Blog Tour: Torn (Connections #2) by Kim Karr

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Torn

Connections #2

By:  Kim Karr

Published:  Oct. 1, 2013

Penguin Group

Source:  Publisher

Mature Content:  18 & Up

GR's Summary:

Rock star River Wilde brought Dahlia London back from the brink of hopelessness with his unwavering love and devotion. But their entangled history is about to test the strength of their relationship…

Dahlia was certain she had found true love and met her "Once in a Lifetime’ when she reconnected with River. But Dahlia’s world comes crashing down when someone from her past resurfaces, and all of River’s carefully hidden secrets are exposed.

                                                                  

River wants to show Dahlia that life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass—it’s about dancing in the rain. But how many times can one broken heart be mended?  Will River and Dahlia be able to stay together or will they be torn apart?

Book 1 in the Series: 

*To Read Our Reviews On Connected Click HERE

Lindy's Thoughts:

The Connected series is addicting!  After reading the cliffhanger ending in Connected, I have been waiting, and needing to read Torn.  Ms. Karr is one of my favorite New Adult Contemporary Authors.  She knows how to write an intricate, complex, and fascinating story, that you will not want to put down.  I read this in one sitting.  I missed all of these characters.  Of course my favorite is none other then the sexy, artistic, and every woman's fantasy come true, River Wilde.  This man has it all, and I can see how Dahlia cannot get enough of him.  If I was her, I'd be saying, "Ben who?"  

Torn starts off right where Connected ended, most of the story is told from Dahlia's perspective, although we get parts of Ben's journal, and a chapter of River's point of view.  Dahlia is recovering in the hospital after being attacked, and River does not leave her side.  You can just see, and feel how deep and genuine River's love for her is.  After a little rest, River proposes to Dahlia, she says "yes!," (so would I), and they are packing and getting ready to elope to Las Vegas.  Unfortunately, the phone rings, right when they're suppose to leave, and it's Grace, telling Dahlia that it's urgent she come over immediately.  So Dahlia and River arrive to see Grace in tears, and the rest of the family's there as well.  Dahlia sure doesn't expect what's coming, and the effects of this revelation will change everything.

Torn was an excellent title for this story.  Dahlia was torn up inside from this revelation, as were River, and Grace.  Dahlia and River's relationship gets tested to the max.  They have to face their relationship fears, insecurities, jealousy, and learn how to communicate better with one another.  When Dahlia and River come on to the page together, the chemistry is intense, and the passion is off the charts!  These two cannot get enough of each other, and the sex scenes were amazing.  However, the best part was, that there is a great story to go along with these scenes, and that makes Torn  exceptional.  You will go through a large spectrum of emotions while reading Torn, such as worry, anger, pity, frustration, excitement, sadness, and joy!  Torn was a Masterpiece of Swoon!  It had well-rounded characters, a complex plot, sizzle, sexy scenes, and was the perfect bookish escape!     

My Rating:

I give Torn 5 Addictive, Intense, Decadent, Dramatic, and Desire-Filled Stars!  Read the Connected Series for a whirlwind ride full of romance, passion, secrets, and that once in a lifetime kind of love.  Torn was sizzling hot, and the ending was perfect!  Everything was tied up nicely, and we aren't given any cliffhangers!  The next story in the series is going to be Xander's story, and it's called Mend.  I'm looking forward to seeing the pragmatic, business only Xander, fall head over heels in love, and of course am looking forward to getting more Dahlia, and River.  I just can't read enough about them! 

My Favorite Quotes:

"I study him, taking in his strong jaw, sculpted nose, and toned body.  But it's his soul, his playfulness, and his amazing personality that made me fall in love with him.  He's so much more than I could ever have asked for-he's my soul mate in every sense of the word."  (eARC, Loc. 93)

~Dahlia

"My breathing stops as I take him in.  He's breathtaking.  He's long, lean, and so alarmingly good-looking that I can't look away.  It's not because of how attractive he is, though-it's because of his eyes.  They tell me everything I need to know.  This is the man I love.  The man who loves me.  The man I will be with forever."  (eARC, Loc. 2851)

~Dahlia

"I must look at her a hundred times a day and each time I find something else, something more beautiful, than the last time I looked.  It's not just her physical beauty that captivates me.  Honestly, I don't care if she's wearing a ball gown or sweatpants; her beauty is all of her-it's who she is.  And I want to spend the rest of my life looking at her, pulling her to me, loving her.  I will spend the rest of my life doing all of those things-of that, I have no doubt."  (eARC, Loc. 3556)

~River

"I can never get enough of her.  I want her in every way.  I don't even know if she realizes how much I want her-no, not want, how much I need her."  (eARC, Loc. 3562)

~River

The Way Ria See's It

Torn was such an amazing and emotional read! I loved every minute of it. Pick it up. You wont regret it. I loved the flow of the story I was able to connect with each character and feel what they were feeling. Dahl was put through so much but the faith in her love for River was unwavering. River loved her so much it made my heart melt.

