Two battered and broken people find healing in each other. So freaking good. Heartbreaking and horrific and yet quite healing.

Tied came off more romantic. While you absolutely do not need to read Torn before this, I’d recommend it because it is just… so good and based in the same world.

This one follows Tyler and Holly. Two damaged people coming together with such force. This slow burn romance was wonderful, and so sweet. Emotionally charged and extremely passionate, I can honestly say I cried a few times.

That being said I can also say I am the biggest baby when it comes to year jerking emotional bits.

This poignant love story delves into all the hard topics from loss and forgiveness to second chances. The grumpy sunshine opposites that Tyler and Molly are will have you invested quickly.

Again. Bravo. Loved it. Highly recommend this taboo-esque age gap romance novel.


Thank you to Forever Publishing, Netgalley and Carian Cole for the eARC!

Tied (All Torn Up, #2)
by Carian Cole

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
🌶🌶 (out of 5)

Tied is a spicy contemporary dark(ish) romance that can be read as a standalone book, though it is the second in the All Torn Up series (FWIW, you definitely don't need to read the first book but I highly recommend it just because it is so good).

Tyler Grace is a social outcast, maimed and misunderstood. He is also Holly's hero. Two deeply damaged people find salvation with one another.

Tied was more romantic and slightly less spicy than I anticipated. It is a sweet, slow burn with a twist at the end that I did not see coming. I devoured this book in one sitting. 100% I will be reading a lot more from Carian Cole!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

"Tied" by Carian Cole is a passionate and emotionally charged romance that explores the healing power of love amidst adversity. Cole's skillful storytelling revolves around Holly and Tyler, two damaged souls finding solace and redemption in each other. The narrative is both heart-wrenching and heartwarming, delving into themes of loss, forgiveness, and second chances. The characters are deeply nuanced, and Cole's writing captures the raw intensity of their connection. With evocative prose and a compelling plot, "Tied" is a poignant love story that tugs at the heartstrings, leaving readers with a sense of hope and the enduring strength of human resilience.

Carian Cole is fantastic writer, and I absolutely adore her books.

That being said, her characters need some serious therapy time. I enjoyed Tied, but I felt almost like I shouldn't because it was obvious there is some severe trauma going on with not a whole lot of "let's deal with it".

Now, this is an adorable book, which surprised me. The Disney Prince in the forest with the pet fox got me right in the heart. I'd be a sucker for a dude who saved me and had a pet fox too.

Yeah! It’s taboo. You really have to know what going into it. The age gap bothers a lot of people and then how they know each other. If you have no triggers then I would recommend diving into this book

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Format: Ebook
Pages: 331
Quotes added: 8
Total Reading Time: 5h 21m


Review:
I just knew that I was going to fall harder for Tyler than I did Toren and I was 100% right. There is something about a damaged, grumpy MMC who falls for a bright, but also very damaged sunshine FMC. This book had me both laughing and crying. I read it in one day and could not have enjoyed it more.
I adored the fascination that Holly had with the fairy tale books and thought it was unhealthy, it is what helped her cope. Many times I found myself frustrated with her parents and the way both of them acted. With the dad, it was more so his lack of action. I did not find it shocking that she fell for Tyler. Especially with her obsession for fairytales.
Both characters had such horrific pasts and I could not stop reading. I never saw any of it coming and that is a the way I like my stories. I adore series that can be read as standalones and was very happy to have received this copy. I fell in love with Tyler Grace as well.
I also had more quotes than usual, I wanted to share a few:
With what Holly has been through, it is not shocking to know that she is socially stunted and she ends up commenting that “I don’t like all the contradictory and confusing rules of social behavior”. And boy, do I relate to that one!
One quote that came from Tyler that I enjoyed was when he stated “If you’re not careful around things that can hurt you… they probably will”. He says this when talking about fire, an element that he has a terrible relationship with. However, he does not fear it.

This story takes an untraditional route. You cannot help but feel for the characters as they navigate their trauma.

An untraditional fairy tale, if you will.
The FMC is abducted and the MMC is her saving grace. Now she has to acclimate back into society- when all she longs for is him, her savior.

This is one of my top reads for Carian Cole.

***5 ‘Good Weird’ Stars***

I’ve come to the conclusion that anything Carian Cole writes is my kind of crack. Her books are so damn addicting that it’s hard to put them down once you get started and Tied was no different. I was totally hooked from the first page and NEEDED to see Tyler and Holly get their HEA because if any two people deserved to have it, it was these two. Their journey was a true emotional roller coaster of a ride that brought out all the feels up until the very last page.

To say that I adored Holly and Tyler is a major understatement. These two went through their own personal hells and have come out on the other side, not necessarily intact, but at least working on existing. Admittedly, Tyler frustrated the hell out of me in the beginning because of how he choose to deal with things, but I couldn’t necessarily blame him either. What saved him though was his genuine and compassionate heart, even if he didn’t think he still had or deserved one. Holly was utterly amazing. What she went through would have broken most people beyond repair and yet she fought every day to survive and that determination showed just how strong she truly was.

