Torn by Carian Cole (Paperback)

Book one in the All Torn Up series, an age-gap forbidden romance from Carian Cole, and readable as a standalone.

When she was five years old, she told Toren Grace they’d get married one day. He’d been her closest friend, her protector and her rock since the day she was born — fifteen years older, and her father’s best friend, the pseudo uncle who’d always been there. For most of her life, that was simply what they were.

Then, during her senior year, something slowly shifted. Silly conversations turned into serious heart-to-hearts; innocent friendship gave way to stolen glances. And one day, an unexpected kiss changed everything. For her, that kiss was everything she’d ever dreamed of. For Tor, it knocked him clean off his axis. His strong moral compass makes their feelings almost impossible to accept — she’s just eighteen, she’s his best friend’s daughter, and she’s the one person he should never, ever want. Neither of them can bear to betray or hurt her dad, but a secret this size can’t stay hidden forever. The question is whether there’s any path to a happily-ever-after, or whether it will tear all of them apart.

Perfect for readers who love slow-burn forbidden romance, an age-gap, forbidden-fruit tension and a friends-to-more story with everything at stake.