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Tainted Knights #3

Tainted Heartbreak

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How do you say no when your roommate wins an all-inclusive rock experience and begs you to go along?
You don’t.
Ever.
But Amara was starting to see that maybe she should have.



Everything that could have possibly gone wrong, has. Until I run right into what feels like a brick wall.

Of course, the brick wall has a name, too.

Cash Graves.

I knew the name, even if it was a newer one to the rock world. He’s the bassist for Tainted Knights, the band who was making huge splashes in the music world. Their newest hit was all over the radio and currently on repeat on my playlist … and I just spit my margarita all over him.

With a wink and a smile, he should have gotten on stage and let me go on with my life, if a little star struck over the delicious rocker. He should never have looked back, and I shouldn’t have begged for more.

But I did.

And now, my heartbreak might just be the end of me.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 28, 2018

188 people are currently reading
622 people want to read

About the author

Terri Anne Browning

128 books3,967 followers
www.facebook.com/writerchic27

Terri Anne Browning is a USA TODAY bestselling author.
Being dyslexic, she never thought a career in writing would be possible, yet she has been on bestselling lists multiple times since 2013. Reese: A Safe Haven Novella was her first Indie published book. The Rocker Who Holds Me changed the tables and kicked off The Rocker... series featuring the sinfully delicious members of Demon's Wings. The Rocker... Series is now complete with 12 books and the occasional novella. Other books by Terri Anne include the Angel's Halo MC Series, as well as The Lucy & Harris Novella Series, The Vitucci Mafiosos Series, and The Tainted Knights Rocker Series.

Terri Anne lives in Virginia with her husband, their three demons---err, children--and a hyper Frenchie named Grunt.

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5 stars
636 (49%)
4 stars
402 (31%)
3 stars
208 (16%)
2 stars
28 (2%)
1 star
9 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
Profile Image for Brandi .
1,682 reviews4 followers
August 1, 2018
****SLIGHTLY SPOILER-ISH****




Yes, this is Cash & Amara's book but I'm gonna say what we're all thinking...

What the hell is up with Jace?! He is shady as f*ck. I don't care if he's doing that whole "saving his woman or family" thing because of some outside person who's trying to cause trouble. Just like Emmie said, "He should've come to her because she could've fixed his problem in two hours". As far as I'm concerned, Jace can go suck a big pair of hairy donkey balls because he has been dragging this sh*t out for WAY too long. After getting that tiny snippet in the epilogue of Tainted Butterfly, more drama in Forever Lucy & now what happened in this one... I'm so disappointed to hear that Jace & Kin will not get their final HEA until some time next year. Sorry Sin, I'd rather have all the juicy details on the couple EVERYONE is talking about & get back to you later! *shrugs*
P.S. I am a HUGE fan of second chance romance but I'm actually liking the idea of Kin hooking up with someone else while Jace wallows in his self pity & some beer. Eat your heart out Jace because I'm ready to see Kin blossom without you! :) P.P.S. Major props to whomever sent the cake to the restaurant! That was an attention grabber!!

NOW THAT THAT'S OFF OF MY CHEST... back to Cash & Amara...

I pretty much devoured this book in one setting. It was a good blend of angst, surprises, laughs & hot sex. Loved how character-rich it was & although I wasn't happy with one particular loose thread that was still left hanging at the end, I loved how it left me thirsty for more Tainted Knights!

Cash & Amara made for a great couple. I really liked how they came together, how insta-love it was & how I could feel the chemistry they shared through my kindle screen!

Cash... Oooh, his betrayal cut deep. He pulled a super-douche move by not confessing everything to Amara & I didn't like it one bit. He should've shut down "Operation Fake Out" right after he met her, instead of letting it go on for so long. *smh* Thank gods he pulled that swoon-worthy move (with Riley's help) towards the end! Hard to hold anything against him after that!!

