I'm going to keep my review short and sweet, because I ended up not loving this book. HOWEVER...while this didn't necessarily work for me, I can see this book having a huge fan base. I would highly recommend this to readers of Penelope Douglas. You'll find a lot of similar tropes and characterization in my opinion.

I tried my hardest with this one but had to DNF it pretty quickly. I thought I wouldn’t have an issue with the age gap, but the story gave me an icky feeling.

“Tor” is hands down one of my favorite forbidden age gap stories. It has all the elements I seek that capture my attention from the story's beginning. There is a significant age gap, and the transition from past to present is written so well that there is no confusion in the story—just a smooth ease to the build-up to the love Kenzi has for Tor and the evolvement of the love Tor develops for Kenzi.

“Tor” will be a repeat read like many of Carian Cole’s books.

Thank you, Forever and Netgalley, for the gifted advanced reader copy of Tor by Carian Cole.

I am honestly struggling to give "Torn" by Carian Cole a traditional star rating because of how I felt about the story's premise from the get-go. Look... this one's on me. I should have read the description before I pushed "ACCEPT" on this book. I totally understand that some readers *love* taboo books. Some people think "the more taboo, the better." Age gaps in romance are fine... unless one of the characters is hardly over the age of consent. To me, there's a stark difference between taboo and straight-up gr00ming. The main male character, Tor, is 32, and the main female character, Kenzi, is 17 when the book begins, and she is the same age when they share their first romantic kiss. Tor has essentially been an "uncle" type of figure to Kenzi and was there the literal first day she was born. Tor is Kenzi's dad's best friend, and Tor was in love with Kenzi's mother before her father swooped and scooped her away from him. Only a short time later, when they were all 15/16-ish, Kenzi was born. Tor changed her diapers. He read her stories to help her go to sleep. He kept the Valentine's Day cards Kenzi gave him. He said she was the love of his life, that they were destined to be together, that she was born to be his. How do I know all of these details from when Kenzi was growing up? Carian Cole alternates the present-day storyline with flashbacks of their childhoods (!!!) to tell the tale of their "epic forbidden love story." ICK ICK ICK ICK ICK. No, no, no! I read the whole book, but I sort of wish I hadn't. The only way for this story to work at all without the FBI getting involved is for Cole to mention that the age of consent is 16 in the state they are in (which is mentioned a handful of times, just for good measure). That's literally how they skirt around it being "icky." Well, guess what... IT'S STILL ICKY! Tor calling Kenzi "a mature 17-year-old" is also giving P3RVERT! In my mind, if you *don't* call her mature and set that precedent early on, you're running the risk of getting yourself put on a government watchlist.

So, what's good about this book? Well, besides its content, it is competently written. I like that Tor saves dogs. That's about it, so I guess I'll give it 2 stars, one for each thing I liked. Again, this might be the book for you, but it certainly was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Carian Cole, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I wasn’t so sure about this one. I went in blind and was a bit shocked initially with how it was going, but then settled in and enjoyed it.

Torn is about Kenzi and Tor, who have known each other since the day she was born. Tor has been best friends with Kenzi’s dad since they were kids and have been key parts of each other’s lives since then. He helped raise Kenzi and was almost like a second dad.

Kenzi is just graduating from high school when things start to change in the relationship she has with her ‘uncle’. He’s always been there for her, cared for her, and loved her, and suddenly things start to feel romantic.

The author handled this story beautifully, in my opinion. We saw things slowly progress and how hard it was for not only them to accept, but for the others around them too. It was also nice to see Kenzi decide that she needed time on her own too, realizing how much the two men in her life were a little too engrained in everything she does.

It was a bit long to me, but I feel it was necessary to make sure that we went through the ups and downs of the emotions and turmoil that the romance caused. And the storyline with her mother seemed like it didn’t quite fit. It was just kind of there but never really fully explained or solved.

If you like taboo romance with lots of emotion then you should check this one out!

