Tore Up

Mississippi Smoke #1

by Abbi Glines

Calculating, cold, often without emotion was how I was described by those closest to me. I had thought perhaps there was truth to their depiction until this endless searing pain took the place in my chest where my heart used to be. Vengeance now ate away at my soul. The wrath I planned to unleash would make the demons in Hell appear mild.

At least, that was until…

The twisted crux came in the form of eyes bluer than the sky on a warm summer day, a slightly upturned nose with a scattering of freckles, a pink cupid bow mouth, and a smile that made a man’s knees weak.

The events that brought us here meant I should loathe her existence for eternity, yet my need for her grows with each passing day. She’s too young, she’s vulnerable and broken, but somehow, she’s not damaged. She was the cause of what had left me with this raging agony, and yet, the balm that eased my soul. Still, I can never forgive the destruction she caused me and those I love.

I had become a mockery of my revenge because holding her at night while she slept was the only thing keeping me sane. She’ll pay the price through my cruelty, never knowing that while she dreams, I find my solace.

My story begins with my worst nightmare.
And she’s the reason behind all of it.

Genres: Enemies To Lovers, Dark Romance, Mafia Romance, Found Family, Dark, Forced Proximity, Abuse

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 23, 2024

About the author

Abbi Glines is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach, Smoke, Sea Breeze, Vincent Boys, Field Party and Existence series. She never cooks unless baking during the Christmas holiday counts. She believes in ghosts and has a habit of asking people if their house is haunted before she goes in it. She drinks afternoon tea because she wants to be British but she now lives in New England and that's as close as it is going to get. When asked how many books she has written she has to stop and count on her fingers. When she’s not locked away writing, she is reading, watching Netflix and all the introverted stuff.
You can connect with Abbi online in several different ways. She uses social media to procrastinate.

Reviews

[lia · Rating 1 out of 5]

NOPE. Absolutely not for me.

More than 50% in and the H was talking about just having had a threesome that night with two girls named Milena and Bronwen. In detail. Yep, we were even told it made him so hot, he went through two condoms. Ah yes, just the kind of garbage that makes me hot… NOT . Don’t worry, he said he hadn’t been able to get the h out of his head the entire time. 🤡🤡🤡 Just your typical run-of-the-mill bull💩 excuse. Oh please. ✋🏻

To all those who rated this a full 5 stars (or even 4)… how did that not bother you or gross you out? 🤯🥲
sorry not sorry but I’m judging y’all 👀


Also, spoiler alert: the h is pregnant before she and the H meet. Whose baby is it, you ask? The H’s brother. Who died/was killed by the h’s brother. For all the double-dipping girlies out there… this might be for you idk 🤷🏻‍♀️ But 200% not for me. There’s just something abominably wrong about having unprotected sex with your brother’s baby momma while his kid/your future nephew is growing in there 😬

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!! This is book one, in the Mississippi Branch Smoke series and what a great way to start it off. I can’t say too much, just know that if you’ve like other books in the smoke series, you’re gonna love Tore Up. I loved getting to see all the new characters, I can’t wait for their stories.

[Alina Kravets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Перша книга серії , впринципі вона мені сподобалась.💎

Пара: Бейн & Гало


Тропи:
⋆ Вимушена близкість
⋆ Вестерн Мафія
⋆ Від ворогів до закоханих
⋆ Found Family
⋆ Раптова вагітність
⋆ Bad Boy/Good Girl
⋆ Заборонене кохання
⋆ Дівчина померлого брата
⋆ Помста

Головна героїня, Гало Теллі, завжди почувалася непоміченою та покинутою. Її життя наповнене болем і зрадою, але зустріч із чарівним Кросбі Кешем на кінних перегонах здається початком чогось нового. Проте після того, як Гало повідомляє про вагітність, Кросбі зникає. А через два місяці вона опиняється в руках Бейна Кеша, який жадає помсти за смерть брата.

