***5 ‘Me and You’ Stars***

I absolutely adored this book. I adored Toren and Kenzie. Toren’s all kinds of calm and intense alpha male who is all about family and doing the right thing. Kenzie is an old soul who is much more mature than other her age and yet still has just enough naivete in her to believe in a HEA of her making. I loved seeing how their relationship evolved over the years and how soul deep their connection truly was and it had me rooting for them to find a way to be together without having to hide it. The whole age difference and the position Tor held in Kenzie’s life as an uncle didn’t skeevy me out because they had evolved past all that by the time the story begins. They were friends, best friends, and it was the friendship that turned into something more. I enjoyed how the story took a very realistic take on their relationship with how there were those who supported it and who didn’t and how it was all resolved in the end. I’m totally looking forward to Tied, but now I definitely need to get to reading the Ashes and Embers series, especially Lukas’ book!

So many thoughts about this book! I didn't love it but I also didn't hate it, there was just SO much to it!

You have Kenzi, born of teen parents that come from wealthy backgrounds. Both parents are rockstars, and because of that she spends a lot of time with her pseudo uncle (in no way related at all) Toren. He has always been the one that was there for her and loved her. Toren is too good to be true, was a rockstar, helped her parents take off with their music, gave up his dream to support his family after his dads death, saves animals at night, and wants a real relationship and to feel loved. He has always been a second choice and doesn't want that.

Everything changes one night when they kiss - this is the part that I can see some people sketched out on because she is only 17, BUT that's all that happens, he feels terrible because he is confused because he has never seen her this way before and doesn't know what to do.

Once she turns 18 she continues to push because she has always loved him too but not in the way now that she is an "adult". I do not see this as grooming as some people have said, it's a love that has changed over time. Still I get how it's hard to get over because he basically raised her and is now in love with her.

I think my main issues with this book are:
-Her mom's story - you barely get info on what happened to here mom, where she is, and then suddenly in the epilogue she is back. I wish there was more to it because it just didn't really seem to connect, especially because of something that Toren says to Asher (remember Tor is always the second choice...(
-Her aunt- I really liked her aunt and I wish we would have gotten more of her in the story. Kenzi was gone for a while with her aunt and I wish we could have seen more of how their relationship built because she didn't have her mom for so long
- The separation (about a year), I wish it would have been longer so that Kenzi would have truly tried harder to be apart from Tor, she only had a few dates, so that we could really feel the angst and longing.

When I first read the description of this book I was a little thrown by the fact Toren has known Kenzi her entire life as he is her dads best friend and her god father. But allow yourself to look past that and read this story, it’s full of angst, tension, yearning, emotional turmoil, and the will they or won’t they aspect. Kenzi and Toren are meant to be together despite the obstacles.

Dual POV, Spicy, 15 year age gap, Forbidden Love, It’s Always Been You

If you didn't know I'm an age-gap forbidden romance girly so this book was right up my alley with the push and pull of the relationship and moral questioning if the relationship is right.
I loved it.Highly recommend to those who love a taboo romance that actually has depth with a HEA.

Really liked this book! It’s my second Carian Cold book and I really love her writing.

Reading Kenzi and Torens story was a treat. I loved their dynamic. Their chemistry and connection. Definitely taboo but I like how their story and love came to be.

I wish we would have gotten just a tiny bit more of her moms story but I see now that Kenzis parents have their own book so it makes sense. Still just a tiny bit more information would have been nice.

Didn’t love the way it was all wrapped up to be honest and that’s the reason for the 4 stars instead of 5. It didn’t make sense to me that she would come back and just not say anything only to go right back into it the moment they bump into each other. Especially after a year apart. I wish we’d gotten more there. Overall a great book!

Mmm. I didn't like this book very much. I am not big on taboo (wanted to give it a try anyways) kind of fell flat for me.

