Oh my, I loved this book so much! I loved the push and pull, the dilemma of either listening to your head or your heart. The childhood connection and the feeling of safety vs being a free thinking adult. This book was sweet and sexy and everything you need in a romance novel.

Okay I mean who doesn't love a good taboo romance? I didn't even think this was really all that taboo compared to some other stories *cough* *cough* Credence *cough* *cough* (still loved it tho).

Sometimes with these types of romance books, they are done in a very weird, niche way. However, this book and storyline was beautifully done. The relationship between Tor and Kenzie was formulated and presented with such care and precision. It was nice to follow the history of their relationship from beginning to end and this was very friends to lovers.

The story even goes back and forth between the two on the quarrels they experience with understanding this type of attraction and relationship.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I did think towards the end it was dragging on a little bit and I could always figure out where the story was going to end. This was a first for me in the genre (father's best friend romance trope) and it was a good introduction into this type of storytelling.
However, I think I like books that are a bit more fast-paced and exciting.

Overall, good read!

I will admit, at times the storyline of this book made me uncomfortable. I don’t mind an age gap but the flashbacks to him basically raising her were really weird. However, that being said, I did find this book enjoyable. I really like the writing and was locked into this book. I felt like she really fleshed out the characters and made them feel like great flawed but real human beings. Even though it was a bit taboo, I thought Carian did a fantastic job of capturing the emotions of this type of relationship. While this one maybe wasn’t entirely the one for me, I’d definitely like to read more Carian Cole in the future.

The reverse age gap made me have the ick, it’s basically Jacob/renesmee and did not do what needed to be done. In theory the plot was good but the characters ruined the experience

I have mixed feelings on this one. I thought the story was incredibly well done. Tor and Kenzie were inevitable. Seeing how much they cared for each other growing up it was plain as day. They were meant to be. And honestly Tor is a saint. How many people would not only accept their best friends having a baby at 15, let alone MOVE IN WITH THEM TO HELP RAISE THE BABY!!! He was just a kid himself!! And with that being said I feel like he raised Kenzie more than her actual parents did and isn't that the slap in the face when you think about how this book ends? I loved the pennies and the rescues and how Tor was always there for her. Kenzie was so mature for her age and her dad made a comment about how she was sheltered and she was sheltered because he made her that way. She was constantly on the road or with adults so how was she supposed to be attracted to boys her age when she's constantly put with older people? Tor never pushed her and he saw her as she was. The jar in his room was freaking precious.

But all this to say I struggled with this book a bit. While she was overall mature sometimes her immaturity was alot...especially when they were talking about his exes. Her dad really bothered me with how he reacted and was real immature about it and how he wasn't always around. And she constantly told Tor how inexperienced she was and yet after being intimate he gets upset that he didn't know? And the flashbacks...I wish there was consistency to them. I would have loved if they started from when Ember was pregnant to where they are now as it sometimes was hard to track.

This was my first Carian Cole book and I was pleasantly surprised. I would definitely read more and I'm curious to see where the next book goes.

DNF @ 33%. This one just wan't for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

This was my first Carian Cole book! Lots of indie romance readers adore her books, so I am surprised I never got around to reading any of them. Torn is a bit taboo and a lot angsty (but, what taboo romance isn't angsty??)! Kenzi was born when her parents were 15. Their best friend, Toren, also 15, became Kenzi's godfather. He cared for her throughout her life. Her parents were rock stars and gone a lot. Toren was always there. After she graduates high school, she starts to see Toren differently. She is 18 and he is in his mid thirties so the age different isn't THAT shocking. And as weird as I thought it would be to have those feelings for someone who helped raise you, it does make sense. I was kind of annoyed at times that Toren seemed even older-back pain and whatnot. The angst is significant. Once they finally get together, they are hiding it from everyone. Then there is the 3rd act break up. I felt it was unnecessarily long (like I get why it happened, but not the length of time it happened for).

I did like the epistolary aspects that you get at times, especially because you don't know exactly when the letters were written. I thought Kenzi was very mature, and that was appropriate for the life she had led. Overall, this was a pretty great read! I certainly plan to read more by Cole!

A taboo age gap romance that had me in the feels so many times! It was steamy and emotional and had me reading til the morning! There's a 15 year gap and he is her dads best friend, need I say more??

I found Torn by Carian Cole to be quite challenging to get through. Despite typically enjoying stories with an age gap, this one was a Did Not Finish for me. There were aspects that left me feeling uncomfortable, particularly the flashbacks and connections from when she was a baby. It didn't feel romantic; instead, it came across as predatory and unsettling. Overall, it just didn't work for me.

Torn is a good fit for readers looking for a heartfelt and unconventional love story, focusing on a forbidden romance between a young woman and her father's best friend, with a shared passion for rescuing dogs.

I have seen Torn by Carian Cole around for awhile and wanted to jump on this forbidden/Taboo romance ride especially since it was rereleased last month by @readforeverpub

This story follows Toren and Kenzi.
Kenzi grew up with Toren always taking care of her and looking out for her best interests. He was her parents best friend so he was always “uncle Toren”. They have always had an undeniable bond. She always had hearts in her eyes for him and he was always there for her.
As Kenzi approaches her 18th birthday, things shift and they both start to look at each other in a different light.
Toren is hesitant to act on anything because he knows how people will react, thinking he is a predator.
He finally decides he wants to take this chance with the woman he loves and who loves him back. He will deal with the fall out, he just wants to be happy and make Kenzi happy too.

