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Cliffside Bay #4

Marred: Kyle and Violet

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A playboy with a painful past finds help he never expected to need, in the most unlikely of places, in this standalone, opposites-attract romance from USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson.

Real estate developer Kyle Hicks only has time for three things: his latest project, his very best friends, and his next no-strings-attached tryst. Struggling single mother Violet Ellis is just as busy. Between her son, her failing business, and her historical preservation work, there’s never any time to catch her breath.

While Kyle’s bringing progress to Cliffside Bay, Violet’s fighting to protect the small town’s increasingly rare charm. But for once they’ll find themselves on the very same team when a brand new project that neither of them anticipated arrives.

As this unlikely pair quickly learns, working together will require trust and respect. And there just might be something else simmering under the surface of their once-acrimonious relationship -- something special that both of these former rivals are willing to fight for.

USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson invites you into the world of Cliffside Bay to meet a group of five best friends, the women they love, and the stories that bring each couple together. Each book in the Cliffside Bay series is intended to be read and enjoyed as a sweet standalone, but for maximum enjoyment read this binge-worthy series in order.

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 24, 2018

1190 people are currently reading
493 people want to read

About the author

Tess Thompson

119 books1,729 followers
Tess Thompson Romance...hometowns and heartstrings.

Tess Thompson is the USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary and historical Romantic Women’s Fiction with over 60 published titles. When asked to describe her books, she could never figure out what to say that would perfectly sum them up until she landed on, Hometowns and Heartstrings.

She’s married to her prince, Best Husband Ever, and is the mother of their blended family of four kids and five cats. Best Husband Ever is seventeen months younger, which qualifies Tess as a Cougar, a title she wears proudly. Her Bonus Sons are young adults with pretty hair and big brains like their dad. Daughters, better known as Princess One and Two, are teenagers who make their mama proud because they’re kind. They’re also smart, but a mother shouldn’t brag.

Tess loves lazy afternoons watching football, hanging out on the back patio with Best Husband Ever, reading in bed, binge-watching television series, red wine, strong coffee and walks on crisp autumn days. She laughs a little too loudly, never knows what to make for dinner, looks ridiculous kickboxing in an attempt to combat her muffin top, and always complains about the
rain even though she chose to live in Seattle.

She’s proud to have grown up in a small town like the ones in her novels. After graduating from the University of Southern California Drama School, she had hopes of becoming an actress but was called instead to writing fiction. She’s grateful to spend most days in her office matchmaking her characters while her favorite cat Mittens (shhh…don’t tell the others) sleeps on the desk.

She adores hearing from readers, so don’t hesitate to say hello or sign up for her newsletter:
http://tesswrites.com/. You’ll receive an ebook copy of her novella, The Santa Trial, for your
efforts.

Much to her father’s horror, you can find her everywhere on social media.
BookBub: http://bit.ly/2esOcrn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTessTh...
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2vClTfX
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tesswrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tesswrites
Instagram: https://instagram.com/tessielouwrites

Please note: Tess is not affiliated with the writing duo of Charlene Tess and Judi Thompson.

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5 stars
1,156 (63%)
4 stars
489 (26%)
3 stars
144 (7%)
2 stars
24 (1%)
1 star
5 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
Profile Image for Linda.
1,088 reviews135 followers
August 29, 2018
Thank you to Tess Thompson for an ARC of this book. This is my honest opinion of this book.

I loved this book from the first to the very last. I love Kyle. I think he took a very broken childhood and decided that it would be easy to just work and make a huge life and he would never have to think about it anymore. It does not always work that way, but he sure tried. He comes across as a self centered person to some but he’s really a very kind person. He’s just running from demons. His past and his guilt. He has the ability to love someone very deeply.

Violet comes from a family who thinks she has made a mess of her life. It seems no matter what she does she can’t win. She has a son who is her life and she’s raising him alone. She needs a life and love of her own. She needs a family to call her own. She’s hated Kyle for a long time and they don’t get along at all. But somethings happen that are beyond our control. I call it “meant to be”. Some people are just meant to be together no matter what and that is Kyle and Violet. They have gone through a lot and learning to trust each other will be a struggle. But when something lands in Kyle’s lap that he does not expect he turns to Violet for help.

Only she can save him and only he can save her. Together they can heal and have what each deserves so much. Love and family.