Brief synopsis: This is the story of Kenzi Valentine and Toren Grace. Tor is best friends with Kenzi's parents, who had her when they were only 15. He has been a fixture in her life since the day she was born and they have always had a strong connection. This connection evolved over time, moving from basically family, to best friend, to more. One night they realize that they have begun to see each other differently, and one unplanned kiss rocks them both off their axis and shakes up their whole world. The feelings are very real, but so are the complications! Is there any way for them to be together without losing everyone else that they love?

My opinion: I really enjoyed this story. At times it felt a touch overly fraught and angsty, but for the most part it was a very engaging love story. I absolutely loved Tor! He was so kind, caring, loyal, and tender and I was rooting for his HEA from the start. He's one of the good guys who has faced loss, heartbreak, and people who abuse his loving and giving nature. He has a strong moral compass and doesn't explore his feelings for Kenzi, or his relationship with her, lightly. He is sweet, romantic, sexy, devoted, and he saves abused animals -- so basically he is awesome! Kenzi felt very mature for her age in a totally believable way and she really knew who she was and what she wanted. She wasn't a flighty, giggly, immature teen and aside from her best girlfriend, she didn't seem to connect with her peers at all. Having grown up with Tor and her father's band members, she is more comfortable with adult company and is more interested in real life things, like animal rescue, than prom or college. The age gap and evolution of their relationship could have been off-putting, but it never felt dirty or even inappropriate to me. They felt like true soul mates and their connection was obvious and solid, so it didn't bother me at all. I really enjoyed the supporting characters who helped to fill out the story and also provided various levels of guidance to our struggling soul mates. As someone who really appreciates a tidy ending, I was grateful for the epilogue, but I wished it was longer. This was my first Carian Cole, but I am already looking forward to the next book in this series (Tied).

* POV alternates between Tor and Kenzi and includes flashbacks in addition to present day, which I thought was a nice touch. We also see texts and letters between Kenzi and Tor.
* This is slow burn, open door with a few spicy bedroom scenes.
* Trigger warnings: loss of parent, parent in a long-term coma, animal abuse, violence, virgin FMC, Age gap (15 years) --- but the FMC is of age.

This is an updated release from Forever Publishing with a new cover and an added Kenzi POV chapter. This new edition hit shelves February 20th. Story originally published by author in 2016. Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for this review copy of the new edition. All opinions are my own.

Torn is the first book in the All Torn Up series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Kenzi’s parents had her when they were young (15), and Toren was there the day she was born. He was her father’s best friend, and he was her babysitter over the years. As she got older, she started developing feelings for him and he looked at her differently, too.

Well, this was taboo(ish). There was definitely angst and drama – they shouldn’t, it’s wrong, he’s her dad’s best friend, she was 17 when they first kissed, etc.

I didn’t really see the connection between them. I mean, yes, they’ve known each other Kenzi’s whole life. So, I guess they don’t need to do the whole “getting to know you” thing. But honestly, it just seemed like they just loved each other instantly (in a romantic way).

I felt like this dragged at times, and then the ending was rushed. There was the explosive drama and then…well, it was just anticlimactic.

I did like how much Toren loved animals and rescued them, so there’s that.

This does alter between past and present, so we get to see Toren and Kenzi’s interactions over the years (when she was a child), but it’s not in chronological order.

2.5 stars

Kenzi has known Tor for literally her entire life. He is best friends with her father Asher and the two of them were 15 when she was born. Kenzi has always referred to him as her Uncle and he's always taken care of her.

Suddenly, though, the two of them are finding their relationship changing, and it's impossible for them to resist their attraction. I had a hard time with the fact that Tor basically raised Kenzi and it's supposed to be this wonderful thing when a man in his 30's is tangled up with a 17 year old. It wasn't great that they had to mention - twice - that the age of consent is 16.

Kenzi also felt really immature throughout the whole book, especially in the chapters in her POV. It felt appropriate for the age she is, but when trying to see her in this relationship it just didn't feel right.

I liked Carian Cole's writing style, but this story just didn't work for me.

