Daly English is a lonely artist trying to get her life in order. Unfortunately her personal life and her art are both suffering as she tries to pick herself up after a breakup. Her relationship with her mother has been tense ever since her dad died and Daly can barely stand to be around her. When her mom befriends Meghann, a teenager who is pregnant, Daly feels pricks of jealousy. It pains her to see their easy conversations and their comfortable way with each other. Luckily, it isn’t long before Daly and Meghann strike up a friendship. Even though they are in different places in their lives, they are able to relate to one another and help each other through some difficult times. When Daly meets Kashi, an Indian pharmacist, she begins to feel a connection to him like nothing else she has ever experienced. Their love grows fast and they plan a trip to India together so that Kashi can see his family and Daly can meet the people who mean so much to the man of her dreams. Will his family accept her even though she is not Indian? Is it possible for Daly and her mom to ever repair their broken relationship? What will happen when events take a turn that Daly could never have predicted? Read this book to find out how everything turns out!

Torn Together was a roller coaster of a read. There were parts of Daly that I could easily relate to, like her passion for her creative outlet. Anyone that has struggled with a relationship with one of their parents will be able to see parts of themselves in the relationship between Daly and her mom. Meghann is a character that I thought brought a lot of happiness to the story and her spirit brightened the moods of the other characters whenever she was around. Kashi and Daly have a love that grows fast and it isn’t long before he asks her to travel to India with him. Although it felt a little soon for them to take such a big trip together, I did enjoy reading about India. I have never been to India, yet the description of the setting made me feel like I was there. There were times when I wanted Kashi and Daly to be stronger, but they each had their own path to take in order to realize what was important to them. The author did an excellent job taking me by surprise in the last part of the book. I wasn’t sure what to expect of Torn Together, but it was a book about loss, love, and overcoming obstacles in our lives. A book that lets us see the way people deal with life in their own way and at their own pace.
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I admit that I do not like comparing authors against each other. Authors have their own style and no one will ever write like someone else. Yes, there may be similarities. However, comparing authors against each other is like a parent comparing siblings. Everyone is different no matter what. I emailed the author earlier this week and told her I do not know if I could write a review for this book. I finished this book and immediately sent her an email. She replied and wanted to know why. My response, I will review it but it is just simply amazing. It was better than any Danielle Steele book I have ever read.

Yes, I know I compared this new, up and coming author to Danielle Steele, something I hate doing. Yet, while reading this book it had me on an emotional roller coaster. I rejoiced with Daly when she conquered something. I cried when everything feel apart. I did not know which way to turn. At the end, it all came together and I cried more.

To me this book is more than just about two people meeting and falling in love. It is about overcoming demons from the past. Learning to live with your mistakes and learning from the mistakes. Learning to pick yourself up from the pit you have fallen into moving forward, to stop looking back.

While reading this book I really did not like Laine. Yes, she is a parent and only wants the best for her child. Yet, she is like so many parents pushing the child to do what they want and not what the child wants. Even with Laine, being a social worker readers would think that she would not be one of those parents that drives her child away. However, the relationship that Laine and Daly have creates a realistic feel. It shows that even in fiction parents are not perfect. However, if readers will remember that Laine never overcame her grief from losing her husband. She retreated into her own world and almost forgot about Daly.

Not surprising Daly took Laine’s actions as a sign of dislike. As any child that has gone through where the parent project the hurt, anger, abuse toward the child. The child starts to believe that the parent does not like them. The child believes that there is something wrong with them. Sadly, the child learns not to trust anyone. They learn that everyone will let them down.
I connected with Daly in this book. I cried with her, I rejoiced when she overcame a demon from her past, I rejoiced when she learned to trust again. Then I cried again, when she lost it all. Whether I connected because I knew about the pain Daly suffered personally, or because it was such a great book. I believe it was both. Yes, I know the pain Daly suffered. Yet, the author created a work of art.

I hope my review has done justice to this amazing book.

Thanks for an amazing read Emlyn.

The bunnies and I give this book 5 carrots.
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Emotional and obviously deeply personal, Torn Together is in the true tradition of sharing a young woman's journey to overcome her past and to find a future for herself that is uniquely hers. Ms. Chand does a lot right in this story. There is brilliant writing with turns of phrase and description that perfectly match the themes and moods in several scenes. Each character in the book is important to Daly's journey, with Kashi and Meghann taking on the largest roles of mentor and best friend.

For me, there were some missteps as well which made it more difficult to keep engaged, particularly in the first third of the book. I was frustrated with the feeling that there were missed opportunities to work significantly more of the relationships into this story. The roles of Daly's mother and of Daly's best friend, Meghann, were often told in reflection instead of experienced in real time. I felt that too often the scenes were cut short when they could have gone to one level higher of emotion and exploration, almost as if it was too painful for the author to go there herself.

