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Torn
TORN
She can escape her past but can she ever escape herself ?
Life is not a fairy tale; it can be confusing and difficult. Sex is not always awesome; it can be awkward and embarrassing, and it has consequences. You don't always fall for Mr Right, even if he falls for you. And realising you're in love is not always good news. It can make the future look daunting.
Jess has made a series of bad choices. Job, relationships and life-style have all let her down. By escaping the turmoil of her London life, she is putting her young child first. This time she wants to get it right, to devote herself to being a mother. But the country does not offer the i ‘good life ’idyll she pictured. The landscape she looks out on is under threat, new friends have hidden agendas, two very different men pull her in opposing directions.
In the face of temptation old habits die hard. She is torn between the suitable man and the unsuitable boy.
E Book link
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Torn-Gilli-Al...
Paperback link
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Torn-Gilli-Al...
She can escape her past but can she ever escape herself ?
Life is not a fairy tale; it can be confusing and difficult. Sex is not always awesome; it can be awkward and embarrassing, and it has consequences. You don't always fall for Mr Right, even if he falls for you. And realising you're in love is not always good news. It can make the future look daunting.
Jess has made a series of bad choices. Job, relationships and life-style have all let her down. By escaping the turmoil of her London life, she is putting her young child first. This time she wants to get it right, to devote herself to being a mother. But the country does not offer the i ‘good life ’idyll she pictured. The landscape she looks out on is under threat, new friends have hidden agendas, two very different men pull her in opposing directions.
In the face of temptation old habits die hard. She is torn between the suitable man and the unsuitable boy.
E Book link
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Torn-Gilli-Al...
Paperback link
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Torn-Gilli-Al...
467 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2011
35 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
About the author
Gilli Allan
6 books16 followers I write award winning contemporary romantic fiction with an edge. I refuse to prettify or romanticise the tricky business of relationships and love. My philosophy is that life is not a fairy tale. It can be confusing and difficult. Sex is not always awesome; it can be awkward and embarrassing, and it has consequences. You don't always fall for Mr Right, even if he falls for you. And realising you're in love is not always good news. It can make the future look daunting.
All three of my recent books, published by Accent Press - TORN, LIFE CLASS and FLY OR FALL - have received Chill with a Book AWARDS.
I went to art school and originally worked as an illustrator in advertising. I began writing when my son was small and was published immediately. But those early books were not successful - maybe I was ahead of my time? - and there was a long interval before I was published again.
I now live in a beautiful valley in the Cotswold Hills. I wouldn't be able to live the life I do without the support (emotional and financial) of my husband. Our son, Tom, is also an author. His popular history, the Vikings in Britain (by Thomas Williams) will be published by Harper Collins in summer 2017.
All three of my recent books, published by Accent Press - TORN, LIFE CLASS and FLY OR FALL - have received Chill with a Book AWARDS.
I went to art school and originally worked as an illustrator in advertising. I began writing when my son was small and was published immediately. But those early books were not successful - maybe I was ahead of my time? - and there was a long interval before I was published again.
I now live in a beautiful valley in the Cotswold Hills. I wouldn't be able to live the life I do without the support (emotional and financial) of my husband. Our son, Tom, is also an author. His popular history, the Vikings in Britain (by Thomas Williams) will be published by Harper Collins in summer 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 16, 2012
Sometimes you read a book and the characters stay with you no matter how many books you read in its wake. Torn is such a book. I found myself liking and disliking Jess by turn as Allan's strong prose and authentic dialogue guides the reader through the ups and downs of this complex woman as she goes through a rite of passage to discover what it really is she values in life. At times you want to shout at her for the decisions she makes - just as sometimes we want to shout at ourselves for our weaknesses and rash choices. I warmed to both male protagonists, as wonderfully different as they were, and loved the whole feel and colour of the novel. It's a while since I finished yet I can still picture the rural scenes, which transported me from the busy city in which I was reading at the time. Thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking as well as a welcome escape into the country!
July 24, 2016
Earlier this year, I had the immense pleasure of discovering the writing of Gilli Allan when I read and reviewed Life Class. I did go on a bit - about the fact that the author had written "the kind of story that I wanted to read", and how wonderful it was to be able to identify with her characters, people who are a little flawed, and who had lived a little. So it was with eager anticipation that I picked up another of her books, Torn, published by Accent Press in December 2014.
