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Ties #1

Shattered Ties

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With a former supermodel mother and a rock-and-roll legend father, Emma Preston has the best of everything. Nothing is as perfect as it seems though. After her parents divorce, she's forced to live with her mother in a private Santa Monica community. Ignoring their parental roles, her mother becomes more focused on climbing the social ladder while her father is off on tour. Growing up in a trailer park with his mother, Jesse is used to people looking down on him. When his mother begs him to submit an application for a scholarship to one of Santa Monica's top private schools, he never expects to actually get it. When he does, he is forced to attend school with a bunch of rich kids. He ignores their stares as they judge him for having tattoos and a less than impressive car. As long as he has his surfboard and the guys at the tattoo shop, he knows he can make it through. When Jesse shows up on the first day of school, Emma can't help but be intrigued. Her mother would never approve of Emma talking to someone so poor, but she doesn't care because something about Jesse draws her to him. Jesse tries to hate Emma, but he discovers that he can't resist her. Forced to hide their relationship from Emma's mother and everyone else around them, things start to fall apart. When Jesse's friend, Ally, decides to interfere, things go from bad to worse. Can they survive their first love? Or will they be left with nothing more than shattered ties?

264 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2013

80 people are currently reading
3905 people want to read

About the author

K.A. Robinson

25 books2,240 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews
Profile Image for Christy.
4,554 reviews35.9k followers
July 8, 2020
3.5 stars

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"There are people who come into your life who deserve to be loved. They are the ones worth taking a chance on, hoping you don't end up broken."

Emma and Jesse grew up in two different worlds. Emma lives with her ex-model mother who expects her to be perfect. Dress perfect. Have the perfect friends and boyfriend. She is a shallow woman who looks down on anyone without money. Thankfully, Emma is nothing like that. She’s more like her father who is a famous traveling musician. Jesse lives with his mother across town in a single wide trailer. His mother is a single mom who works hard to provide for them. She is loving, kind and just wants the best for her son. She is thrilled when Jesse gets a scholarship to the local private school.

Jesse’s not sure if he will fit in with all the kids there. He’s different from them. He stands out with his cheaper clothes, longer hair and his tattoos. Even with all that, there is no denying how attractive he is. Emma and her best friend, Lucy (along with most of the other female students) notice him the first day of school. Jesse has no intention of getting involved with any of the rich barbies at his new school. He’s there to get good grades that will lead to a college scholarship and make his mom proud. But Emma changes everything.

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Emma shows Jesse kindness from the first moment she meets him. He wonders what her deal is, if she has some sort of motive, but she doesn’t. It’s just her way, the type of person she is. She wants to be his friend. Truly, she could care less how much money he has, where he lives, none of it matters to her. Thats her mom’s deal, not hers. Jesse and Emma become friends, but that attraction is lingering in the background. They both want it to be more, but Emma’s mother would never let that happen. As their relationship develops, they find it hard to hide it from Emma’s mother and friends. But still, Emma wants to be with Jesse, and he wants to be with her.

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It was so refreshing to have a book where I genuinely liked both main characters! Emma was a breath of fresh air. She is sincere, honest and kind. Jesse was a sweet guy. He is so used to being misunderstood due to his economic status and his appearance, it took him a while to get that Emma really did like him for him and didn’t care about all that other stuff. I loved the two of them together.

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A great mix of sweet, sexy, heartwarming and heart breaking. A bit of forbidden romance, the rich girl with the poor guy told in dual pov. I loved getting the perspective of both Jesse and Emma. First loves can be intense, and these two have quite the story. The ending did stop at a bit of a cliffhanger, but I think it’s going to set up perfectly for the second book, which I’m looking forward to reading!

*ARC provided by author, K.A. Robinson, in exchange for an honest review*
Profile Image for ✝✝ Ⓓaisy ❣ ✝✝ .
494 reviews270 followers
December 15, 2013

Well well well, this book was definitely an easy read as I expected with cliffy!!!!!!! *my head just can't handle these kind of cliffy where the next book comes after few months ---- GOSH NO, hence I made a future note for myself.....I am not gonna pick up any books with cliffy until the next one out**

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Jesse Daniels
"His eyes were the brightest emerald green, several tattoos covered his arms. A fallen angel and surfer boy all rolled into one look"

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Emma Preston
A rich kid whose kind, caring and wants to get away from her mother who is crazy with her social status

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What happens when two different world meets together? Explosion!!

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How will they survive their relationship with her mother and their friends?
Is their love strong enough?

"Are you really going to make me spell it out? You were all wet and shirtless, and I was distracted. Okay? There I said it"

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"What are you watching?
"Nothing"
"Do you want to kiss me, Emma?"
"Nope"
"Then, why are you still so close?"


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For a nice, easy, steamy, cliffy read with a hot tattooed boy in it, pick it up!

I really hope the author will release the next one faster instead of next year March :(

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Profile Image for [~Ami~]♥Sexy Dexy♥ .
501 reviews472 followers
November 14, 2013
3 stars

Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

This wasn't an original storyline but I love reading young first love type books. Our heroine is Emma the rich girl and our hero is Jesse, the poor and tattooed new boy in school.

I almost DNF but the story and the characters grew on me.

I like being tied to you. Just promise not to shatter me


Towards the end there was a glossed over storyline which I wished was in more detail. And then... A CLIFFHANGER!!! I try to avoid these as much as possible. In this case it made me mad. Mad at the storyline. Mad at Emma. Mad at Ally. Even mad at Andy!!!

I did start to like this and if it wasn't for the cliffy I might have given this 4 stars. I think this new adult book might work for you if you like high school romance with a bit of drama. X

ARC provided by the Author
Quotes subject to change
Profile Image for Candace.
1,179 reviews5,013 followers
November 3, 2015
I read this story a while back and thought it was great. It was a story about young love, innocence lost, betrayal and heartache.

Good girl, Emma, and bad boy, Jesse, fall head-over-heels in love, but have to fight their friends and family every step of the way to be together. They come from two different worlds and it seems like nobody wants these two to be together, breaking out of their expected social roles. Jesse, especially, is torn between doing what he feels obligated to do or following his heart. He makes a decision that alters the course of their lives drastically.

This was a beautiful and compelling story. I would definitely recommend it.
Profile Image for praiz.
275 reviews61 followers
July 24, 2015
*cringe*

I FINISHED IT. HAHAH, I ACTUALLY FINISHED IT. I deserve a prize.
Profile Image for Donna ~ The Romance Cover.
2,907 reviews323 followers
November 13, 2013
Shattered Ties by KA Robinson
4 stars!!