Amara... She was a very likable heroine. Authentic, fun, caring... I can't really say anything bad about her. I don't blame her at all for skipping town when sh*t hit the fan with Cash. It was totally understandable & gave her the opportunity to bond with Kin, which was awesome! Can't wait to see wait the future holds for her & Cash. ;)

So, I hear that Sin & (I think) Roanna are up next in this series. I'm liking where things have been heading for them but I still feel it's a disservice to them to have their book come out before Jace & Kin's... at least for this fan. I mean, I'm totally reading it when it's released but I'll definitely be searching for the Jace & Kin parts first! *shrugs*
Profile Image for Neringa Neringiukas.
1,213 reviews85 followers
September 3, 2018
Okay, I took my time to pick this book, while normally I read Terri's books insta. Honestly, I'm not sure why. Okay, that's a lie. Because its Tainted Knights series, I knew, I will see more bullshit from Jace and I just couldn't without wanted to slap something. Lol. Though, I was surprised by that I liked what happened between him and Kin. Well, not like like but like, if you know what I mean. Probably, you don't, because no spoilers.
Anyway, too much attention to that couple, when its Amara and Cash spotlight. I liked those two. Loved theirs insta everything. It fit and didn't bothered me at all. Though, I have to say I guessed about 'fuck up moment'. And I just wanted to slap that person for being so stupid. Seriously!
It was great story and I'm looking forward for next book.
Profile Image for Tammy.
1,583 reviews2 followers
January 6, 2020
2.5 stars

Didn't like being kept in the dark so long about what Cash had going on with his grandmother. Knowing that someone is being dishonest and secretive colors your perception of them, so that even if you discover that the secrets weren't as bad as they seemed (and in this case, they were that bad), you still see that person as untrustworthy. All I kept thinking while reading this was that Cash was liar and a coward.

And boy, that's exactly what he was! What he was doing for his grandmother was dispicable! And the fact that he continued to do it until the end, made it so much worse. It was really hard to feel any good feelings for him after that!
Profile Image for Karen.
5,385 reviews74 followers
July 29, 2018
Cash and Amara are pretty insta love and I was ok with it. You just knew they'd have some growing to do after lighting up the sheets. I nearly quit the book when Cash treated Linsey like dirt and by extension, treated Amara wrong. Lindsay was her friend and had been excited about her love interest "Harden". She wasn't perfect but she didn't deserve Cash's treatment. Left a bad taste for me regarding creepy Grandma too. So the one star off as Cash felt no remorse.
And poor Emmie works too hard!!
17 reviews
July 30, 2018
I really liked Terri Anne Brownings books so far. But this one I did not really like.
The book felt too rushed to me.
In the beginning, I really liked Amara and Cash together. Amara was a pretty strong heroine with an opinion that I liked. But after the insta-love Cash's character just went downhill for me. Sorry but really?



There were some unnecessary other details and stuff that was not resolved for me.


There was just too much. Less drama, but in more detail would have been better for me.

I hope the next books will be better again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Taylor.
1,564 reviews56 followers
August 25, 2018
3.5 -4 stars.
Love how they immediately get the main characters together. There are no games. We know they want to be with each other. It's always a relief when you don't want to punch any of the main characters in the face.
Brin on Sin and his shy girl Roanna.
Profile Image for Kami Dodson-Perry.
721 reviews24 followers
December 4, 2019
Weekend of fun

Amara and Cash meet at a concert. The romance happens fast and they fall quick for each other.

Nice romance. I would like more insight into Amara and Riley. But maybe in the next book.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
805 reviews19 followers
August 7, 2018
Once again, Terri Anne Browning has produced a rocker book to rival all others. The hard rocking, hard living, hard loving guys of Tainted Knights give the reader everything that could be wanted in a Rocker Romance.

Cash is a guy with a past that he is hiding from. The mystery of his family and childhood still follow him, still guide him, have made him who he is, but he wants nothing to do with it. Even when it comes back to haunt him, he still tries to run from it. When he meets Amara at a rock music festival, his world is turned upside down, and he has no intentions of running from what he is feeling. Amara comes from a privileged upbringing, but she knows that privilege often hides horror. She is a sweet girl, that has been let down too many times.

