After reading this book, I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it. I’ve read a good handful of taboo, and this is the first book that left me feeling unsure during the first half if I wanted to continue reading. I think overall I would’ve enjoyed the story a lot more had she been in her early 20s rather than the book starting when she 17. I like Torn, however, the fact that he finally gave in to the relationship after just a couple of photos… eh didn’t love that. I enjoyed the writing style, but the story felt predictable.
I will say that the story has definitely made me to want to read the brothers book, Tied.

The perfect modern fairytale!

It's been ages since I devoured a book so hungrily but my oh my, this certainly was delicious. The edition I read has a publication date of 30 April 2024 and I don't think I have ever read an ARC this far in advance. I love the hurt/comfort trope and the synopsis sounded so right up my alley that I just couldn't resist and before I knew it, I'd gobbled up the whole thing.

I do have several issues with the novel such as the unaddressed age gap and many implausibilities. It was also a bit too fast-paced for the characters and their relationship to develop properly.

There was a lack of actual conflict and the ending left me with mixed feelings; I loved it but didn't feel like it was the best or healthiest [(both leads needed distance and time apart to properly heal and find themselves first) (hide spoiler)]. The whole 'love heals everything' theme just felt iffy.

There was also way too much focus on both characters being broken, on virginity and on how damaged loves/deserves damaged. By no means am I dismissing their traumas, but more showing than telling would have helped. Instead, we have cringey phrases such as Tyler saying "abused virgin" and Holly saying "virgin body". Like, ok, we get it!

But in spite of it all, I couldn't tear myself away from this book and enjoyed it immensely. Consider me a new Carian Cole fan...

I absolutely love this book. Tyler and Holly were the best couple. I loved how much they understood each other and were able to navigate each other's traumas.

Holly was such a great character because as naive as she was from being held captive for so long, she was so strong and bold. She was determined to live the life she deserved and she was determined to break through Tyler's brick wall.

Tyler was a tough nut to crack, but when he did he was amazing. He was so sweet and attentive to Holly and let her take her time discovering what she likes. He never held her back and, in most cases, helped her move forward when no one else would.

My heart broke throughout this whole book and there were definitely some moments that were hard to digest. This book was absolutely fantastic and I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a break from rom coms and lighthearted books.

After really not liking Torn, I really enjoyed this one. This has a scarred hero who saves the heroine from a man who kidnapped 10 years before. This is one of my favourite tropes ever.
And Carian Cole did a great job weaving storylines together as we find out more and more about both Holly and Tyler’s past.
I liked that this is a slow burn because they are both so broken.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book

a very beautiful story, forbidden nonetheless. if carian cole didn't love the unnecessary angst in her books I would definitely like her books moreq

It was intense, forbidden, sexy, sweet, emotional, and angsty. The chemistry was off the charts hot and palpable. And undoubtedly, this made me feel everything! I can't wait to read more by this author.

I liked this one way more than the first one. Definitely triggering at times but it wasn't done in a distasteful way. This was a journey of healing and I truly loved Tyler. This was a heavy book but I'm glad I read it.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Forever/Grand Central Publishing for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is an emotional read, and could be triggering for some. It is a wild ride, the main characters are damaged by others and doing their best to survive. Ty and Holly are just trying to live and get by, but find happiness together. Her parents were messed up and needed help. Her brother was amazing. Truly great story. 4.5 stars

Soul mates or trauma bond? Twisted coincidence or fate? Who knows but, what I do know is that I ate this book up! Holly was kidnapped as a child, and Tyler is a recluse who saves her. These two have the invisible string that ties them together and their connection is undeniable. If you enjoyed Still Beating and/or Lotus by Jennifer Hartmann, you will LOVE Tied. Tied is a beautiful story of two lost souls who find each other, work through the pain and heal together.

This was a re-read for me and I did enjoy it again. It is a sad, but unique storyline. I thought it was interesting that the parents had a hard time coping with the return of their daughter, that isn't something you normally see in these types of stories. I felt so bad for Holly, she just needed people in her corner and I'm glad she found that in our MMC. I felt the end was a bit rushed and it dived deeper into them creating a life together instead of just jumping into a proposal. Solid though!

I really liked this romance, just not as much as Torn. The main character Holly just read very young and a bit immature, and of course her circumstances made her that way.. it’s just not how I like my heroines to be portrayed. I loved Tyler though!

Holy shit! What a book. If you loved Still Beating, you will love this book. Do yourself a favor and pick it up. You won’t regret it! Easily one of my fave books this year. I liked it even more than Torn!🙊

Thanks so much, NetGalley and Forever, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Tied is book 2 in Carian Cole’s All Torn Up series. The first book in this series, Torn, is one of my all-time favs. So I was so happy that this book really worked for me too!

This is a very emotional, trauma-filled read. Both the hero and heroine have had awful things happen in their pasts and have a lot to overcome. Their journey together was really well done and so beautiful. It’s slow and tender and just really sweet. This book has an age gap, the hero Tyler is 12 years older than Holly. I enjoyed Holly’s relationship with her brother and his girlfriend and Holly & Tyler’s love for dogs.

Holly was kidnapped when she was 5-years-old and was held captive (being tortured and abused) for 11 years. She escapes and while running/hiding in the woods is when Tyler finds her. He becomes her rescuer but they don’t actually meet again until 2 years later. I really liked the time apart because Holly obviously had a lot to work through and get used to, she spends time at a care home and goes to therapy. Tyler also had something horrible happen in his past, he was pushed into a bonfire as a teenager and badly burned. From the burns and skin grafts he is badly scarred and has become a recluse living on his own in the woods outside of town. After the burning incident, Tyler also heavily abused drugs and alcohol and ended up crashing his motorcycle, which lead to him damaging his vocal chords and having a hard time talking. So these 2 characters have been through SO much when they do meet up and start forming their friendship.

This is a very, very slow romance and it definitely felt right down this way for what these 2 characters were going through. They definitely feel meant to be though and I loved the sweet happiness they find together.