Torn is a very different book from Life Class - a little less comfortable to read at times, the main character perhaps a tad less attractive, a little less easy to like. Reading the book's description, the book's opening scenes surprised me - a drunken morning after, followed by a graphic description of the central character, Jess, being attacked by her former partner in a pub car park.
But then we get to know Jess and her young son Rory, and discover someone who has spent her life making wrong choices. She has a lot of hard edges, a spikiness that won't immediately appeal to everyone - but as the detail of her former life emerges, she slowly changes from a character you're really not too sure about to someone you desperately hope will make the right choices this time. I'll admit that I did like her from the start - this author doesn't write "characters", she draws real people with all their flaws and nasty bits, and I recognised someone who'd made bad mistakes and needed to learn to love herself again.
The two men between whom she finds herself choosing are very different. Danny is, of course, totally unsuitable for her, with his gentleness and naivety, and absence of either education or material possessions - and he's considerably younger. But there's a strong physical attraction - and that's often how Jess makes her choices. And James, the landowner, isn't all he immediately appears to be either - again, the physical attraction makes a cantankerous and aggressive boor a proposition Jess is happy to consider. I'm slipping into telling the story, and I don't want to do that: this book is perhaps less about the story, and more about the development of the individuals who are part of it. All three have real depth, with unexpected facets emerging as they slowly dance around each other.
The supporting cast is equally strong. I particularly liked Gilda, James' mother who provides his home anchor. Jess' young son, Rory, is simply wonderful, with a beautiful relationship with his mother and the ability to steal every scene and provide many of the lighter moments. And there are so many others - including some excellent cameos like the itinerant juggler at a birthday party and the owner of the hardware store.
I really like the way Gilli Allen writes - easy to read in many ways, but with the ability to take you by surprise, to keep you on edge, to surprise you with moments of tenderness and flashes of anger. Her descriptive powers are excellent - the setting of this book is vividly real, to the point that I was almost ready to pick up a placard and protest about the plans to drive a bypass through it. Her ease with dialogue makes you feel you're witnessing a real conversation. And I must mention, too, that she writes some of the best sex scenes I've come across - not the candlelight and violins, but the awkwardness and the messy bits that make it real and recognisable. And this most certainly isn't just a love story, a matter of simple choice between two men and the prospect of a happy ever after: although it does work at that level, the author juggles a number of really challenging themes and unexpected issues along the way.
This really isn't a book you simply read, although it hooks you in and keeps you turning the pages as its characters drive the story: it's a book you explore, as the characters slowly reveal themselves, and one that affects you quite deeply at an emotional level. The ending has you on the edge of your seat, but, at the same time, it tears at your heart.
Torn is a very different book from Life Class - a little less comfortable to read at times, the main character perhaps a tad less attractive, a little less easy to like. Reading the book's description, the book's opening scenes surprised me - a drunken morning after, followed by a graphic description of the central character, Jess, being attacked by her former partner in a pub car park.
But then we get to know Jess and her young son Rory, and discover someone who has spent her life making wrong choices. She has a lot of hard edges, a spikiness that won't immediately appeal to everyone - but as the detail of her former life emerges, she slowly changes from a character you're really not too sure about to someone you desperately hope will make the right choices this time. I'll admit that I did like her from the start - this author doesn't write "characters", she draws real people with all their flaws and nasty bits, and I recognised someone who'd made bad mistakes and needed to learn to love herself again.
The two men between whom she finds herself choosing are very different. Danny is, of course, totally unsuitable for her, with his gentleness and naivety, and absence of either education or material possessions - and he's considerably younger. But there's a strong physical attraction - and that's often how Jess makes her choices. And James, the landowner, isn't all he immediately appears to be either - again, the physical attraction makes a cantankerous and aggressive boor a proposition Jess is happy to consider. I'm slipping into telling the story, and I don't want to do that: this book is perhaps less about the story, and more about the development of the individuals who are part of it. All three have real depth, with unexpected facets emerging as they slowly dance around each other.
The supporting cast is equally strong. I particularly liked Gilda, James' mother who provides his home anchor. Jess' young son, Rory, is simply wonderful, with a beautiful relationship with his mother and the ability to steal every scene and provide many of the lighter moments. And there are so many others - including some excellent cameos like the itinerant juggler at a birthday party and the owner of the hardware store.
