Title: Torn

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Pub. Date: July 19, 2016

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Torn between duty and survival, nothing can be the same.

Everything Ivy Morgan thought she knew has been turned on its head. After being betrayed and then nearly killed by the Prince of the Fae, she’s left bruised and devastated—and with an earth-shattering secret that she must keep at all costs. And if the Order finds out her secret, they’ll kill her.

Then there’s Ren Owens, the sexy, tattooed Elite member of the Order who has been sharing Ivy’s bed and claiming her heart. Their chemistry is smoking hot, but Ivy knows that Ren has always valued his duty to the Order above all else—he could never touch her if he knew the truth. That is, if he let her live at all. Yet how can she live with herself if she lies to him?

But as the Fae Prince begins to close in, intent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld, Ivy is running out of options. If she doesn’t figure out who she can trust—and fast—it’s not only her heart that will be torn apart, but civilization itself.

This will be a spoiler free review.

I’m still making my way through JLA’s backlist, because it’s about damn time I reread her older titles, and the Wicked Trilogy is no exception. I forgot basically everything that happened int his book, so it was pretty much like reading it for the first time.

I read the whole book on the drive back from North Carolina and was promptly upset that I didn’t have the third book with me.

This series is just so fucking addicting and you end up bingeing the books and then desperately need the next one.

Between Ren and Ivy – they both go through so much, but damn if I’m not a sucker for tortured characters. And Jen does tortured characters very well.

Maybe this will sound weird, but I’ve always been a sucker for a good damsel in distress plot – but wait – let me explain. When you apply that trope to a character that is very much not a damsel in distress, That’s my shit. When a bad ass, punch first ask questions later, female character ends up in a situation that pretty much forces them to be a damsel in distress – I eat that shit up.

If you’ve seen the 90’s Sailor Moon Anime – you’ll know what I’m about to reference. But you know that scene when Serena is kidnapped by Prince Diamond (or whatever his name was) because he wanted Princess Serenity, and so Serena wakes up dressed as Serenity and Diamon is all like “you’re now mine, let’s kiss” (total boundary crossed, consent people!) and Tuxedo Mask comes in and rescues her.

*exasperated* Y’ALL. I lived for that shit when I was young. But you get my point. And if memory serves, I think Serena transforms and then helps kick Diamonds ass. But I’ve gotten off topic…slightly.

Ivy is very much that bad ass, punch first ask questions later character – but the chapters with her with the Prince – while it’s Not A Good Time, and she suffers, the idea that she needs rescuing – this ONE time – ugh, it’s just so good. I can’t explain why I love these kinds of scenes so much. I really do love capable, fierce heroines that take no shit and can dish it out like there’s no tomorrow, but something about the male love interest coming to the rescue – call me old fashioned, but shit, it makes me happy.

I also love the tender moments that come with their reunion and depending on what they’ve both been through, the slow rebuilding of their mental health, the soft, tender, caring moments, the wild throes of passion to forget – basically the relearning of who they are and what they mean to each other…

Give Me More.

I mean, this book basically has everything you could want in a JLA book. Ren is sexier than fucking ever – like seriously, Jen did us a great service in creating this man. Ivy – despite everything she goes through – she fucking bad ass and never gives up, and Tink…he gets better and better with each book and I swear he’s my favorite. I love his relationship with Ivy, though it’s put to the test in this book. He’s just such a fun personality, and I honestly wouldn’t be mad to have a real life Tink – though, if I did, I’d be broke in about 24 hours. I also love how we get to learn more about him in this book.

While I really didn’t remember much of what happened in this book, which made it feel like I was reading it for the first time ever – I did remember Tink’s reveal, but it was just as pleasing regardless. Ivy’s reaction to Tink’s reveal is even better. It’s very much a “takes stock of situation, oh hell fucking no and then bam! Badassery!”

Overall, it’s pretty obvious that I really enjoyed this book, and I’m already planning on reading Brave because I’m now invested. If I’m going through Jen’s backlist anyways, it’s just the next one on my list! If you haven’t yet read this series, you’re 100% missing out on some really great books, and I think you should rectify that and read Wicked. You need these books in your life, and Jen is really good and writing male characters, kick ass heroines and some sexy scenes.