“All I wanted was a princess castle.”

I loved Shattered Ties, whilst it may seem that it has a similar premise to other books you may have read KA Robinson makes it different and puts her own little twists in there. Yes it is a case of rich girl falls in love with the boy from the poor side of town, but they have their own very unique story.

Maybe it was fate and destiny that Jesse and Emma met at school aged 17, Jesse winning a scholarship to go to the very prestigious school that Emma attended. Remembered by Jesse, but forgotten by Emma, their paths had already crossed when they were only 6 years old, in a sand box, in the “posh” park. Emma had been far from polite after being brain washed by her “social climber” of a mother, but this little altercation had a profound effect on Jesse and never would he be labelled as “trash” again. Thinking that Emma was the same as she was 11 years previous, Jesse was extremely wary but he soon found out that Emma was not the same little girl, in fact far from it.

“Don’t you want to play with me?”
“I’m not supposed to play with you. My mommy said so.”
“Why not?”
“Because you don’t belong here, and you’re trash.” – Emma Bellokavich Preston – aged 6



Emma’s parents were divorced, and to be honest if I was her father, I would be too. Her mother is Andria Bellokavich, she used to be a super model, but all she cares about is money, social standing and appearances in her affluent area of Santa Monica where they reside. She does not fraternize with anyone outside of her social class and looks down her nose at anyone that she deems is not worthy to be graced with her attention. She tries her hardest to push these traits onto Emma, but Emma is not like her one bit, she has her morals and despises her mother’s attitude. Not that you can really call her a mother, between her blackberry and her social commitments she is never around, but that suits Emma just fine. Her father is Alexander Preston, he is a well-known member of a rock band called Seducing Seductresses, he is more on Emma’s wave length, but his constant touring keeps them apart more than both of them would like. However, he is attentive, always calls and loves Emma to pieces as she does him. She just cannot wait till she is eighteen so that she can escape from her mother.

Jesse is adorable, you cannot help but feel for this guy. It is just him and his mum, in a trailer park, both working all the hours they can to make ends meet. His mum wants him to better himself, so she forces him to apply for one of three scholarships at the private school. This is the first time the scholarships have been offered and Jesse is surprised to find that he won one, however he is intelligent and it is deserved. He would have been content at the regular high school as all he aspires to be is a tattoo artist and really wants to just be left to do his apprenticeship when he finishes high school.

“Instead, I found out that you are one of the kindest people I’ve known. I love you, Emma, even if I shouldn’t. I’ve battled with myself over this time and time again, but I can’t deny it any longer.”

Emma and Jesse meet on the first day of school and it soon becomes apparent that there is a connection there. She makes the effort to be friends and the more they hang out the more “friendly” they get. It soon becomes clear that their feelings run far deeper than either are willing to admit in the beginning. They are both scared as this a first for both of them. However, we all know what schools are like and there are some small minded kids in this school. The scholarship kids are never going to fit in and we all know how mean kids can be.

“My breath caught as I stared at him. Whatever was happening between us, I didn’t want it to stop. I knew what we were doing was wrong, but I’d never felt anything so right in my life.”

Emma needs to keep their relationship a secret, at least until she is eighteen, when her mother loses her control over her. This is always going to be a struggle and leaves both of them with a lot of soul searching to do and insecurities soon re-surface, but will they make them or break them?

I love forbidden romances, although the only person doing the forbidding is Emma’s loathsome mother. I really enjoyed this story, there are a lot of serious undertones throughout the book that leave you thinking but I am so glad that Emma was her own person and had not become the spoilt little rich kid that her mother so desperately wanted her to be. She knew that there was more to life than money and all she wanted was a proper happy little family, whether she was rich or poor it didn’t matter.

Without trying to give too much away, the ending had me reeling but the epilogue gave me hope but I am so not happy. I need to know what happens going forward and yes I want to know now!! It is an open ending, but not a cliff hanger, but it leaves you wanting more. You do connect to the characters and you just want to know what happens, well I did!

Side characters, loved them all except Ally, I could never connect with her and at the end I absolutely despised her, she has some real issues!

Overall, a great romantic read, I would say a YA/NA mix and I can’t wait to see where KA Robinson takes Emma and Jesse next.

www.theromancecover.com
Profile Image for Laci .
1,022 reviews
February 25, 2014
This is so good I have immediately moved on to the second book. I love these two.
Profile Image for Kelly 'Perusing Princesses blog'.
487 reviews59 followers
November 13, 2013
"All I wanted was a Princess Castle…" - Emma Preston – 6yrs old.

Shattered Ties is a complicated yet heart-warming first-love story told between two young adults from the opposite side of the tracks. Their love is nurtured through mutual attraction and selfless hearts as their worlds collide not once, but twice. Fate throws these two young souls together in a sandbox at the tender age of six, only then to play its final hand eleven years later.

Emma is the Daughter of a world-renowned rock star who enjoys international success, spending most of his time touring the world with his band; he has never been a full-time parental figure in her life. Her Mother is a supermodel socialite with a pretty smile for anyone with a hefty wallet and a ‘respectful’ position within the Santa Monica community - anything less is unworthy of her attentions, and that goes for her Daughter too!

Jesse has never forgotten that day in the sandbox, when the beautiful little girl told him he didn’t belong in her park because he was trash. All he wanted to do was help her build a castle. Watching her being dragged away by an angry woman in expensive clothing resonated strongly within him, changing his outlook on life from such an early age. Always believing he was never good enough even though his scholarship to the most respected private school in Santa Monica was accepted due to his ‘academic achievements.’ He may drive a crap car, come from a trailer park and be covered in tattoos but Jesse knows who he is, more importantly he knows he is NOTHING like them!

Walking down millionaire row was never his idea of fun; he’s only attending to appease his hard-working Mother as she struggles to work all the hours god sends as a waitress to keep their ‘trailer’ roof over their heads.

Emma cannot help but notice the new guy. With his tattoos and killer looks, he is nothing like the elite of brats she has had to contend with for most of her life. At seventeen she is well rehearsed of what is ‘expected’ of her, but unlike her conceited Mother, she is willing to take people at face value.

When ‘he’ asks Emma and her best friend Lucy for directions around the school, Emma is more than happy to help out. Their conversation grows when Emma sits next to Jesse in class and realises that there is more to this young man then meets the eye. He isn’t just beautiful, he is smart, talented and brutally honest; a rarity in her world and one that appeals to her greatly.