I really like the way Gilli Allen writes - easy to read in many ways, but with the ability to take you by surprise, to keep you on edge, to surprise you with moments of tenderness and flashes of anger. Her descriptive powers are excellent - the setting of this book is vividly real, to the point that I was almost ready to pick up a placard and protest about the plans to drive a bypass through it. Her ease with dialogue makes you feel you're witnessing a real conversation. And I must mention, too, that she writes some of the best sex scenes I've come across - not the candlelight and violins, but the awkwardness and the messy bits that make it real and recognisable. And this most certainly isn't just a love story, a matter of simple choice between two men and the prospect of a happy ever after: although it does work at that level, the author juggles a number of really challenging themes and unexpected issues along the way.
This really isn't a book you simply read, although it hooks you in and keeps you turning the pages as its characters drive the story: it's a book you explore, as the characters slowly reveal themselves, and one that affects you quite deeply at an emotional level. The ending has you on the edge of your seat, but, at the same time, it tears at your heart.
October 22, 2013
I’m often teased for my dogged determination to finish every book I start, regardless of its quality. Had I been the sort of person to discard a book at the early stages because it wasn’t grabbing me, this might have been one such book. At the beginning, I couldn’t engage with the main character, Jess—a fast-living, good-time girl with a young son of indeterminate paternity. I'm so glad I have a ‘read-it-at-all costs’ policy! This turned out to be a romance with attitude and gumption, and I found myself page-turning frantically.
With a three-year-old young son, father unknown—the product of alcohol- and drug-fuelled free living, Jess finds herself fleeing her abusive boyfriend, taking refuge in rural England. Her old habits die hard and she finds herself boomeranging between a young ‘eco-warrier’ and a ‘gentleman’ farmer. Two men, completely different, both with their own ‘baggage’ and crosses to bear. She loves both. She knows one is unsuitable and the other perfect husband material. She is torn.
Allan brings the three main characters to life vividly. Actually, she brings all her characters to life. They are superbly drawn, and I had a clear picture of all of them. Allan didn’t make me work hard to imagine them. Her research, too, was in-depth and meticulous. There are many references to and scenes involving farming practices. Far from blinding me with science, they were described in just enough detail to set the stage, but fascinating at the same time.
I didn’t like Jess at first, but she grew on me, despite her questionable morals. She knows her own mind, is strong, focussed, and determined. Her choices aren’t obvious. And that’s what I liked about this romance: there was no predictability about it.
Unfortunately, I had an issue with the editing, or rather lack of it. It was obviously self-edited, and it was littered with innumerable errors, some wayward tenses and the dreaded homophone it’s/its. Too many errors for me to be able to give this five stars, regrettably. It’s such a shame when the standard of writing isn’t matched by the standard of editing.
With a three-year-old young son, father unknown—the product of alcohol- and drug-fuelled free living, Jess finds herself fleeing her abusive boyfriend, taking refuge in rural England. Her old habits die hard and she finds herself boomeranging between a young ‘eco-warrier’ and a ‘gentleman’ farmer. Two men, completely different, both with their own ‘baggage’ and crosses to bear. She loves both. She knows one is unsuitable and the other perfect husband material. She is torn.
Allan brings the three main characters to life vividly. Actually, she brings all her characters to life. They are superbly drawn, and I had a clear picture of all of them. Allan didn’t make me work hard to imagine them. Her research, too, was in-depth and meticulous. There are many references to and scenes involving farming practices. Far from blinding me with science, they were described in just enough detail to set the stage, but fascinating at the same time.
I didn’t like Jess at first, but she grew on me, despite her questionable morals. She knows her own mind, is strong, focussed, and determined. Her choices aren’t obvious. And that’s what I liked about this romance: there was no predictability about it.
Unfortunately, I had an issue with the editing, or rather lack of it. It was obviously self-edited, and it was littered with innumerable errors, some wayward tenses and the dreaded homophone it’s/its. Too many errors for me to be able to give this five stars, regrettably. It’s such a shame when the standard of writing isn’t matched by the standard of editing.