Holly and Tyler’s journey to their HEA wasn’t an easy one and yet it wasn’t filled with a lot of angst either. They both had their own personal demons to contend with, but I loved how they ended up being each other’s rocks, even when it wasn’t a conscious decision. The connection they had ran deep, and that little twist in their story (which I totally didn’t see coming, but absolutely loved) only made that connection even stronger and I couldn’t have been happier with where they were at the end of the book.

It’s obvious that I enjoyed every aspect of this book, even the ones that made my stomach churn and want to gut people with a spoon, and I must give Ms. Cole props for giving Tyler and Holly their fairytale HEA while keeping everything else that was going on around them and with them realistic. There were some things that I wished had gone in a different way, but life doesn’t always work out that way and I believe that where everything was at the end was exactly where they should be. I loved Poppy and Boomer and whole heartedly admit that I did the whole fan girl squee thing at the mention of Lukas (he’s still my fave) and cannot wait to see what Ms. Cole has coming up next for us!

“𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧.”

Tied is book 2 in the All Torn Up Series and follows Tyler Grace and Holly Daniels. This book drew me in immediately and never once let up, I read this in one sitting. Tyler and Holly’s story was heartbreakingly beautiful, haunting, and just 𝓅ℯ𝓇𝒻ℯ𝒸𝓉𝒾ℴ𝓃. Two damaged souls with a tragically interwoven past who find healing, acceptance, and most importantly love with one another. Tied had me a sobbing mess, feeling ALL the emotions and is a story that will stay with me. I seriously cannot recommend this one enough! 5⭐️

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕠 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥:
📖Sweet heroine w/ traumatic past
🔥Scarred/brooding/recluse Hero
📖Friends to lovers
🔥Slow burn
😭Keep tissues nearby

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞.“

“𝐈’𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫—𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲.“

“𝐒𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐌𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭. 𝐌𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞—𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥.“

“𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫,” 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬. “𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞.”

Tied is book 2 in the All Torn Up series by Carian Cole.
And my goodness what a freaking spectacular book it was!
I devoured TORN and loved TIED just as much. Cole has such a special writing style.
It’s beautiful, it’s real, it’s realistic and the freaking bomb!
I just loved it! I loved it all!

"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!

This book was actually super suspenseful, and above that it was just an emotional journey!
Starting off we have Holly, who has lost her innocence and pretty much all her teen years. She’s rescued, and that’s when she starts a journey of healing and falling in love.
And let me tell you, this book is not an easy read by any means! It is super dark and has many triggers, but it made the HEA that much more sweeter!

This book was so sad. Sad as in “shed tears, my heart aches, I just want to hug the main characters and apologize for the world being a horrible place” type sad. The end made me happy as Holly and Tyler got what they have always wanted- a happily ever after. The book was well written and the plot was very different from what I’m used to reading. I do wish there was a trigger warning at the beginning as I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started reading. I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes darker (almost true crime) romances and those that want to read a tear jerker.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book. I loved this book so much. I really enjoyed the romance.

Thank you @readforeverpub for copy of this beautiful story with Holly and Tyler. We saw a little bit of Tyler in Torn and I was curious about him. Both Tyler and Holly had a shared past and are both so broken. I love how they helped each other heal and grow. The story is hopeful and seeing their journey was so beautiful.

This book sucked me in from page one. Tyler and hollys stories broke your heart while also making you smile. Tyler is the perfect damaged hero and Holly is the sweetest heroine I’ve ever read. The dynamic between the two was electric. I only wished the story was about 200 pages longer

Holly and Tyler’s story is just amazing! They are perfect for each other and helped each other grow and heal. Their story was as unique as they are and they are each other’s soulmate. What a beautifully written book.

I loved this books and definitely recommend it. It’s a slow burn, but you really get their love story. I loved their happily ever after and this book will contain a bonus scene.

Tied is the second book in Cole’s All Torn Up series, but it can be read alone.

I’ve read a few of the authors books and I’ll be honest, they’ve been hit and miss for me. Tied is an agnsty, emotional read with some beauty and the beast fairytale themes. There are some heavy topics as both characters have been deeply hurt in the past, but it makes you root for them to get their HEA.

Tied is book two in the All Torn Up series and if you haven’t grabbed the first book yet. You’re missing out!🔥 I always love a book that can make me cry and this book did that and more!!!

“He didn’t frighten me the day he saved me. Not even a little. I was transfixed by him, grateful to him. Curious about him. And I still am.”

From two broken souls. This book was full of emotions, loss, and trauma that turned into the most beautiful love story.

At the young age of five, Holly was taken and hidden for eleven years. Then, one day her prince came to her rescue.

Being outcasted, miserable, and lonely, Tyler is wandering the woods like he always does. When he hears a sound and discovers a young girl and her dog.

When Holly returns home things are not easy to return to normal. With her parents having a new replacement daughter, her father is very distant and the only supportive family is her grandmother, brother, and his girlfriend.

She wonders where her prince has gone and if she will ever see him again. Two years later, Holly stumbles across where he lives away from the town and everyone else.

Watching these two characters grow and support each other through their traumatic experiences. It was beautiful to see how sometimes even if a person may seem broken. All they need is someone else to relate to them.

I can’t wait to check out more books by this author!

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.