This was such an enjoyable read. The story follows a girl who begins to fall in love with her dad’s best friend and realizes it’s mutual but they don’t know how the world will accept them. I enjoyed the story of this book and the feel of it gives off early 2010s. I liked the popstar world setting and seeing how it affects the lives of the MCs. The pacing was good for most of the story but I have to say that the ending was rushed. I wish we got more of the mom’s story because there are more questions than answers and seeing more of the couple is out in the world. This story is told from both Kenzi and Toren’s pov.

Kenzi just turned 18, doesn’t know what to do with her life but knows she wants a family. I enjoyed her character as she’s not an average 18-year-old. She was annoying at times but more understanding. Then there is Toren who is 33 years old and wants to be loved. He was also a great character but there is more to his story. There are quite a bit of side characters. Kenzi’s dad is the most realistic character when he finds out about his daughter and best friend but I love Tesla. I would love to read more of the side character’s stories because they sound found. The romance is forbidden love, age gap and forced proximity which you can see a lot of development throughout the book.

The ending was rushed and I wish the pacing for it was slower than the beginning. There is an epilogue but it gave me more questions because I want to know what happened to the mom. Overall this was a great story and I do recommend checking it out. You don’t want to miss it out especially if you love age-gap stories.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

I feel like I have a lot of thoughts after reading this one. I suggest checking all tropes before reading as this may not be for everyone.

Overall, I really liked it. It's a slow burn but the pacing made sense given that Torn is a taboo romance between a just 18-year-old FMC and her dad's best friend, who was 32. I didn't love Kenzi's age when the romance started. The age gap was totally fine, but I prefer when all MCs are of drinking age. Though the author did reiterate several times that the age of consent where the story took place was 16.

I thought Carian Cole did a great job of making the relationship between Tor and Kenzi seem like a natural relationship evolution. The writing was good and the chemistry between the MCs could be felt. Kenzi was very mature for her age and reminded me a bit of Rory from Gilmore Girls. This makes sense given that she spent so much time around adults growing up. Tor was a very sweet MMC - I swooned at the story about the money jug.

This was my first read by Carian Cole and I'm looking forward to reading the next one in this series, Tied. I also want to read Asher, book six in the Ashes and Embers series, which focuses on Kenzi's parents. I think this will make certain events in the epilogue make more sense.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Carian Cole. These are my honest thoughts.

This was unfortunately not for me. While this taboo, age gap romance was well written and I loved how Carian described Kenzie's childhood and upbringing. I struggled with Tor's shift from being her uncle to being Kenzie's boyfriend. Kenzie was a mature 18 year old which I didn't mind but at points it seemed like she was the older one not Tor and that put me off a little bit.

Now the tension between these the two was crafted perfectly and the slow burn really made the wait worth it. The plot outside of the romance was well fleshed out and added to the back story. Overall I can't wait to try another book from Carian but unfortunately this one was not for me.

OK, I'll just say first that this might not be the book for some people. But it was for me! The age gap isn't for everyone.

Kenzi's grown up in the spotlight. She has famous parents who are both in rock bands. (Dad still is for sure). Her parents had her young, and there was also someone else who's been around since she's been young. Her dad's best friend, Toren.

Kenzi's always known Tor has had her back. He's watched her, watched over her, and has been her honorary uncle. Kenzi is about to graduate and the guy she's been seeing... he's kinda blah to her.

When she comes into some trouble on her Sr prom night, she knows there's one person she can call to get her out of it. Tor.

Their relationship is extremely, extremely complicated. He's not her real uncle, but he's known her all her life. There's the age difference, the fact that her dad is his best friend... There's some flashbacks that reveal how dedicated he's been to her all her life and how much she's cared for him too.

I enjoyed the slow burn. And how much they care for one another. Kenzi's dreams aren't put on hold or changed.

There's some stories that come before this one, but I haven't read them (I know, I know, I need to!) And I feel like I got a whole story and wasn't missing out.

This was my first book by Carian Cole and it won't be my last-I liked the story and thought the book was well written. I go feral for anything age gap/taboo so this was right up my alley!

