A gritty, angsty, friends-to-lovers standalone romance from USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis.A childhood promise. An unbreakable bond. One tragic event that shatters everything.It all started with the boys next door… were invincible, inseparable, that nothing or no one could come between us.
But we were wrong.
Everything turned to crap our senior year of high school.
Devin was turning into a clone of his deadbeat lowlife father—fighting, getting wasted, and screwing his way through every girl in town. I’d been hiding a secret crush on him for years. Afraid to tell him how I felt in case I ruined everything. So, I kept quiet and slowly watched him self-destruct with a constant ache in my heart.
Where Devin was all brooding darkness, Ayden was the shining light. Our star quarterback with the bright future whom everyone loved. But something wasn’t right. He was so guarded, and he wouldn’t let me in.
When Devin publicly shamed me, Ayden took my side, and our awesome-threesome bond was severed. The split was devastating. The heartbreak inevitable.
Ayden and I moved on with our lives, but the pain never lessened, and Devin was never far from our thoughts.
Until it all came to a head in college, and one eventful night changed everything.
Now, I’ve lost the two people who matter more to me than life itself. Nothing will ever be the same again.
A standalone new adult contemporary romance with a happy ending. Only suitable for readers aged eighteen and older due to mature content and possible triggers.
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HOLY SHIT!! I can’t even process half of what I just read. I was skeptical going into this because there was no actual “trigger warnings” just a note that there were trigger warnings, but she didn’t want to spoil the story. While I was okay with that I won’t lie and say this wasn’t a tough book because it was.
There were several times through this book where I felt like my heart was literally ripped out of my chest. Siobhan Davis told a story unlike one I have ever read, and I am not sure if this one just a onetime thing with her or if that is how she writes but I can’t wait to read more of her books.
That is all I am going to say because it was such a beautiful story that I don’t want to give anything away. There are plenty of other reviews out there where you can read the breakdown of the story, but I won’t give that to you. What I will say is this story is exceptionally written, heartbreaking, angsty and sheer perfection.
*P.S. Please be cautious of the trigger warnings because while I was OK with it some of you might not be. Just be cautious loves.*
Where has this author been hiding herself, probably not exactly hiding but finally coming into my line of sight. This book had me from the very first chapter. I had no idea that it grab a hold so tightly and not let go. Behind every plot twist the more I fell in love with this authors writing. She kept me guessing at every turn and part 3 was so worth the wait. I can’t wait to open another one of your books.
Siobahn Davis is one of my favorite authors but this book destroyed me. It was a riveting story with excellent characters but part of me will never forgive her for writing it because this book hurt me. I adored Condemned to Love and the Rydeville Elite series, but she broke my heart with Inseparable. Rydeville Elite was relentlessly cruel to the characters and while I felt for them, it didn’t have such drastic effects as Inseparable, maybe because it was too wild to be real. In contrast, this story was all too real. I haven’t picked up another book since finishing it because I’m still trying to come to terms with this story.
It’s a testament to Davis’ mad skills that I could feel so strongly about these characters so I’m seriously impressed but still upset. If I want to be sad, I’ll read the news or watch one of those commercials with the Sarah McLachlan songs playing over video of abused dogs. I don’t want to be sad, which is why I’ve never seen Bambi or read Marley & Me. My style is more Happy Gilmore and Helena Hunting.
This book has a HEA ending which usually means it’s safe but the middle crushed me and despite being pleased with the ending, I still wish the middle didn’t happen. Every time I thought it couldn’t get worse, it. Got. Worse. To be fair though, I couldn’t put it down and read the entire thing in less than a day. This one’s addictive. It moved me and shocked me and made my emotions go wild. It’s worth mentioning that the last book to make me emotional was Jackson, which is also by Davis.
This is the story of three lifelong friends who’ve grown up as neighbors: Angelina, Devin and Ayden. Things start to get complicated when they’re teenagers and what was once the perfect friendship ends in heartbreak for all three, but probably not the way you’re expecting. It’s part love triangle, part friends to lovers, part enemies to lovers. There’s so much happening and so many layers to this story, but I can’t get into any of that without spoiling everything. I was sure I knew where this story was going at first and while I was right about a few things, the game change about halfway through will make your head spin then she tosses in another one at the end for good measure and I never saw either one coming.
