When you embark on the journey that is an Alessandra Torre’s, you never where the destiantion will end. I went into this book blind.
I was captivated by these two loner souls who where trying to keep the people around them at arm’s length. Avery and Marco were dynamic, complex and struggling. Torre knows how to keep a story flowing The story was well-paced and the seamless. I really enjoyed it and smiled from the shiny eggs planted in there.

I love Alessandra's books and have never been disappointed. This book, however, just was OK for me. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't read it again.

Hidden Seams is a standalone adult contemporary novel.

I know that this author writes all different types of books. So I really had no idea what to expect with this book. The Ghostwriter, was one of my favorite books of 2017. So I was definitely looking forward to reading Hidden Seams.

I was very curious if this book was a contemporary romance, a mystery, or if it would be too sexy. I guess in many ways it is a romance. It wasn't too sexy in terms of content. But one of the narrators does talk about sex a lot.

The book started off with some very original concepts. The two narrators are Marco and Avery (31). And both of them had such unique stories. Marco was living a very interesting life in the fashion world in NYC (although I wish that there had been more of this world in the book). And Avery was living a very sketchy life in Detroit. Their worlds collide in a very fascinating way.

The book does have romance and is quite sexy. I found Marco's POV to have a very sexual tone (a little bit crass at times). I do wish that the attraction/romance had not been so fast. I prefer when a romance builds vs feelings developing super quickly.

The story definitely kept my interest. The beginning threw so much at the reader. And I really have not read a story like Marco's before.

There were a couple of unpredictable events that I did not see coming. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I just wish that there had been more about the fashion industry. And I was looking for a bit more from the romance.

My first Alessandra Torre book but most definitely not my last. This story brings a whole new meaning to hiding who and what you are. Many of us hide our overt sexuality, our orientation, our hearts. Marco has been hiding who he is for decades and now when he probably shouldn't, this whirlwind of a girl, Avery shows up and throws his entire world, his entire existence, everything he has worked for so diligently for so many years, off its axis.

Avery just wants to finally know who she is. She isn't looking for love, she isn't looking for a relationship. Despite what she does for a living, she is a good person, a do-gooder who is trying to protect people she barely knows. Yes, Marco is super hot, super rich but he is a pampered, arrogant man and his previous relationship threatens her world. Can she be who she is meant to be without losing herself. Will Marco throw away everything he has worked for for his shot at love? Or does money and legacy mean more to him than anything else?

Hidden Seams is a stand-alone novel. Vince Horace is king of the fashion world. He was bigger than life, a fashion legend. The story opens with Vince’s death. His partner Marco is experiencing many emotions about his friend, mentor & “partner.”

Ten years prior, Vince “propositioned” Marco Lent, a struggling fashion designer, to be his “partner”. For Vince this was done primarily to keep his “image” and “reputation” intact. Vince had a reputation for being full of life, wild. Marco Lent is straight, very straight.

“Vince was definitely gay. Ridiculously, whole heartedly, helplessly, gay. Trust me on that.”

The two become close. To the outside world they were partners, lovers. In private, they were friends, Vince a mentor. Things change when Vince passes away. Marco doesn’t know where or how he fits in. He struggles to find his way. As per Vince’s will, Marco inherits everything. All of the assets and the company, except….

If an heir, proven by paternity, ever comes forward, any distribution of my assets will be determined and handled by Marco Lent. At minimum, the heir should have a seat on the Board of Directors of Vince Horace.

The first quarter of the book was a little slow. But as the story progressed, I was hooked! The memories of Vince were very funny. Marco described Vince as a “showman, fiercely loyal, colorful yet refined and fun.” But, Marco is torn between his fond memories of Vince and the choices he made to stay his partner. He gave up his own life for one of success and wealth. Although Marco was extremely talented, he may have never achieved that type of success as a struggling designer in the cut throat fashion industry.

Enter Avery McKenna. She comes into the story looking for her biological father. She is armed with a photograph of her mom and an unknown man who looks like Vince Horace. The picture was taken at a concert where Avery was “conceived.” She is now the wrinkle between Marco taking over the Vince Horace throne and ten years of the charade. Vince’s legacy could be destroyed and his secret exposed!