One of my favorite things in this book is: “SOMETIMES I THINK THE PERSON WE ALL STARTED OUT TO BE GETS CHIPPED AWAY AND CHIPPED AWAY UNTIL WE’RE LEFT WITH NOTHING BUT THE HARD KERNEL-THE PLACE WHERE WE’RE MERELY SURVIVING ON THE FUMES OF OUR FORMER GLORIOUS SELVES. ALL THAT’S LEFT IS THE SURVIVOR WHO EXISTS WITHOUT REDEMPTION OR GRACE. WE MUST GET THROUGH, WE THINK. JUST ONE MORE DAY. ONE MORE DEAL. ONE MORE DEPOSIT IN THE BANK ACCOUNT. ONE MORE CONQUEST. I’VE LIVED LIKE THAT FOR ALL MY ADULT LIFE. IT’S BEEN A CONSTANT TRUDGE UP THE HILL TO PROVE TO MY SELF THAT I’M NOT SISYPHUS AFTER ALL.” Kyle said that to Violet and I think it was beautiful.

This book is beautiful. Filled with so much love, heartache and happiness. Just enough of each though to touch everyone. Some scenes are so happy, then some are sad and some are just plain hot. Kyle and Violet are my favorite of all the couples in Cliffside Bay. I love this book. The 4th in the series. Well done. A big 5 stars from me.
Profile Image for Bambi Rathman.
353 reviews79 followers
August 26, 2018
Better and better and better! This is book 4 in the Cliffside Bay series and Tess Thompson has done it again by writing a book that's amazing! It's un-put-downable! I was anticipating this book so much since reading her last one, Jaded: Zane and Honor. The wait was worth it! Like opening a gift and getting what you wanted but it's even better than what you expected.

I love family reunions and coming back to Cliffside bay was like reconnecting with family I hadn't been with for awhile. This book is Kyle and Violet's story. Two people who are "marred" by pasts that they carry hurts and insecurities from. Pasts that are hard to forget and believe they are worthy of a future and happiness. Tess Thompson pulls the reader into the lives of her characters and you become attached to them like they are your family and friends.

There is romantic tension that was woven throughout the story and I just couldn't help but feel the love Kyle and Violet had for each other but just couldn't release it from inside to tell each other. I was yearning for them to trust and believe in each other. The way their pasts intersected with their feelings through the book brought out feelings of anguish in me that made me cry in places for the hurting they had gone through. I also felt great joy in the family they were wanting so much and the way they wanted to complete it.

There were parts of the book that broke my heart. Parts that made my heart soar. Parts that were satisfying....but the whole book was amazing. There just aren't words...it's a book that you have to read to appreciate the talent of Tess Thompson in writing a story you can't put down.

It was great having the whole cast of characters from previous books involved in this story, too. Like I said....it's a family reunion! There were some things completed in this book that had been started in earlier books. I like that! One reason I love series.

There was a passage that touched me so much:


" 'What do you see when you look into my eyes?"

"Love."

"Absorb it. Let it heal all the broken parts. Use it to absolve yourself. We can't ever make the past disappear, but we can use it to inform how we live now.' "

It takes time to heal and this passage was so wise and true. Love heals so much.

I want to thank Tess Thompson for the honor of reading an ARC copy of this wonderful book. I can't begin to rate it as many stars as it should have other than the 5 stars that it more than deserves.

Profile Image for Isha Coleman.
8,927 reviews172 followers
September 4, 2018
Kyle is a runner. Fear has kept him always on the move, never looking back. Trying to escape the painful shame of a past he had no control over. He's been running for far too long. Violet is a fighter. She's had her share of bad luck. In life and love, she can never get ahead. Until fate steps in to point her in the wrong direction at the right time. Kyle and Violet's story is an anthem of hope. Marred is a look at what courageous really means. Thompson stares down a past permeated with heartache and turns it into an inspiration. Marred is finding the strength to give of one's self, even when we don't know how. The emotions are brutally honest and heartbreakingly real.

769 reviews17 followers
September 24, 2018
Wow! I just put this book down and so many many feels!
This is Kyle and Violet’s story and a return to Cliffside Bay ! Where it truly is a village. A village of lifetime friends, who are there for each other in all sorts of ways and who with every book their family expands!
Kyle grew up poorer than poor , over the years he has reinvented himself and does not lack for money these days, however under all his layers he is still a poor boy at heart!
Violet has had to raise her son by herself, since her parents disapprove of everything about her

These two need each other more than they can admit, when one is weak the other is strong.
I absolutely loved this book as I have loved this entire series !