This is told mostly from Angelina’s POV and a bit from Devin’s also. That works perfectly because the story wouldn’t be as strong with just a single POV. I don’t recall anything taking place from Ayden’s POV but this book wound me up so much I honestly could be overlooking it, although I don’t think so. Usually I’d object to a book not giving enough weight to a main character’s POV but in this case, it was the right move because nobody ever knows what Ayden’s thinking and that drives a lot of the action.
There were times early on when I got so frustrated with the characters and had to remind myself they’re in high school. Of course, they’ll be shallow and self-centered and shortsighted because we all are at that age. I loved Angelina initially, despite her faults, but I got really angry with her in the middle and couldn’t move past it completely. The irony is, she carries immense guilt but she’s mad at herself for entirely the wrong reasons. Devin was my favorite of the three from the start. Despite his faults, he was charming and went to great lengths to protect the people he loves. His backstory is even worse than I suspected so I adored him even more.
Ayden was an enigma. He was the good boy to Devin’s bad boy, pulling excellent grades and a full ride football scholarship while Devin was drowning at the bottom of a liquor bottle and too busy chasing tail to go to school most days. Ayden seemed perfect on the surface but he had his own demons and he allowed them to take over. Angelina has been in love with Devin her entire life, until he not only rejects her but publicly humiliates her. His behavior isolates him from Angelina and Ayden, who later start dating. Things seem perfect at first but the new roles soon destroys their relationship.
By the time Angelina starts college the following year, the friendship has fractured, possibly irreparably. Things begin to improve when she mends fences with one of the guys, but the other goes nuclear and nothing will ever be the same. This was the first time I didn’t think it could get any worse, but then Angelina does the unthinkable and it was almost like reading a completely different story. I couldn’t have been more shocked and disappointed if aliens had invaded, I swear. This was so out of left field and I understand why she did it and even concede that she did it extremely well but I don’t like it at all.
This is when I began to hate Angelina but as things gradually improve, I started to hate Ayden even more. It’s a long, sad trip but once everyone’s secrets and truths come to light, it’s a whole different ballgame. They’ve suffered so much and while they made awful decisions that hurt everyone, they were kids and they were falling apart. Ultimately, they’re all absolved because they punished themselves more than anyone else ever could, but I still can’t entirely forgive them. The ending had two more twists that I never saw coming, one smallish and one huge so I was impressed.
While I concede this is a HEA ending, I’d qualify it by specifying that it was the happiest possible ending under the circumstances but I wish things had been different. This is an absolutely epic story of love and life and loss and redemption but be prepared for this book to break your heart.
What a gut punch! This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. Sure, there was love and romance, but far more drama and angst. And plenty of tears. I can’t really say that I completely liked any of the main characters, but the story was one that I couldn’t put down. The subject matter is very heavy and somewhat triggering for me. Still, it was a compelling read, even if it did leave me somewhat wrecked.
I read a lot of mixed reviews so I was super excited with how much I enjoyed this book!
It starts out based in senior year of high school around a girl and two guys who have been best friends since they were children. Because it’s high school aged, there’s the normal high school angst and drama that is testing the limits of their friendship. The love of their friendship has knows no bounds.
There’s so much lust, betrayal and heartbreak. The book extends to freshmen year of college and follows the main characters throughout their lives.
Fair warning, grab the tissues. I rarely cry from books, but this was one that did it for me.
Wow!! What can I say?! This story was amazing and had everything that a great story should have. It was incredibly emotional, heartbreaking, passionate, and well-told. The love triangle between Ayden, Angelina, and Devin was so well done. There were moments of jealousy, angst, and the final few chapters were seriously gut-wrenching! Siobhan is one of the best with writing realistic, emotional stories and this was no exception. Highly recommend!!
This book was amazing! It was multi-layered and complex and kept ke guessing what was going to happen. The characters were well developed. The plot was fast paced and punched me in the gut several times. This was my first book by Siobhan Davis and I have got to read them all now!
Ugh, I can’t even begin to describe how amazing and heartbreaking this book is! It may contain triggers for some, but this is definitely worth the read.