Гало — персонаж, який викликає співчуття. Її вразливість, сила та боротьба за щастя зачіпають за живе.

Бейн, з іншого боку, — антигерой, якого важко ненавидіти. Його біль, лють і вразливість роблять його складним і привабливим персонажем.

Його внутрішня боротьба між помстою і почуттями до Гало додає історії глибини.

Книга, як на мене, була важка, але вона все ж таки мені сподобалась. Скажу так, що я повірила в кохання Гало і Бейна. Це відбувалося на останніх сторінках книги, і тому це було досить реалістично.
Єдине, що мені не дуже сподобалось, це їхні, якщо можна так сказати, сцени +18, бо вони були, як на мене, занадто брудними.

Але в книжці є ще персонажі, про яких я б дуже хотіла дізнатися більше. Це, наприклад, наречена Кросбі, з якою вони були, здається, 10 років разом. І її почуття стосовно того, що вона дізналася, що наречений їй зраджував, і плюс в нього ще є дитина.

Тому продовжую читати далі!😌

[Jacqui Reads Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am addicted to this Mafia series, it’s like Crack, you cannot get enough!

Abbi’s books are as addictive as the men she writes about! This book deserved 1000 stars.

Bane is my new favourite character. This is a forced proximity, mafia romance and my goodness it pulls so many emotions from you, I was moved to tears many times.

It is a sad story initially, there is a death and then Halo, the female lead, who has lived a very sad unloved life, is dragged into the Cash family, literally! She is initially treated badly by Bane, Bane’s father and a bereaved fiancé and her family. But she wins over the rest of the 'family' and is adored by them. She is not the gold digger Bane thinks she is and slowly but surely, he falls in love with her. He does struggle as she is double forbidden as she is his brothers love and the reason his brother is dead.

Absolutely love this story, just wish I could jump in Abbi’s mind, she is a phenomenal writer.

I was lucky to receive an ARC for the first book in the Mississippi Branch Series! This book deserved 1000 stars. It will not disappoint, read it now!

[Magic book club · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bane Cash was ours. Not just mine.


Although I don't like stories involving close relatives, this story simply enchanted me and I read it in a few hours. The chemistry between the main characters was incredible from the very beginning and I eagerly turned page after page. Bane went from a mega-ass to a cuddly kitten,I just adored him . Secondary characters are fenomenal and I can’t wait for the other stories .

—-
“He’d have wanted it to be you,” Oz called out behind me, and I stilled
but didn’t turn around. “He wouldn’t have wanted her to do this alone. He’d
have wanted her taken care of. And he would have wanted it to be you. If
someone else got to love her, you’d have been his choice.
She’s the most important person in my life now. I can’t decide if that’s
okay or not. There is a fucking war in my head. But when I’m holding
her”—I shrugged—“nothing else matters. It is all eased.”

[Amanda Davanzati · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deserves more than a 5 for stars! Abbi Glines really and truly made me speechless with how amazing this book is!

Tore Up is a forced proximity, mafia romance with a possessive hero that really has you wanting so much more! Literally started crying at the prologue! This book was so much emotion, it couldn’t have made for a better story! The hero is such an interesting character. I love his possessiveness and how much he cares for his family. The heroine was the star of the book in my opinion! I love everything about her, she literally deserves the world! These two have so much angst and chemistry it’s fabulous! I devoured this book in one sitting! Absolutely love this story and the journey j was taken on!

Abbi glines is such a phenomenal writer, I don’t think I can say it enough times. I am so excited to see what comes next. The Mississippi Branch is here and ready to shine! I definitely recommend this book for others to read!

[Amanda Kintner · Rating 5 out of 5]

New series and my oh my I am INTO IT. I have quickly fallen in love with all these books and this new series has me so excited! I didn't think I'd love any characters more after reading the last series but THIS....quickly topped the charts for me. Bane was...without a doubt alpha in all the best ways. The beginning threw me for a loop but I quickly fell for how this story was going. Cannot wait to read more. The only thing I wish about this was Halo and Saylor talked. I'm sure we will be seeing more of her!