Thank you , to this amazing author , Tess Thompson for such a magical place like Cliffside Bay and for characters that I love to see
grow and evolve with every book ! Every book is like one big family reunion!
Profile Image for Rhonda Sedgwick.
28 reviews2 followers
August 28, 2018
This book covers ALL of the emotions. Be prepared to FEEL!
Two Thumbs Up
Profile Image for Becky Wise.
2,835 reviews57 followers
August 29, 2018
Marred is a fantastic read. I loved this one. Kyle and Violet have this hateish relationship. They seem to only put up with each other when their friends throw them together. But with hate there is a fine line of love. Kyle may have had a bit of a surprise land on his door step but he amazed me with how he stepped up. I love that we finally get more of Kyle and his background. You feel for him and how he become the man he comes off as. As for Violet you just want to hug and squeeze her. She is an amazing single mom and I love how she comes to Kyles rescue even when she didn't have to. Watching their relationship grow slowly is amazingly beautiful. We get the whole gang rallying around them in this one. A few surprises and many mended fences along the way. Seriously this series as a whole is amazing. I can't wait for more.
Profile Image for Stephanie (Littlebookpage).
153 reviews16 followers
September 27, 2018
Marred by Tess Thompson returns us to the quiet town of Cliffside Bay back into the lives of some very lovable characters. Kyle and Violet have been at odds since they met. He's a real estate developer adding a resort hotel to her small quaint hometown. She's an environmentalist and single mom who wants nothing to do with him or his big city ways until a newborn is left at his door and he desperately needs her help. Learning to love each other and let go of the scars they both carry from their past gives this book true heart. Marred is the fourth book in the Cliffside Bay Series, but by far my favorite. Light easy banter between Kyle and Violet makes their romance so much more fun. Being able to revisit so thoroughly with all the charming characters is one of the best parts of this series!
Profile Image for Denise Marie.
Author 1 book25 followers
September 2, 2018
A wonderful feel-good story that will take you through its pages of how two families, from different sides of the tracks come together through similar past experiences of hurt, neglect, and survival.

As our two main characters, Kyle and Violet strive to grow away from the grips of childhood tragedy and young adulthood disappointments and towards a life of consistency, healing and the search for family values (with the support of a VERY close-knit group of friends) they find themselves and their past haunting situations thrown together by circumstance.....

This story will grab you from the start until the very last punctuation mark of its final page.

It will infuriate, it will pull at the heart strings.
It will stomp at you AND hug you. You will feel it all.....but most importantly, you'll feel how truly vulnerable and fragile people can be, but brought together when the stars align, how powerfully love and understanding can win over any situation.

It is written beautifully; flowing seamlessly as two worlds are brought together for these individuals that deserve so much more than life has handed them. The characters, so believable and the description of a place called Cliffside Bay, so well thought out that you'll feel as if you're home.

I thank #TessThompson for her writing, her story of #Marred, and her ability to capture the reader. It's a true winner!

ARC
Profile Image for Melissa.
939 reviews
September 6, 2018

This is Book #4 in The Cliffside Bay Series. I love going back to this town and this group of friends, The Dogs. Close knit group of friends, who would do anything for one another.

Awww. Violet is the perfect half for Kyle. She sees things that he doesn’t. She fills those gaps he needs her to. I know what Maggie and Brody went through-losing the ability to work. Voilet's so called father is a piece of work. The nerve of that man!! Question: Who was that Mel/Melissa? Enemy I am thinking?

I really hope there are more books in this series. I have more unanswered questions, but do not want to spoil it for anyone.


☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa
Profile Image for Laila Nelke.
370 reviews2 followers
September 22, 2019
I could live in the Cliffside Bay for real! Another heartwarming and heart touching story. And again, it hits home unexpectedly in so many ways even if not exactly the same way the characters go through. I absolutely loved Kyle and Violet's journey. Selfdestruction and insecureties because of childhood traumas, finding your strength and love and your true self.
Love how Tess Thompson always adds some magical touch of fate in these stories.
Love the best friendships between all those fantastic characters throughout this series. Can't get enough of it! Straight to the next installment because I'm lucky to have it already!
298 reviews8 followers
September 25, 2018
Opposites can and do attract! Kyle and Violet’s story is about learning the opposite of irritation is attraction and intrigue. There is always more to a person that what is presented to the world. Two people learn that they are both hiding the pain of their childhood and even though they seem worlds apart they really are similar. Kyle is trying to overcome the stigma of being bullied as a child and the consequences as he grew up while Violet is trying to overcome the feeling of never being good enough for her father, the pastor.
Can they help each other to accept and love themselves and each other?
Tess Thompson does not disappoint!
Profile Image for Becky Dodson.
261 reviews5 followers
September 4, 2018
I love this series! I'm emotionally invested in these characters, I look forward to each book and am impatiently waiting for the next book in the series! I've wanted to read Kyle and Violets book since I met them in the first book. Kyle had a very hard childhood that has made him the rich playboy that he is until he gets a life changing surprise! Violet didn't have a very good childhood either but for completely different reasons then Kyle's, her father is emotionally abusive and cut her out of her parents life when she became an unwed mother. I finally got the answers to the questions I had concerning these 2 lonely people who finally see each other in a completely different light. Dislike turned to like, respect turned to caring and caring turned to love! Such a great story!!!
Profile Image for Delbora.
1,459 reviews6 followers
July 8, 2022
Finally Secrets Revealed