This book had my mind racing right from the beginning. So many questions!!!!!! I loved Amara, loved how strong and determined she is, how she sticks up for herself, knows what she wants and isn't afraid to hold out for it. It makes for a fascinating story and had me rooting for her, right from the start! Cash, on the other hand, was a surprise. I didn't expect him to fall so easily, to accept so easily, but I'm not surprised he made a few dumb mistakes along the way (I mean, really? He's a GUY!!!) I loved this book, just as much as the others, and I've just gotta know what comes next!
2,419 reviews3 followers
December 22, 2020
Amara runs into Cash at a festival and spits her drink all over him. From there on they are never apart from each other. This book was a big improvement from the previous book in this series. What made this not a 5 star read for me was the crap going on with Cash and his grandmother Gigi. You know she put him up to something but you don't know what. When the secret comes out you are blindsided, or at least I was I didn't see that coming. With that being said I didn't get the connection that Lindsey and Amara had. Supposedly they were best friends and yet when he came right down to it and she didn't get what she wanted she started bad mouthing Amara. What was in this friendship for her that as soon as she doesn't get what she wanted she moves out and moves on without a word what so ever. It was like she wasn't even important enough in this book so why make her a part of it?
Then the whole fiasco with Amara telling Cash her news and his reaction to it. IMO she forgave him way to easily.
38 reviews
August 2, 2018
TK, Demons and Otherworld

I loved this one as much as the others in this series. I enjoyed reading updates about the Demons and Otherworld bands too. The only thing I didn’t like was the whole Jace/Kin drama that keeps being talked about. I’ve already read their book ( can’t remember which series it was in) and they were together at the end of it and now they’re not in this book. I guess Jace will get his own book like Kin did. Hopefully the author will keep us updated on all the others like she has done in the past. I love this series and all of the bands and can’t wait for the next book to come out. Aside from the J/K drama, I loved getting to know Cash and finally understanding why he left his family to join TK. I’ve been a fan since the beginning and will continue to be! No cliffhanger and HFN (I say that bc of J/K)! Not so patiently waiting on the next installment! 😊
Profile Image for Emily Osorio.
24 reviews4 followers
July 12, 2021
Read this book in less than 24 hours…

I've got to say, at first I was worried that this book was going to be quite what I thought. A few chapters in I thought this was going to be one of those cheesy romance novels, that would just have me shaking my head and rolling my eyes, BUT...I did NOT expect the double plot twist.

Amara goes on a trip with her bff Riley, to a rock music festival Riley won tickets to. What she doesn't expect to happen is to meet Tainted Knights band member, Cash Graves, and make friends with the all girl band the Bombshells.

With an unexpected betrayal by one of her closest friends, and more than any one persons fair share life-changing events, Cash and Amara's relationship struggles to survive.

Overall, I did not expect this book to make me feel so much emotion, and the fact that it did so unexpectedly made me so attached. I just had to keep reading to find out if Amara and Cash would make it.
Profile Image for Chronic Chihuahua.
796 reviews17 followers
November 12, 2025
Oh He 100% Cheated On Her With Lindsey, Toxic Fuck. How She Could Forgive Him For Treating Lindsey So Narcissistically Is A Red Flag

So theres more to cheating than physical.

Theres more to cheating that emotional.

There is communal narcissism and communally, socially, he cheated on her.

And its toxic that he gets to deny it.

He went out and about with another woman that the world romantically linked to him, behind her back.

He doesn't have to be emotionally involved, he just has to be socially involved with the other woman, for it to have demonstrable traumatic impacts on the woman he claims to love.

Hes a narcissist who gets to blame his family for choices he made.

I await the day when a story forces a man to grow rather than bursting blood veins to nuance his abuses.