We have Kenzie (17 going on 18) and her pseudo uncle, Tor (32), who have always had a close bond. It was never anything other than platonic, as Tor helped raise her since she was a baby, until one night when they are rescuing an injured dog, emotions are running high and they share a kiss. Naturally, Tor is horrified and distances himself from Kenzie, but Kenzie has the opposite reaction and starts seeing Tor in a different light.

I thought their bond was beautiful, even before it became romantic. You could tell from the flashbacks throughout the book that Kenzie and Tor were each other's "person" so it only made sense that things changed once she got older.

The reason I took off a star is because it was too slow burn for my personal tastes, and we didn't really get to see them in an actual relationship. Once they stopped tiptoeing around each other and went for it, they mostly snuck around so no one found out about them. I would have loved to see them together out in the open going on dates, or just being openly together in front of their friends and family.

I will definitely be reading Ty's and Asher's stories, along with the rest of the motley crew (or should I say Ashes & Embers crew)

4/5 stars
3/5 spice

Tropes:
Taboo/Forbidden romance
Age gap (15yrs)
Virgin FMC
Mutual pining
Secret relationship
Dual POV

Despite the taboo aspect of the story it was very sweet. I enjoyed the mutual pining and forbidden romance but I honestly wish the MCs were a bit older in the story. Just my personal preference. Overall, the storyline was good and full of tension. I will definitely read up on the other characters because I'm invested in this whole family now.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever/Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Torn by Carian Cole is the First book in the All Torn Up Series. This is the story of Kenzi Allyster Valentine and Toren Grace 'Tor'. This was a forbidden type romance. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to the author, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book. I really did. At first, it pulled at my heart strings in all the good ways and the author does a wonderful job and navigating the intricate age gap between the two main characters (especially with Tor being her dad’s best friend).

This book was LONG like dang! I felt like there were just a bit too many flashbacks from their childhoods. And honestly, I had expected maybe Toren and Kenzi’s first moments to maybe happen at the ages 18 and 32, but I guess I had hoped for them reconnecting when they were a bit older? I am not a huge fan about reading about such young FMCs and I think I really would have loved this book more if both characters were just a bit older. Nonetheless, it was a sweet story.

This book made me cringe the whole time I read it but man, I was sucked in. I felt like I was reading a Colleen Hoover book of forbidden love.

Tor and Kenzi. I really enjoyed this book. It is an age gap romance. The MMC, Tor, became Kenzi’s godfather. Her parents were only teenagers when they had her. In a way she grew up with him just as much as she did. I really like the peaks in to the past so you can see from the start the connection between Kenzi and Tor. It goes beyond love and down to the roots of their relationship that started as friends. Their relationship was beautiful the way it developed and how he has protected her since she was born. I really liked how hard he fought it because it is obviously taboo. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the audiobook for this was so good. The narrators did a really good job bringing the story to life. I am looking forward to what Carian Cole has in store next.

I went into reading this book with a very open mind. Girl falls in love with her father's best friend. Fifteen year age difference. If Toren Grace wasn't Kenzie Valentine's dad's best friend and an important part of her upbringing, then no one would find their relationship offensive. But because Tor was there from day one, his adult relationship with Kenzie is taboo. I can see it from both points of view, but I don't see where any of their interactions in the flashbacks were inappropriate. They spent their lives taking care of one another. The flashbacks to the past helped to solidify their relationship as one that was loving from day one. Feelings change. People change. Love can change. I enjoyed reading this story and look forward to reading the next one in the series!

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher at my request and voluntarily left this review.

To tell you the truth, I had some reservations about picking up this book. Even though I enjoy taboo romances, the concept of a girl developing feelings for her dad's longtime friend, who's been around since she was a child, gave me pause, particularly in the early stages.

However, I have to admit, this book ended up being remarkably romantic and heartfelt. There were several moments that really got to me emotionally, and it was clear from the beginning that Tor and Kenzi were meant to be together.