This is the story about a young boy and a baby. Ren & Della we’re never meant to be together, but became all each other had. One is a child born to monsters, and the other is a kid no one wanted. There is a ten year age difference between them, but they become the best of friends. Ren is just a kid, but he protects Della at all costs. He takes it upon himself to be responsible for her safety, happiness, and well being. She was precious to him. For better or worse, she was his, and he’d sacrifice anything for her to have everything.

The book spans many years as Ren & Della grow up together & it goes from past to present. They became family and trust only one another. Life is hard, but they have each other. Their only plan is to stay alive and hidden. As Ren raises Della she can’t help but adore him. He was her entire world. She absolutely worshipped him and their time together.

As they evolve, so do their feelings. As children things were innocent as they needed each other. As they get older Della’s love changes from infatuation to intoxication. She learns to keep her feelings to herself, and love him in secret. They both experience forbidden cravings & taboo things they think they shouldn’t feel toward the other. Truths are finally revealed and they both learn sometimes love can hurt you the most.

This book was fantastic! One of those books you can’t put down that completely consumes you. This was my first book by Pepper Winters, & WOW!!! I still can’t stop thinking about it! I’m dying for the next book! This book was so extremely unique. It was a heartbreaking story about two soulmates trying to survive. They were the one constant in each other’s life & in each other’s heart. This book was about the most pure love. The way Ren loved Della so selflessly was beautiful!

I read a lot of dark books, but this bothered me so much because it took something that should have been pure and tainted it. I hate stories when people fall in love as children especially when there's a big age difference. It's creepy and wrong. Just because Ren and Della weren't technically related didn't make it okay. They were family; Ren raised her.

This didn't work for me. I can see why other people would like it. Aside from the taboo incest vibe, it wasn't very dark.

**3.5 Stars**

I wanted to love this book after hearing how good it was. Overall, I think I just feel kind of meh about it. I think the plot of the book and story line were good, and I wanted to find out what was going to happen, but I just kind of feel like it took forever to get there. This is my first Pepper Winters book, and honestly even though I want to find out how this two book story ends, I'm not sure if I will actually read the next book due to the length of this book. I feel like it was too drawn out.

Amazing! Man I can't wait for the conclusion!
I'm a huge fan of Pepper Winters and The Boy and his Ribbon is simply a beautiful story that will make you wanting more. The writing is amazing and that only pulls you in even more. Buy it, read it...you won't regret.

4.75 stars!

Things I loved about this book (in no particular order): The call of nature. The simplicity of life. The unsimplified way of life. The importance of friendship. The pitfalls of codependence. The purity of innocence. The revulsion of corruption. The angst. The angst. The angst.

This book turned me upside down and had me tossing and turning in bed all night. This was not a light read and it was not one that I wanted to put down at any time. I actually ended up reading it in one sitting. Oops.

I usually have an aversion to dual POV novels. I, however, went out of my enjoyable comfort zone and decided to read this novel based on the description alone. I am so happy that I did.

The reader dives into the harsh, complicated lives of Ren and Della. Two very different individuals but yet so similar. I hate to give anything major away. I want to. I really do, but just trust the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.

Warnings:
There is a pretty big age gap between our two protagonists so if that is not something that you are comfortable with then this book is not going to be for you. Different strokes for different folks and all.

This book also ends on a cliffhanger so if you want everything wrapped up in a nice bow by the end then you should just wait till the release of the second installment, The Girl and Her Ren, out June 5th!

Ren is ten years old when he escapes from the farm where he has been enslaved for two years. On his way out, he thoughtlessly picks up a backpack containing the very last thing he needs: his owner's baby daughter, Della. Ren can't bring himself to treat her with the heartlessness he has been subjected to, and so he keeps her. For almost seventeen years, he raises Della as his real family. She's the only person he has ever loved. As Della becomes an adult, Ren realizes to his horror that their familial relationship is growing into something else. Narrated by both Ren and Della as they look back on their life together and reflect on their decisions and mistakes, I was reminded a lot of "Wuthering Heights." Ren is like Heathcliff, with his intense rage and feral love for his "sister" Della (Cathy), who can't help but charm everyone she meets with her beauty and natural intelligence. I felt instense frustration and hope and love for two very real people who go through hell alongside each other and as a result are meant to be together, but are kept apart by societal expectations, miscommunications, and the unusualness of their relationship. I hope that their journey doesn't end in them destroying themselves and almost everyone around them.
This story is not happy. It is not light, it is not sweet, and, since it is part one of two, it definitely doesn't end on a HEA. There are mentions of child slave labor, severe abuse, and homelessness. Your heart will definitely break for the protagonists. And then it will break some more. However, this story contains the barest, rawest form of love, which makes for an unforgettable reading experience. If you're looking for a story that will truly tear at your emotions and draw you into a relationship unlike any other, this is it. I am awaiting impatiently the conclusion of Ren and Della's story.