So bored of men blaming other people for their own fucking choices and calling it growth.
Profile Image for Erin.
1,633 reviews2 followers
August 1, 2018
I love Terri’s books! I especially loved that Cash called Amara, Dreamer! I think that’s my new favorite nickname even though she never did anything major to earn the name.

Terri’s books just have a way of pulling me in and not letting go. I liked that some of these newer couples are just finding their HEA and moving on to Happyville but still having some drama that keeps them apart (yes, I’m talking about Kin and Jace) and I’m interested to see what will happen. I’m also really curious about Ro and Sin & why do the bombshells always protect her so much.

It’s been a while since I one day read a book and this one hit the spot. Can’t wait for more!!
Profile Image for Neringa Neringiukas.
1,213 reviews85 followers
September 3, 2018
Okay, I took my time to pick this book, while normally I read Terri's books insta. Honestly, I'm not sure why. Okay, that's a lie. Because its Tainted Knights series, I knew, I will see more bullshit from Jace and I just couldn't without wanted to slap something. Lol. Though, I was surprised by that I liked what happened between him and Kin. Well, not like like but like, if you know what I mean. Probably, you don't, because no spoilers.
Anyway, too much attention to that couple, when its Amara and Cash spotlight. I liked those two. Loved theirs insta everything. It fit and didn't bothered me at all. Though, I have to say I guessed about 'fuck up moment'. And I just wanted to slap that person for being so stupid. Seriously!
It was great story and I'm looking forward for next book.
731 reviews9 followers
October 10, 2025
This story felt like there were a lot of loose ends. It may partially be the result of this book being the third in a series. That would explain the unresolved conflict between two of the minor characters but the h's abusive step father is not confronted nor is the h's former roommate who is caught with the H. The h leaves the H to clear her head after she learns about the relationship between her roommate and the H and she just decides to forgive him and move on. It felt like there was not a lot of frank discussion between the H and h about why he did what he did. The result of all of the loose ends is a feeling of dissatisfaction.
2 reviews
July 28, 2018
Loved it!!

I just have to start by saying I love this series following the guys of TK. That being said, I also loved being able to catch a glimpse into the lives of the Demons as well. Tainted Heartbreak definitely surprised me a couple of times with some twists that I did not see coming, and that does not happen a lot. I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that I am already waiting for the next book in this series!

Hopefully the next one resolves the issues and answers all of my questions about Jace & Kin!!!
15 reviews
July 30, 2018
Great read.

I've been reading this author for a while now and I can't put her books down! One of my pet peeves with books in a series is the authors continuity. Often there will me 3 or more books and somehow the author can't keep details strait. But Terri has kept all of her character straight and even with all the overlapping storylines she has yet to mess up...as far as I can tell. I was excited about this book and it did not disappoint! And now the wait begins for Sin's story!!!
58 reviews1 follower
August 7, 2018
Love this series, but...

For some reason this particular book didn’t resonate in the way the rest of the series did. I enjoy the characters and the story behind it all but it seemed a bit more rushed in the beginning than the rest of the series is. Maybe it was designed this way but it just didn’t seem to fit as well with the mold Terri has going for this group of rockers. However the ending was perfectly fit for the storyline and I swear I am gonna keep going until I know what the heck Jace and Kin are up to!!!
Profile Image for Shelley C.
2,940 reviews62 followers
August 2, 2021
Cash finds love❤️

Tainted Heartbreak is the third book in the TK series and is all about Cash and Amara❣️They meet at a music festival after Amara’s best friend and roommate wins tickets to go🥳

Unfortunately, heartbreak is around the corner for them both….will they overcome their heartbreak to be together or will it be too much for them to reconcile?