The relationship with Kashi, on the other hand, was handled deftly and I truly believed the emotion and caring there even when Kashi sometimes seemed too ethereal to be real. In particular, when Daly goes to India to meet his family, in the descriptions of India the author captured the sights, sounds, smells and tastes very well and matched them to the ebb and flow of the relationship almost seamlessly. From the trip to India to the end I was completely engaged.

So my advice to you is to stick with the story past the beginning. I promise it gets better and better until the emotions will tear the insides of your heart from you, scatter it into a thousand pieces, and then push the chaos back into you to sort out in the end. The ending is difficult, but it is the only ending for this type of story and, for me, ultimately uplifting. I knew that Daly had finally matured and found her true self. I knew that Daly would walk her unique path and share it without
restraint.

I was provided this book as part of a virtual book tour in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Daly English is a lonely art student when she meets Kashi, a pharmacist from India. Since her father's death ten years earlier, she and her mother have withdrawn into their grief and lost the ability to connect with one another. When Kashi enters her life, he brings the love and understanding Daly has needed for so long. Live, however, does not always turn out the way we think it will.



Torn Together is a wonderful YA novel about relationships, both familial and romantic. For me, the story of Daly and Laine is the more compelling of the two. Mother/daughter relationships are very complex, even at the best of times. Watching them learn to reconnect and support one another is inspiring.

The only negative comment I would make is that a few times the author switched abruptly from the third person narrative to first person. It only happened a few times and only lasted for a sentence or two each time, but it threw off the narrative for me temporarily each time that it happened.



4 stars



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Reading Addiction Blog Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. ( )

Torn Together is a poignant story about the complexities of relationships and learning to cope with loss, being able to trust, experiencing love that is lost and found, dealing with societal issues and embracing new beginnings.

For Daly and Laine English, the death of their father and husband to cancer ten years ago had a devastating effect on both of them, for each dealt with the loss in a solitary way that pushed their relationship to the limit. Daly was only twelve years old when her father passed away, he was her world, the only one who believed in her dream of becoming an artist. Now ten years later at the age of twenty-two, all that she has left is a journal of memories and the dream to attend art school. Laine struggles with her husband's death and widowhood by retreating into the world of books while pushing Daly away and focusing on her duties as a social worker / counselor at a local crisis pregnancy center. What neither had was an open and warm mother-daughter relationship that they could cling to, embrace and help them move forward.

When Daly catches Rick her boyfriend of two years cheating on her, Daly's world is turned upside down. But destiny intervenes and brings two people into Daly's life who will unexpectedly change the way Daly views her life and the world around her, and repair the torn relationship that she has with Laine. When Daly meets Akash "Kashi" Malhotra, he teaches her to open herself up and enjoy life. Their romance will take them on a journey to his homeland of India, where societal contrast of culture and traditions are tested. Laine introduces Daly to Meghann, a pregnant teenager that she counsels at the crisis center. Laine's hope is that Daly will be a positive role model for the young mother-to-be, when in fact it is Meghann that shows both Laine and Daly how to cope with adversity with strength, grace and faith. For what can be torn apart can ultimately be put back together.

Torn Together is a beautifully written story combining romance with the complexities of relationships and life experiences. Written in a thoughtful style, the author weaves an emotional tale in the third person narrative that engages the reader to follow the mother-daughter story of Daly and Laine, along with Kashi and Meghann who would help to change their lives. Author Emlyn Chand takes the readers on an emotional roller coaster ride, you can't help but feel the gamut of emotions as the story unfolds, this is a powerful story filled with hope yet has a bittersweet poignancy that will simply touch your heart and soul.

Rich in detail and vivid descriptions, the author transports the reader to the mystical country of India. With wonderful descriptions of the Indian culture and traditions, you could easily close your eyes and picture being among the people, sights and sounds of that country. The author also provides wonderful illustrations and a snippet from Daly's journal entry at the beginning of each chapter.

The author's strength lies in her ability to create a cast of characters who are realistic, easy to embrace and relate to. I loved the complexity that makes up both Daly and Laine's personalities. I was fascinated with their troubled relationship, you can't help but get caught up in their struggles and feelings, their dialogue and interactions are palpable. The addition of Meghann into their relationship was priceless. This young girl who has a soul older than her years teaches the mother and daughter how to cope with adversity and learn to trust through strength, grace and faith, in order to heal and rebuild their relationship. I would be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite character, Kashi. This thoughtful young man simply stole my heart with his positive attitude and easy going demeanor. He brings out the best in Daly, their romance was like a breath of fresh air, he teaches her to embrace the moment and believe in destiny even when a twist of fate could bring a bittersweet change to their lives.

Torn Together is so much more than a love story, it is a powerful and compelling story of relationships and life experiences that will resonate with you long after the last words have been read. Author Emlyn Chand has branched out from writing YA fiction with this wonderfully inspiring Women's Fiction, I hope that she will consider writing more novels in this genre.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Reading Addiction Blog Tours.

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