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Halo didn’t have the best life, until one night changed it all and she thought things were finally going her way meeting someone who she thought could be her forever, then it was gone.
Bane was scary before but after losing his brother, he changed. When he found out what his brother’s last word meant he couldn’t believe it. There was no way his brother was in love with the woman that claimed she was carrying his baby.
When Bane took Halo, she started to realise that her baby daddy wasn’t just a stable hand. Halo knew the best thing to do with the way Bane treated her was to keep quiet and try to be invisible like she did with her family.
The more Bane learnt, the more he realised why his brother fell in love with Halo, he started to feel possessive of her, jealous of others. Each time he reminded himself that she was carrying his brother’s baby, that he couldn’t start to have feelings for her after what she caused. But could he stop them

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the author and let me tell you nothing prepared me for this one. I have been obsessed with all of Abbi’s Southern Mafia series but this may just be my favorite. Going in blind not really knowing the characters as this was the first book in the Mississippi branch she did not disappoint. Bane is swoon worthy once he gets his act together and you can’t help but just love Halo. Get ready to go for a ride on an emotional rollercoaster, I can’t wait to see where the rest of the Mississippi branch takes us.

[Alecia (The Staircase Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tore Up is the first book in Abbi Glines’ Mississippi Smoke Series. If you’re new to her mafia/horse racing style romances and are intimidated by the fact that this is the third series within a mafia world, don’t worry. Tore Up can be read as a standalone. But be warned, once you start, you aren’t going to want to stop! based on the lives of Bane Cash and Halo Tally. If you are a fan of dark and forbidden romances with a ‘she’s having a baby, and it’s not mine’ styled trope, this is most definitely a novel that you should read! If life wasn’t so damn busy, I could have easily read this book in one sitting!


Halo Tally has lived her life feeling overlooked and underappreciated. Everyone in her life has either left her in the dust or treated her poorly. So when she meets Crosby Cash at a horse race, she’s swept away by his charm and good looks. It comes as no surprise. The night after delivering the news of her pregnancy, Crosby is a no-show. But what does come as a surprise is two months later, being held at knife point by a man who wants revenge for his brother’s death.

My heart shattered for Halo. To be overlooked for years and not even have the acknowledgment of her father, that hurt my heart so bad! One thing I’ve come to appreciate about Abbi Glines’, her novels, and her writing style is the attention to detail. She has a way of centering her readers to specific moments. She builds up the emotions and sends me on a constant rollercoaster. My heart loved everything about Halo. Her personality, her vulnerability, and her strength. There was never a moment in this novel when I didn’t clutch my heart for all this woman had been through and continues to go through. I needed her to find her happily ever after, almost as much as I needed oxygen. And that’s all I’m going to say about Halo, due to not wanting to bring spoilers into this.

And then we have Bane! Bane Cash’s life went up in smoke the moment his younger brother was laid in the cold, dark earth. He’ll do everything in his power to make sure his brother’s death is met with redemption, retribution, and revenge. Maybe that’s what caused him to be in the situation he’s in now, threatening the woman his brother was forced to love in secret. He’ll do whatever it takes to make this agony he’s feeling, go away. Bane was the infamous anti-hero of the story. I wanted to hate this man for all he put Halo through, but his point of view moments made that task harder to achieve than I thought possible. This is a man who had his world rocked and his heart shattered. Abbi Glines wreaked havoc on my emotional state of mind with this novel and Bane’s character. I thought I was going to leave this novel hating Bane, but the exact opposite happened. I loved Bane and his fierceness. This man tried to do the right thing by keeping Halo at arm's length, and in order to do that, he had to be a jerk. He had to get her to believe that he was the enemy. Until the moment he decided he couldn’t fight this anymore. I have to say, the moments of vulnerability that Bane showed were the moments I actually had tears falling down my face.