I loved Avery’s character! She is a straight shooter! She may have some “shady” ways but she is very caring about those around her and very protective. Some of her quick decisions were so funny! There is so much more to her than meets the eye!

The book goes in a direction that I did not expect but I really enjoyed! There are many twists and turns. Expect the unexpected with Marco and Avery!

A showman, that’s what Vince had been, that’s what his entire brand was built on. Colorful yet refines excess. Expensive. Daring. Fun.

Avery has a risky job laundering money. It’s not what she set out to do but what she sort of fell into. But now she’s got it down pat and she makes her money drops like the professional she is. In her funky clothes and with a snarky attitude you would never know that she feels disconnected and lost. The only clue to what she’s looking for is found behind her car’s visor and when she’s not even looking it is suddenly dropped into her lap.

Marco has lived a lie for the last decade. The payoff is close at hand but the truth of the matter is the life he’s been living has cost him not only his reputation, but his self-respect as well. What seemed to be a solid plan to move forward has suddenly taken a nose dive when a smart mouthed, sexy girl leaps in front of his car and is hit. Now he’s facing a string of decisions that will either reveal the farce of his existence, as well as that of someone he loved dearly, or lose the one person he’s finding it hard to stay away from.

I really enjoyed this story. With Avery and Marco’s banter and chemistry this book moved at warp speed and I couldn’t read the first half of it fast enough. It slowed a bit afterwards and I was a little disappointed that some of the storylines it had the potential to follow didn’t pan out. However, I was still enthralled with the relationship between these two and curious to see how they would address the elephant in the room, so to speak.

The epilogue was exceptional and erased any lingering trace of disappointment I might have had. I was thrilled with the way this author wrapped this story up, checking all my boxes for the perfect ending. Definitely a read you will want to try if you’re looking for a bit of lovers to enemies to lovers trope that doesn’t go too heavy on the enemy part. Angst was relatively light and the connection between this couple was enough to steam my Kindle.

This is an honest review of an advanced copy provided by NetGalley.

Dual POV
Safe
No apparent triggers

Wow! This book just blew me away. Talk about a crazy story!

Marco Lent is living a life he never imagined....having a career he couldn't have wished more for. Too bad his life was a big lie. Marco thought being Vince Horace's boyfriend in name only would set him up for life and just when the end is in sight, and he can have his real life back, a tornado in the name of Avery Hartsfield crashes into his world.

Avery was adopted by a wealthy couple but for some reason she rebelled. At a young age Avery found herself on the streets of Detroit, MI after running away. Learning to be tough she provided herself a comfortable life.

Avery wanted to find her birth parents and was able to find her mom shortly before her mom died but she only had a picture of her dad that her birth mom gave her. She didn't know the guy's name. Imagine her surprise when one day on the TV she sees one of the men in photo from her birth mom and it's none other than Vince Horace, the biggest name in the fashion industry. Too bad the TV was talking about Vince's death. Deciding to see if she could find out more about Vince, Avery heads to New York City. While there she "bumps" into Vince's boyfriend, Marco, but doesn't let on that she knows who he is. One thing leads to another and BOOM...these two just explode. As their lives are slowly meshing together in the utmost crazy way, they are just drawn to each other.

Both Avery and Marco need to figure many things out in their crazy world and it really leads to a great story. I just loved Avery and Marco. They were both so flawed, yet so perfect. It was crazy how they just fit together. Overall I really LOVED this story and couldn't put it down. Just when you think you have something figured out....nope....the author changes directions. I highly recommend this book. You will not be sorry.

Marco and Avery are HOT. This book is HOT. The writing is HOT.

I should not have read this book on the subway.

Alessandra Torre knows how to write a sizzling read and this is just the ticket to heat up the cold winter night.

