Scan barcode
maggiemaggio's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I don't anyone to see my 3.5 star rating and think I didn't like this book, I did like it, but compared to the previous two books, which I loved, it's just not as good. I have been waiting for End of the Innocence since I finished Masked Innocence back in December. As much as I loved Blindfolded Innocence, I really fell in love with Masked Innocence and where Torre took Julia and Brad's relationship.
End of the Innocence (I also don't like how the title doesn't follow the same pattern as the first two books, I'm not taking off points for that, but still) mostly picks up where Masked Innocence left off. Julia and Brad are engaged and even though Brad wants to get married as soon as possible, both to protect Julia and to make her his sooner, she wants to wait a year to really be confident of where they are as a couple. True to form, Julia wants to keep their engagement a secret, but Brad wants everyone to know which leads to some funny, cringeworthy office scenes and the first meeting between Julia's parents and Brad.
Unlike the first two books in the series this one covers a large time period, just over a year, while the other two took place over relatively short periods of time. I thought Alessandra Torre did a good job of picking the different parts of Julia and Brad's life to show over the course of their year-long engagement, but at times I did think it read like vignettes rather than a cohesive narrative.
Fans of the sexy scenes will not be disappointed by this book. Torre excels at writing sex scenes between Julia and Brad and Julia, Brad, and other people and this book probably had more sex scenes than either of the previous two and they were all great. There was also a good mix of scenes of Julia and Brad out of bed showing how they have more than just a physical connection.
However, I do have some negatives to talk about. The story starts with a scene of Julia waking up seemingly having been kidnapped. We then flash back a year and figure out how she came to be taken. Throughout the book there are references in an overarching narrative that happens at the beginning of every chapter referencing that something bad is going to happen. This method of storytelling is just not for me. While I don't mind suspense it was too melodramatic for me. Also, at the beginning of the book Julia and Brad were very stiff, the writing seemed to lack the ease of the earlier books, but it did settle in. Finally, there are some inconsistencies in Brad's age. I seem to remember him being somewhere in his 40s in the first book, which would make sense given his level of success, but in this story he's 34 at one point and 36 at another point.
If I had to say whether I thought this was a fitting end of Julia and Brad I would say yes, but with some reservations. I really enjoyed the scenes of Julia and Brad together during their engagement year, but the kidnapping was a little much for me and I didn't like how it wasn't fully resolved. Plus, there were moments where I thought Julia and Brad both changed too much from who they were at the beginning of the series, but maybe that's just them growing up and maturing.
Bottom Line: The Innocence Series remains my favorite erotica/romance series and I really enjoy Alessandra Torre's writing. I had my issues with End of the Innocence, this is my least favorite book of the series, but I still enjoyed it and remain smitten with both Julia and Brad and look forward to reading more from Torre.
I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!). All opinions are my own.
I don't anyone to see my 3.5 star rating and think I didn't like this book, I did like it, but compared to the previous two books, which I loved, it's just not as good. I have been waiting for End of the Innocence since I finished Masked Innocence back in December. As much as I loved Blindfolded Innocence, I really fell in love with Masked Innocence and where Torre took Julia and Brad's relationship.
End of the Innocence (I also don't like how the title doesn't follow the same pattern as the first two books, I'm not taking off points for that, but still) mostly picks up where Masked Innocence left off. Julia and Brad are engaged and even though Brad wants to get married as soon as possible, both to protect Julia and to make her his sooner, she wants to wait a year to really be confident of where they are as a couple. True to form, Julia wants to keep their engagement a secret, but Brad wants everyone to know which leads to some funny, cringeworthy office scenes and the first meeting between Julia's parents and Brad.
Unlike the first two books in the series this one covers a large time period, just over a year, while the other two took place over relatively short periods of time. I thought Alessandra Torre did a good job of picking the different parts of Julia and Brad's life to show over the course of their year-long engagement, but at times I did think it read like vignettes rather than a cohesive narrative.
Fans of the sexy scenes will not be disappointed by this book. Torre excels at writing sex scenes between Julia and Brad and Julia, Brad, and other people and this book probably had more sex scenes than either of the previous two and they were all great. There was also a good mix of scenes of Julia and Brad out of bed showing how they have more than just a physical connection.
However, I do have some negatives to talk about. The story starts with a scene of Julia waking up seemingly having been kidnapped. We then flash back a year and figure out how she came to be taken. Throughout the book there are references in an overarching narrative that happens at the beginning of every chapter referencing that something bad is going to happen. This method of storytelling is just not for me. While I don't mind suspense it was too melodramatic for me. Also, at the beginning of the book Julia and Brad were very stiff, the writing seemed to lack the ease of the earlier books, but it did settle in. Finally, there are some inconsistencies in Brad's age. I seem to remember him being somewhere in his 40s in the first book, which would make sense given his level of success, but in this story he's 34 at one point and 36 at another point.