Now for the premise of the Tore Up. Abbi Glines couldn’t have titled this novel any better if she wanted to. I was, figuratively, tore up from all the ups and downs Halo and Bane’s story had to offer. It’s been a long time since I actually bawled like a baby while reading a book. I also loved the, she’s pregnant with his deceased brother’s baby vibes." This is a slightly new trope for me. If you follow my reviews, you already know I’m a fan of pregnancy in novels. I love the vulnerability this trope tends to bring out of heroes and the protective nature this trope brings from the heroines. Abbi Glines took the secret pregnancy trope and put her own spin on it! And holy crow, did I love this spin! My heart was all over the place due to this one specific fact!

Overall, Tore Up was worthy of the five-star read. I was sitting here thinking about a few moments that had me initially wanting to drop a ½ star on my read. But the good definitely outweighed those moments in this novel. I gave Tore Up a five-star rating due to the pure unfiltered emotion Abbi Glines brought to this novel. I also rated this novel five stars because this is the third series within the Smoke universe, and I’m still intrigued! I can’t wait to read more from the Mississippi Smoke series in the very near future. I do have to say, it is going to be hard to beat Halo and Bane for first place! These two set the benchmark extremely high!

_________



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[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3 ⭐️

[Michelle Quintana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Wow

The way this book started was not what I was expecting. The first chapter ended with a bang and I couldn't wait to see how the rest of the book was going to turn out. It didn't disappoint. I loved the characters in this book and I can't wait to read the other books for the rest of the guys. The only thing that disappointed me was that it never mentioned the meeting between Halo and Saylor. I can already tell that the guys from the Mississippi branch are going to be different from the guys of the Georgia branch.

[Amberly Hays · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Abbi Glines!! If you love her mafia series then definitely dive into this book! It’s the Mississippi branch and the twist in this book definitely had me shook! I love everything Abbi writes and I can never wait for the next one!!

[Angela D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - from the beginning to the ending but it really truly started with the book cover. This book cover stayed with me and I thought about it throughout the reading process.

The Mississippi mafia started off with a bang! I felt this start had a story line that kept me up reading way past my bedtime but it was also very different from the previous smoke series. I’m involved, intrigued and very much looking forward to continuing on with this series. We got a whole house of boys we need to delve deeper into!

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

[Sam Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was the kind of trashy I needed

[Chloe Beard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite book of Abbi Glines…

I didn’t love the ending. I was really hoping for a birth scene!! I am looking forward to book 2, 3 & 4 though!!

[Anwesha Abhishikta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im so pissed fam. The fuck. She could’ve done sm better. Like girlie oop he was threatening to kill u and not to mention but WHILE U WERE PREGNANT WAS CRAZY

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

[Jerilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfect title for this story! The beginning wrecked me I had to take a break. It is so good!
The end put me back together even more so than I ever needed to be put back together! Oooo wee if you thought Smokeshow gave you heart palpitations Tore Up is top tier stratosphere level! I cannot wait to see where this Mississippi Branch takes us! Abbi is writing faster than the speed of light so we are good yall! Eeee I’m going to sleep with the best smile on my face!!!!!

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 Stars- Tore Up is the first book of the Mississippi Smoke series. It is interconnected to AG’s Southern Mafia world. It can be read as a standalone novel and does not end in a cliffhanger. Plenty of new mafioso are introduced to keep this Mississippi branch going for a long time….Unfortunately, i really think this storyline has run its course and AG needs to go back to her roots.

[Vallsykes · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 "all the smoke" stars

I'm temple-deep into Abbi Glines's Southern Mafia series. Each. One.

Welcome to the Mississippi branch of this mysterious yet hierarchical, cutthroat but close-knit (stealth-covered-in-equestrian-opulence-+-Southern-breeze-topped-with-sweet-tea), generational Southern Mafia.

Suffice to say the Smoke series is wrought with drama, intricacies of leadership roles and organization, and totally possessive alpha males with Southern accents — a cross between country boy and cowboy charm — the Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi branches each representing a separate book series.

