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Story Ballads #1
Torn
Vinny Bucci and Tommy Stecker are almost cousins. (Their mothers call themselves “sisters of the heart,” so that sort of makes them cousins, doesn’t it?) Since childhood, they’ve shared holidays and Sunday services and their passion for soccer. But now they’re eighteen, high school seniors, and what has always been devoted friendship—the next best thing to family—has started to feel like something else. Something more….
Unfortunately, the Steckers can’t accept their son’s same-sex romance, and upon recognizing the teens’ mutual attraction, they push Tommy into dating a girl from church, then compel him to attend a Christian College far away from Vinny’s school. The Buccis and the Steckers—once a family of choice—clash over what’s right and go their separate ways.
Forced into separation, Vinny and Tommy are both devastated, but while Vinny hardens his heart to love, halfway across the country Tommy becomes emotionally and physically ill. Their passion for each other hasn’t diminished, let alone died, but they lose contact, and for the first time in their lives learn what it is to live with a broken heart.
Will Tommy and Vinny find their way back to each other, or will they accept the rules dictated by family and try to live severed lives, their love forever unfulfilled?
A Mature Young Adult Romance
Unfortunately, the Steckers can’t accept their son’s same-sex romance, and upon recognizing the teens’ mutual attraction, they push Tommy into dating a girl from church, then compel him to attend a Christian College far away from Vinny’s school. The Buccis and the Steckers—once a family of choice—clash over what’s right and go their separate ways.
Forced into separation, Vinny and Tommy are both devastated, but while Vinny hardens his heart to love, halfway across the country Tommy becomes emotionally and physically ill. Their passion for each other hasn’t diminished, let alone died, but they lose contact, and for the first time in their lives learn what it is to live with a broken heart.
Will Tommy and Vinny find their way back to each other, or will they accept the rules dictated by family and try to live severed lives, their love forever unfulfilled?
A Mature Young Adult Romance
143 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2018
9 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Mia Kerick
42 books538 followersMia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—one in law school, another at a dance conservatory, a third studying at Mia’s alma mater, Boston College, and her lone son still in high school. She has published more than twenty books of LGBTQ romance when not editing National Honor Society essays, offering opinions on college and law school applications, helping to create dance bios, and reviewing English papers. Her husband of twenty-five years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about this, as it is a sensitive subject.
Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people and their relationships. She has a great affinity for the tortured hero in literature, and as a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with tales of tortured heroes and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to her wonderful publishing houses for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.
Her books have been featured in Kirkus Reviews magazine, and have won Rainbow Awards for Best Transgender Contemporary Romance and Best YA Lesbian Fiction, a Reader Views’ Book by Book Publicity Literary Award, the Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama, an Indie Fab Award, and a Royal Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity, among other awards.
Mia Kerick is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology. Contact Mia at miakerick@gmail.com or visit at www.miakerickya.com to see what is going on in Mia’s world.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 21, 2018
Holy crap, that was freaking ANGSTY AF, but I'd expected as much.
I adored both Vinny and Tommy, but Tom's family and the situations they forced him into constantly made me crazy.
The first parts of the book were my favorite, before they left for college and were covertly spending as much time together as possible.
[Vinny]
[Tommy]
But then Tommy left for college and decided that he *needed* to make Jenna his priority, refusing to make any sort of contact for six weeks. Just after both MC's stressing that "you're mine".
Well... THAT. WAS. SOME. BULL-FREAKING-SHIT.
I hated those parts of the story and wanted to strangle both Jenna and Tommy's mother.
Yes, Jenna was being lied to, BUT (and this is a huuuuuge 'but') she had manipulated Tom into ever dating her in the first place, using both of their families against Tommy to get what she wanted, so she received less than zero sympathy from me.
Her plan to trap a man failed. Boo fucking hoo, bitch.
Tommy's mother had no excuse, other than to enforce Gestapo-level control over her youngest son.
Sorry, I still had a bit of pent-up anger over that controlling mess. Using religion and social norms to strong-arm a child into being someone there not isn't acceptable -- EVER.
Once Vinny visited Tommy in Chicago, the story took a turn much more to my liking, as the boys full and TRULY committed to one another. But if Tommy had backslid again, I'm telling you, someone was gonna die, no exaggeration.
I was happy that the physical side of their relationship was written realistically, instead of them being untouched princesses in crystal castles. The sex scenes also had actual meaning, bringing the young MC's closer as a true 'forever' couple vs. just scratching a horny, teenage itch.
Some of the parts toward the end bordered on cheesy, which I thought that the book was actually poking a bit of fun at, not taking itself too seriously. So there was a bit-o-cheese, but it wasn't taken to extremes.
I felt like the story did end with a true HEA, as the boys had known one another forever and been through hell and back with tons of relationship drama, between themselves and with Tommy's family.