Torn is book 1 in the All Torn Up series by Carian Cole.
My first Carian Cole book did not disappoint!
My goodness! This story was freaking everything!
A taboo forbidden love story between a godfather and his niece. (not related)
Tor and Kenzi have known each other since the time she was born.
Tor is her Godfather, her uncle of no blood relation and he’s her safe place.
Now Kenzi is 18 and Tor is 32 and their pull towards each other is unstoppable.
The chemistry and blossoming relationship between Tor and Kenzi was wonderful.
And the build up was just fantastic.
Their love story is epic, it's emotional, sweet, intense, romantic and passionate!
This was a slow burn which worked so perfectly in this story.
It was a very entertaining book that really kept me invested and intrigued.
And Cole’s writing is just phenomenal! She has created an emotional and beautiful read. Like I’m addicted now.
A sweet taboo, age-gap and forbidden love story. That sucked me in like nothing before.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Forever for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of the book. I loved this so much, it was so much fun. I enjoyed the romance as well.

Man I signed up way more than I thought haha.

This book is taboo. Like taboo!

I can’t really rate this book since I have lots of mixed feeling so I’m giving it down the middle 3 stars.

I was in the mood for a taboo story when I picked this up.

This may have been more than I bargained for. I’ve read books where the FMC dated her fathers best friend but this story felt more like she was dating an extension of her father. Tor seemed more like a caretaker than a partner. Kenzi pretty much grew up with Tor in the role of something like an uncle and he was very much involved in her childhood. This makes it creepy for me, rather than an adult relationship that formed between a friend of her fathers, he’s been with her since she was a child.

This was incredibly difficult for me to read and it just wasn’t the book for me.

“Sharing such an unconditional, timeless love and connection with him is indescribable. To me, it is the very essence of a fairy tale.”

This is my first book by Carian Cole and I’m already a fan! (Read the 2nd book as well). I could not put this book down and it made me started the next one right after.

Toren’s best friend had a baby very young. With the three of them always together and a family. Toren became Kenzi’s Godfather.

From the moment he first held her, he felt a connection. Over the years, he helped raise her and she was always following him around. They had an inseparable bond. Kenzi told him when she was five years old that she was going to marry him.

One forbidden kiss changes everything. From that moment on, they both can’t stop thinking about each other. Kenzi makes it clear that she still feels the same way as she did when she was younger.

From tension, longing, and two souls that can’t help but love each other unconditionally. They find themselves together and hide it from the world.

I loved everything about this book! I’ve read a lot of taboo books and this was on the lighter side and may not be for everyone but I enjoyed it. Of course, there is an age gap and some may not agree but love is love. I related to Kenzie because I was around her age with the same age gap.

Thank you, Carian Cole and Netgalley for this EARC! As always, my review is my opinion and thoughts. This review will be shared on my Instagram @Alexandriavwilliams_ shortly.

Torn is the PINNACLE of FORBIDDEN, AGE GAP ROMANCE!! Carian Cole delivers an angsty, passionate, emotionally rich, and unputtdownable story. Two soul mates, an impossible situation, and a love that won't seem to break.

Oh man, I love a good taboo age gap story, and this one was quite a large gap- a man who had practically helped raised this girl and her father's best friend. And it was SO delicious.

I have NOT read the stories prior to this (so I didn't know the back story of the father or the other couples), but I didn't need to in order to enjoy this tale. This was so good- tender and romantic yet taboo and bittersweet at times.

These two characters had fire chemistry and the unfolding of their love kept me up all night reading, just hoping that things worked out for them in the end. Loved it!

“𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝. 𝐍𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞. 𝐇𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭.“

Torn is a forbidden age gap romance following Kenzi and her father’s best friend, Toren. I’ve had this on my tbr for so long and it definitely did not disappoint. This was such a beautifully angsty and romantic read. Tor and Kenzi’s connection was so intense and so full of friendship, longing, and love, it melted my heart. The tension and buildup to the spice was so well done and those scenes were 🔥🔥. This was my first book by this author, but it will definitely not be my last! 4.5⭐️

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕠 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥:
💋Forbidden Age gap romance
💋Dads’s best friend
💋Angsty and emotional
💋Friends to lovers
💋Slow burn

“𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨. 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐦. 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐨.“

"𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮," 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡. “𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠."