Though the first three families are Hughes, Shepherds, and Kingstons, Bane Cash's family has been a part of the family almost as long. However, the Southern mafia does not promote by seniority or primogeniture alone. Heads of branches may be appointed the old way or be passed to the strongest, and Bane is deemed a promising future boss for the Mississippi branch, especially since the traditional leader is dying with no male heir or prospective child/relative of his line to take the position. In the meantime, an old head (Linc Shepherd) has been put in place as the interim-boss, but Bane knows his time is coming, elevating him as head of his family and future leader of the next generation in Mississippi.

Before leadership, however, Bane's fall for the woman who becomes known to him under tragic circumstances is the love story that starts this Mississippi Smoke, Southern mafia series.

Bane's brother Crosby is shot, and Bane is closing in on who is responsible, which leads him to Halo, a young woman who has struggled into her coming of age from a not so great family, under a near poverty level, struggling, background.

On a mission to find out who did it, Bane is relentless but he can't ignore Halo and the baby she is carrying.

Ugh, Bane and Halo's romance, twisted as it is, got me.

Aware of her own looks, but down-to-earth, and abandoned, Halo meets Crosby, who is obsessed with her. Yet, his death leaves Halo in a predicament that means she not only faces Bane's wrath, but she also is taken by him and left no other choice, as she the source to the last link to Crosby that he and his family have left. Iykyk.

Bottomline, Halo turns out to be the opposite of what Bane first believes: she is not a killer, she did not manipulate Crosby, and she did not conspire. On the other hand, Bane is exactly who Halo believes he is, ruthless, broody, scary, and untouchable. He goes from almost slashing her throat to late night petting vigils, low-key grooming Halo in her sleep.

Yeah, there are some triggers but Bane turns out to be the best reward, and she is his reward also, once bloodlust subsides and truths are uncovered. Bane becomes obsessed with taming Halo's sleep and nightmares, and ultimately decides Halo is his, despite her being his dead brother's girl, despite her being an outsider to the family and the ways of their world.

This was a tasty addition to the Southern mafia world and a somewhat slow-burn and different start to another branch and book series. I loved how Halo became Bane's, without much angst of her being Crosby's first (read it to understand that). Crosby's "ghost" was there but only as a result of guilt, grief and respect. Bane and Halo's love was believable, a wolf-and-lamb pairing. Bane's resentment quickly turned to protector mode once he realized the angel he has in his hands.

***It's one that has a bit of dark, with bittersweet grief mixed-in, with found family, and a lot of protector-sweet romance; but it's not crack to me, like some of the other installments in this mafia world have been. I am knee-deep in it and ain't going nowhere***Keep'em comin'

[Erin Under_Covers_Smut_Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶

Such a different twist to this Mafia series Abbi Glines writes. I didn't know where this story was going at the beginning. When you read the family tree, then the first chapter, you'll see why I was confused. This story isn't like normal. It will leave you heartbroken after the first chapter. So get ready for that. Plus, you get a new branch in this Southern Mafia. We're going to Mississippi now. The head of this branch is Levi's dad, Linc, and we get to see him throughout this book.

Tropes:
- Southern Mafia Romance
- Cowboy
- Surprise Pregnancy
- Grumpy/Sunshine
- Bad Boy/Good Girl
- Found Family
- Somnophilia
- Dead Brother's Pregnant Girl
- Revenge
- Forbidden Love
- Forced Proximity

This book had me feeling so many different emotions. First, it was confusion, then heartbreak. That led to anger and more sadness. Then I felt like this girl, Halo, was being wronged on so many levels. So many wrong things happened to this girl in this book that I was outraged. Even the spicy times that were hot, they all felt wrong on her behalf.

I also felt like something else should have happened, especially with Saylor in this book. Like, she should have done something wrong to Halo, or they should have at least met. With all that, she was mentioned, but that's the beauty in Abbi's stories. Saylor may be another book in the future.