They came out the other side stronger than ever and I'd rate this story at around 3.75 stars and recommend it to any YA/NA lovers with the stomach for a bit of angst. Well, maybe more than a bit. ;- )
I'm personally hoping we get a story for Tommy's awesome older brother Dave next, instead of throwing poor Vinny and Tommy into the emotional wood-chipper again.
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August 9, 2018
Fell in love with Vinny. He's so sweet. 5 stars!
August 15, 2018
Emotional and perfect..
Tommy and Vinny grew up like cousins. Their mothers are best friends and "sisters of the heart" and the two boys have always been inseparable. But as they grow older, the boys start to realize their love for each other is not the family kind of only friend kind - but the forever kind. If only Tommy's parents would let it be. Instead they are determined to tear the two Boys apart, even as it starts to break their son.
An emotional story of love and facing the challenges in order to be who you truly are and to with with who you truly love.
Tommy tries to be the son his parents want but it's killing him. Vinny love Tommy so fully that a life where he can not be with him, is a life sentence without loving anyone else. I felt for them and rooted for a happy ending.
Definitely recommend.
Tommy and Vinny grew up like cousins. Their mothers are best friends and "sisters of the heart" and the two boys have always been inseparable. But as they grow older, the boys start to realize their love for each other is not the family kind of only friend kind - but the forever kind. If only Tommy's parents would let it be. Instead they are determined to tear the two Boys apart, even as it starts to break their son.
An emotional story of love and facing the challenges in order to be who you truly are and to with with who you truly love.
Tommy tries to be the son his parents want but it's killing him. Vinny love Tommy so fully that a life where he can not be with him, is a life sentence without loving anyone else. I felt for them and rooted for a happy ending.
Definitely recommend.
August 11, 2018
This was a wonderful story of two boys, best friends, who are learning about themselves and what they mean to each other. Tommy just made my heart break. I worried about him through this whole story as he simply did not have parental support. Vinny was stronger, yet sensitive to the issues Tommy was dealing with but not without getting hurt by Tommy as well. Young love is amazingly resilient and, heartbreaking. I highly recommend this story!
August 9, 2018
Still crying ....
Awesome read! Tommy and vinny go through so much together. The religion, the family values, Tommy and his fear of his parents, living the way they want him to, not the way he wants to live. These two boys went through so much, but their love is amazing. An absolute must read!!
Awesome read! Tommy and vinny go through so much together. The religion, the family values, Tommy and his fear of his parents, living the way they want him to, not the way he wants to live. These two boys went through so much, but their love is amazing. An absolute must read!!
August 31, 2018
Torn, by Mia Kerick is a gut-wrenching, emotional ride by Mia Kerick of the best kind, one that will result in having your heart torn to shreds.
Tommy and Vinny have grown up together, with their families the best of friends. They are also very attracted to each other.
Tommy's mom sees that they have feelings, and force them apart, controlling Tommy's life more than ever. They are not allowed to hang out and the families are no longer friends. While he's trying to figure out which path in life he's going to take, Vinny is left to suffer.
Tommy is torn between being what his parents want him to be and what he wants to be. His parents are ultra religious and homophobic, and are forcing him to live a certain kind of life.
It is heartbreaking, absolutely ridden with sadness. But it is an amazing story! It is as compelling as it is painful. It is as emotional as it is accomplished. It is everything I could possibly ask for in a book, so gripping that I can't put it down for even a second.
Torn is a book that will make you feel. It is a young adult, coming of age story, that will pull at your heartstrings. Basically, go read it! I love this tale by Mia Kerick!
Tommy and Vinny have grown up together, with their families the best of friends. They are also very attracted to each other.
Tommy's mom sees that they have feelings, and force them apart, controlling Tommy's life more than ever. They are not allowed to hang out and the families are no longer friends. While he's trying to figure out which path in life he's going to take, Vinny is left to suffer.
Tommy is torn between being what his parents want him to be and what he wants to be. His parents are ultra religious and homophobic, and are forcing him to live a certain kind of life.
It is heartbreaking, absolutely ridden with sadness. But it is an amazing story! It is as compelling as it is painful. It is as emotional as it is accomplished. It is everything I could possibly ask for in a book, so gripping that I can't put it down for even a second.
Torn is a book that will make you feel. It is a young adult, coming of age story, that will pull at your heartstrings. Basically, go read it! I love this tale by Mia Kerick!
August 12, 2018
So I was thinking 3.5 starts rounded up, but the more I thought about the way the character of Jenna was handled the more I thought the rounding up was not going to happen.
My impression is that it was OK to treat Jenna the way she was treated because she wanted Tommy to “have blond blue eyed babies” only. We are told repeatedly what’s going on with Jenna means “nothing” and only once, or maybe twice, we are reminded she is a person with feelings. But it is OK to deceive her because she only wants blond blue eyed babies anyway. In the end she gets some sort of relief in the form of switching affections from one brother to the next. She is getting her blond blue eyed babies after all.