3.5 stars

Overall we think this book was an original story and was well written for such dark subjects. However, there was a lot of things that just seemed so unbelievable or maybe we just read to much and couldn't put tolerate some of the things in this book. Also there was a lot of angst, we mean A LOT- it was just a lot. We kind of checked out at some point in the book, just because it was just so much.
This book just end in a cliff hanger of sorts, but the next book The Girl and her Ren will be out soon for the conclusion.

Five stars just isn't enough for this book! I love Ren with all of my heart. He encompasses all that is good and pure in this world. He wasn't given a fair life, but he has fought hard to give Della the best life possible considering their circumstances. This is a beautiful, emotional read....now I am dying for The Girl and her Ren. Wow....this book just made me feel.

4.5 stars

This is the first book I've read by Pepper Winters although I bought other works by this author. The reason why I decided to start with "The Boy and his Ribbon" was that its plot seemed different and intriguing compared to other stories I've read recently, and I wanted something "new". I've got to say, finishing this book was hard and it took me more days than I usually take to finish reading it. The reason is the plot itself. This book is not for everyone because of its dark themes first and foremost, but also because Pepper Winters has such a deep and intricate way of describing places, emotions, characters and whatnot, that you need to read carefully or you'll be lost.

This story was full of details and it explored different themes. People who are sensible and like sugary romances may find it hard to digest this book because it describes the horrors of being abused, sold and tortured at a young age among many things, that the male protagonist Ren Wild has suffered ever since he was young. One night, when Ren is 10 years old, he finally escapes the farm where he was basically a slave along with other children, but he was not free yet. On the other hand, the night he obtained his freedom was also the night he was bound to another human that he despised that hid in his backpack, the 1 year old daughter of the family who owned him, Della Mclary.

"The Boy and his Ribbon" explores the friends to lovers thrope but in an unconventional way, because Ren hates Della at first, but then he starts caring for her since it wasn't her choice to have such horrible parents. As they escape far from the Mclary's Farm together, these two people become attached to each other and form a strong bond. At first, when the story starts and Ren is 10 and Della is 1, their relationship is the one of a brother and a sister, but as the story slowly progresses and they grow up, their familiar love turns into something forbidden that either of them understand since they are innocent and have lived most of their lives on the run and they only trusted each other.

The book has a dual POV, but the majority of it is told by Ren and it starts when he is 10 years old, while Della's POV is in the present. They are recounting us their story, but we don't know where they are now, we will probably find out in "The Girl and her Ren" which is the second book of the series that will come out in June. I wish that this one is told more by Della's perspective because most of what we know from this one is what Ren showed us.

Admittedly, I'm a sucker for anything Pepper Winters writes and in the past, she had originally drawn me in with multiple dark romance/suspense series. A Boy and His Ribbon is unlike most of her well-known works, yet similar to Unseen Messages (one of my all-time favorites), as both stories are based on characters living wild. A scenario that speaks to my wanderlust soul and moves me like no other topic. The story follows Ren and Della, two children who escape abuse and a fate worse than even any animal should endure. Growing up alone, fending for themselves, this story takes us through years of this unlikely pair growing up uneducated, unsocialized and learning from each other. And with such fierce love, devotion and determination from children so young... We've all had to deal with the ups and downs of growing up. Imagine facing your teenage years that come with messy feelings and changes, without any guidance or expectations? This Coming of Age/Romance teeters between not quite right and completely understandable. Like every other Pepper Winters title in the past, I devoured this book. It tore my heart out, leaving me in suspense until book 2 in the Ribbon Series, The Girl and Her Ren is released in June.

The Boy and His Ribbon is about forbidden love between a girl and her surrogate brother. A young boy named Ren, at the age of 10, runs from a horrible abusive home to survive in the woods. He discovers a baby, named Della, in his backpack and they live together as he provides for her. I found this fact to be quite unbelievable and far fetched. The book is about their lives as they both grow up and live side by side, mostly on their own camping in the woods. As they grow up their relationship also matures. I would classify this as a fantasy romance. I will say that this was not the book for me but I did find the writing to be very good and interesting. For this reason I gave it a solid three stars.
I received an ARC from Netgalley and this is my honest review.

