I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I DNF this at 30% as I found it a little creepy.

Torn is the first book in the All Torn Up series. This book is about Toren and Kenzi and is told from both of their points of view.

This book is a forbidden age gap. Toren has been Kenzi's psuedo uncle since she was born. However, at age 17 she has starting to have real feelings for him. At 18, they both start to have feelings for each other. However, Toren is her father's best friend.

What happens when their relationship comes out to her father? There were parts of this book that I liked, but I wasn't really a fan of some of the flashbacks. We would have them together, and then in the next bit it would talk about when she was really young.

I did enjoy seeing their relationship develop, and see how they each grew with each other. I'm going to read the next book, because I want to see what happens next with his brothers story, since we had little snippets of him.

While I can see we’re a house divided when it comes to how people felt about this book, I am not, and don’t think I’ll ever be, a member of the “I loved this book” club. There’s just something about a 30-something-year-old man falling in love with his best friend’s 17-year-old daughter, WHO HE HELPED RAISE SINCE BIRTH, that absolutely didn’t vibe with me. It’s gonna be a no for me 🥴

I appreciate the work the author put into this book, but it just wasn’t for me. (Thank you, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

I went into this book blind. Questioned myself for a bit when I realized the tropes...but I am so freakin glad I stuck with it because this book was FABULOUS.

I couldn't get into this book.
I wasn't able to connect with the characters or the relationship that was unfolding.
and ultimately I DNFed around the 25% mark.

Torn really surprised me in a good way! It’s an emotional, angsty story that pulls you in with its complicated relationships and deep feelings. The forbidden romance at the heart of the book kept me hooked—I couldn’t help but get invested in the tension between the characters. It’s not your typical love story, which made it all the more intriguing.

The characters are well-developed, with real flaws and struggles that make them feel relatable. The age gap dynamic might not be for everyone, but the way it’s handled feels thoughtful and respectful, adding layers to the romance. I loved how the emotions felt raw and real, even when the story got messy.

The pacing was solid, although there were a few parts that felt a bit slow. That said, the emotional depth of the story made up for it, and I found myself really rooting for the characters by the end.

If you’re into angsty, complicated love stories with a bit of a forbidden twist, Torn is definitely worth checking out. It’s intense, heartfelt, and full of those emotional moments that stick with you. I’m looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here!

There is so much to say and nothing to say at the same time. I’m still kind of trying to wrap my head around this one! All in all, I liked it. Definitely read the triggers of this because I went in blind and it threw me for an absolute loop! Once you understand that this is a TABOO romance (again, TABOO! TABOO! TABOO!) where there is a 15 year age gap with her godfather/dad’s best friend and the romance truly starts when she is 18, but attraction is noticed when she is 17 (a couple weeks before she is 18), then you can see the overall story for what it is. It’s honestly very romantic and the chemistry between the two is written very well.

Kenzi is written mature, but is also having her own “coming of age” story that I enjoyed. Watching her character growth and how she handles these situations around her at age 18, you are rooting for her and her journey. And Tor, he is so lovely. He feels things with his soul and the way he handles their love is done so well.

I also appreciated how Carion Cole wrote the situation when Kenzi’s father discovers their relationship. The tension, the yelling, the questions, the declarations were spot on with how you expect (and want) any father to say and Cole did not shy away from it. This friends to lovers story is truly a good read.

for the first book I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was going to be a little slow at first but it had me hooked from the first page. I fell in love with the characters and the love story kept me entertained.

I finished this book so fast! I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it based off the description but I loved it! Such a beautiful story and so well written. I flew through this book because it flowed together so perfectly, it’s not too often when you find a book that flows super well. Highly recommend checking this book out! Thank you NetGalley for my ARC!

Thank you NetGalley, Carian Cole and Forever for giving me the chance to read both Tied & Torn!
Really enjoyed them both!

This one was so good. I loved how it all played out and need the next book in the series ASAP. I loved the age gap and I think it worked well for the romance in this story. This is one that you could root for.

This book was very spicy and dark. Carian Cole writes very well and it was an overall really good dark romance.

I read the majority of this book then couldn’t anymore. The writing was cringy and I couldn’t get along with the fact that he took care of her since she was born and all of a sudden they love each other and want a relationship. Couldn’t do it

This book had me TORN.

Like on one hand, I loved Tor and Kenzi. However, the flashbacks to when she was a kid and he took care of her had me a little resistant. However, Carian's writing had me hooked and sold and my resistance fled halfway through the book. This taboo romance was so angsty and I adored it. This book was very easy to devour. I want to know more about Ember though and how she was at the end of the book!

I can't wait to read the next one!

DNF at 15%. I picked this up and put this down twice in the past three months. I just can’t get past the “uncle” dynamic and flashbacks to her as a literal toddler.

Love Carian Cole's writing from her pacing to the plot to the character development she does it all to perfection! Another great addition to her shelf.

This book was great. There's dads best friend, age gap romance. check your trigger warnings. her prom date tries to rape her and she calls her dads best friend to come get her. The spice in this book was chefs kiss. I really enjoyed this book. It was an emotional roller coaster. This book is a standalone as well.

I did not like this book but that does not mean the writing was bad. To me, the characters were unrelatable and did not clash well together. I had a hard time finishing this one because of those reasons. 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy of Torn by Carian Cole in exchange for my honest review.

✨️💚✨️Book Review✨️💚✨️

Book: Torn
Author: Carian Cole
Rating: 4.5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

Wow. This book. Just wow.

It's definitely taboo and definitely not something I thought I would enjoy ... but yup, I definitely didn't.

I honestly couldn't put it down, I was so absorbed in the characters and the plot ... I just had to know what was happening next.

I feel like this a great book to go into blind, so I don't want to give too much away ... BUT oh em gee. 🥵

Tor rescues dogs .. 😍

You get:
• Dual POV
• Age Gap
• Found Family To Lovers
• Dad's Best Friend
• Musician MMC
• Forbidden Romance
• Fuck It

If taboo, spicy romance is your thing, I suggest you pick this one up! Available on Amazon through ebook, paperback, and audio.

The story follows Kenzie, the daughter of Asher and Ember, and her godfather Tor. They've been close their whole lives, but things start to change when Kenzie is about to turn 18. I know, it sounds crazy, but their love is so intense and genuine. At first, I had mixed feelings about their relationship, thinking about how I would react if it was someone I knew. But as I kept reading, I couldn't help but root for them. The author did an amazing job of portraying their emotions and struggles. The way the story jumps back and forth in time adds a unique touch, although it did slow down the plot a bit in the middle. And yes, the book is a little long and repetitive at times, but it's totally worth it. I'm so excited for the next book in the series. You should definitely give it a go!