BOOK REVIEW - TORN by K.A. ROBINSON - TORN # 1 - NEW ADULT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE - SIMON & SCHUSTER

By: K.A. Robinson

Published By: Atria , Simon & Schuster

Released: Available Now

Details: Paperback for honest review from publisher, 260 Pages

RATING: 3 STARS

Blurb: Goodreads 

Chloe hasn't had the best life. With a mother who is gone more often than not, she has had to raise herself. After graduating high school, she leaves to start a new life away at West Virginia University with her best friends Amber and Logan, determined to leave her demons in the past.

On her first day, she meets a stranger who takes her breath away at first sight. Until she met Drake, no one had ever sparked her interest. Now this tattooed and pierced bad boy is all she can think about, no matter how hard she fights it.

Falling for Drake was never part of her plans, but when it happens, things seem to do anything but fall into place.

Dealing with a tragic past, Drake has never cared about anyone else but himself and his band. But when Chloe takes the empty seat next to him in class, things start to change. Instantly drawn to her, he begins to wonder if one girl can take a cold hearted womanizer and change every part of him?

Long hidden feelings are revealed and friendships tested to the brink.

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He laughed at my pitiful attempts. “Is that all you’ve got? What a wimp.” At his words, I started pushing him harder, but my hands slipped from his hip and I tumbled down onto him. My breath was sucked out of me as I landed on top of him and I felt those tingles everywhere my body pressed against his. I tried to shove away from him, but he grabbed my arms and pulled me up so I was fully on top of him, chest to chest, stomach to stomach, hips to hips. He was hard everywhere I touched and I felt my cheeks turning red as I looked at him.

His eyes had darkened until they were black with hunger as he stared at me, and a smirk appeared on his lips. “You know baby, if you wanted to get on top of me all you had to do was ask.”


BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

Torn for me , had the vibe of Thoughtless by S.C Stephens and From Ashes by Molly McAdams. This was a good start to this series. I can see on Goodreads all the four and five stars being slapped down but I am going with a more conservative rating.

My thoughts on Torn.

I had a little trouble connecting with all the characters in Torn. I thought Torn had a strong start but then things went a bit pear shaped for me.

Drake is the pierced, tattooed, bad boy who also happens to be a rocker playing at the local watering hole when he isn’t at College. His band is, Breaking The Hunger consisting of band mates, Adam, Eric and Jade.

Logan is Chloe’s bff, she has known him a long time. Chloe and Logan are tight as friends. He has seen her mother beating on her and understands her past.

Logan wants more.

Chloe is rather naive to Logan’s love for her.

Amber is the other friend that makes up this threesome. Chloe, Amber and Logan do lots of things together.

Enter Drake. He threatens Logan’s friendship/love for Chloe. This is where it went pear shaped for me. It wasn’t believable to me. This love triangle felt disconnected to me as the reader.

Drake has his own demons he is coping with and wants Chloe but also pushes her away.

Logan has loved Chloe from afar as he doesn’t want their friendship destroyed, but it is time to make a move before Drake does.

I thought Logan and Chloe were better as just friends. I didn’t see anything great and deserving in Chloe. Logan acted immature when he was flaunting his friendship/relationship with Chloe in front of Drake.

Chloe, what can I say. I just did not dig this chick. She was a drama queen, a cheater, a liar... let’s say it did not endear me to her.

Drake was probably the better character out of the lot of them. 

Amber was the least dramatic. I liked her too.

I think there were some plot flaws that got forgotten. I didn’t understand why Chloe needed to wear anything of Drakes when she stayed over at his place after the unfortunate incident at the bar. It felt forced, a way to show that he had women’s bra’s and panties at his place. She had her own clothes, they weren’t damaged in anyway, she had her own underwear. I could certainly understand if I was given a reason like they were damaged beyond salvaging.

Why?

She didn’t seem to change back into her Uni sweat shirt and torn jeans and appeared to leave Drakes wearing Drakes clothes the next morning , then she went straight to Mexican for lunch with Logan and then back to Logan’s room to study.

Logan didn’t notice the men’s shirt and sweats? Didn’t ask whose clothes she had on?

Then another occasion Drake asks if Chloe is on birth control which is very considerate, but then... dude, Drake didn’t wear a condom which was another thing that turned my nose up, only because he is the biggest man-whore. It set the tone that Drake slept with girls without protection. Wearing a condom is just plain STD safe. Logan wore a condom. Bad boys do wear condoms. It just makes good health sense until you can be sure the person is safe. Especially with a known man-whore. If Drake had mentioned that he was clean, always wore condoms with the other females he constantly slept with, then ok, as the reader I know he is practicing safe sex. It felt like we only wanted to be shown Drakes doodle piercing and how useful it was in the fro fro area. (Vjayjay) 

I was wondering how Chloe paid for everything because she only got a job half way through the book. I let that one slide under the assumption that Amber’s parents tied her over.

I got confused with the guys and their standards/morals.

Drake didn’t want to take advantage of Chloe while she was drunk, but then Logan did. Logan wore a condom, but Drake didn’t when they got it on. Drake can be amazing with how thoughtful he can be, and Logan can appear he just had to win against Drake and flaunt it.

I felt the two guy characters behaviour could be confusing.

Chloe did just plain silly things that were random like walking out into a freezing lake up to her waist. Now I know she is shorter than Drake but he had to have got wet getting her out and carrying her. But no mention of him getting wet. She got slathered with attention. I understand she wanted to get numb, but dude! She seemed quite immature at times. I understand she had a horrible childhood.

Now, I did have to laugh at Amber falling in a toilet. I mean at their age, how does your ass fit inside a toilet and hit the water, unless you are tiny. I mean five year old sized. Is the hole that big? Ehh, I shall let that one slide too, she may have a teeny ass.

I did enjoy parts of this book, but I also found myself rolling my eyes at Chloe and her ability to let the female side down with her cheating. No matter what excuse you put in front of it, you are cheating and nobody deserves to be cheated on , especially someone who has stood by you when you needed them most.

It only ends in heart ache.

I am interested to read Twisted to see what impact her mother has on the story line. This was an ok read for me, but that doesn't mean Twisted won't blow my mind.

Michelle