My impression is that it was OK to treat Jenna the way she was treated because she wanted Tommy to “have blond blue eyed babies” only. We are told repeatedly what’s going on with Jenna means “nothing” and only once, or maybe twice, we are reminded she is a person with feelings. But it is OK to deceive her because she only wants blond blue eyed babies anyway. In the end she gets some sort of relief in the form of switching affections from one brother to the next. She is getting her blond blue eyed babies after all.
August 23, 2018
***Copy provided by Embrace the Rainbow in exchange for an honest and impartial review.***
Torn isn't a straight forward story of two people coming together; it's a multi-faceted one exploring how two high school students' budding feelings for each other effect their families, their community, their faith, and their futures.
The reader meets Vinny and Tommy during Thanksgiving of their senior year of high school and sees them evolve through graduation and their first semester of college. They are so sweet together and I couldn't help but root for them along the way.
My heart broke at their parting and rejoiced with their reunion. The feelings and emotions are raw, and the resolution at the end is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.
Torn isn't a straight forward story of two people coming together; it's a multi-faceted one exploring how two high school students' budding feelings for each other effect their families, their community, their faith, and their futures.
The reader meets Vinny and Tommy during Thanksgiving of their senior year of high school and sees them evolve through graduation and their first semester of college. They are so sweet together and I couldn't help but root for them along the way.
My heart broke at their parting and rejoiced with their reunion. The feelings and emotions are raw, and the resolution at the end is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.
August 24, 2018
this was heartbreaking and amazing.. omg i loved it.. it had so many emotions.. so many feelings.. it was raw and real.. it was wonderful and sexy.. i loved watching them come into themselves.. it was amazing
August 20, 2018
The premise of the story is fine, I always enjoy a coming of age story. However, what was not fine was the rest of it. I really disliked both Vince and Tommy, really could not get on terms with their relationship because I just felt that their relationship was extremely toxic throughout the entire series.
I think it was better after Tommy cut ties with his family at the 90% mark of the book. I think a lot of other people enjoyed the book, which I can understand. However, I personally found it a bit too complicated/dramatic at surface level, without the depth in the characters to make it enjoyable for myself.
Example: Jenna - we don’t know what she wants other than getting married and babies (also even at 18, I just couldn’t find this realistic), the parents push them into a relationship with Tommy (which he agrees to, because he can’t say no to his parents) and he just continues with the relationship; which ultimately hurts him, Vince and Jenna (???).
Overall, this book wasn’t my cup of tea - MCs in a relationship I couldn’t be on board with, both MCs were not likeable in my eyes, and a plot that was overly complicated with a lack of substance/depth to make it stand out.
I think it was better after Tommy cut ties with his family at the 90% mark of the book. I think a lot of other people enjoyed the book, which I can understand. However, I personally found it a bit too complicated/dramatic at surface level, without the depth in the characters to make it enjoyable for myself.
Example: Jenna - we don’t know what she wants other than getting married and babies (also even at 18, I just couldn’t find this realistic), the parents push them into a relationship with Tommy (which he agrees to, because he can’t say no to his parents) and he just continues with the relationship; which ultimately hurts him, Vince and Jenna (???).
Overall, this book wasn’t my cup of tea - MCs in a relationship I couldn’t be on board with, both MCs were not likeable in my eyes, and a plot that was overly complicated with a lack of substance/depth to make it stand out.
July 10, 2019
Mia Kerick is a talented writer, no question. She writes realistic characters facing real-life problems. In this case, a closeminded family, an overbearing mother, a scheming girlfriend, and long distance. But... sometimes less is more. This time, the first part of the story was way over-the-top angsty and the last part a bit on the cheesy side. I wanted to like the characters but I couldn't muster the willpower to care. Too much drama. Plus, I have an aversion for gay romances where the women are vilified, like the mother and the girlfriend who both deserved to get thrown in front of a bus but didn't. Homophobia and religious closemindedness are shown in their full glory (read: cruelty). This story will either break your heart over and over or make you scream out loud and punch things. So, emotional impact is guaranteed. Still, not my cup of tea.
August 23, 2018
4.25 Stars
Tommy is torn between doing what's expected of him and what he really wants to do. Will he figure it out before the summer tears him away from Vinny for good?
I felt drawn to Vinny from the start. My heart broke for him when I saw how much it hurt him to see Tommy with Jenna. And I felt for him when he didn't quite allow himself to give all of himself to Tommy after they left to college and then visited Tommy in Chicago.