Angelina, Devin, and Ayden–this trio definitely went through some of the roughest paths one could take. The friendship was out of this world, but they unknowingly let so much get in their way. At the end it cost them way too much. Sad how it all happened and the outcome to some of it. At least there was some light at the end of their dark tunnel.
This book will have your emotions all over the place. The ending will tear at you, but its a journey you won’t regret taking. There are some strong triggers in this book, so proceed with caution. But I do not regret a single second spent on this book. I wish things would have turned out differently for all of them, but at least there was a happy ending in there. This will be one of those books that just sticks with you throughout time. I am glad I was able to read it.
There are books you read, there are books you enjoy, then there are books that rip you open and hit soul deep. Inseparable is one of those soul deep books. This was the first book to ever make me cry real tears and started my journey with Siobhan’s books. It will always hold a piece of my heart and is one of my most recommended. I have devoured every book she has written since because no one can pull emotion from me like Siobhan can! I think everyone should read this book!
I don’t want to sound like a cliche, but I have now experienced the heart stopping, hard to breath, chest aching reading experience I’ve read about on other reviews for books by this amazing author. I literally cried, laughed, swooned and then did it all again throughout the entire book. My chest aches from the emotional ride, but it was so worth it! I couldn’t put it down. Don’t miss out on this amazing story.
Oh my poor shattered heart!! This book broke out the ugly cries and tore me up in a way I wasn’t sure I would recover from!! Incredibly tragic, all emotions bottled up in one fantastically well written tale, it moved me, heart, body, and soul. Grab your tissues for this one, you’ll need them!!!
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
A story about the life and loves of three best friends, from childhood to adulthood Angelina, Devin and Ayden were neighbours and ‘family’ to each other – I love how this book took us through the years and boy what a journey it was!
Again, Siobhan manages to write in such a way you feel every emotion – I laughed, got angry and ugly cried reading this and I cannot recommend it enough
Holy Moly!!! What a fantastic heart wrenching story!!
My first Siobhan Davis but by no means will it be my last. This story was sweet…at first. Childhood friends — to stay that way for infinity. As they get older, things begin to get in the way…people…actions…feelings. Devin, Ayden and Angelina don’t believe anything could ever come between them but sometimes, too many secrets spoil everything. There is so much tragedy in the story…some which made me just catch my breath in pain. Siobhan writes with such emotion that you can truly feel the pain that they each must be going through…for different reasons. Can they move past the guilt, the secrets and the pain to find their happily ever after?
Be sure to have a box of tissues with you while reading heart wrenching series. There are lots of ups and downs. You’ll definitely be feeling all the emotions in this one. You’ll feel the love, the hurt, and the longing. Siobhan Davis never disappoints in giving her readers binge worthy stories. This is definitely another amazing 5 star novel of hers!
ARC…
ALERT!!!!! THIS OPINION CONTAINS TOO MANY SPOILERS !!!!
I think it’s a beautiful story, with chapters that do not let you rest, because one after another are loaded with vivid drama.
What I did not like was the following:
*****IT IS VERY PREDICTABLE******
Beyond the fact that the protagonists used the word “Love” at their ease, I knew from the first (and if I remember correctly, only) that Ayden spoke, that he was what he was. It was known, it was not so complicated to guess.
I practically knew the end. I knew that Ayden would appear again in some form or another, that he himself would clarify things. Was expected.
I said to myself: “Surely they have a son and they put him by name, Ayden.” So it was. I also said to myself: “And for sure, if they have another child, that’s for sure it’s female, and they’ll surely put the name of Davin’s mother.” I was right about the gender, but not about the name because the girl was not born yet, they had not yet named her.
It seemed a little crazy to me that the author described the color of a newborn’s eyes, when it is well known that ALL newborns have gray eyes and then, little by little, as they grow older, that gray coat it vanishes, giving way to the true color of the eyes that the boy or girl will have. That in the story seemed a little out of place. I do not know with what intention it was written like that. The protaginistas after they become parents again, will not have noticed that detail? More than everything Davin. I wonder then, what did Davin think when he had his second son (Ayden)? He will have said to himself and asked, “Ah, the newborns do not have a defined eye color until after they grow up… So, why did Angie tell me that DJ had green eyes?” That is something that caused me strangeness, really.