December 15, 2012
TORN pulled me into the story of Jess from the very first paragraph. The book is a wonderful piece of prose from a gifted author with a unique voice. It is a romance with a twist, a slice from the life of Jessica Avery. On the one hand, TORN is about a thirty-something single mom who escapes a violently abusive relationship and the hassles of a stressful job in London, yearning for peace and stability in the country.
But on a deeper level, TORN is about the effects of abuse, the lurching starts and stops, the choices of an abused woman who in many ways is broken as she searches for a new life and a proper home for her child, stumbling along the way.
Listen to the rhythm of Ms. Allan’s prose as Jess speaks:
‘Tonight marks a fresh start. A new life. And I’m determined to get it right this time.’ With the words–and all the underlying unspoken implications–she felt the up-swell of elation, the utter conviction that re-making her life would be easy.
Jess’s quest is more than she bargained for, however, and she falls into the arms of one man, only to fall into the arms of another. TORN chronicles Jess’s coming of age, if you will, her growth as a person, and the novel’s scenes—those with her friends and with her child, Rory, who during the course of the narrative, has milestones of his own—include her romantic relationships with men in quite detailed and beautifully written prose. In fact, the sex scenes are masterfully written. A tightly-written novel, all the scenes, including those in the bedroom, have a purpose: they move the story along and illuminate the characters, especially Jess.
Ms. Allan has created a very complex character in Jess, totally believable, one who surprised and, at times, angered this reader, and the novel centers around her growth. And the minor characters, Danny, James, Rory, Sean have their own special voice. For those who want a compelling romance a finely written story told with rich prose, TORN by British author, Gilli Allan, is a must read.
But on a deeper level, TORN is about the effects of abuse, the lurching starts and stops, the choices of an abused woman who in many ways is broken as she searches for a new life and a proper home for her child, stumbling along the way.
Listen to the rhythm of Ms. Allan’s prose as Jess speaks:
‘Tonight marks a fresh start. A new life. And I’m determined to get it right this time.’ With the words–and all the underlying unspoken implications–she felt the up-swell of elation, the utter conviction that re-making her life would be easy.
Jess’s quest is more than she bargained for, however, and she falls into the arms of one man, only to fall into the arms of another. TORN chronicles Jess’s coming of age, if you will, her growth as a person, and the novel’s scenes—those with her friends and with her child, Rory, who during the course of the narrative, has milestones of his own—include her romantic relationships with men in quite detailed and beautifully written prose. In fact, the sex scenes are masterfully written. A tightly-written novel, all the scenes, including those in the bedroom, have a purpose: they move the story along and illuminate the characters, especially Jess.
Ms. Allan has created a very complex character in Jess, totally believable, one who surprised and, at times, angered this reader, and the novel centers around her growth. And the minor characters, Danny, James, Rory, Sean have their own special voice. For those who want a compelling romance a finely written story told with rich prose, TORN by British author, Gilli Allan, is a must read.
July 2, 2012
Jess and her young son, Rory, escape from their old life in search of something better. Jess's choice could not be more extreme. She leaves the bustle of London for the quiet of the countryside, her demanding and stressful job for a life of leisure, her abusive boyfriend for a single life.
Not a celibate one, though, as it turns out. Jess's desire to get away from it all, including romantic relationships, is thwarted by the appearance on the scene of not one, but two lovers. One is the suitable local landowner, the other is a dreamer, far younger than her, with no ambition - a hippie who hangs about with disreputable new age travellers. No contest? Well, that's just the problem.
This is an impressive book. Gilli Allan is an accomplished and fluent writer. She uses language well and, so rare these days, correctly. Her characterisation is superb. I found myself getting furious with the shallow and selfish Jess who invariably puts her own desires first, but fell a little in love with both her lovers. The plot is quite different from anything I've ever read before. Most definitely NOT chick lit. But how would you characterise it? Often the best books fail to fall neatly into genres and this is one of them. Gilli pulls no punches and makes no attempt to prettify her characters.
An unpredictable story but an all round very good read.
Not a celibate one, though, as it turns out. Jess's desire to get away from it all, including romantic relationships, is thwarted by the appearance on the scene of not one, but two lovers. One is the suitable local landowner, the other is a dreamer, far younger than her, with no ambition - a hippie who hangs about with disreputable new age travellers. No contest? Well, that's just the problem.