We're finally honored with Kyle's secrets. Always knew he had some. Violet and he felt sparks from first meeting but their core beliefs put a bend in the relationship. I love this couple!
Profile Image for Sharon.
1,955 reviews26 followers
September 6, 2018
I am absolutely loving this series by Tess!
Follow playboy Kyle's story, as one night results in a surprise he can't and won't ignore! He needs help and has to go to his arch nemesis, Violet for help!
Watch as they navigate their sticky situation, as Violet see's a different side of Kyle, and he learns more about Violet that explains why she is the way she is!
Beautifully written, like I said I absolutely love this series! 5 stars!
Profile Image for Barb McDaniel.
63 reviews10 followers
September 1, 2018
I absolutely LOVE the Cliffside Bay series written by Tess Thompson!!! As I finish reading each book in this wonderful series I say to myself, “It can’t get any better than this. This book is my new favorite,” but Tess Thompson pleasantly surprises me with each new book she releases. This morning, I just finished reading, Marred, Kyle and Violet, and I am blown away….another new favorite! This book is her best yet as Tess Thompson draws you right into the characters’ lives. As I am reading her books, I feel as if I am living in Cliffside Bay alongside each individual watching, feeling, empathizing, dreaming and remembering with them. Thank you, Tess Thompson, for providing me the opportunity to be a part of an amazing adventure in your novels. They make me feel so lucky to be part of the Cliffside Bay ‘family of friends’! I can’t wait to read my next favorite novel in this series!
Profile Image for Christie Sitterly.
259 reviews13 followers
September 6, 2018
It was love at first sight for me with author, Tess Thompson's, carefully crafted main character, Kyle. Thompson continues to entertain the reader with her latest Cliffside Bay novel. These characters never get old and feel like old friends. Kyle and Violet's story is one of hope and having faith to overcome past hurts and tragedies. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
427 reviews6 followers
August 27, 2018
Tess Thompson has written another heartwarming story. This is the 4th installment in her Cliffside Bay Series, and while you will enjoy hearing about previous couples in this book if you’ve read the first three, even if you start here, I think you’ll love Kyle & Violet’s story! But be prepared, because you’ll want to go back & read the first three! This is an “enemies to friends to lovers story”, as rich real estate developer Kyle and struggling single mom & environmentalist Violet end up both needing & relying on each other when Kyle finds himself with a newborn he knew nothing about and Violet finds herself needing a job & a place to live. Becoming a live-in nanny for Kyle & Molly seems like the best solution for everyone. Both their back stories & their current situation are brought to life beautifully in Tess’s writing. You will laugh, cry, and hope like heck this little makeshift family will realize what all their friends seem to know - they are surprisingly perfect together!
Profile Image for Emily Utsch.
588 reviews5 followers
August 30, 2018
I have been waiting for this book forever! I have been intrigued by Kyle since the first book in the series. Make no mistake, this book can be read as a stand alone. However, you just get so many more feels if you have read the other books in the series. Especially with the secondary characters.
This book made me cry literal tears, in happiness and sadness. The writing just moved me that much. I am just so thrilled that Kyle and Violet each got their HEA. The storyline was amazing, I just loved the development of the characters and the romance. We also got an introduction to some new characters and a hint at what the next romance/book will be in the series. I can't wait!
Profile Image for Kathy.
136 reviews4 followers
August 30, 2018
Marred: Kyle and Violet is Tess Thompson’s 4th book in the Cliffside Bay series. It is such a perfect story. If you read this series, each book feels like returning home. You find your friends are still there in the story waiting to support each other and to draw you to their close-knit town. You will experience many emotions as you swim through the pages. I felt anger, downright dislike, happiness, joy and contentment as the characters bloomed in my mind. I honestly can’t wait until the next book in the Cliffside Bay series so I can return home once again through the words of Tess Thompson. I highly recommend this book as well as the whole series. You won’t be disappointed!
Profile Image for Alissa.
110 reviews12 followers
September 27, 2018
Another fabulous story from Tess Thompson and “The Dogs”. I really enjoyed Kyle & Violet’s story, and again it’s a sweet, fairly clean romance. Best of all, you get more story from the other couples, too. I still think Traded is my favorite, but this ones great too!
Profile Image for Shannon.
438 reviews13 followers
August 27, 2018
At the beginning of the day, one thing was certain, there was no love lost between Kyle and Violet. The contempt between the two was thick. Kyle Hicks was a man of wealth and ambition, and Violet Ellis was a single mother with convictions towards saving the environment.