This book was amazing!!! It deserves 10 stars!! Ren is such an awesome character, a survivor and he has no choice but to take care of himself all by himself at age 10. So sad what happened to him but he rose above it and became an upstanding, responsible young man. When Ren ran away from his captors, he accidentally took their baby girl Della with him. He decided that he would take care of her and give her the best life he could, and he does. The love between Ren and Della is so strong and so beautiful. The feelings they have for each other literally leap off of the page and into your heart as you read. I absolutely can not wait to read the sequel!! Planning on reading more of Pepper Winters as well. LOVED this book!!!! Thank you NetGalley!!!

Pepper does it again! She brings to life another great story with well developed characters you want to know more about & can't help but become invested in every aspect in. Pepper has a way of writing that you can't help but feel every emotion of the characters. I love all of Pepper Winter's books. She never disappoints.

This book grabs your heart and bounces it around like a basketball. The buildup is masterfully rendered; the parts of how their relationship evolve are crucial to the story as they explain the whys and hows of the changes in Ren and Della.

The pace is deliberate and moderate. This is not a typical romance book so do not go into it looking for the same formulaic rendition. Aren’t you tired of reading the same pattern over and over though? I’m glad I gave this a chance; it’s worthy of its high ratings.

*ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley; honest review is my own.

This is not your typical Pepper Winters book is what you will hear. However, this book still has all of the elements of a Pepper Winters read sprinkled throughout. Although this story starts while the main characters are young, Ren and Della will captivate you and weave their way under your skin.
Ren trying to escape the life he was sold to finds an unexpected passenger amongst his things when he flees. I could honestly say that I felt as torn as Ren while reading as to what he should do. Let’s just say that as the story progressed I was glad he made the choice he did.
The bond that forms between Ren and Della is strong. Having kept to themselves during her formidable years not only explains her dependency on Ren but her awe of him. Ren has become that of a big brother/father figure and mentor but let us not forget that they are not blood.
I loved their story. The determination to make a life for themselves. The want of Ren to give everything to Della that he did not have. Her ability to share her newfound knowledge with Ren to give back to him. That Della recognized the sacrifices that Ren was willing to endure for her happiness and wellbeing.
There are few secondary characters in this book but they all have a very important role. There are several firsts given by Cassie to Ren, Patricia and John are seemingly the first adults Ren and Cassie trust and John gives Ren the opportunity to work for him to provide a safe environment for Della to grow and learn.
But as time passes the lines begin to blur. Although they have always presented themselves as family feelings begin to twist. I felt bad for Della having to share “her Ren” with others. It was definitely an adjustment for her to watch him grow into a man while still a child. Her knowledge and needs not the same in that respect. They call them the seven deadly sins for a reason. Jealousy and lust can blind a person and without the proper outlet Della has brought trouble to their door more than once.
I was conflicted towards the end of the story, though I am not sure I was more than Ren and Della. I could see this story from many different angles and in some their actions would not be questioned. What I will tell you is that I will anxiously be awaiting the release of The Girl & Her Ren to see where this story ends.

This is the story of Ren who is a 10 year old slave who in the process if escaping his Master accudentally steals the master’s infant daughter. The story follows them through towns , cities and wilderness and describes the hardships they face, their physical and emotional growth and their strange relationship with one another.
The first half of the book dealing with the escape and the trials they face, the difficult decisions Ren faced had me hooked to the book. The story is told in alternating pov and the first half was mostly in Ren’s pov. The immense maturity Ren showed and the responsibility he shouldered at that young age of becoming a parent and all the feelings going through his head was so starkly and honestly portrayed. I couldnt help but fall in love with him.
But coming to the second half, which had a lot more in Della’s pov was a disappointment. Honestly the only word to describe Della is that she is a complete brat. Maybe the situation she was in and the way she was brought up had something to do with it but try as I might, I couldnt connect with this character and that one fact made it difficult to enjoy the rest of the book.
The story became predictable in the second half. One can guess the direction which the book was taking si the cliffhanger at the end did not come as a surprise and kind of fell flat.
I hope the author can make me love Della a little but more in the second book and because I had really good expectation from this book after the first half. So fingers crossed next book is unputdownable, meanwhile I am giving this book a 2.5/5 stars

Ren did not have an easy start to life. His own mom sold him to a farmer who forced him to work and treated him like a barn animal. After his finger was cut off for taking food to live, he decided he’d had enough and made a plan to run. He never expected that the farmer's daughter would crawl into his backpack and make the escape with him.