"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐢. 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭."

"𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞."

i read this book and loved it gave this 4 stars,so this is tor and kenzi story this is father best friend age gap angst romance about a biker and 17 year old kenzi. so this one to me felt like he raised her almost like a father. which made it feel kinda creepy.but was handle very well handle.from the start tor was a constant present in kenzi life but there love is consider forbidden. but over all really good book .

3.5 ⭐️ i’m new to the forbidden romance books but this one kept my attention. the only thing that got me was the fmc calling him uncle in the beginning and the flashbacks but the romance was there.

One of the best books I have read! Beautiful done forbidden love story about two people who end up needing someone and finding each other even though they have known each other their whole livesq. I felt like I was watching a show the detail was amazing

Format: Ebook
Pages: 467
Quotes added: 7
Total Reading Time: 9h 15m


Review:
First off, I have to say that I was really questioning if I liked this book in the beginning. It took a little bit to get into, however, once I did I have to say I was hooked. Forbidden romance tends to stress me out because of how secretive and how long it takes for them to get together. What Kenzi and Tor had was special and it took a long time to realize that but towards the end they made it a lot easier to see. Even though they had an uncle-niece relationship to beginning with it grew into something else, which neither of them were expecting or ready for. Hell, no one was ready for it!

One of the things that drove me absolutely crazy is that we had to wait sooo long to find out what happened to Ember (Kenzi’s mom) and even then, it was just in passing during a heated argument between best friends. THe epilogue also throws in another questionable situation that does not get elaborated on much

The bonus chapter kind of through me off because it went back in time after the epilogue. This took me a few minutes to figure out but when I did it was all smooth sailing and I am glad I was able to see Kenzi’s side of seeing Tor again.

One of my favorite quotes would have to be “Sharing such an unconditional, timeless love and connection with him is indescribable. To me, it is the very essence of a fairy tale.”
Overall, I really did enjoy this book and could not be happier with the ending.
Now… onto Tyler whom caught my interest in this book.

Father's best friend romance?!??! I did not know I needed this in my life until now!!!! God this book was so good and I ate it up 🥵

Thank you, netgalley and ReadForeverPub, for providing me with a copy of "Torn" by Carian Cole.

Right from the start, Toren “Tor” Grace had been a constant presence in Kenzi Valentine's life. He was more than just a loyal friend or adoptive uncle; he was family. Over time, their connection grew deeper, slowly transforming into something beyond friendship. But their love was deemed forbidden, overshadowed by Tor’s close relationship with Kenzi's parents. Their bond was at risk of being torn apart, threatening to strip away everything they cherished.

✨Thoughts✨
When it comes to age gap romance, no one does it quite like Carian Cole! She is a masterful storyteller, and her talent shines through in every word. Since stumbling upon her incredible work in "Don't Kiss The Bride," I have been a fan of her writing style.

As I delved into this book, I was immediately struck by Kenzi's maturity and grounded nature. It was impressive to see how she handled herself, especially considering her father is the legendary Rock God, Asher Valentine. As for Tor, our male lead, he was the epitome of selflessness, always willing to go above and beyond for his loved ones.

Although it did take me a moment to grasp the fact that Tor had been a constant presence in Kenzi's life from the very beginning, the way their relationship developed felt natural. Their shared experiences and the way they grew up together made their connection even more profound. Tor fulfilled the roles of both protector and caregiver, treating Kenzi as if she were his own family.

Carian Cole expertly balanced the angsty nature of their romance with its forbidden aspect, creating palpable tension that added depth to the overall story.

Overall, this novel is a true gem, a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered by those who love forbidden romance and age gap stories. It's a must-read that will leave you wanting more of Carian Cole's exceptional work!

I think this book had some really strong potential with an interesting storyline but the writing felt too informal and lax for my preferences. I think some would enjoy it however.