T-ruth, everyone has kept so many secrets. Dahlia has gotten her life back but what she once knew has now completely changed.

O-pportunity, Ben will try with everything he has to get his Dahl back. What Ben doesn’t know is that she was never his. He has lost her and now has to learn to live with out her.

R-egrets, Dahl refuses to live her life with no more “what if’s”. From this moment forward she will listen with her heart fully. The love she shares with River will cement her resolve.

N-ear, with him by her side, Dahlia will face the world and achieve all of her dreams. The final chapters of this book will be the beginning of her new life. As long as the man of her dreams is by her side she will face anything at any cost.

This is a beautiful love story full of second chances and forgiving. I was addicted from the beginning and I couldn’t wait to see what the next page held. I know you will be addicted also. So yea there’s my recommendation go get these books now!

My Fav’s 

Dahlia

She is strong and beautiful she is not afraid of what she wants and what she has to do to have the happiness she deserves. When her past comes crashing back into her life she never waivers. True to her heart she will prove to everyone how much she truly loves River. Loss and more loss surrounds her but she promises to never have any regrets ever again.

River

This man has never felt for anyone the way he feels for Dahlia. He has kept so many secrets from her but each and every one he has done it to guard her heart. The last thing River ever wants is for Dahlia to suffer. He wants her to chose him and love him for who he is. 

My Rating

4.5 Pearl Necklace, Stella Guitar, Beach Day, Amazing Grace, Regrets Bracelet, Forgiveness, Fairy tale Love FILLED STARS!! Get these books asap!

My Take on this Journey:

Torn starts where the ever so hated cliffhanger ended in Connected.  We are taken to the bedside of Dahlia, where the ever so loyal and loving River is asleep in a chair waiting for her to awaken at the hospital.  The phenomenal prose used by Ms. Karr in her opening paragraph set the tone for the entire book.  The reader is drawn in to the magic that she weaves so well.  I could not put down the book.  It had me reeling from beginning to end.  What a phenomenal master Ms. Karr is at storytelling.  Dahlia gets to leave the hospital with River, and he asks her to marry him.  Dahlia has finally put her past where it belongs, is living again, and says "yes."  They decide to elope, but it is short lived, as Grace calls will news that will turn all their lives upside down.

Dahlia and River walk into a mess that jolts them right out of their heavenly state of mind, and into the disastrous tailspin of a lifetime that they never saw coming.  Ben, Dahlia's ex-fiancé, that she thought had been dead for the past 3 years, was actually in the witness protection program by choice, and had now been able to return to his old life once again as a writer, now that the perpetrator has been caught.  Ben tries, but to no avail, to explain his way out of letting Dahl be a witness to his fake murder, and also be at the receiving end of the violence that just landed her in the hospital.

Torn is a very dark segment which takes the reader through realities unknown, truths, lies, deception, secrets and angst like you wouldn't believe.  This book was an unforgettable roller coaster ride of a lifetime, in every aspect of it, with too many swoon worth scenes to count!  The hot scale of "River Wilde and his sexual prowess is off the charts!!!"  There are so many aspects to this man, and yet it all gets down to the fact that he is one passionate, aggressive, sexy as hell, piece of eye candy on a stick!  I guarantee every woman that reads this book will be saying to Dahl, "What are you waiting for?"   "What's taking you so long?"  There is NOTHING to think about!!!"  Can I hear a holler?! 

Torn is a mesmerizing collision course, with a freight train headed straight at this lot, bound for disaster, everyone knowing some aspect of the secrets withheld, misunderstandings, assumptions, lies, deceit, all entangled in this explosive segment of this phenomenal series by Kim Karr.  She will not disappoint!  This is a page turner from beginning to end, with curve balls, and endless excitement, 3 dimensional characters with depth that are all key to the story's plot.

I give Torn, by Kim Karr, 5 Exceptional, Story Telling at it's Finest, Excitement Galore, Love at it's Optimum, Chocolate Covered Swoon on a Stick Stars!!!

Book Trailers:

Torn

 
Torn

Connected

Casting

*Courtesy of Ms. Karr

"Ben"

"Dahlia"

"River"

Excerpt

His body tenses and I know this still isn’t the time to discuss Ben, but it is the right time to tell him how I feel. I run my fingertips along his cheek, silently apologizing for slapping him before saying it. “I really am so sorry.” I hope he knows I mean it for more than just the slap. Leaning into him, I take his other hand and bring both to my mouth as I tell him what I’ve wanted him to know since I drove away this morning. “River, I love you, Ben being alive doesn’t change that. You know that—right?”