I probably should go back to my notes to write this- but I think I highlighted about half the book. There was just something about this story that drew you in. I just ate up every word. I loved the dynamic between Della and Ren in the first half. And I stressed right along them in the second. I'm truly torn in my thoughts. With the way it was written, it’s hard to see the conflict as anything but shades of grey. And its the kind of conflict I would know my stance on without a doubt in real life. I’m sort of glad there’s another month before part two comes out. I think my emotions need a break before part two.

Ahhh man, this book was a rollercoaster in the best possible way. It started off slow and stuttered as it climbed, but by the end, I was whooshing through all the emotions and FEELS of Ren and Della.

The book started off a little slow for me and I didn't know if I would be able to make it through the first couple chapters. Maybe it was because I was feeling like garbage from a cold and my ability to maintain interest was shot, or it might have been that the characters were so young and I didn't find their situation incredibly believable.

Case in point, as I have three kids myself, I know that a one-year-old will NOT quit crying when thrown a mean glare or when told to "STOP THAT!" I mean, c'mon, is Della a prodigy in perception? So, there was definitely a LEAP between the believability of what Pepper Winters wrote about Ren and Della's early years on the run and my own real-life experience.

Once I set my personal experiences about raising a small child aside, I was able to get into the book a bit more. I did enjoy the back and forth POV, even though Della's angsty writing had a flair for the dramatic and was somewhat obnoxious at times.

Now on the all the good parts of the book, namely.....REN. He was everything a main character should be. He was troubled and dark, yet held true to his code of morals. He was young but burdened with the heaviness of life's darkness. He was complicated, swinging between what was right and what was wrong in terms of his responsibility to Della.

The last third of the book was a build-up of tense actions and emotions between the two, leading to an explosion that would change the course of their relationship. I think this is where Pepper Winter's writing really shines.

As the pages diminished, I was stupidly hoping for some kind of happy ending for Ren (because let's face it...at this point Della is still behaving like a spoiled juvenile). But it was not to be, as the ending came with no resolution and here I am, eagerly awaiting the second part of this duet to drop in June.

Now, this book may not be for everyone. I would definitely place it in the New Adult genre, but the taboo (evolving) relationship between Ren and Della may turn some reader's off. I'm not in that boat, as I think the depth and uniqueness of their relationship can only lead them to a fated outcome that feels completely right.

I give The Boy and His Ribbon a rating of 4.5/5 with slight detractions for believability and an annoying female protagonist.

*I was provided with a free copy of the book by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Boy and His Ribbon is the first book in a new two part duet from Pepper Winters and one I knew I had to read. I love Pepper's books, rarely does she disappoint me and with a beautiful cover like this one I had a feeling I would enjoy this. I was surprised by this book though as it wasn't what I was expecting. I find with synopsis' often they tell to much, mostly I avoid reading them but with The Boy and His Ribbon, maybe it didn't tell me enough.

The story is told from Ren and Della's points of view. We hear from Ren in the past, in fact he starts the story in a very nasty, dark situation. Those opening pages I wasn't ready for and admit it was heart wrenching to hear what was happening at that farm. The book follows Ren from age 10 when he leaves the farm to near present day at the end of the book. Ren felt a reliable story teller and it was good to see how he grew and changed throughout the book from a boy, to a teenager and then a man. Della's story is told both in past and present tense. I loved that we were hearing her story in her words at the same time. In fact I admit I connected with her chapters more, maybe because we were both women/girls? I understood her frustrations, her growth throughout those chapters  but mostly I loved how she kept me reading. For its not till a good 85% in you realise some things aren't completely what they seem. The story has a lot of ups and downs, but mostly you see its about learning to love, about family, trust and surviving. The Boy and His Ribbon isn't like anything I've read recently, in fact it felt truly different which in the Romance/New Adult genre I personally think is hard to do these days.

There is a dark element to this book I should add, but it didn't over shadow the story. I cannot talk about the relationship of Ren and Della, nor do I want to talk about characters from their journey as I do not give spoilers. I will say that Pepper really has wrote something both beautiful and tragic, but done it in such a way that I felt everything. 

As I stated at the beginning of this review I love Pepper's books, I knew I'd probably enjoy The Boy and his Ribbon too. I wasn't however expecting it to end like it did (Cliff hanger -ish!) and feel depressed (Almost) as the new book isn't out till June I believe (The Girl and her Ren). I cannot wait to see what happens next for Ren and Della, in fact I need to know. This is such an intricate, tragic story but one I can see many enjoying if you enjoy a good romance that's not traditional and likes to pull on your emotions. 4 stars.

If you want a book that will give you all the feels, then this is your book. If you want to be left wanting more, then get this book. If you want an unforgettable story written written by an unforgettable author, then READ THIS EFFING BOOK!