If I had to say whether I thought this was a fitting end of Julia and Brad I would say yes, but with some reservations. I really enjoyed the scenes of Julia and Brad together during their engagement year, but the kidnapping was a little much for me and I didn't like how it wasn't fully resolved. Plus, there were moments where I thought Julia and Brad both changed too much from who they were at the beginning of the series, but maybe that's just them growing up and maturing.
Bottom Line: The Innocence Series remains my favorite erotica/romance series and I really enjoy Alessandra Torre's writing. I had my issues with End of the Innocence, this is my least favorite book of the series, but I still enjoyed it and remain smitten with both Julia and Brad and look forward to reading more from Torre.
I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!). All opinions are my own.
pattymac61's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this series of books. Brad and Julia's relationship had its ups and downs, but I think they came full circle, and learn a lot. Sad to see it end.
cherryredsreads's review against another edition
5.0
I <3 [a:Alessandra Torre|6452845|Alessandra Torre|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1349140581p2/6452845.jpg] books!!
This is Book#3 in the Innocence Series by Alessandra Torre. Well, I could not resist devouring this book in basically 2 days while at work! And boy reading this at work got me in trouble in a good way! Yes it is that good! I did not want this series to end but let me tell you, Alessandra did it right! She knows how to write books!
If you haven't met Brad De Luca, what the hell are you waiting for! Go read BLINDFOLDED INNOCENCE & MASKED INNOCENCE before you read any further on this review.
***SPOILER IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOKS #1 & 2***
Okay, so let's get back to the review, I seriously fell in love with Brad De Luca even more! Seriously the man can't get any sexier & gosh I wish to find my own Brad one day. Julia is one lucky lady.
So we continue where we left where now Julia & Brad are engaged and planning their wedding. But of course it does not go as easy as they want it to be. Julia is threatened by people who do not approve of their marriage & Brad shows Julia just how far he will go to make sure its about them and no one else.
I loved how Alessandra shows us how Julia comes into her own more with a strong and sexy confidence in herself. Julia is wanting to explore even more than she did from the other 2 books. Julia sexual relationship with Brad gets even more hot & steamy.
There were times I was reading and had to drink down many iced cold drinks to keep me from overheating. This book I felt was the hottest in the whole series.
Now, for the twist: Yes I love books that totally hit you with a WTF??/ no way did that happen! Alessandra knows how to do that to her readers & it is what I like about reading her books. It is not predictable and keeps you entertained. There were times throughout the book I was wondering if things were going to change for the worse. You will have to read to find out!
One moment had me crying and broken hearted when Brad's true feelings poured out of him. Damn that scene just totally broke me but I felt it was exactly what us the reader needed in order to understand Brad even more. I literally just had to take a step back and absorb it all in.
I love books that hit you hard!
Having both Julia and Brad's Point of views with what they were feeling made it easier to understand them. Their trust for one another is shown throughout this book. They learn to be comfortable with one another as a couple, sexual and with others around them. It's not easy to do but they learn to do it. Alessandra kept the characters through out the whole series consistent. No changing them to boring or having them at a standstill of "what are they?".
Reading Alessandra's series, you get an rollercoaster of emotions that are both happy, frustrated, steamy.... just keeping you on your toes to finding out how will this end.
Well.....
The ending to this book had me completely satisifed. I was happy to see how Brad & Julia's story would turn out. Alessandra did not dissapoint. The bonus content had me even more excited for what Brad & Julia future is like.
This is a definite must read! You will not be dissapointed!
Make sure to read this bonus material once you are done by Alessandra Torre! You don't want to miss it!
This is Book#3 in the Innocence Series by Alessandra Torre. Well, I could not resist devouring this book in basically 2 days while at work! And boy reading this at work got me in trouble in a good way! Yes it is that good! I did not want this series to end but let me tell you, Alessandra did it right! She knows how to write books!
If you haven't met Brad De Luca, what the hell are you waiting for! Go read BLINDFOLDED INNOCENCE & MASKED INNOCENCE before you read any further on this review.
***SPOILER IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOKS #1 & 2***
Okay, so let's get back to the review, I seriously fell in love with Brad De Luca even more! Seriously the man can't get any sexier & gosh I wish to find my own Brad one day. Julia is one lucky lady.
So we continue where we left where now Julia & Brad are engaged and planning their wedding. But of course it does not go as easy as they want it to be. Julia is threatened by people who do not approve of their marriage & Brad shows Julia just how far he will go to make sure its about them and no one else.
I loved how Alessandra shows us how Julia comes into her own more with a strong and sexy confidence in herself. Julia is wanting to explore even more than she did from the other 2 books. Julia sexual relationship with Brad gets even more hot & steamy.
There were times I was reading and had to drink down many iced cold drinks to keep me from overheating. This book I felt was the hottest in the whole series.
Now, for the twist: Yes I love books that totally hit you with a WTF??/ no way did that happen! Alessandra knows how to do that to her readers & it is what I like about reading her books. It is not predictable and keeps you entertained. There were times throughout the book I was wondering if things were going to change for the worse. You will have to read to find out!