This is an impressive book. Gilli Allan is an accomplished and fluent writer. She uses language well and, so rare these days, correctly. Her characterisation is superb. I found myself getting furious with the shallow and selfish Jess who invariably puts her own desires first, but fell a little in love with both her lovers. The plot is quite different from anything I've ever read before. Most definitely NOT chick lit. But how would you characterise it? Often the best books fail to fall neatly into genres and this is one of them. Gilli pulls no punches and makes no attempt to prettify her characters.
An unpredictable story but an all round very good read.
February 24, 2012
Gilli has written this book so beautifully, it is by no means Chick Lit, but instead a grown up romance novel that is heartfelt and sometime very passionate (but not inappropriately so!) set in the gorgeous countryside. This book is all about one young mothers struggle to provide a safe life for her child away from danger and everyone she knows in a strange new place. Before she realises what she is doing, she meet someone who seems so perfect yet has to be hidden from all those around her for reason that becomes very clear early on. So much for a quiet and easier life that she was looking for and how many of use have turned a corners into unexpected paths.
Torn is certainly not predictable, but that is what makes it a real page turner and a very strong ending that I never saw coming. Lovely engaging characters that expand and grow with every page you turn and a story that really makes you think. Highly recommended.
Thank you Gilli for sending me a copy of this book , I enjoyed reading it very much.
Torn is certainly not predictable, but that is what makes it a real page turner and a very strong ending that I never saw coming. Lovely engaging characters that expand and grow with every page you turn and a story that really makes you think. Highly recommended.
Thank you Gilli for sending me a copy of this book , I enjoyed reading it very much.
October 23, 2012
When I first started reading this book the central character had been tracked down by her ex-partner and was being publicly abused in the street. When she was rescued by a scruffy young man and his friends I wondered exactly where this was going. What I did not anticipate was what a wonderful read this would turn out to be. Central character Jess has moved from London to start a new life in a small village with her three year old son Rory. What she does not anticipate is becoming involved with two very different men - Daniel, ten years her junior and his employer, James, a widower. We were continually teased through the twists and turns of the plot, never quite knowing which of the two, if any, she would end up. Wrapped around these three are a cast of other memorable characters, all of whom played their part in making this book a great read. I am not going to give any details of the plot away, but would just say it's well worth the five stars I have given it.
November 3, 2012
This story is about a seemingly together, contemporary woman with a lot of doubt on the inside. Isn't that "oh so human."
When Jess moves to the country to start new she's pursued by two men. (Insert jealous needy thoughts here). Wish I could say I've been in her shoes, but Jess must choose between an alluring, honest man ten years her junior or the "safe bet" the guy who's more applicable to where she is in life now. Regardless of overthinking the situation I would have had both those men in my bed a lot more, just to clarify things of course. Gilli writes detailed scenes, concentrating on little things, espcially description. I really loved the story taking place in the country, and felt like I'd spent time roaming around this village with the characters and their daily lives. I have to side with Jess' decision at the end of the story, at least her heart's decision. I hope all works out for them :)
Natasza
When Jess moves to the country to start new she's pursued by two men. (Insert jealous needy thoughts here). Wish I could say I've been in her shoes, but Jess must choose between an alluring, honest man ten years her junior or the "safe bet" the guy who's more applicable to where she is in life now. Regardless of overthinking the situation I would have had both those men in my bed a lot more, just to clarify things of course. Gilli writes detailed scenes, concentrating on little things, espcially description. I really loved the story taking place in the country, and felt like I'd spent time roaming around this village with the characters and their daily lives. I have to side with Jess' decision at the end of the story, at least her heart's decision. I hope all works out for them :)
Natasza
June 5, 2013
Sometimes you read a book and the characters stay with you no matter how many books you read in its wake. Torn is such a book. I found myself liking and disliking Jess by turn as Allan's strong prose and authentic dialogue guides the reader through the ups and downs of this complex woman as she goes through a rite of passage to discover what it really is she values in life. At times you want to shout at her for the decisions she makes - just as sometimes we want to shout at ourselves for our weaknesses and rash choices. I warmed to both male protagonists, as wonderfully different as they were, and loved the whole feel and colour of the novel. It's a while since I finished yet I can still picture the rural scenes, which transported me from the busy city in which I was reading at the time. Thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking as well as a welcome escape into the country!