I can't tell you enough how much I loved this book. As my first encounter with this author I think that I picked a blinder of a book to read. Once I opened the first page I became enchanted and entranced and the ease of how I got so lost in this amazing book was so very surprising. It's not only a tale of the hot and sexy kind, most of all it's a beautiful story of finding out who you really are and learning about the many forms that love takes.
Avery McKenna at first glance seems to be a girl from Detroit who mixes with the wrong kind of people, living and working in a dangerous environment. She's a tough cookie with a heart that is caring of others while never having felt loved or wanted herself. Maro Lent is a rich boy and lover of recently departed famous fashion designer Vince Horace. He has lived a lie for the past ten years to inherit a fortune and will do anything to protect Vince's legacy.
Avery and Marco have a great chemistry right from the start and I loved their constant battle of trying to keep each other at arm's length while failing miserably. They are always suspicious of each other in every situation but then they end up throwing caution to the wind and giving in to the passion and fire that builds up between them. The sex sizzles, the banter is hilarious and the storyline left me never wanting it to end.
Alessandra Torre is an author I have seen many readers and bloggers often rave about and after reading this book I can totally see for myself why. I will most definitely be looking to read more books by this author in the future.

I love most of Alessandra Torre’s books. And this one seemed to start out really promising. I loved both characters from the start and the chemistry between Marco and Avery was sizzling hot. Then around 80% it got fast paced and over the top. The ending was dragged out and went over several chapters.

Overall it was a great story. Would read again.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

Torre writes in multiple genres and I thought this was one of her quick, hot contemporary romances and it was, but with unusual circumstances and characterisation that set it apart a little from her others in this genre. As a result of this twist on circumstances, I enjoyed this more than I expected, especially the first 70% of the book.

HIDDEN SEAMS explores family separated, searching and found alongside a connection that just shouldn’t ‘be’. Marco is an impossibly beautiful man and therefore untouchable. He was arrogant and superior with little to recommend him on the surface. Yet, he drew me in, there was more to find out about him.

“That strong voice, the deep growl in the tones....it is the sort of voice you could drizzle over ice cream and binge on for hours.”

Avery was a semi-criminal and creative entrepreneur with an ethic at the centre. She had buckets of energy and determination that I couldn’t do anything but like her. She weakened in her resolve as the book progressed towards its end, but I do acknowledge how attraction and connection can weaken anyone’s purpose and path.

The story was again unusual which moves this book from just a good, easy read into something better. Alessandra Torre has such a talent for turning your preconceptions on their head. The heat was well written as ever and didn’t overwhelm the story, only complimented it. The last 30% of the story was a little weaker and convenient but I still enjoyed this overall.

This book is a complete standalone and not connected to Love in Lingerie as both the title and cover might suggest, so you can just jump into this engaging read.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me as I could not connect with the hero and all that he sacrificed for the past 10 years.

Thank you for the opportunity.

I feel bad because I have read a few of this authors books and have enjoyed them but I just couldn't get into this one and so I just couldn't finish it.

I was going to give this book 4 stars because Marco tested my patience, but then I got to the epilogue and *Oh! LeSigh*
I thought that The Ghostwriter was complicated but then Alessandra dropped this bomb on our hearts and here is the definition of complication.
This story was totally insane. And while some would hate Marco's greedy and mean personality, I saw him as a desperate man who lost so much to gain nothing.

Alessandra Torre never fails to do something slightly different, always with a twist and always addictive. Written in dual POV, following two characters who live completely different lives who end up being intermingled in the most passionate of ways. Marco Lent, a grieving ‘gay’ fashion designer and Avery McKenna, a streetwise, underground petty criminal for want of a description. Avery is desperate to find out if the man she suspects is her father really is, Marco is determined to keep his secret and continue running the empire his boyfriend has built. No distractions. I could not get enough of Marco and Avery, I was desperate for any snippet of information I could get on Marco, and in true Torre style we didn’t find out anything until she wanted us to, leaving us hanging in suspense. How? Why? To what end? Faultless writing, a brilliant storyline, I loved the supporting characters, Edward was a hoot, I loved his interactions with both Marco and Avery. Full five stars for me. I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

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.

<a href="http://www.alleskelle.com/"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1471716947r/20097901.jpg?v=1471716951482"width="400"></a>

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.