She likes him…really likes him, but her upbringing is putting a dark-cloud over this fact, as she tries desperately hard to separate herself from the scholarship boy, even though it becomes almost impossible when it appears the feelings are mutual. They come from two very different worlds, and if they continue to collide, it could prove catastrophic for them both.

“I was trying my hardest to avoid her, but for some reason, she kept pulling me back in. I didn’t belong in her world, but she didn’t seem to care about that. She was the one bright spot I’d found at my new school even if I didn’t act like it.” - Jesse

”My breath caught as I stared at him. Whatever was happening between us, I didn’t want it to stop. I knew what we were doing was wrong, but I’d never felt anything so right in my life.” - Emma

When the idea of being separated becomes too painful to bear, Jesse and Emma make a decision that changes everything…

Their connection forged, their tie impenetrable as they both learn what it is to fall in-love for the first time. Jesse throws all his preconceived misconceptions to the wind and embraces ‘his rich girl’ as he invites her into his world at the ‘other’ end of town. Emma meets his friends, his tattooing buddies at work and even goes under the ink gun herself as she proves to Jesse that he is the reprieve, the boy she has been waiting her whole life for. However, at the core, they both know their union is forbidden in the eyes of not only her Mother, but also the social circle that Emma moves in.

”You’ve shown me that it’s okay to care about someone, to love someone, because there are people who come into your life who deserve to be loved. They are the ones worth taking a chance on, hoping you don’t end up broken.” - Jesse

Hiding the way they feel while in the presence of others was always going to be difficult, but they never imagined the strain it would put on their relationship. When Ally, an old friend of Jesse’s catches wind of the precariousness of their situation, she sets in motion a few obstacles of her own. She believes Jesse is better than that. He should never have to hide. He needs to be with someone like him, and she has every intention of making him believe it too.

Can Jesse and Emma prove they have what it takes to keep that tie strong, or will it shatter, along with their hearts…?

*

I love forbidden romances, there is just something about them that really hits the spot for me, and K.A. Robinson didn’t disappoint with Shattered Ties at all. I also like the way she gives both her main protagonists a voice. The mixed first-person narrative really gives depth to the characters and from a readers perspective it helps forge a closer connection as you feel the plight of their situation at every turn.

There are a few characters that I really didn’t like, which gave this book its ‘angst’ factor. None of it was unnecessary, giving the story good flow with enough heat to pack a punch and keep the romance element of the story fulfilling and alive.

There were a few fundamentals that grated on me a little. It was very ‘high-school’ in places and that is fine to a certain extent, although the excessive tongue poking had me rolling an eye or two. Overall though, this was a well thought out new-adult story with a high-school backdrop that incorporated elements of realism. It highlighted the differences in social class and how one is subjected to ridicule when not at the same level of society as their peers. It’s an honest love story that throws caution to the wind and embraces inner emotions and fulfils the burning need of another, regardless of their social status or background. And I am talking ‘both-sides’ here; it was harder for Jesse in many ways to love the ‘rich’ girl then the other way around.

I wouldn’t say the ending was a cliffhanger as such, it’s more of an ‘opening’ for book two and I am very much looking forward to reading it when it’s released next year, just to see where the fates decide to take Jesse and Emma next.

READ IT!
Profile Image for Jacqueline.
1,717 reviews156 followers
October 21, 2014
It's really bad to judge people before you know them based on how much money they have and people who do that are NOT NICE PEOPLE was the theme of this book and boy did it make its point - over and over again, laid down with the subtlety of a trowel.

The main characters were juvenile 17 year olds and fairly sweet but not much happened bar lots of scenes illustrating the point that people who judge others before they know them based on how much money they have are NOT NICE PEOPLE.

The sex scenes saved this from being a one star, but I wasn't convinced by this insta-love. Lust yes but not lurve...

Naturally it ends on a cliffhanger, two years on. I can only hope they've got over the whole prejudice over money thing in time for the next book as this book already covered that because as we all know, people who judge others based on how much money they have are NOT NICE PEOPLE. I got it. Really.
Profile Image for Elizabeth (Perusing Princesses).
731 reviews35 followers
November 13, 2013
This story is about Luv from two sides of the tracks.... Wealthy and not so wealthy... Chips on shoulders and true sweetness... Mansions and trailer parks... And somehow Luv wins out...

Emma and Jesse.... A chance meeting in a sandbox... Two children thrown together in life later on... Chance? Or is it destiny? This story is of first Luv and all it's complications and beauty... Knowing the world will be against them and try and tear them apart, they cant help what they feel...
Can't wait for book two....

Profile Image for Kim.
2,857 reviews178 followers
November 6, 2013
4.5 stars

Emma is the rich daughter of a socialite and a rock star. Jesse is the boy from the trailer park on scholarship. They shouldn't have anything in common. But something draws them together. Jesse has preconceived notions about Emma, but she proves him wrong. She is actually caring, sweet and non judgmental. Jesse is tough and not used to forming attachments. But they get under each other's skin. Life is not so simple and there are conflicts and complications.

I was trying my hardest to avoid her, but for some reason, she kept pulling me back in. I didn't belong in her world, but she didn't even seem to care about that. She was the one bright spot I'd found at my new school even if I didn't act like it.

I loved Jesse. He lived his whole life feeling unworthy, but he is trying to make something of himself. He is intelligent, talented, handsome, and truly a nice guy. He has a couple of longtime friends and a loving mom, but still does not trust or open up easily. He is thrust in an uncomfortable situation with people who do not want him there, but he holds his head high and made the best of it.

This boy looked like a fallen angel and a surfer boy all rolled into one, and I wanted to wrap myself around him.

Emma has not followed the path of her rich society loving mother. She does not care about social status or money. Although she is not ashamed to use her money to help others. She is a good person despite her mother's influence. She does not hold Jesse's social status or background against him. But she is under tremendous pressure to live the life her mother sees fit and socialize with the upper crust of society.

"Are you scared of me?"~Jesse
"Truthfully? A little. I'm not scared of you, just of what I feel and do when I'm around you."~Emma
"I can work with that."


I really loved them together. They really brought out the best in each other and had such a good connection and support of one another. They had friendship, passion, and strong feelings despite their young age. They were truly an adorable couple. But they had to hide their feelings from some. People were against them. Society was against them. There was drama, angst, life complications, and misunderstandings. Some things were high school-ish, but then I had to remember that this is a book about juniors in High School.