March 20, 2015
Much of the prose in this book was evocative and fluent, descriptive and detailed. There were many contemporary issues raised and explored, and there were some difficult themes bravely confronted by the author. I have to say, though, that I didn't really find the protagonist, Jess, someone I could identify with or feel engaged with, and I found her relationship with teenager Danny, depicted as illiterate (possibly dyslexic but clearly also with more complex issues than this)and therefore vulnerable, somewhat uncomfortable. I hoped for a happy ending for Jess with James and for them both to take Danny under their wing, perhaps adopt him as a companion for Rory and Sasha ...
July 12, 2012
I liked the way the author introduced the characters, and the way they were developed, if I'm honest I was 'torn' too. I think I was in love with both male characters to be honest, and had no idea which way Jess would go. I'm still not sure she made the right choice . . . but if I was her I'd still be torn, am glad she realised where her heart was leading and followed.
I really enjoyed the setting and background to this realistic romance story too, am finding books set in the countryside are just my thing since I moved there myself :-)
I really enjoyed the setting and background to this realistic romance story too, am finding books set in the countryside are just my thing since I moved there myself :-)
January 4, 2013
I simply could not put this book down. The writing was kind of different perhaps it reflected countryside British colloquium (for example I barely understood what Danny's brother was saying) but I found the story very intriguing. The female character was interesting - an ex-trader who led a life of debauchery and changed her life totally around once she became a mother though she did not know who fathered her child. The story explored her conflicts between what she felt was good for her child and who she was physically attracted to.
August 22, 2013
'Torn' is a story about the complexities of modern relationships. Gill Allan writes with great power about characters who are flawed yet sympathetic. The language and reactions of her people are always realistic, if raw at times. Jess, the main character, makes a strong journey of self-discovery into acceptance and love. If you are seeking fiction that addresses the realities of modern life, I would recommend 'Torn'.
Want to read
October 25, 2012Free on Amazon 10/25/12 looks really good!!
October 31, 2012
Wonderful read...good story and great characters. Loved it!
November 24, 2012
I loved this book. not your typical romance. the characters were well developed and quirky. well worth the read!
July 27, 2013
A really "grown up" love story, featuring a believable cast of characters who grapple with real issues.
September 8, 2015
I'm done reading this but couldn't finish the book. I can't figure out wt-heck it's about...
June 25, 2020
Sweet Story
So many books seem to rely on stories full of violence and hate that Torn was a wonderful, sweet surprise. The characters experienced normal, life-changing events with grace and care. They almost became my friends in that they were the kind of people I would choose for close friendships. Now that their story is finished, I feel as if I'm missing them.
So many books seem to rely on stories full of violence and hate that Torn was a wonderful, sweet surprise. The characters experienced normal, life-changing events with grace and care. They almost became my friends in that they were the kind of people I would choose for close friendships. Now that their story is finished, I feel as if I'm missing them.
April 22, 2020
I really enjoyed this intelligent, well written book. There are some wonderfully drawn characters and the author writes with great sensitivity - and the story has a very satisfying ending. A throughly good read.
October 18, 2020
DNF
I couldn't get into it. I found myself having to reread paragraphs several times just to know what was written. Or skipping head pages and chapters to know what was happening.
I couldn't get into it. I found myself having to reread paragraphs several times just to know what was written. Or skipping head pages and chapters to know what was happening.
November 7, 2011
Wow – what a great title for a book in which I felt - absolutely torn!
Jess is a thirty something, single, hard working, hard playing ex city trader, who discovered that she was pregnant without knowing who the father was, and she met a policeman Sean who took on her and her son Rory. When bully Sean’s mental and physical abuse became too much for her to handle, she left him and upped sticks to the country where she thought she could escape him once and for all.
One night while out having a drink with a friend, Sean turns up and starts to drag her around, and she is “rescued” by Danny and his friends, who are a group of hippy individuals. While out with her friends on New Year’s Eve, she is strongly attracted to one of the guests and realises that it is Danny, who’s new appearance is a delight to her and he ends up spending the night at her house. She discovers that he is only 19, yet her feelings for him develop throughout the book. She is also drawn to the man that Danny works for James - a widower with a young daughter who is Rory’s best friend so they are thrown together on a number of occasions and their friendship also grows. Who does she choose and why? Don’t ask me – you know I won’t tell you. You’ll have to read it for yourself and find out!
