Tied

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Title: Tied
Author: Carian Cole
Publication date: 06/24/2017
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
Rating: 5 out of 5

Amazon blurb
He was the myth and the legend of our small town. But no one knew the truth... except me.

Me
My childhood was stolen by a monster. I've forgotten what love feels like. What happiness feels like. What hope feels like. I am numb.

Him
He's possibly as damaged as I am. Maybe even more. Scarred just as much on the inside as the outside. 

Just like me. He doesn't speak. He doesn't smile. He hides in the woods like an animal. I should be scared of him. But I'm not. He's the only one that has ever made me feel. And I want to make him feel, too.

Everything…

My Review
Holy crap, folks. Talk about a book hangover. If you’re the type of reader looking for tons of feels in your reads, (which I’m usually NOT) don’t even bother reading this review. Just go one-click the crap out of this book, ‘cause it's got feels spilling out all over the freakin’ place. But for the rest of you, here it goes.

First of all, this is book 2 of a series, but it stands alone quite nicely. Book 1 is great too, but totally different. It’s a taboo romance read, where as Tied is all about emotions and overcoming the pain and ugliness of the past to find something beautiful and worth living for in the present and future. So, I do recommend reading the first book in the series, but if a taboo read isn’t for you, you can dive right into Tied without feeling like you’re missing anything vital. 

Holly and Tyler’s pasts aren’t easy to read about. Horrific things have happened to Ty, and horrific things have been done to Holly. But I loved how the author gave me just enough detail of what happened to understand it, but not so much detail that I’m traumatized forever. (I’m looking at you, Lisa Gardner.) Ultimately, the author focused not so much on the specifics of the abuse Holly suffered at the hands of her captor, but more on her feelings and lingering PTSD, which was way more effective for getting to know Holly as a character than gory details of the events ever could’ve been.

I pretty much held my breath the whole time I was reading this book. Holly and Ty were so damaged and fragile and broken that I was terrified of what was coming next in their relationship. Would someone come along and wreck what they were building? Would Holly’s parents (who were pretty horrible) say something to Ty to make him think he wasn’t good enough for her? Would he push Holly away and force her to go off and live a life without him--a life he thought she deserved but that she didn’t really want? I was a complete wreck waiting for the other shoe to drop and destroy the beautiful, fragile bond these two lost, lonely souls were so gently forming. But the other shoe never dropped. And not because Holly and Ty didn’t have plenty of obstacles between them and their happily ever after, ‘cause, boy, did they ever have issues. But like the true survivors they were, they persevered and proved that all their broken, damaged little pieces fit together perfectly. Quite simply, Holly and Ty were made for each other.
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“She’s everything. My past. My present. My future. My twin flame—the one who shares the path of my soul.”

I could keep yammering about this book all day. I loved Holly (she was strong, and smart, and loving, despite everything that had happened to her), I loved Ty (he was patient, and kind, and tough but still vulnerable), I loved everything about the story. In fact, I don’t know why any of you are still reading this review. Why aren’t you one-clicking???
      
Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
Crushes it! This one is clean and sober. No rehab needed.  

Other reading suggestions
Definitely read Torn by Carian Cole, if only because Ty makes an appearance. And for other fantastic reads about lost, broken souls finding their perfect matches, try Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan, and How to Save a Life by Emma Scott.  

Note: you can see our full review of Archer’s Voice here.

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