We have Age Gap, Forbidden/Taboo romance, friends to lovers - so many amazing tropes that I absolutely love.
If you are not a fan of taboo romance then this probably isn’t for you. Honestly though, this book was written in such a way that it doesn’t feel wrong. These two fit together and finally figured that out.

Thank you @netgalley for a copy of this book.

Complimentary Copy Provided by the NetGalley in exchange for an honest review..

For a story about blurring lines and ignoring morals, this was a good read, and for the most part, I enjoyed it. A battle between your head and your heart is always a great story. There were some good parts, but I feel that the story line really dragged, and there were some secondary events in the book that felt thrown in, and not necessary. I love an age gap, forbidden romance, but I did have a small problem with it being someone who practically raised her. It felt...icky. I do think that the fact that she called him uncle for most of her life was the true ick factor here. Also, why is she hoarding his things? That was such a big plot for the first part of the book, and then just never spoken about again once they were together.

However, if you are looking for a couple that loves each other unconditionally, will always be there (I mean, except when they aren't), and can really communicate with each other, this might be the book for you!

For some parts of the book I was up and down and then all of a sudden 🫰🏻! I was sucked down a worm hole. I couldn’t take in the pages fast enough.

Kenzie: Smart, animal loving, doesn’t know she’s gorgeous girl. Product of a teenage pregnancy whom became rockstars. However, responsible parents, an adoring pseudo uncle. Kenzie is mature for her age, and there is only one person she loves the most….

Toren: Skull ring wearing, motorcycle riding, leather wearing, long dark hair, tough looking guy with a heart of 💛. Running a bike shop with his brothers and rescuing animals as strays or from thugs whenever possible. Also the coolest pseudo uncle around.

Things change. People change. Relationships evolve. She’s 18, he’s 32….buckle up for the ride.

Spice level a II for the fact of some waiting, if there were more scenes it’d be a 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ cuz 🥵🥵🥵

I had heard a lot of hype surrounding this book and I was not disappointed. I love a good taboo age gap. It is my favorite trope when done correctly. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had everything that I was looking for. Angst, romance, character development and kept me turning pages. This was the first book by this author that I have read and I will be reading more. Her writing style is something that I enjoy. The development of Kenzi and Tor was done so well. The maturity of the characters is really what kept me interested in them. You could tell the plot was thought out and not just thrown together because there was a reason for everything that happened. I can’t wait to read more!

Despite this being a taboo romance, it wasn’t dark or anything, it was actually quite sweet.

The writing overall was enjoyable, the main characters were mature and likeable, especially Kenzi, who is still in high school in the beginning of the book. The side characters were also really interesting, especially Tyler. The pacing was good. The undeniable chemistry between Kenzi & Toren was amazing to read, and you could really tell how dedicated and protective Tor was of Kenzi.

There’s only one thing that I didn’t particularly enjoy about this, which is that from the beginning of the book he’s considered her uncle/godfather and he practically raised her from birth, it made this seem like a grooming relationship in the beginning and I was so close to dnfing it because of that. I’m glad I kept reading because the author did a great job with shifting their relationship from being her pseudo-uncle to a best friend to a lover, in a way that wasn’t cringey or disgusting but definitely crosses into the taboo romance category.

I quite enjoyed this one, so I look forward to reading her second novel, Tied.

Tropes:
-Dad’s best friend
-Age gap (15 years)
-Forbidden/taboo romance
-Slow burn
-Friends to lovers
-No cheating
-No underage sex scenes

Okay, I know this book will not be for everyone. It definitely covers a very taboo topic of a 15 year age gap between a girl and her dad’s lifelong best friend. I will say that it took me a bit to move past knowing that Tor has watched Kenzie literally grow up from the day she is born until present day but once I did this was a really beautiful story. Kenzie is extremely mature for her age and Tor is a closet romantic. It helped the Tor fought his feelings so hard and wrestled with if it was wrong to fall for Kenzie or if he truly loved her the way he does.

The hurdles these two had to jump through to get to their happily ever after made for an emotional read. Kenzie’s parents having her at 15 and her mom being in a coma left for a lot of hardship and trauma between all the characters. All in all, I am surprised I like this one as much as I did.

I adore Carian Cole’s writing. The angst is delicious. These two were destined to be together and while we had to watch them struggle, their happily ever after was absolutely worth it.

This book was amazing!!! I couldn't get enough of Toren and Kenzi. Kenzi has loved Tor since she was a little girl. He was one of her parent's friends and took on an uncle role when she was growing up. She tells him that she will marry him one day. She turns 18 and tells him how she feels. Toren has always been there for her and she doesn't want that to change. Kenzi knows Tor better than anyone else and she thinks all the women that he is dated aren't good enough for him. They kiss and the story takes off. We all want that kind of love and he fights his feelings for her because of their age gap. He waits until she is 18, but the age gap makes this book so much hotter. They don't tell anyone and then everything goes wrong when others find out. I can't wait to read the next one in the series. I will definitely be reading more by Carian Cole. I will be recommending this book for purchase.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Forever Publisher for allowing me to review this book as an arc!

This was the first book I have read by Carian Cole and I enjoyed this read. This was definitely different from anything I've read before. Kenzi and Toren's story is a forbidden romance between eighteen year old Kenzi and her father's best friend who is fifteen years her senior. This is starts out slow since you have to learn about the characters. Tor and Kenzi were well written characters. The ending does feel a little ruched compared to the rest of the book but I did enjoy this read. I would recommend this book and look forward to the next book in this series.


Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

I loveeeee an age gap romance and a dad's bestfriend romance trope. but this was too taboo for me. there were moments that really gave me the ick and felt very uncomfortable...