidental meeting with him sparks his interest. Julia is a bit scared by him and avoids him like the plague. I honestly think Julia's avoidance of Brad makes him become very intrigued with her. Julia is very outspoken with him and her big mouth (some of their conversations are GREAT) makes her even more attractive to him. Perhaps, it starts out as the fresh new flower in the office that he can pluck, but it eventually becomes more for him. For his credit, Brad does try to stay away from her; to not corrupt her. He is after all: forty to her twenty one; NOT that it bothers him since he is a sexual beast, of sorts! Julia, for her part, does tell him that she is trying to be a 'good girl'.The two of them are drawn together like moths to flame. Their trip to Las Vegas is a bit heated and still Brad works at keeping a distance between them; to NOT succumb to the youthful innocence that Julia wears like a hat. Yes; Brad encounters his usual sex partner in a strip club he owns in Vegas and he's so hot to trot (probably from keeping himself away from Julia's bed). Brad is obviously used to very aggressive sex with the stripper of his choice and it's at this point that many reviewers think `what a whore' the man is. While Brad is in the office taking care of stripper business.....Julia is out getting bored, then drunk, then frisky. Julia is young, impressionable, curious, brave, and impulsive. She has a certain innocent-curious-sexuality and this has to be the main thing drawing Brad to her, along with her blunt way of speaking to him.Brad is not a mean or deceitful dog though; he's open about his need for sexual freedom and variety. He knows he cannot be faithful to any one woman. It takes most of this book for him to finally admit to Julia that he needs the swinger lifestyle; that he occasionally meets up with a group of people who intend to swing to their libidos content. When this finally comes out; Julia is at the point where she is infatuated with Brad. At this same point in the book Brad admits that he believes they may be soul-mates and that they could belong together; that he wants Julia to be his partner. It's at this point that this reader says `partner for what'? I found it a bit strange that for most of this book Brad doesn't want any ONE woman and then comes to the conclusion that Julia is possibly the soul-mate he's been seeking? Did she really get to him to an extent that he's willing to have ONE woman be his main squeeze?Questions...lots of them and I hope we get answers in the second book in this two book series. Brad is alpha and possessive but he gets off on sharing his woman. He likes watching and participating. He also intends to be with other woman in the swinger meetings. He's been honest with Julia about this. Who can fault a man who knows himself and is honest and up front about what he believes he must have. Can he have his cake and eat it too? Can Julia really get into the swinger lifestyle with him? If their infatuation turns to love will Julia be willing to share? Will Brad still want to share his woman if he falls in love with her? If Julia can't be what Brad needs will she dump him in order to have the more traditional relationship that she admits she's looking for?Finally; this book pushed my buttons as far as comfort level. Brad is a very likeable, honest, and magnetic man. Julia is a young, impressionable woman. What good could come from Brad leading Julia into the lifestyle he feels he needs like air? The end of this book leaves this reader unsettled, and curious. I'm looking forward to the second book to see what happens with them. I'm sure it'll be quite a journey. As the mother of a daughter I'd also like to see Julia twist Brad's ego and dump his a$$! I'm also the typical romance reader and I'm hopeful for the happily ever after. We'll see what happens.This book really made me FEEL. I quite enjoyed it.NOTE: I agree wholeheartedly with the reviewer that came after me - the cover is really WRONG for this book. It's a turn away...

I don't normally do reviews...but I feel like for this one..I wanted to. I wish I could give this trilogy 2 different ratings. ...5 star for the story...and 3 because of the issues that drove me crazy. I have a love hate with it because with some better editing...this could have been AMAZING....like book hangover for months AMAZING. I don't know if this story was much longer and someone decided to cut chunks out of it to fit a particular word count, or if the author started with a different angel in mind on particular parts and switched gears. I can see why the ratings are all over the place with it. First off...if you start book one....finish it until the last because it gets better.What I loved....the story ... She writes very well and the actual writing gets better as she goes along. It left me wanting more...but that was a good and bad thing.SPOILER ALERT !!! FOR ALL 3 BOOKS!!!!!! Stop reading NOW if you do not want spoilers from ALL 3 BOOKS!!!What I had issues with:1.there were little things like time frame discrepancies...& scene change discrepancies . They were not terrible, but it was annoying and distracting. Example... a scene in book one ... they were eating dessert...ordered champagne...then canceled champagne and decided on water... but before Brad left the table...he took another drink of his champagne. Good editing would have cleared theses things up.2. the strip club intro.... the author went made it seem like Brad was trying hard to hide ownership from Julia the first night there. Then the next day, she overhears him talking and it's never really mentioned as being a big deal. Why hide it? Like the story was going one way then the author changed her mind.3. ALEXIS.... I had real issues with Alexis. At her introduction the author changes to her POV...like she is a main character. Telling us how she feels etc.... It was complete useless information and very irritating and distracting. THEN..after the first intro of her...we never hear about her again until book 3...and she does the SAME THING with the POV...It's like more story was supposed to be there and it got cut out.4. I feel like even though this was not a BDSM theme... she needed a safe word. There were a couple of scenes where she was clearly saying no in the dialogue and Brad continued to push her. In real life situations, with a partner you trust and know, you can tell with body language, looks, and tone if no really means no. In a book, all we have are the authors words, so when she is saying no, and he keeps going...there will be a lot of readers that have real issues with the no means no....every time. A safe word would have cleared up that issue.5. The RUSSIAN GIRL..... no part of ANY of that was okay. It was so out of left field....and CREEPY! Like a sex slave/ring forced into a swingers party with her slaver ...(the whole washing and dressing from her POV was just bizarre and creepy.)..then being a virgin...and begging Brad to be with her after she was almost raped... and they were all turned on???? it was just a huge NO,NO,NO. She could have done that scene with a normal/willing chick..and it would have been soooooo much better.6. The whole MOB thing..... I liked the mob angle...but waiting until the second book to introduce it???? I did catch a couple of HINTS in the first book, but not nearly enough to make it okay. She should have slipped that in there with the strip club or something.7. The HUGE sex secrete. For something that was supposed to be such a big deal...one the cat was out if the bag...it was not really a big deal. Something could have been done different/better with that angle.8. Julia's immaturity...... I know she was 21-22 in these books....but her age really acted like an immature 21-22.... at least in the first book...(it did get better) It just didn't seem compatible at times to Brad's 35-40 age... (their ages changed for different scenes/books)9.there was just so many aspects of this book that felt unfinished. Especially the ending. It was just rushed.10. the sex scenes..... they did get better...but the first few left a lot of room for improvement. I don't like a scene that is overdone...but in a few of them ...she needed a little more emotion and descriptions with her scenes.There are other things, but these are just some of the things that stood out. Basically, it felt like this was a MUCH more complex story and someone cut chunks of it out.I am glad i read it. I did like it. It is worth the read.... BUT I'm just so SAD for the author ... because this is a book that is just an okay recommendation because of all the bad editing.... but with proper editing.... this could have been an AMAZING book. this story and these characters had SOOOO much more potential.