I wasn't too sure what to feel about Tommy at first. The way he gave in to what his mother wanted of him, well, it didn't endear him to me. I know he's a 17-18-year-old boy, but letting her railroad him into not only taking Jenna to the prom, but dating her and then just going along with what his mother wants, including ditching his best friend/cousin? Ugh, no, I just wanted to throttle Tommy right along with his dear old mom. :/ I started warming up to him when he actively sought Vinny out and actually did something about their attraction to each other, though. Then got back to not liking him when he kept dating Jenna while still with Vinny. *headdesk* Here's the thing, while I could see why he couldn't come out, I feel he took the easy way out for him, not really caring how much it hurt Vinny. So, even if eventually (finally) he made things right, by then, I was over him, even if Vinny wasn't.
While this wasn't my favorite of Ms. Merick's books, and not because it wasn't well-written, but mostly because of my feelings for Tommy, I think Ms. Merick managed to convey the longing, the angst, the deepening feelings between Vinny and Tommy and made it progress in a realistic fashion. She made me feel for the two of them and want them to get their HEA. They were sweet and hot and when Tommy was cooperating, they fit well together.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
Tommy is torn between doing what's expected of him and what he really wants to do. Will he figure it out before the summer tears him away from Vinny for good?
I felt drawn to Vinny from the start. My heart broke for him when I saw how much it hurt him to see Tommy with Jenna. And I felt for him when he didn't quite allow himself to give all of himself to Tommy after they left to college and then visited Tommy in Chicago.
I wasn't too sure what to feel about Tommy at first. The way he gave in to what his mother wanted of him, well, it didn't endear him to me. I know he's a 17-18-year-old boy, but letting her railroad him into not only taking Jenna to the prom, but dating her and then just going along with what his mother wants, including ditching his best friend/cousin? Ugh, no, I just wanted to throttle Tommy right along with his dear old mom. :/ I started warming up to him when he actively sought Vinny out and actually did something about their attraction to each other, though. Then got back to not liking him when he kept dating Jenna while still with Vinny. *headdesk* Here's the thing, while I could see why he couldn't come out, I feel he took the easy way out for him, not really caring how much it hurt Vinny. So, even if eventually (finally) he made things right, by then, I was over him, even if Vinny wasn't.
While this wasn't my favorite of Ms. Merick's books, and not because it wasn't well-written, but mostly because of my feelings for Tommy, I think Ms. Merick managed to convey the longing, the angst, the deepening feelings between Vinny and Tommy and made it progress in a realistic fashion. She made me feel for the two of them and want them to get their HEA. They were sweet and hot and when Tommy was cooperating, they fit well together.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
February 17, 2019
Una novela corta bastante bien desarrollada.
Pese a tener poco más de cien páginas consigue que te metas en la historia y le da tiempo de que conectes con los personajes, quizás porque apenas hay escenas sexuales y por lo cual tiene páginas suficientes para narrar los acontecimientos y conseguir que te pongas en la piel de los MC .
Para ser un friends to lovers con fondo religioso (dos temas de los que escapo "como la peste") lo he disfrutado bastante
Pese a tener poco más de cien páginas consigue que te metas en la historia y le da tiempo de que conectes con los personajes, quizás porque apenas hay escenas sexuales y por lo cual tiene páginas suficientes para narrar los acontecimientos y conseguir que te pongas en la piel de los MC .
Para ser un friends to lovers con fondo religioso (dos temas de los que escapo "como la peste") lo he disfrutado bastante
August 8, 2018
Great book, broke my heart!
Want to read
August 15, 2018Torn (Story Ballads, #1) was graciously provided to me by Embrace the Rainbow for an honest review. Review to follow.
September 8, 2018
It's strange how you can not be into YA novels and end up reading one which makes you change your mind! For me Torn was such a book. I really love this novel because it seems so real and so heartbreaking. Because in real life love is not always easy. I really loved the way Mia Kerick wrote this story, she managed to tell a hard subject in a beautiful way.
March 9, 2021
This story was very YA in both the writing and content. Both MC's were initially high school seniors and when entering college went to different Christian schools. One MC's parents were very orthodox Christians (hated homosexuality) and the other parents were more accepting and did eventually take in the boy who was thrown out when he came out. Probably could have been a great story like "Autoboyography" but didn't have the same sophistication.
October 10, 2021
This angsty story worked in a few levels. The relationship was strong. Two friends for many years finding out that they love each other and all the obstacles that are in front of them. The idea of being torn between someone you love and the love of your family, as well as, torn between possibly getting hurt or finding your happiness is a struggle for many people looking and finding and losing love.
Well done.
Well done.
October 23, 2018
4.25 stars
December 1, 2018
I hate present tense but this story was worth the annoyance. I even forgot about it at times!
February 15, 2021
My heart
This book is really well written. Aside from being cheesy, it handles religion really well. It also handles parental pressure and mental health issues really well.
This book is really well written. Aside from being cheesy, it handles religion really well. It also handles parental pressure and mental health issues really well.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews