Adult review: Torn by Carian Cole Taboo, older MC and another book boyfriend material!

** Please note: There is no underage sex in this book. This is a romance. **

He’s loved me since the day I was born.
He’s taken care of me.
He’s awakened me.

Tor. My father’s best friend.
Fifteen years older than me, he’s always been my protector.
The one I should never, ever want.
But I was born to be his.

She’s always loved me.
She’s shattered me.
She’s healed me.

Kenzi. My best friend’s daughter.
I held her the day she was born, and I never let go.
She’s forbidden to me. But she’s the only one that really gets me.
We’re slowly being torn apart by everything we love.
Everything we want.
Everything we desire.

And now I want the one thing I can’t have… I want her.

4 stars

I’m a big man, muscled with long hair and tattoos. I love pets and beat bad guys abusing dogs I rescue. Handy I can repair your ride. I love babysitting and took care of my niece from her birth till teenagehood. If you can’t sleep I could serenade you as I was in a rock band. Responsible and selfless I gave up my dream to take care of my family once my dad died.
I’m lonely and looking for my last relationship as I’m tired of meaningless sex. I want someone to love me for me and help me rescue abused animals.

OK, that’s not in the book but in a nutshell, this is Tor. What would you do if you read such add in your local newspaper? Answer right away and catch the guy , right? Right? Tor is best book boyfriend material. I still love Lukas to death, he is my favorite of Carian’s heroes but Tor really was a close one.

What I loved in this book:

-The main characters.
I won’t say more about Tor because I could go on and on but he was not the only loveable main character. Kenzi was a sweet girl, very easy to like. She is young, younger than Tor by fifteen years but she knows what she wants. Like Lukas in Ashes and Embers series, she’s wise beyond her age. She’s always been surrounded by adults. From a very young age she went on tour with her famous parents seeing some drunks or drugged people. Now she only wants to settle down, have a family to care for, a house and some pets. She does not dream of fame or travelling or living the classic college girl’s life.

-The childhood memories.
Each chapter begins with some memory retelling, be it from Tor or Kenzi’s point of view and they were super cute! I melted on the spot so many times… Let me give you a taste: Kenzi is five years old and Tor is twenty. He’s just lost his dad and is in Asher’s house, so sad.

”Come on Kenzi, it’s time for bed. Uncle Tor needs some time alone” “No…” She climbs onto my laps and hugs me. “He can’t be alone, mommy.” … “Uncle Tor?” she whispers when her parents are gone? “Yeah?” “Your Daddy went to Heaven?” I take a deep breath. “That’s right, Angel. He did.” She hugs me tighter. “Don’t be sad. We can share my Dadd.”

Awwww, cuteness overload!

–The connection between Tor and Kenzi.
She was the center of his world from the first instant, he did so many sweet things to make her happy. He dried her tears, he gave her a bunny, rescued her from prom night gone bad,… He was her hero, he was her “uncle” without blood ties, her friend and later…

-The taboo.
They want to be together but Tor fought his feelings so hard! He wanted to be the noble man, not the one who “betrayed” his best friend.

”If we care about each other, love each other and want each other…is that wrong? And if it is, then why? Because of our ages? Because he is my dad’s best friend? Because he’s taken care of me? Do thos things make it wrong …or do they actually make it more right? Why is it acceptable to get involved with a total stranger, who could do any number of things to hurt you or betray you, but not get involved with someone who has cared about you since the day you were born?”

My only complaint? The middle of the book felt “slower”. In the beginning of the story Tor and Kenzi realize their feelings are changing. From then on both battle with what they should do and what they want to do. Then, it slows down and I found it lightly repetitive in some ways but that’s just to gain momentum in the last part of the book and end on a perfect epilogue.

Carian Cole remains one of my “to go to” authors when I’m in the mood for beautiful romance stories filled with amazing guys, loveable heroines, adorable pets and the right amount of angst.

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