If you didn’t already know, I am a big Alessandra Torre fan, I mean the woman has written some of my favourite books. There are a couple of her books I have yet to catch up on (some of the older ones) and it just felt like the right time to start this. I kept being told I needed to meet Brad De Luca and well clearly I am pretty happy to have met him now. That man is a true enigma.Any who, I think this book brings a new aspect to the whole genre. The theme is different to what I have read from before, it is about swingers yes, but it is introduced near the end of the book.For me this was about our main character; Julia, discovering herself and her attraction to this man who is so complex and different to what she’s usually used to in a man. It was quite interesting to see her experience this whole different world which is sure to rock her off her feet. I mean how would it be possible for her to return to her normal life after Brad De Luca?This book was very entertaining for me. I highly enjoy Alessandra’s writing. I don’t know, there’s always something about it that grips me and intrigues. It’s definitely a page turner. I cannot lie that even though some concepts in this book I had to disagree with, I still managed to enjoy and in fact I found it quite difficult to put it down. I think the credit definitely goes to good, balanced writing and also I was just really interested in how the story would turn out. It’s theme is quite different so I never really knew what to expect. I kept expecting different things to happen, but it turned out as a good surprise in the end. I thought it would be similar to other office intern romances but I was frankly quite wrong. It was very different. But in a good way of course.If you’re a fan of the genre and want to read something a little unique then go ahead! With that note I shall end this review.

Julia is a young, vibrant young lady, wanting to enjoy a good life, career and to find the right man to enjoy it with. She has no great expectations in a sex life as her previous relationships have proved uneventful and she decides she like to be in control. She ditches her fiancé, moves apartment and finds herself an internship with the biggest and best Law firm in the city.Brad De Luca is a partner in the law firm and luckily for Julia she isn't working under him. His reputation is bad, bad enough that Julia is warned by her boss, to stay away from the East Wing and not have any involvement with Brad De Luca. Well it doesn't take long for Julia to catch Brad's eye, and the sparks do fly. Both are hot headed and opinionated and Julia has no interest being another notch on Brad's bedpost. It doesn't take long for Brad to test Julia's resolve and change her opinion on sex only being part in a loving relationship. And things take a complete turn on a trip to Vegas and too much Tequila and a dancer named Montana and this is long before Brad decides to divulge his sexual preferences to Julia. A good read, lots of sexual tension and some pretty hot scenes.

I really loved the relationship between Brad and Julia, the author has really made this couple work. It doesn't matter the age difference and the experience difference, you actually read in this book that two sole mates have met, they really, really work and the book is a fun read. I will certainly be reading more from this author. Brad is gorgeous, sexy and a really beautiful person and Julia is brave, sassy and more than matches Brad in personality, they just merge brilliantly and are perfect together. This is one of those kinky reads where both parties are in it for real and there's no BDSM aspect, which to be totally honest with you, I am bored with reading about now. I really don't think there are that many women who are masochists/submissive out there, and most of the writers just don't seem to get the fine balance between sexual BDSM and abuse. I digress - this book is one to read if you fancy a bit of kink with your love.

This Book had me gripped right from the start. Love a sassy & feisty female & obviously a hot male!!!I have only just come across this author but believe me I am so happy, her writing is right up my street & keeps me hooked into the early hours...... I’m on to the next in the series & can’t wait!Would highly recommend any book from this author, especially this one!

I've had this book sitting in my kindle for a year now and made it a point to read it immediately after reading this author's recent release, Hollywood Dirt. In HD, Brad De Luca made quite an impression. In this particular book, he is definitely a star. I like him as a hero: confident, arrogant and unapologetically knows his kinks and wants. The heroine, Julia, is a very mature 21 year old. She thought that she knows what she wanted from a relationship until Brad set her straight and introduced her to his particular lifestyle. I really enjoyed this book, the writing is good and the story is hot.