Will they find a way to be together or will they be pushed apart?

This was a little bit West Side Story meets Romeo and Juliet. The rich girl meets poor boy and they find they have a connection despite the fact that their lives are so different. The characters were likable and well developed. Except for the antagonists that I did really, really dislike. She did a good job showing the differences in their two worlds and how neither of them really fit in with the other that well.

It was told in both Jesse's and Emma's points of view so we could tell how they really felt. It was a sweet, heartwarming, and heartbreaking story of first love. I knew it was going to be a two book series so I was mentally prepared, but I still got to the epilogue and realized how much these characters have burrowed into my heart and how much I want to know the rest of their story now.

Thanks to KA Robinson for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. Quotes are from ARC copy and subject to change in final draft. Will be posted at Reviews by Tammy and Kim on release date. Expected November 12, 2013.
Profile Image for The Book Trollop.
482 reviews33 followers
November 18, 2013
My Thoughts

"This boy looked like a fallen angel and a surfer boy all rolled into one, and I wanted to wrap myself around him"

So we have a rich girl with a heart and a poor, smart, surfer boy with an artistic side and an even bigger heart. They seem like an unlikely pair but there is a certain pull that attracts them to one another. But can they redefine the unwritten rules of total opposites and live a happily ever after??

Throughout this entire story it seemed like they were a strong force to be reckon with but there may have been too many obstacles and not enough maturity to make it to the forever.

I would like to say this ended how I wanted it too but unfortunately, it did not.
K.A. could have ended it like she did but I have a feeling she would've had a mob on her hands if she did.
So she was kind enough to leave us with an epilogue that turned the story into a "to be continued".
No guys it is not a cliffhanger, not really, but you will be wanting more and wanting to know what is going to happen next.

If you have read her Torn series then you will know what I am talking about because Torn ends much of the same way.

I really liked this story. It was sweet, sassy, and the banter was funny and endearing. I was hating the rich snobs for being completely ridiculous and also hating a particular girl who shall not be named because I just KNEW she was going to be conniving whore.
I was right.

There were some things that had me saying "WTF really??" and they are the reasons why I could not give this book 5stars...
For instance, I totally LOVED Jesse's mom and she seemed to be the mom every child wishes they had. She sacrificed a lot to raise Jesse by herself, that was admirable and showed how selfless she was.

SMALL SPOILER AHEAD PROCEED WITH CAUTION OR SKIP TO AFTER "WHAT THE WHAT"
But what I didn't get was the fact she pushed Jesse to pursue a scholarship to the rich private school but then when she meets a guy all of a sudden she wants to uproot their entire lives to live with him?? Not only that, she is pretty much telling Jesse, "oh never mind about you bettering your education and doing what I wanted you to do because I finally met someone and I am moving no matter what you say!" She couldn't have waited for Jesse to graduate first before trying to uproot everything to follow a guy she JUST started dating??... Come on... that didn't seem to match her character.

What the what??

Also, the relationship between Jesse and Emma was really fast... Not enough build up for me, I wanted more back and forth, I felt kind of cheated.

But even with those two things I still enjoyed the crazy ride K.A. put me on. I loved the trip to Paris, I absolutely LOVED Emma's dad and his response to finding Jesse with her...
my dad would have ripped the dude's balls off first, then asked questions later...

The steam was effing WHOA but it had me thinking about how the hell Jesse was so skilled???...
Most teenagers do not even know which hole to stick it in and I felt cheated because I didn't experience my first orgasm until I was sexually active for about two years...
Green Eyed Jealousy right here ;)
(TMI?? Ahh hell... Do you not know me by now??)

Overall, I give this book a 4/5 and I cannot WAIT for the next installment. If you love a sweet love story with some drama, angst and an ending that will leave you craving more, then I would pick up Shattered Ties by K.A. Robinson.
Profile Image for Kendall {Book Crazy}.
1,482 reviews
November 17, 2013
I loved this book! Absolutely loved it! I completely adored this author's other series, so to say that I was excited about this one was an understatement! I had been desperate to read this book since I first heard about it and it definitely lived up to my expectations! Overall, this book was about two people from two completely different backgrounds falling in love! It was also about the ups and downs of a relationship between two people from different backgrounds! The plot of this book was amazing! I love everything about it! The plot was written amazingly and it kept me interested and desperate to read on to find out what was going to happen next! I did also enjoy the twists and turns added as it fueled the story and I didn't see most of them coming, so I was left with my mouth hanging open! The characters were absolutely amazing! Emma was the main female character and she gave off the impression that she was a stuck up snob because she came from a rich background, but Emma was such a nice person! She was so likeable and I just completely loved her personality! I loved that she didn't look down her nose at people because her parents had a lot of money and instead she gave everyone a chance and also she didn't judge people, even though they judged her when they first met her! I felt quite sorry for Emma in this book as her mum was quite controlling of her, but her mum only really cared about being at the top of the social ladder instead of being a parent! This left Emma quite a lonely character! Well, until she meets a certain hot, tattooed surfer that is ;) Jesse was the main male character and he was so hot! I loved the way Jesse was because he was such a genuine guy! Plus, who doesn't love a guy with tattoos, right? ;) Jesse was also so cute with Emma and I loved his relationship development with her as well! I felt so sorry for Jesse because he came from such a hard life, but he was so protective of his mum, which made me aww lol! I loved that this book was written from both Emma and Jesse's point of views as it made the story so much more interesting and I also loved getting to see Emma and Jesse's feelings for each other develop through both of their eyes! I will definitely, without a doubt be reading the next book in this series! I fell in love with this book and I can't wait to find out what's going to happen in the next book! I also wasn't really expecting this book to finish at a cliff-hanger, so that's made me even more desperate for the next book! I also thought that this book was a standalone when I first heard about it, but then I found out that there was going to be another book! The cover for this book is stunning! Absolutely stunning! It suits the book so much more than I realised! Big thank you to K.A. Robinson for an ARC of Shattered Ties and to The SubClub books for having me on the Blog Tour!
Profile Image for Boundless Book Reviews.
2,242 reviews77 followers
June 3, 2016
I was looking for an audiobook, that the same narrator of a previous book. Just so happens I’ve owned Shattered Ties since oh, Sept of 2015. Tells you how many books I have on my TBR pile. So I agreed to the additional charge for Audio. Let me just say I’m so glad I did. 