A charming book, in which you befried the main character Jess and just want her to be happy whatever it takes. She has a wonderful relationship with her young son Rory which having a young son the same age myself, I could totally relate to. Well written and perfectly developed characters make this an effortless and most enjoyable read, and you want to just keep on turning the pages to find out who she chooses, or if indeed she chooses either of them! The homes and places that Gilli portrays are so expertly created that you can completely picture them and envisage the scenes as they unfold.
I loved this book, it was emotional, sad, happy, funny and just generally fab!
Jess is a thirty something, single, hard working, hard playing ex city trader, who discovered that she was pregnant without knowing who the father was, and she met a policeman Sean who took on her and her son Rory. When bully Sean’s mental and physical abuse became too much for her to handle, she left him and upped sticks to the country where she thought she could escape him once and for all.
One night while out having a drink with a friend, Sean turns up and starts to drag her around, and she is “rescued” by Danny and his friends, who are a group of hippy individuals. While out with her friends on New Year’s Eve, she is strongly attracted to one of the guests and realises that it is Danny, who’s new appearance is a delight to her and he ends up spending the night at her house. She discovers that he is only 19, yet her feelings for him develop throughout the book. She is also drawn to the man that Danny works for James - a widower with a young daughter who is Rory’s best friend so they are thrown together on a number of occasions and their friendship also grows. Who does she choose and why? Don’t ask me – you know I won’t tell you. You’ll have to read it for yourself and find out!
A charming book, in which you befried the main character Jess and just want her to be happy whatever it takes. She has a wonderful relationship with her young son Rory which having a young son the same age myself, I could totally relate to. Well written and perfectly developed characters make this an effortless and most enjoyable read, and you want to just keep on turning the pages to find out who she chooses, or if indeed she chooses either of them! The homes and places that Gilli portrays are so expertly created that you can completely picture them and envisage the scenes as they unfold.
I loved this book, it was emotional, sad, happy, funny and just generally fab!
January 9, 2012
Make a choice between a respected landowner and his much younger worker? That’s one of the challenges facing Jessica Avery in Gilli Allan’s Torn. When sophisticated Londoner Jessica leaves an abusive relationship and takes her son to rural Warford, she expects to begin a new life growing vegetables, baking homemade bread, and sewing curtains for the windows of her rented cottage. Instead, the former investment banker finds a lord-of-the-manor farmer and a dreadlocked dreamer vying for her affection. She finds herself drawn to both.
Though Jessica admits with some regret to an earlier sybaritic lifestyle (she’s not sure who fathered her child), she embraces her innate sensuality without shame. She has made mistakes—and continues to make them—and that realism creates a sympathetic character for the reader. We want Jessica and her son to find happiness and lasting love at last. If not happily ever after, then happy for now.
The love scenes in the book are nicely written—tantalizing without venturing into erotica. The author has captured the rural countryside and brought it into the story, with muddy boots and soggy clothing as well as in sunlit scenes. Allan’s research is evident in her descriptions of farming, sheep raising, and myriad other details that add flavor and realism to the story. She knows her setting and the characters who inhabit it.
Torn is anything but your standard romance with predictable conflicts and stereotypical characters. It’s much more, and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Torn
Though Jessica admits with some regret to an earlier sybaritic lifestyle (she’s not sure who fathered her child), she embraces her innate sensuality without shame. She has made mistakes—and continues to make them—and that realism creates a sympathetic character for the reader. We want Jessica and her son to find happiness and lasting love at last. If not happily ever after, then happy for now.
The love scenes in the book are nicely written—tantalizing without venturing into erotica. The author has captured the rural countryside and brought it into the story, with muddy boots and soggy clothing as well as in sunlit scenes. Allan’s research is evident in her descriptions of farming, sheep raising, and myriad other details that add flavor and realism to the story. She knows her setting and the characters who inhabit it.
