**REVIEW** Torn by K.A. Robinson

  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.

Release Date:  May 7, 2013 (ebook)

Published By:  Atria Publishing

Review Copy:  ARC, 263 pages

**Provided by Publisher for review

Review

  I was so completely gone once I started reading this that I may have skipped a few things that needed to be done, just so that I could keep reading and not put it down.  Admittedly I am on a serious new adult kick and frequently find myself gone when I start them, but Torn was different from many of the ones I have picked up previously.  There is no denying that there is a lot of drama, some things that others may go bonkers over and some things that may make others scream, but when you think of it it's all of these things that frequently pull us into a book.  There is no denying that people will have their ups and downs with this one but being honest with you all it is the things that drove me crazy, that drove me to love it.

 Though the college/university theme seems to be a very powerful force in the NA world I liked the way that Robinson started it there and added people that already knew each other so well.  They were close and yet not unwilling to be apart, which I kind of worried about to start.  The tone was set fairly early on in this one and I could lie to you and say I had no idea how it would play out but I did.  Thing is it was all like a train wreck and you just can't look away.  Despite the story playing out like I had expected, I still enjoyed the ride.

  Chloe is a lucky girl that has a horribly unlucky past.  Now graduated and moved into university with her two best friends she feels that she has left it all behind but life always seems to get more complicated when you expect it not to.  What I loved was that she wasn't perfect and didn't pretend to be.  She makes mistakes, kicks herself in the ass for them and even kind of hides it but it does eat at her.  Most of what goes down could have been avoided if she had stepped up and went for what she wanted but what fun would that have been?

  There is undoubtedly two guys in this book.  Now before you run away screaming and don't look back, give me a chance to explain.  This is one of the triangles that I actually understood and accepted easily because of how and why it happened.  Logan has been Chloe's friend for so many years that she has always loved him...like a brother.  He is an all around sweet guy that has nothing but her best interest at heart but she never knew that the feelings they had were so completely different.  When it comes down to it I couldn't help but feel that he should have known better and although I liked him, like Chloe, never more than a friend.  Drake on the other hand...HOLY SWEET HOTNESS!  Yes he is everything bad boy and yes he is in a band but I loved him right from the get go.  He may be bad for Chloe but it is ALL the right ways.

   I really did seriously enjoy Torn and the emotional dramas that came with it.  The pacing was consistently good and I will freely admit that I love Robinson's writing style.  In fact I am currently writing this review right after finishing just so that I can hurry up and pick up the next book and loose myself a little longer.  I would not hesitate to recommend this read to lovers of NA but however be warned of the triangle.  If you can handle some of them pick it up because you wont regret it but if you despise them beyond any measure this probably wont be for you but I personally enjoyed it.

Quotes

As I spoke I saw her mouth dropping in slow motion.  "You don't like just any guy, you like a bad boy.  Holy shit, I'm pretty sure hell just froze over, my little Chloe crushing on the bad boy!"

I glanced at him again, taking in just how attractive he was.  His lip ring caught my attention as it glimmered from the reflection of the street light outside.  I wondered what it would feel like to kiss him with that in.

Instead of laughing at me, he frowned.  "I wasn't kidding, Chloe.  I've wanted you from the minute I saw you that first day in class.  I have never seen someone as beautiful as you."