I loved Shattered Ties, it had that feeling of the innocence of finding your first love. Though, in some ways it’s forbidden. Jesse is from the poorer side of town, while Emma is from the rich side of town. Emma’s mom is a complete witch. Her only concern is moving up that social ladder. So if he finds out, everything could go down quickly. 

I felt the intense connection they had. Those stolen moments, the awkward firsts. Emma want’s to keep it slightly hidden from everyone else. But Jesses doesn’t want to be hidden. I could understand, as much as he was falling for her. He didn’t want to be her dirty little secret. 

When things start to unravel, I don’t understand why it was so easy for Jesse to just leave. I know it was in the moment. But I really wanted him to fight for Emma. 

Kirsten did a great narration and really enjoyed her bring these characters to life. This is my first K.A. Robinson book and I loved it. It was everything. The intense, angsty, heartbreaking first romance. I can’t wait to read or listen to the other in the series....Lissa 

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Profile Image for Kate Lynne.
Author 5 books104 followers
November 13, 2013
This book...it's mind boggling really. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.
It hooks you right from the start
Sure...It seems to be like other romances you've read
good girl...meets bad boy...angst...love.
You're right...It has all of your makings of your typical love story...except just one thing...the twist that pushes the story right off the pages and played out before my eyes. I literally can feel the depth and emotions of these characters. I want to be them. I want to be a part of this story.
The chemistry is undeniable. There is a spark right from the very beginning. I wouldn't call it insta-love...it's just right. It's perfect for these characters and their development.
& that epilogue...hot jeezus! NEED MORE LIKE YESTERDAY K.A. !!!
K.A. Robinson has a way to elegantly rip your heart from your chest. I mean this in the nicest way possible. ;)
The girl can write and I will read/purchase EVERY SINGLE BOOK she writes...because I know I'm getting my money's worth...plus so much more!
If you decide to pass on this one...you're truly missing out.
In fact...don't do it.
Ps. Jesse is MINE ladies..back off...xoxo
Profile Image for Brittany Bloom.
56 reviews
November 12, 2013
I actually read the whole book in one sitting! Here's my review copied from Amazon:

First off I have never written a review for anything I've ever bought from Amazon, but this was SOOOO good I had to.

To me this wasn't your average boy meets girl story. Emma is the daughter of a rockstar and a retired supermodel. By all appearences she may seem to be a "Rich Bitch"whose mother always told her to stay away from "White Trash".

On the first day of school she meet Jesse a "Scholarship Kid" from the other side of town. From the first day they meet she thinks Jesse is hot but she is supposed be with Todd a spoiled rich kid her mother would approve of.

How long can Emma resist the irresistible pull she feels toward Jesse?

You have to read the book to find out! Wish I could have given more than 5 stars! SO GOOD!!
Profile Image for Lesley Koke DeWig.
722 reviews
November 13, 2013
K.a. Robinson does it again. In Shattered Ties we are introduced to Jesse and Emma who are as different as night and day. Emma comes from a world of wealth and privilege. Where as Jesse is from a world he has to fight for everything he has. They are unexpectedly brought together. And while they both fight their feeling for each other the chemistry is there. I Loved this book can't wait for next year for the follow up of their story.
Profile Image for Lissa Rice.
Author 4 books25 followers
Read
May 31, 2016
**5 Stars** Full Review and Rating will be up at Boundless Book Reviews
Profile Image for Tabitha (Bows & Bullets Reviews).
492 reviews76 followers
April 29, 2016
This review is also available on my blog, Bows & Bullets Reviews

WARNING: THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAINER SPOILERS.

Emma Preston has always had the best life could offer. Her mom is a former supermodel and her dad is a rock star and she has never wanted for anything money could buy. But that doesn't mean her life is perfect. Her dad is always off touring with his band and her mother cares more about becoming the biggest socialite than she does about being a parent. Jesse is Emma's opposite in every way. He has lived his entire life in a trailer park with a single mother and works part time after school at a tattoo parlor to help make ends meet. He gets a scholarship to the snooty rich kids school and his mom forces him to go. Suddenly his world and Emma's world collide and things will never be the same for either of them. Emma knows that her mother would never accept Jesse in their lives and Jesse knows that he has no place with Emma, but they can't seem to fight their attraction to each other. Can they find a way to make it work or is their relationship doomed to fail before it even starts?

Emma is a character that I liked in the beginning. I'm not normally one to sympathize with the poor little rich girl plight. Sorry, I spent too much of my childhood worrying how my parents would make sure the bills got paid to believe that money can't truly buy happiness. But Emma quickly won me over with her sweet disposition and the way she treated Jesse. Despite her upbringing, she isn't snotty or uppity or of that I'm better than you because I have money attitude. She actually seems relatively normal. She doesn't flaunt her money. In fact, we don't see her spent any throughout the entire novel. There is nary a shopping trip to be found. I become slightly irritated with her as we get deeper into the novel. She seems a bit naive, which is probably to be expected in a household with that much money, but it was irritating none the less. There is a scene towards the end where she is talking about moving out from her mother's house after she turns 18 and flat out expecting her father to pay rent for a place for her to live. Basically, I was jealous. Insanely jealous. I want that life. The one where bills aren't a worry. The one where you know if you fail at life, Mommy and Daddy can easily pick up the pieces and pay your debts. She was also a bit...quick? Emotionally, she does everything quickly. She's quick to fall for Jesse. The minute Jesse suggests a tattoo, she instantly wants it (and then they go do it). She puts no real thought into the consequences of those actions. The tattoo especially bugged me. You are going to let this boy you've only known for a few weeks put a permanent mark on your skin? He's not even legally authorized to do that. If he fucks you, well sucks to be you! They literally discuss the idea of a tattoo and then immediately leave to go do it.

As for Jesse, well, I'm still not sure how I feel about him. On one hand, his situation is much easier for me to relate to. Though I didn't come from a single mother household, I know the trailer park life. I lived in a trailer park until right before I turned 18, so I see through his eyes pretty clearly. But the boy was cocky and it bugged me. He was too sure of himself for a 17 year old. Really, both characters felt a bit older. If there weren't multiple scenes in a high school, I would never have realize that this was about teenagers. Well, except the uber immature moments. Like when Jesse's mom falls in love and wants to move away with him and Jesse flat out refuses to acknowledge that she might just feel the same way about her beau that he feels about Emma. That's not possible, right? Or maybe his refusal to even treat the guy with an ounce of respect. He's whole attitude felt a bit off.

Then there was Ally, Jesse's friend and the sister to Alan. She was the point in the semi love triangle. It's apparent from minute one that the reason she hates Emma is because she wants Jesse for herself. There is no other reason for her to possible hate Emma so much so quickly. Besides, the sister falling for her brother's best friend is the oldest story in the book. Of course she has a thing for him. But idiot Jesse has no idea. And no one feels the need to clue him in. Not Emma once she figures it out, not Alan who has to fucking know that his sister is crushing on his best friend, and definitely not Ally herself. But Ally creates that triangle that we all know I hate so much. From the synopsis of book 2, the triangle is worse there.

Starting off, I was hooked on this pretty quickly. I'm a sucker for contemporary romances lately, regardless of what genre they adhere to. Romance, young adult, new adult, erotica, I'll read it all. I'll devour it so quickly that even I'm a little shocked when it's over. Rich girl meets poor boy and romance ensues? GIMME! This will be perfect. BUT, it wasn't. The closer I got to the end, the more I knew it wasn't going to end well. There wasn't enough time to wrap this up in a positive way. Oh boy, was I right on the money there. This does not end well. This ends pretty terribly. Had it ended better, it probably would have gotten 3 stars instead of 2. But it does not. At the end, Jesse and Emma are broken up and Jesse is moving away with his mother. All because they fought it then Ally made it look like he slept with her. To top that off, Jesse loses Alan as a friend because Ally runs home and tells him they slept together and then he kicked her out. That tells you what kind of friend Alan is pretty quickly, if he won't even hear Jesse out.

My other comment is that this was written pretty graphically for a young adult novel. It was probably the most explicit YA I've ever read. DI like smut as much as the next girl, but I feel a bit weird listening to it about teenagers. It's not really a bad thing, just very unexpected. Especially when I'm listening to parts of it with my husband when the naughty bits start. That was kinda funny. He ran from the room and kept screaming so he couldn't hear anything. He said reading it was one thing, but listening to someone read it to you was just too weird.

Even though this ended terribly, I'm not sure I want to read the next one. The summary makes it seem like there is a lot more love triangle drama ahead and I don't know if I want to subject myself to that when I'm not swoony over Jesse as I assume I was supposed to. He just seems like a weird juxtaposition of mature and immature and I can't say I'm a huge fan of him. Emma can't hold the story up on her own, so I'm undecided if I'll give the next book a try yet or not. Time will tell!

Audio notes:
This was my first Kirsten Leigh and I'm not unhappy with her performance. She actually does a pretty awesome job narrating the two separate points of view. Her Jesse voice is noticeably different than her Emma voice. She even does special accents for the parent characters, adding a slight southern twang to Jesse's mom and a more extreme accent for Emma's mom. She reads at a nice pace, giving you just the right amount of time to absorb her words before moving on. She enunciates pretty clearly as well. Trust me, there is nothing worse than a narrator who doesn't enunciate properly and you don't understand them. Or better yet, the ones who completely mispronounce words.
Dean eye roll gif
You'd think that they would know how to properly pronounce the words since it is part of their job, but it isn't always the case. There is none of that here though! Kirsten does an excellent job and I will definitely make sure to check out some of her other work.

****Thank you to Esther Bochner at Audible for providing me with an audio copy in exchange for an honest review****

Tabitha's signature
Profile Image for Victoria S..
64 reviews26 followers
November 15, 2013
3.5 stars with lots of promise for book 2!

“Every child puts his or her parents up on a pedestal. Parents could do no wrong, and their opinions were your opinions as well.” ~Emma 6yrs. Old

Shattered Ties is more than a forbidden romance—boy from wrong side of the tracks meets rich girl with future dedicated by cold hearted parent, it’s a story of first loves, proving oneself is more than set stereotypes. Two young adults going through the motion that is high school while battling to break out of the mold that is the perception people—their peers and parents—have set for them. The Prologue shows us that these two first meet during a chance encounter at six years old at playground sand box. Even then they lived in different worlds both exposed to completely different beliefs on poor vs. wealthy.

“I’m not supposed to play with you. My mommy said so. Because you don’t belong here, and you’re trash” ~Emma 6yrs. old

Fate revisits these two bringing them together once again 11years later.
On paper Emma is a spoiled rich brat, attending a prestigious private school, whose father is a world renowned rock star, and her mother is a supermodel socialite. Yet, Emma’s upbringing with a dad who’d rather tour than be a full-time parental figure and a mom who tends more to overseeing the prosper of her social status within her Santa Monica community more than raising her daughter, has influenced her to want more than a life of money.

Emma

Cross the tracks, Jesse has the encounter with the beautiful girl form the sandbox, who told him he was “trash” lodged in his mind; completely paved his perspective on life. Worthiness is not something he ever considered himself, when his mother pushes him to apply for scholarship entry into the most respected private school in Santa Monica, Hamrick High School, he never imagined getting accepted. Surprise he is! Jesse tries everything to back out of attending, his efforts are futile, his mother will not have it “You snagged that scholarship, and you have just as much right as the rest of them to be there.” While she makes a very valid argument, yet she may believe it but Jesse has outcast oozing out of his appearance—drives crappy car, comes from trailer park and is covered in tattoos; yet

“His demeanor and his physical appearance were complete opposites.”

Jesse

The gravitational pull between these two is stronger than based on physical attraction. Both broken souls have been damaged by the stereotypes they have been living. The ache they both feel toward life, their insecurities toward themselves mirror one another, thus also attracting them to each other.

“Because people are assholes. I learned long ago that the only person I can trust is myself.” ~Jesse
“For someone so young, he was definitely jaded. I had no idea what had happened to him previously, but it was obvious that he didn’t care about others or what they thought of him. Someone had hurt him, and for some reason, I cared.” ~Emma

“I was trying my hardest to avoid her, but for some reason, she kept pulling me back in. I didn’t belong in her world, but she didn’t seem to care about that. She was the one bright spot I’d found at my new school even if I didn’t act like it.” ~Jesse

No longer able to fight the connect, they are swept up in a whirlwind of emotions that is first time love. Jesse doesn’t let anger consume him, he lets go the preconceived perceptions and love takes over and he welcomes ‘his rich girl’ into his mind body and heart. Unfortunately, Emma opens her heart to body and heart to Jesse but her mind reminds controlled by the imaginary hold her Mother has on her. So afraid of her Mother’s backlash for dating a boy deemed “unacceptable” in her eyes, Emma chooses to keep hers and Jesse’s relationship hidden from everyone; her plan:

“We only had a few weeks until my eighteenth birthday. After that, I wouldn’t have to hide Jesse from the world. I wouldn’t be trapped under my mother’s roof. I was just hoping that Jesse would wait that long. I could see the resentment in his eyes,”

Umm well yeah what did you expect Emma? This secrecy, this unfairness to Jesse literally takes up the whole book which I was not happy with. I connected more, and more easily with Jesse’s character he grows so much throughout the book, until the end when were reminded he is just a high schooler and his immaturity shines through. However, where I was Emma’s number 1 cheerleader in the start of the story, the development you see from Prologue to Chapter 1 is a sigh of relief. The direction you think her character is headed based on Prologue does not play out thankfully. Rather, I felt Emma’s character did not mature over the course of the story like Jesse did.