This book also wasn't as spicy as Abbi's books normally are. Yes, in the sense of the things that were happening to Halo and Bane while she was asleep. But once they actually came together, you only got 1 time with them. There were a lot of angst between the two, but Bane really was an a-hole towards her. The outrage in how he treated her when she was awake. I swear these men in her book are stubborn, lol.

I received this as an ARC from Wordsmith Publicity. I would definitely recommend reading this book.

[Malyshka_flammareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prologue captivated me. Everything about this book, including the cover, drew me in. Not even halfway through, I started bawling. I loved the book even more with this unexpected plot twist.

Halo deserved better, and I'm happy that she had friends and family that saw her as valued and important. In her early years, Ares was always there for her, which I also liked. She had one person on her side, at least.

I became intrigued and wanted to learn more about Bane as soon as he was mentioned. Although I could understand Bane's perspective, there were moments when his acts were incredibly difficult to accept. My understanding and love for him grew as I read more about him. He's just a teddy bear deep inside. Although Bane was still his grouchy self, I appreciated how he was looking out for her wants and health. It was really kind of Bane to forbid smoking in the house. His small gestures were what made him so kind and considerate.

The way the family grew to adore her is wonderful. Than was so kind to her that it seemed as though they were closest friends. Than is a truly lovely person who was a pleasure to be around and impossible to avoid falling in love with. In my life, I also want a Griselle to deceive me into going shopping. More books for the other characters, please. I want to know more. This book was a lot of fun to read.

[Brooke Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed most of it.

I could not put this book down, but had times where I skimmed. It was a crazy emotional ride. The slow burn was a bit too slow for me, I would have like to see more of them together. Bane was terrible throughout so much of it that it felt like there would never be a turning point. At points I thought how will Halo ever want him in her bed or trust him. There were many parts I had to skim, be cause I felt so bad for all she had to witness, but was also hoping she would say more to him about his lifestyle. The FMC was strong but I wanted to see her get stronger and stick up for herself a bit more. Overall it was a good read.

[Ajla Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the plot but the lack of contractions made the dialogue stiff and painful to read. 2.5 rounded up.

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

There were only so many things I was willing to do when it came to her. Forgiving her was not one of them.

If you've read Abbi's Smoke and Georgia Smoke series, then you will definitely love the Mississippi branch spinoff.

Abbi's formula just always hits the spot for me. She writes some of the best toxic, walking red flags of alpha MMCs and I am so here for it. And while the super forgiving and at times overly innocent heroines would grate on me anywhere else, in her books it just works. Don't ask me why or how. It just does, ok.

Those eyes of hers were a weapon. The damn sky on a clear day couldn’t even compete.

This is the Mississippi branch of the souther mafia so expect some cameos from past favorites as well as the introduction of plenty of new and intriguing characters. If you're expecting a lot of mafia elements, it's not really that. They're more like morally corrupt, Yellowstone kind of 'mafia'. Ya know? And this girl has no complaints.

Now the premise of this story is a HUGE spoiler, so I won't tell you much but I will say that my jaw was on the floor on chapter one. And it takes a lot to catch your girl by surprise.

Our MMCs is the type of morally gray fictional man that I love. He's ruthless, cold, unfeeling, and as homicidal as they come. The man is a walking red flag if there ever was one, so naturally I fell for him. Fictionally speaking of course. Halo is her name personified. This girl is innocent and sweetness all wrapped up into one eager to please FMC. And she was the perfect balance to the MMCs craziness.

She wasn’t mine, and I had no right to do this, but I couldn’t seem to stop it.

This is a forced proximity so it also had a slow burn element to it which I loved. It burned so good, even when there were moments that I wanted to c*ck punch our MMCs. But I digress.

This pull she had on me was owning me.

There is just something about Abbi's books that are just pure book crack for me. I read them in one sitting and while there's definitely a formula to them, it just always hits and hits the spot. It's quick paced, spicy, with just the right amount of grit.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.