One moment had me crying and broken hearted when Brad's true feelings poured out of him. Damn that scene just totally broke me but I felt it was exactly what us the reader needed in order to understand Brad even more. I literally just had to take a step back and absorb it all in.
I love books that hit you hard!
Having both Julia and Brad's Point of views with what they were feeling made it easier to understand them. Their trust for one another is shown throughout this book. They learn to be comfortable with one another as a couple, sexual and with others around them. It's not easy to do but they learn to do it. Alessandra kept the characters through out the whole series consistent. No changing them to boring or having them at a standstill of "what are they?".
Reading Alessandra's series, you get an rollercoaster of emotions that are both happy, frustrated, steamy.... just keeping you on your toes to finding out how will this end.
Well.....
The ending to this book had me completely satisifed. I was happy to see how Brad & Julia's story would turn out. Alessandra did not dissapoint. The bonus content had me even more excited for what Brad & Julia future is like.
This is a definite must read! You will not be dissapointed!
Make sure to read this bonus material once you are done by Alessandra Torre! You don't want to miss it!
hannas_heas47's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the freshness of this series, not a whole lot out there on swingers. This book allowed me some insight and I thought it was pretty interesting. Brad and Julia had loads of chemistry and the story was pretty intriguing. The book was aptly named and the covers were a bit boring but overall I liked the synopsis and would definitely read from this author again. I received this book for free from netgalley in exchange for a review.
djacknurse's review against another edition
3.0
I was on the way to giving this 5 stars but then had to skim the ending that didn't really make a whole lot of sense to me! I loved Brad's character but felt Julia would be a bitch at inappropriate times and for no reason. Brad spent big money on a dream wedding that she was too lazy to plan herself then she refuses to spend more than $1000 on a wedding dress! WTH.....it just seemed like another thumb of her nose at Brad. I'm not saying Brad was perfect because he wasn't but he did straighten up and adore her by the end of the trilogy. I absolutely hated the entire ruined wedding deal! I skimmed all of it. The epilogue was really shitty......questions left unanswered.
rlp78's review against another edition
4.0
I was so excited to read this. I've been waiting over a year for the conclusion to Brad and Julia's story. Brad has grown so much since the first book and it has been a pleasure to watch. He truly loved Julia. Yes, they had an unconventional sex life, but who am I to judge. There was never a doubt in my mind that they loved each other completely. I loved that Julia rescued herself. I love kick ass heroines. I did feel like
Another great series by Alessandra Torre. Maybe in the future we could get another novella because I'm just not ready to let go of Brad and Julia :)
Spoiler
Brad's father gave up really easily. Not that I wanted him to keep chasing Julia, but it seemed really anti-climactic that such a big part of the story concluded in a sentence. I loved the idea of them living out their lives in the Caribbean, I just really hope Julia was practicing law too. A housewife just doesn't fit my image of her. The other piece that bugged me was the ending. I clicked for the HEA, but I really wish it wasn't a sex scene. I should have known better. This author never gives me what is expected. She's a sneaky one :) In my head Brad and Julia are practicing law together and getting ready to have some babies.Another great series by Alessandra Torre. Maybe in the future we could get another novella because I'm just not ready to let go of Brad and Julia :)
bookaddict1975's review against another edition
4.0
🎧 Audio Review 🎧
Another good book in this series. This one started off slow but picked up and ended great. I gotta say I love this couple. He's powerful, sexy, dirty & head over heels in love! She's young, beautiful, adventurous and has the man of her dreams! Who could ask for more! The only problem is his family. The writing is great as always, the sexy scenes are incredibly hot and the narration was amazing! I'm a little sad to be done with this series!
Another good book in this series. This one started off slow but picked up and ended great. I gotta say I love this couple. He's powerful, sexy, dirty & head over heels in love! She's young, beautiful, adventurous and has the man of her dreams! Who could ask for more! The only problem is his family. The writing is great as always, the sexy scenes are incredibly hot and the narration was amazing! I'm a little sad to be done with this series!
persephoneautumn's review against another edition
5.0
What an intense and sensual and perfect ending to the Innocence series. So much happened in this last book. And I think I love Brad even more now than when I started the series.
tarazagata's review against another edition
4.0
wow that's what i thought of this... just wow.. book one was all about the sex book 2 brought some drama and some hot sex, book 3 wow, as Julia and Brad get closer to the date of their wedding and Julia is trying to decide if Brad's lifestyle is it for her. Hidden pasts and lies of omission come to light. Julia knows that the sex with Brad is out of this world, he lights her body on fire like no one else has, Brad knows that Julia is it for him but their pasts have other things to say about it. When her ex shows up and his family get involved only one thing can happen, DRAMA.. Making it to her wedding day had been one day at a time, learning things that she needed to about the man she loved. Making it to her wedding day is more than one day at a time it's one issue at a time. Brad is protecting Julia the only way he knows how, by making her part of the family. His father doesn't see it that way and plans to do something about it. Her ex doesn't seem to get the hint that things are over he just weasels himself into her family's life and takes up shop until she finds out. Awesome ending to an awesome story of love, the Mob and swingers.