Exhaling, he grabs my face and looks directly into my eyes. Despite his drunken state, his eyes seem more focused and his words are clear. “I want to believe your love is only for me. That your lips are mine. That your kisses are meant for me. That your body belongs to me.” His arms move to my waist and tighten around me and he presses his hard body against mine. “But when you leave me to see him, it’s hard to know for sure.”

Picture Teasers:

Play List on Spotify
 Torn

Torn Interview

1. What inspired you to write Connected and Torn? 

The night The Voice premiered on NBC in April 2011, I watched it and fell in love with the show and Adam Levine. I started to think about his journey with Maroon 5 and the number of years it took him to gain fame. I had been thinking about writing a book but hadn’t come up with a storyline that intrigued me enough. For some reason, that night the story of Dahlia, River, and Ben came to mind. The name of book was different as well as character names, but the plot never veered. I always intended for these two books to be a duet and the ending of Connected was the very first thing I wrote. 

2. Discuss your inspiration for Dahlia, Ben, River. How did they transpire? 

Character inspiration for Connected evolved as soon as the concept of the book came alive in my mind, I knew I wanted a strong heroine and two heroes that loved her but in different ways. I created the characters from within, who they were, and then conveyed their personalities and appearances to the reader. 
 

In my head, Dahlia had to be strong to weather the circumstances life threw her way, but I wanted her to be funny and loving with quirks and habits. 
 

Ben’s personality, as well as his name, actually transpired from a character on a TV show I used to watch years ago. The character on the show was an avid basketball player and swimmer, but since Dahlia and Ben lived near the beach, I decided he should be a surfer. A surfer who has difficulty expressing his feelings, hasty in decision making, temperamental, and contemplative, somewhat of a contrast to Dahlia. But, Ben has true depth and sensitivity that Dahlia admires. 

River’s character didn’t transpire as much—he just happened. He is who I would consider to be the perfect guy. I took all the traits I love and admire about men and lumped them into him. 

3. Did you plan for your first book to turn into a series? 

Yes I did. Just as I planned Connected and Torn to be a duet, my original plan was The Connections Series would consist of three duets for a total of six books. I have since changed my mind and the remaining books in the series will be stand alones. Of course they are part of a series and all characters will appear in all books. 

4. You left Connected hanging with a major cliffhanger—will you do that in your next books? 

Since I wrote the end of Connected before I wrote the beginning, I don’t regret the ending. Would I do again—absolutely! Would I write another book with a cliffhanger hanging—that I’m not sure about! 

5. Do you have a specific writing style? 

I think all writers do.  We have a certain flow and sentence structure that rarely varies book to book.  I have already plotted out the remaining books in the Connections Series and I’ve written the endings for each one.  

6. What book are you reading now? 

I try to keep up the latest releases as well as read releases in my favorite series. When I’m writing it’s hard to read but I try to set aside at least an hour a day. 

7. What current project are you working on? 

I am writing Mended. This is Xander’s Wilde story and his brother does make an appearance. 

8. What can readers look forward to in the future? 

My plan is finish Mended then decide if The Connections Series will consist of 5 or 6 books. I am considering cutting one. The book after Mended is Frayed and I have already started that story. It was actually suppose to be released before Mended but I changed my mind. 

9. Please explain the importance of music to you in books. You said something in your Author's note about how important it was to you in writing and that the chapter titles have significance. 

All chapters in my books are named after songs that inspired me. Bob Marley said, “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” As a listener, I couldn’t agree more. As a writer, I think it’s better to say music is what feelings sound like when those feelings are written in print. 

Music and writing are different, yet similar arts. They both tell a story. They both convey emotion. Yet, one can be heard and the other seen. If you can write a story and put music behind it, I believe you can convey feelings in a more impactful, raw, and emotional way. When trying to express written emotions, the tone of a certain song can allow the reader to feel the sentiments that the character is feeling. 

I chose to have each chapter be titled by a song that best represented the events occurring within. My goal is that the reader will listen to the song before reading each chapter so they will feel the full impact of the scene. 

In the words of Billy Joel, “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” I couldn’t agree more. Listening to the lyrics of a song and truly understanding them tells such a beautiful story. So, combining this with an emotional novel just helps bring it to life. 

10. Do you have any advice for other writers? 

My advice to new writers: plan out your story before you begin. It is so much easier to fill in the chapters than sit there with a blank screen trying to figure out what to write. Also, reach out, make friends, share your work, find a support group, and always have faith in your work.

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About the Author:

I live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I've always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.

I wear a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of the family. However, I always find time to read. One of my favorite family outings use to be taking my kids to the bookstore or the library. Today, my oldest child is in college and my twins are juniors so they no longer go with me on these outings. And although I don't need to go to the actual store anymore because I have the greatest device ever invented—a Kindle, I still do. There's nothing like a paperback. So now my four year old and I make dates out of going to the bookstore--it's time I love and cherish.

I like to believe in soulmates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. I love to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart. 

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