I was so excited to be in a different branch of the Southern Mafia. This book takes up to Mississippi and a whole new cast of characters to fall for. We really literally start this book off with a bang. You don't even know who these character's are yet and your heart immediately is broken. This is the story of Halo and Bane. Though it didn't start off with Bane. We get to meet her brother and I am telling you your not ready for this. I think my jaw was hanging in the floor after reading the prolouge. Bane's brother was in love with Halo. But the thing is, his entire family just knew that he was going to marry the girl he grew up with and had been dating for a while. But he had other plans. Big plans and he was keeping big secrets. Bane is out for revenge for the jump in this book. He is not an easy character at first. He is angry and out for revenge. When he finds out about Halo he has a really hard time accepting what is right in front of him. Halo is sweet and innocent and for the first time in her life she felt wanted and cherished. Until one fateful night it all fell apart. But she has not a clue that anything has happened. Her life has never been easy. She has a horrible father who all but ignored her and stepmom and younger sibling that really had the wool pulled over her eyes. When she comes in from work one day to find they have all left, she is shocked and alone and waiting on her father to finally return. But when he does he just brings more heartache and destruction. Now totally alone, Bane finds her and she is so confused and heartbroken by the things he is telling her and he is so angry and she is on the receiving end of that anger. Slowly things begin to change.... That is about all I can tell you. I feel hard for these characters. I did not lay this book down either. it is so good it really deserves more than five stars. I also can't wait to get the stories of all the characters we met in this book. Do not miss this book.

[Lauren Townley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book by Abbi Glines and the writing was really good.

Tore Up is a forced proximity mafia story. I got the forced proximity, but the mafia was definitely missing for me.
Halo has had a tough life. I really felt for her. Her whole life she’s spent trying to blend in, keep quiet and just be wanted.
Bane is a brilliant character. Angry, aggressive, doesn’t hold back, possessive. He is the type of H I always enjoy reading about.

Halo loses someone she cares for, but gains a bunch of other someones in the process. She’s young, scared and feels like a burden, but she never loses herself and I thought that was wonderful.

I had a few personal issues with this book - I got zero mafia, just a bunch of frat boys occupying one house with the occasional mention of a weapon and a lot of sexual activity. That doesn’t equal mafia for me. The character names. Some of them were just straight up weird in my opinion. There were so many side characters, possibly too many for me and most of them were just mentions here and there, not really bringing anything to the overall story. I think the author could’ve taken this story and gone a couple different directions with it, but she chose this one instead.

I’m not sure if this just didn’t fully click for me because it didn’t match up to what I thought it would be. Don’t get me wrong, everything is tied up neatly and the writing is good, I think it’s just the plot that fell a bit flat for me. There was drama at the beginning, which was set up brilliantly. The middle was just cruising. The end was as you’d expect.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tore Up by Abby Gaines is an unforgettable forced proximity, mafia romance that hits you with so much emotion right from the start. The prologue had me in tears, and the intensity never let up. The story is packed with angst, chemistry, and deeply complex characters that keep you hooked from beginning to end.

Bane, the hero, is a possessive yet protective character whose journey through grief and unexpected love makes him fascinating. His growing feelings for Halo, the heroine, are filled with tension as he tries to deny the undeniable. The possessiveness he shows is tempered by the depth of his care for his family, and his internal struggle makes him both captivating and real.

Halo, on the other hand, shines brightly as the heart of this story. She’s strong, resilient, and deserves so much more than the world has given her. Her dynamic with Bane is filled with emotional depth, and you feel every high and low of their connection.

This book will have you devouring it in one sitting, with all its twists, turns, and heart-stopping moments. Abby Gaines writes with such raw passion and intensity that you’ll be left eagerly waiting for more. Tore Up is the kind of story that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

If you’re looking for a gripping mafia romance with a possessive hero and a heroine who’s nothing short of amazing, Tore Up is an absolute must-read!