Carian Cole has this way with her powerful words she time and time again so naturally writes. “Tied” is another story of hers that has captured my heart in ways I’m still attempting to piece together.

Child aßdüçtion stories are sensitive to write about, yet Cole seamlessly takes readers through Holly’s path to healing and weaves it with Tyler’s trauma. She fits two distinctly different people with a twelve-year age gap who eventually find true, authentic love with each other.

Of course, there were bumps in the road, and only Cole could conjure up feelings of outrage I had towards the characters in Holly’s and Tyler’s lives and finally find some compassion. I was fully immersed in this world, along with the characters, experiencing every emotion with them.

“Tied” is an extraordinary love story with my kind of fairytale ending.

I received a copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley and Carian Cole for the eARC!

Let me just say, I put off reading this book for a while because I genuinely thought i was not going to like it. But BOY WAS I WRONG.

I read the first book in this series, Torn, last year and I really was not a fan. At all.

When I first started reading Tied and was going in not really expecting a whole lot and if I’m perfectly honest, nearly DNF’d it at the 14% mark. It was tough to read! The FMC, Holly, has been through an awful experience in her life (PLEASE check content warnings for this book) and it seems that no one is in her corner or really cares to support her. Holly’s mom was the absolute worst and she is the character that made me want to put this book down and just be done with it. However, I promised myself I’d give it a chance until the 20% mark and boy am I glad I did.

Tyler and Holly are two broken people with awful backgrounds of things that have happened to them. But together they support and love one another and bring out the absolute best in each other. I won’t lie. This was a TOUGH read. It’s emotionally gut wrenching. But it’s also so beautiful.

Just one piece of advice for the author/publisher, would be to please include a content warning page at the beginning of this book so that readers are very clear as to what they are getting into.

To anyone reading his review, I’d say skip the first book in this duology, but definitely read Tied!

This book had me very conflicted. I finished reading it at the end of 2023, and I honestly still don't know how to correctly express my thoughts. This book was really well-written, but the premise of it is what really messes with me. There isn't anything objectively wrong since they are both adults, but Holly was traumatized and not really an adult in her mind. Holly's parents made me so mad, and I really felt for her and for Tyler too. I loved how they were both healing from their trauma and the bond they formed. The animals and Christmas trees were so cute too. Honestly, this isn't my best review but I literally still can't wrap my head around this book.

I couldn't get into this story. I understand that the girl was kidnapped at 5 and would have lack of social skills, but it was almost too much.

Wow. This book was filled to the brim with triggers and trauma, but somehow also absolutely beautiful. It’s hard to write a thorough review without giving away spoilers, and I do think it’s best to go in somewhat blind (if you want to know triggers I’m happy to share), but I will just say that it was extremely well done. These two characters have been through absolutely unimaginably horrible things, but their connection is somehow so sweet and innocent to start. Holly sees Tyler for who he truly is, and Tyler softens around her, giving a glimpse into what old Tyler used to be like before all of the bad stuff. I thought this book was very well-written and complex. There’s even a plot twist towards the end that I did not see coming at all and had my mouth dropping open in shock!

“I'm going to love all of her - the good and the bad, the smiles and the fears, the pretty and the dirty."

God! Again the best by my angst queen, Carian Cole.
Holly and Ty!
The way my heart broke for Holly was unbelievable.
The way Ty’s and Holly’s relationship grew and developed from friends to everything to each other was so heartwarming to read. The way they put together their lives, each and every part of their hearts, GAHH! Just loved them.

Definitely recommended
♾️/10

I need to start by saying I feel fortunate to have gotten access to both books in the All Torn Up series. I feel like these books could have been read independently, but the reader gets a lot more by reading both. I enjoyed the second book in the series more than the first book. This author truly has a way of breaking a reader’s heart before slowly mending it together again. It also takes talent to write about a character at their level. Holly was kidnapped at age 5 and held in captivity for 11 years. The author appropriately wrote her in an immature way, which would be fitting for someone in Holly’s position. The book was a slow burn romance while also being a book about emotional healing. I would recommend both books in this series!

This was.... a lot. I was really hoping we would have gotten to see more of the previous couple because it felt like there was still a ton unresolved there. Overall though, I think Carian handled the trauma in this really well, but still something isn't quite sitting right with me after finishing.

One of the queens of taboo romance we should all bow down to. I read Torn last year and fell in love with it, but I hadn’t picked up the sequel, Tied, until now. And wow, I wish I hadn’t waited!

We get to earn more about Tyler, who we briefly meet as the MMC’s brother in Torn. And Tyler has a traumatic past that he tends to both hide from and dwell in. But when a young girl is kidnapped and abused, he manages to help rescue her. However, the life he helps return her to isn’t the life she craves anymore. She craves her prince, and to her, Tyler is her prince.

Carian Cole manages to weave together so many intricate details that make you realize you’ve forgotten to breathe halfway through the chapter. And the twists — my god! I didn’t see them coming in the slightest and my heart HURTS. Absolutely phenomenal though. In every way.

Tropes:
- Taboo romance
- Age gap romance
- Traumatic past/emotional baggage
- Loss of loved ones (in the past)
- Kidnapping victim - FMC
- It’s always been you

Well done book about two battered and broken people finding each other and need to heal. It is so good and I need more. Heartbreaking and horrific and yet quite healing.

Tyler and Holly’s story is a beautiful and emotional fairytale. These are two broken souls, that have found each other and helped each other.

This is a heavy story and there is a lot of emotion to it. It is a slow burn when it comes to Tyler and Holly’s relationship but I am glad it was. They needed that slow journey into something more, otherwise things just wouldn’t have felt right to their story in the end. These two share a connection and bond, they both experienced trauma, and feel like outcasts in their lives.

I loved Ty and Holly’s story. The highs and lows, the happiness and sadness. The journey they went on to write their own fairytale and happily ever after was beautiful.

If you’re looking for an age gap, slow burn, emotional romance check this one out.

Fans of dramatic, taboo, age gap romance will love Tied. Two damaged main characters, themes of trauma, and grief. This novel pairs well with its predecessor, Torn- but can be read as a stand alone. Tied is a page turner and the plot, pacing, and chemistry are good.

Incredible story about two broken people helping each other heal. It shows how one person is all it takes to heal and feel safe.


I just reviewed Tied by Carian Cole. #Tied #NetGalley

🥀Tied 🥀

The second in the All Torn Up series. You can read it as a standalone as there is not much interaction with the characters from Torn.

Tyler Grace is a recluse - forever scarred from horrific accidents, shunned by the town who assume he kidnapped the missing girl he rescued. He is a creature of the woods, keeping to himself.

Holly Daniels was held captive for 11 years. Rescued by Tyler at age 16 from where she was caged in a hole in the ground in the woods, Holly struggles to adjust to life outside of her torturer. She clings to the fairytale books that kept her company for 11 years and the dream of her prince, who came and saved her.

Two misfits, struggling to accept their past, Tyler and Holly work together to help each other.

This is a taboo, age gap romance with strong themes of grief and trauma. There are some concerning elements, but if you don’t think too hard about it, you can enjoy the romance between Tyler and Holly as they care for each other and heal together.

Thanks to Netgalley and Forever for this ARC!

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