A wonderful story with so many heartbreaking and emotional elements, but it truly has the ability to keep you in suspense and wanting more😍 Can’t wait to read Sin and Jace’s stories next❤️‍🩹
72 reviews2 followers
July 28, 2018
Gripping

From the first page I was hooked with Amara and Cash's story. It was a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish and one I won't forget for a long time. Terri-Anne has created another brilliantly written and relatable story which compliments the rest of her amazing work in the TK series.
I couldn't put it down and read the entire book in one sitting.
I eagerly await the next book Terri-Anne has at tips of her talented fingers.
Profile Image for Karen.
1,081 reviews
August 12, 2018
Chemistry equals heartbreak

This is book 3. This is Cash's story. In this story we meet Amara. Cash literally runs into her at a music festival. Their attraction is instant and the chemistry off the charts but it is uncharted territory for both of them. We see a lot of the other characters and Emmie in action. I will say I figured out the storyline and didn't like Cash. In the end I was happy for them but still not pleased with his decisions.
Profile Image for Spunky N Sassy.
5,392 reviews119 followers
February 13, 2024
Spunky N Sassy Rating: 5.0

~~~~~~~~~~Tracy's ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review~~~~~~~~~~

When Amara faceplants into Cash's chest at a music festival, her whole life changes. Cash feels something towards Amara he has never felt for anyone ever but he has secrets that could destroy both their hearts. Amara has family secrets herself and between their secrets do they even have a chance? I love this series so much and Amara just broke my heart what she goes through, brought me to tears. Highly recommended!!!
Profile Image for WASSAMATTAYOU BOOKSLOOT.
540 reviews1 follower
October 20, 2025
so good

I am so surprised by this book! Honestly, I went into it thinking that it was gonna be trash or it was gonna rip my heart out too much and I wouldn’t be able to finish it. But I absolutely love this book. I can’t say it enough, but I absolutely adore Amara. She is fantastic and I love her. Riley is amazing! She’s fantastic. And cash is a dream. Yes, there was turmoil and plot, twist and pain. But it was also such a great book!
Profile Image for Debbie Eichler.
874 reviews19 followers
July 28, 2018
Another Emmie in the making

I loved Amara, she reminded me a lot of Emmie when she was younger. Her and Cash were each hiding something when they met and those secrets almost split them.up for good. They were able to eventually overcome everything that happened and are ready to start their life together. Can't wait for more Rockers from Terri Anne!!.
Profile Image for Dawn Pressel.
1,675 reviews
July 29, 2018
Cash and Amara, instalove and instaheartbreak. There are 3 moments in this book that had my heart racing and made me sad or angry.

Cash leads a double life and sadly, Amara is the casualty. There is nothing I can say that won’t give the story away so I’ll say nothing...

Jace and Kin...😢 I can’t wait for this book.
Profile Image for Tina Price.
460 reviews11 followers
July 29, 2018
Cash and Amara are perfect for one another. Once again Terri Anne delivers a story full of heat and heart. Cash and Amara’s path is bumpy but love conquers all. Can’t wait for the next installment of the Tainted Knights story and hopefully Jace and Kin will have their HEA. Also I’d love to see Riley get herself a man too.
618 reviews6 followers
July 29, 2018
I need so much more

I love all of Terri’s books. All of them. This book is no exception. I didn’t want to put it down. It was the perfect amount of playful, fun, heartbreaking, tender, loving, with a couple of twists that I didn’t really see coming. I love Amara and Cash. I hope we get even more of them!
Profile Image for Amanda Ivie-Reichardt.
125 reviews4 followers
August 2, 2018
Oh my gods

Oh my gods! (Sorry Emmie made me do it) so many emotions! I loved how Emmie stepped in when she found out everything to be the support that was needed(in case you havent gathered this Em is my favorite) Amara and Cash when they both got their heads out of their butts were awesome too but I've been needing my Emmie fix.
I cried a few times I will admit that.
1,441 reviews2 followers
April 21, 2019
CASH AND AMARA

This story moved slower than the first 2 books, or maybe it's because I don't like stories when the characters break up, without communicating, but eventually get back together. Such a waste of time. Communicate or leave each other alone. Other than that it was still well written, Cash and Amara just wasn't my favorite people.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews

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