The secondary characters were the prime sources of DRAMA, hostility, angst, and WTF moments. None of it was unnecessary, kept storyline flowing produced quite a bit of eye rolls and grunts; just wanted these characters to catch a break. Both character’s mothers came off selfish, while Jesse’s mom is more likeable she still had her moments. Emma’s Mother, like her best friend Lucy says should be part of “some super-secret organization of stuck-up bitches” I loved Lucy, she is blunt calls Emma out if she has a lapse of snobbiness. She like Emma recognizes the downfalls a life of privilege poses and does not choose to play the role of a spoiled rich bitch.

K.A Robinson’s writing is tasteful yet arousing, angst filled yet heartwarming. I did have a hard time separating myself from focusing on how very “high-schoolish” the character’s and climaxes were. I had to keep reminding myself they are only 17yrs old. That being said this is a very good Young Adult/Teenage Fiction story; don’t know if YA is my cup of tea though. The shattering ending definitely has my interested peaked to follow these characters into the second book of the series which is based 2years later. I have a feeling the next book with Emma + Jesse both older, maturity will be on their side and K.A Robinson’s writing will shine bright like it did in her Torn series I am ready! If only we could push Ally over this cliffhanger were left with; that girl needs a reality punch hard.

**I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
892 reviews
November 21, 2013
This was a really great story. This is the story of Emma and Jesse. Emma comes from money, her father is in a famous rock band and her mother is a former model but is always trying to climb the social ladder and only thinks people with money are worth anything. Her father is always off on tour or somewhere else so he's seldom around while her mother is always off to the next party or social event so she's pretty much been raised by nannies and somewhat herself. Jesse lives in a trailer park and has a single mother because his father left when he was a baby. Jesse has been told time and time again that he is trash and he will never amount to anything. He gets a scholarship to go to the rich school in the Santa Monica but he only goes because he wants his mother to be proud of him. That is where he meets Emma. They are both drawn to one another.

This book questions if love is enough when so many things are stacked against you. I am really looking forward to the next book and the continuation of their story. Emma has a good heart and can see beyond money and prestige but she is scared of her mother trying to control her and stop her from being with Jesse. She begs Jesse to hide their relationship until she turns 18. Jesse has a hard shell because he has had people treating him bad his whole life but he loves Emma and he shows it so much. He also has sweet and sensitive insides so he tries to get beyond things but he worries that Emma is ashamed of their relationship and all.

Definitely worth a read!!



With a former supermodel mother and a rock-and-roll legend father, Emma Preston has the best of everything. Nothing is as perfect as it seems though. After her parents divorce, she’s forced to live with her mother in a private Santa Monica community. Ignoring their parental roles, her mother becomes more focused on climbing the social ladder while her father is off on tour.

Growing up in a trailer park with his mother, Jesse is used to people looking down on him. When his mother begs him to submit an application for a scholarship to one of Santa Monica’s top private schools, he never expects to actually get it. When he does, he is forced to attend school with a bunch of rich kids. He ignores their stares as they judge him for having tattoos and a less than impressive car. As long as he has his surfboard and the guys at the tattoo shop, he knows he can make it through.

When Jesse shows up on the first day of school, Emma can’t help but be intrigued. Her mother would never approve of Emma talking to someone so poor, but she doesn’t care because something about Jesse draws her to him.

Jesse tries to hate Emma, but he discovers that he can’t resist her. Forced to hide their relationship from Emma’s mother and everyone else around them, things start to fall apart. When Jesse’s friend, Ally, decides to interfere, things go from bad to worse.

Can they survive their first love? Or will they be left with nothing more than shattered ties?

Profile Image for Donna ~.
956 reviews
December 13, 2013
This is the first installment in the Ties Series and it had me tied to my
kindle from the prologue and I never let go. What an AMAZING read!!
If you have not read a K.A. Robinson novel than you are in for a treat
and I can guarantee it won’t be your last.

First impressions are lasting….Little did Jesse know that 11 years later
he would come face to face with the little girl from the sandbox. You
always remember your firsts….in this case the first person to tell you
that you were nothing and you would never be good enough.

Meet Emma Preston, the only daughter of a divorced rock star and
a social climbing model. Emma could care less about climbing the
social ladder. She is just a means to an end for her mother. She has
everything but the one thing she wants…freedom.

Jesse is from the other side of town. He is attending the a private
school for the elite on scholarship. It’s the last place he wants to be
but he his plan is to just keep to himself and get through it. He works
part time at a tattoo parlor hoping to be able to actually ink one
day.

Emma and Jesse find that they have a connection and even though they are from opposite sides of the “tracks”. They cannot seem to stay away from each other.

I liked that Emma was not jaded by her mother. She did not judge a person because of where they lived, what they wore or what they drove. Emma didn’t let it stop her from experiencing life with Jesse. They definitely had chemistry and you could feel the sexual tension as they tried to fight their feelings for one another. There was no pretense. No putting on a show. It was just living in the moment and enjoying each other.

But Emma and Jesse are forced to keep their relationship a secret at least until she is 18. Her mother would never approve of her interacting with Jesse. But one of Jesse’s closest friends, Ally isn’t much of a fan of Emma’s either. She doesn’t like that fact the Jesse is spending all of his time with Emma. She is a girl on a mission and Emma is in the way.

There were definitely a couple of times in the book when I wish Emma would have stuck up for herself more. I felt that Jesse withstood a lot to be with Emma until he couldn’t take it anymore. But with every love story there needs to be a little drama. You just take the ride and hope that the storm passes. But when the storm blows you off your feet, can you find a way to get back up or will it just blow you away?