Torn is anything but your standard romance with predictable conflicts and stereotypical characters. It’s much more, and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Torn
October 16, 2012
The plot of 'Torn' is interesting, the characters challenging and the setting is fabulous. I love the conflicts Ms Allan has given Jess - the way she questions herself about her own morality - or lack of it, and I also love that she refuses to compromise when it comes to her relationship with Jay - to give in to conventionality. Her main problem - choosing between two completely different men, is what holds the story together and it is resolved in a satisfactory, if not altogether clear-cut fashion, which is good. It keeps the reader wondering what happens to the characters afterwards.
The sensitive way the author describe Jess's sexual encounters is very good indeed - realistic and not slushy. I especially like the scenes between Danny and Jess, which I found touching and sincere. I also appreciated the way she handled her relationship with Rory - like any first time mum, she's sometimes unsure as to whether she's getting it right. Her awareness of the damage done to Rory because of her relationship with Sean is well-handled and I liked the way she described Rory's relationships with the other characters; how she show he is learning to relate to people in a more acceptable manner.
Editing needs a little attention, but overall, a great read which readers of adult romance will enjoy.
The sensitive way the author describe Jess's sexual encounters is very good indeed - realistic and not slushy. I especially like the scenes between Danny and Jess, which I found touching and sincere. I also appreciated the way she handled her relationship with Rory - like any first time mum, she's sometimes unsure as to whether she's getting it right. Her awareness of the damage done to Rory because of her relationship with Sean is well-handled and I liked the way she described Rory's relationships with the other characters; how she show he is learning to relate to people in a more acceptable manner.
Editing needs a little attention, but overall, a great read which readers of adult romance will enjoy.
August 3, 2011
Jessica Avery is a young woman in her early thirties with a three year old son Rory. After changing her life by ending a bad relationship all she wants is to be a good mum to Rory and to leave her past behind. So she moves from London to the quiet country for a fresh start and to leave her past behind. She is about to find out that life in the country can just be as hectic as living in London. Despite not looking for love she finds herself “Torn” between two very different kinds of men the unsuitable Danny a young Shepard and his boss the more suitable James a widower with a young daughter.
She may escape her life but can she escape herself?
“Torn” is a well written romance novel with some racy sexy scenes. It as got a nice cast of likeable characters. A good storyline that keeps you interested. You really feel how Jessica wants to settle down and be a good responsible parent for Rory and that she just wants to fit in with people in her new life in the country. Danny and James are also great characters and we learn more about all their pasts as we read on.
Another really great read by Gilli Allan.
She may escape her life but can she escape herself?
“Torn” is a well written romance novel with some racy sexy scenes. It as got a nice cast of likeable characters. A good storyline that keeps you interested. You really feel how Jessica wants to settle down and be a good responsible parent for Rory and that she just wants to fit in with people in her new life in the country. Danny and James are also great characters and we learn more about all their pasts as we read on.
Another really great read by Gilli Allan.
October 29, 2012
This was a bit of a long winded read for me. Further editing was definitely needed. I almost put this book down in the beginning because of the transitions and extra fluff (as I call it). There was just too much unnecessary details. I ended up pushing through and enjoyed the rest of the book...until I got to the end. I couldn't believed it just ended. I wanted so much to catch a glimpse of Jess and Danny's future. An epilogue is needed. With editing and polishing up a bit this has the potential to be a very good read.
November 12, 2012
I think I would have liked this more if the author had made the one character a little bit older. I understand the premise of the story was choosing between the younger man and the more appropriate aged man, but i thought 19 was just a little too young for a 30 something woman. Maybe because my nephew just turned 20 not too long ago and jeez...he's just a kid. Otherwise, the story and writing were interesting and good.
December 3, 2012
A modern story, set in England, of life and life's responsibilities told throught the voice of a 29 year old single mother. The story deals with the effects of an abusive relationship and what that does to a 3-year old boy, the sexual yearnings of a healthy woman who likes men, a cougar relationship with a 19 year old with problems, advances from another woman, and friendship and desire from a man nearer her own age. Not my favorite read--perhaps I am too old!
November 9, 2015
The first half of this book could, and should, have been heavily edited - the slow pace was unengaging. Finally, half way through, I started to like the characters (with the exception of Sheila) and have interest in the story. And Sheila, oh Sheila! It was quite obvious that she wasn't a fan of men, but why the awkward come-on with Jess? It was never resolved or even mentioned after the fact. Surely that would have put a strain on their friendship to some degree?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2013
Too long winded and wordy for me.
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