With neither willing to bend on their convictions, anything beyond fren-emy status is not likely. But a shocking twist of fate forces the unlikely duo to look past their convictions and see each other in a whole new light. There's more to Kyle Hicks than good looks and women, and Violet has secrets of her own.

Each installment of the Cliffside Bay series is more addicting than the last...you won't want to put this book down.
42 reviews1 follower
August 25, 2018
I read until my eyes grew weary and my brain said "it's best to save the last half until morning.". So like my other half of dinner, it was tucked away to fill another day. And it did. .....right after my brain woke me at 5am. Each book in this series is vividly bought to life with the amazing talent of arranging words that exude the heart of each character's pain, acceptance of the past and healing with love. Each new book highlights the brotherhood shared by the Dogs, their blended understanding of each life that came together in their college years. Made stronger by the introduction of the women who would show the men how love can change their life and make them whole. I loved this book for the depth of pain it healed in that lit!tle boy bullied harshly in his young life. Beautifully done, Tess, wonderfully mending of the marred to make them whole. Beautifully done.
62 reviews2 followers
August 26, 2018
I have been a Tess Thompson fan since I read River Valley, the first of the Riversong series. I have love watching her grow as a writer.

The Cliffside Bay series offers all the things I want to read about in a book. There is of course romance, but more than that there is the struggle to overcome adversity and become a better person. There is friendship that goes beyond to family. There is a wonderful setting that anyone that has ever lived in a small town can understand and enjoy and crave.

This is Kyle and Violet's story, and it is the best one yet. I started it at 10 p.m. and put it down when I was finished at 1 a.m. this morning. It made me weep, it made me smile and it made me sigh with the sweetness of the story.

I can't wait for the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Michaela Dren.
88 reviews1 follower
November 19, 2018
Where do I even begin... I LOVED this book! You can't help but feel every emotion for Kyle and Violet. I was happy for them, sad, angry but mostly in love. This story takes two people who the world has dealt some awful cards and they manage to find each other and come out on the other side in such a wonderful way. So beautifully written by the amazing Tess Thompson. If you haven't already, this book will make you want to delve into the wonderful world of Cliffside Bay. I'm still feeling the loss from finishing this book. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Mary.
710 reviews
August 29, 2018
Well, every book in this series makes me think "This couple is my favorite". LOL. I love Violet, a bohemian tree hugger who wants to save the world. I have to admit, I was very surprised at Kyle's story, and his amazing transformation. This story was fresh, contemporary, and emotional. Thompson is a fabulous writer, her attention to detail and character development are superb. This is a wonderful addition to the Cliffside Bay series. A definite must read!
Profile Image for Pat Welte.
812 reviews7 followers
September 1, 2018
Once again Ms. Tompson has shown her skills at storytelling. This is a beautiful story of people finding love in their lives, when they aren't expecting it. Well done.
Profile Image for Kelly.
514 reviews
August 24, 2018
Thank you to the author & publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of the next book in the Cliffside Bay Series. Each new book becomes my favorite in the series as it is better than the last. I am in awe of the author and the heartwarming, truly beautiful stories she can put together. I feel invested in each and every character and every story line. Anxiously awaiting each new book because I know that it will be exceptional. I have never once been disappointed by this author. She makes me laugh and she also makes me cry. If an author can make you wish for her characters to be your friends or family, they are doing their job and doing it well. I read this book in a matter of hours today. I knew once I started I would not want to put it down. Always a pleasure to read a fabulous book, thank you Tess Thompson for consistently providing that for your many fans.
Profile Image for Alysia Broussard .
33 reviews
August 27, 2018
This is the 4th story in cliffside bay series. And man it has you all up in your feelings. The way Tess strips away Kyle and violets layers is amazing. I love how it shows that sometimes the best family you can ever have aren’t related to you by blood. The love and support that this group of friends have is heartwarming! I’m definitely wanting to find out about the next family member that falls in love!!!
Profile Image for Jaime.
511 reviews36 followers
September 25, 2018
Every time I read another book in this series, the more I fall in love with the characters, the settings, the stories, and Tess Thompson. Kyle and Violet’s story is beautiful, and the way they overcome their own tragedies and backgrounds to find love makes me have hope for the future.

I can’t wait to read more!
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