I will definitely be looking forward to the release of Shattered Ties #2 to see where the story goes. Will Emma and Jesse find their way back to one another or will too much time have passed and shattered what they had.
Profile Image for Tiffany.
109 reviews10 followers
December 22, 2013
K.A. Robinson quickly became a 556 Favorite with her Torn Series, and she delivered another hit with Shattered Ties. But I have to admit that I was on the fence when I realized that Jesse and Emma were still in High School. But this book was so freaking good...I could have cared less about them being anything other than Jesse and Emma.

New student Jesse Daniels has been accepted to Hamrick High School on scholarship...but he is not at all excited about entering holy snobby hell. Then he sees her - the little girl from the playground that reminded him everyday that he was not good enough for some people - and he knows that the year is going to be worst than he ever imagined. Emma Preston is not the same little girl from the playground, but her mother is and Emma has to play along with mommy dearest for now.

Emma and Jesse fall into a comfortable friendship. He makes her feel alive and free. Either of them can deny their attraction to each other, but they have to find a way to hide it from everyone else. But Jesse is not keen on being Emma's dirty little secret. Can their love survive being born on the opposite side of the tracks?

So one of my favorite moments...when Emma took Jesse to London. Ugh yeah she took him to London, her father's band was on tour over there and she convinced Jesse's mom to let him go. Anyway she failed to mention to her dad that she was bringing her boyfriend to London and when he walked in of them the next morning I was holding my freaking breath. 'We were busted, and I knew it. There was no point in Emma trying to lie. She'd only dig our graves deeper in the process.' I have to say that Jesse handled himself well against Emma's dad.

My Oh No She didn't moment...was when Jesse's friend Ally kept harassing poor Emma. I was like if Emma don't set her straight soon things are going to get worse. And to hell if they didn't go from bad to worse quick..that damn Ally finally got her chance to corner Emma, "You think you're so badass, walking around with Jesse like you own him. Well, I've got news for you. He's mine, and you need to stay the fuck away from him." I was staring at the book like say what now...oh no this witch didn't go there. But don't think for one minute that is all Ally has up her sleeve.

I am telling you - you will become so engrossed in this book that you will not want it to end. And the way it ends - Ugh! When I finished the book I closed the kindle and opened it back up and reread the final page - I looked up and said F-you K.A. Robinson. LOL! I could not believe she left me hanging like that. So you already know my anticipated read for 2014 is Shattered Ties - Book Two!

~ Tiffany (556 Book Chicks)
Profile Image for Christy.
160 reviews
August 6, 2016
**ARC**

Uhm, one word to describe this book. GOLDEN

Jesse had no idea that the 6 year old girl in front of him telling him he is basically scum and doesn’t deserve to breathe her air, would have such a huge impact on who he becomes and where he goes in life.

Emma Preston is a teenage girl who is trying to survive under her mother’s rule of thumb until the day she turns 18. She dreams of escaping the hold her mother has on her and the way she views people in life. Emma knows that once she is gone, that she will finally be able to breathe freely.

Jesse is a guy who has had to struggle growing up. His mom works hard for what they have in life and Jesse started working at a Tattoo studio at night after school to help pay some of the bills. At first glance, you would think that Jesse is a thug or bad boy, with his tattoos and piercings, but really he is a kid who gets good grades in school and just wants to please his mom. She convinces him to submit an essay to the most prestigious high school in the area in hopes that he will receive one of the Scholarship spots.

First day of school and Emma is ready for it to be over with already, that is until Jesse walks into her class and stirs something within her, she knows that he is off limits by her mother’s standards, but she can not help herself. She befriends him fast and makes him feel welcome from the first moment.

Emma and Jesse start to spend a lot of time together and make it official, they are together, but Emma refuses to let it out to the public, for fear of what her mother will do and say. This hurts Jesse so deep that he feels like she is truly ashamed of who he is and where he comes from, so he cuts things off between them.

Will Emma come to her senses and realize that Jesse really is the man for her no matter what her mother thinks, or will she let him walk away forever?

I can not believe the turmoil and emotions that you feel when you are reading this book. I felt Jesse’s pain from being hidden from Emma’s World. I felt the anger that Emma has for her mother with the way she is with the racism and bullying of those she thinks is less than her, when in reality she thinks that by having money you will be totally happy and everyone will accept and respect you in the World, when really they look down on you more for your discriminations.

I LOVED THE UNDERLYING MESSAGE IN THIS STORY.
Profile Image for Julie.
1,009 reviews6 followers
January 11, 2014
4.5 stars!!

hattered Ties is the breath of fresh air that I needed to bring me out of my book funk. You know those you have when you’ve read several angsty books and you just want a change. Well, this is it. I have always been a fan of K.A. Robinson and this one certainly delivered. When I saw she had a new book coming out, I jumped on the chance for this one.

Shattered Ties starts with Emma, who is the teenage daughter of a rock star and snobby socialite mom. I mean this mom is the queen of all snobs! I just wanted to slap her and knock some sense into her for how she made Emma feel. Emma is starting her junior year of high school and is definitely not her mother’s daughter so to speak. She is down to earth and wants nothing to do with the high society life her mom leads and wants her to have.

So, on the first day of school, the ‘new boy’ arrives. Jesse is nothing like anyone in the preppy school she is attending. With his tattoos and address on the wrong side of the tracks, everyone knows he doesn’t belong there, but boy is he hot!! No matter how much Emma tries, she is pulled to Jesse.

Jesse remembers Emma from when they were younger and was mean to him because of her mom’s influence. But yet he is drawn to her and soon finds out she is not the upper class rich bitch he thought she was. Even though her mom wants her to date Todd, the high school jock who would be perfect in her society world, she can’t get past the feelings she has for Jesse.

“I know we’re young, and there are so many things fighting against us, but I don’t care. I know what I feel, Jesse. I love you.” – Emma

I love seeing all the obstacles they have to face from her snooty friends to Andy and Ally, his best friends. I must say that Ally is quite a force to be reckoned with with her tough exterior. She makes it known she has the hots for Jesse too. I really felt bad that not only did he have to fight to be in her world, but she has to fight to be in his.

“I like being tied to you. Just promise not to shatter me.” – Jesse

Jesse certainly left me swooning and I just kept pulling for them to be together no matter what they had to face. It really makes you see how mean people really can be just because they may not ‘fit’ into their own perfect world. I must admit that this was not the kind of story I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked out. I can’t wait to get more of this story!!
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