It also seemed crazy to me that an active soldier has died and the funeral has not been done with the honors: shots in the air, a mourning hymn, marines in their military gowns and the common ceremony that takes place with the flags. That was not placed in the story and it seemed to me that it was also completely out of place too. Not the fact that they dressed him as they dressed him: in civilian clothes, because I told myself that surely the deceased’s mother would not have wanted to be put on the regulation suit since she would have thought that the war was what made him caused the death of his son. Mmmm, I do not know… I found that strange it. In fact, I think it would have been quite interesting for Angie and Davin to feel the detonations in the air in honor of him.
The author forgot to mention in her final notes, the telephone contacts of aid associations for cases of abuse in the schools. Where are the contact numbers to report Bulling? It is very important not to forget that great detail as the protagonist suffers quite under these circumstances. It’s as if the subject was never touched anymore.
*****Points for and against*****
The death of that someone generated what it had to generate: an unfair extreme pain and I applaud that. However, when that part arrived, I must admit that I stopped reading for a whole day because I felt ultra annoyed. I did not cry (although I did feel pain, real pain) because I felt a lot of anger: from there the plot would change. In fact it changed so much, that indeed the third part of the story became another very different book.
The plot has strength and keeps you in suspense, it is very well told. But it seemed to me that the author should have put a little more coherence in some scenes and not hit the characters so much. That was rude. Although I guess it’s her brand. I have not read other of her books.
*****Plus point*****
Davin does something truly macabre to protect his girl. That seemed to me sensational and I could say that it is a very interesting point to tell. It gave me to understand how very vulnerable we can be all we can do for love.
ALERTA!!!!! ESTA OPINIÓN CONTIENE DEMASIADOS SPOILERS!!!!
Me parece una historia bellísima, con capítulos que no te dejan descansar, ya que uno tras otro están cargados de vívido drama.
Lo que no me gustó fue lo siguiente:
ES MUY PREDECIBLE:
Más allá de que los protagonistas usaran la palabra “Amor” a sus anchas, yo supe desde la primera (y si mal no recuerdo, única) vez que Ayden habló, que él era lo que era. Se sabía, no fue tan complicado adivinarlo.
Prácticamente supe el final. Sabía que Ayden aparecería de nuevo de alguna u otra forma, que él mismo aclararía las cosas. Era de esperarse.
Me dije a mí misma: “De seguro ellos llegan a tener un hijo varón y le colocan por nombre, Ayden”. Y así fue. También me dije a mí misma: “Y de seguro, si llegan a tener otro hijo, de seguro es hembra. Y seguramente le colocan el nombre de la mamá de Davin”. Acerté en lo del género, pero no en el nombre porque la niña aún no había nacido, aún no le habían colocado un nombre.
Me pareció un poco loco que la autora describiera el color de ojos de un recién nacido, cuando bien se sabe que TODOS los recién nacidos tienen los ojos color grises y que luego, poco a poco a medida que van creciendo, esa capa gris se va desvaneciendo, dando paso al verdadero color de los ojos que el niño o niña tendrá. Eso en la historia me pareció un poco fuera de lugar. No sé con qué intención fue escrita así. Los protaginistas luego de que se convierten en padres nuevamente, no se habrán percatado de ese detalle? Más que todo Davin. Me pregunto entonces, qué pensó Davin cuando tuvo su segundo hijo (Ayden)? Se habrá dicho a sí mismo y preguntado: “Ah, los recién nacidos no tienen un color de ojos definido hasta después de creciditos. Entonces por qué Angie me dijo que DJ los tenía verdes?” Eso es algo que me causó extrañeza, verdaderamente.
También me pareció de locura el hecho de que haya fallecido un militar activo y no le hayan hecho el funeral con los honores: disparos al aire, himno de duelo, marines con sus trajes de gala militar y la común ceremonia que se realiza con las banderas. Eso no fue colocado en la historia y me pareció que también estuvo fuera de lugar por completo. No el hecho de que lo hayan vestido como lo vistieron, de civil, porque me dije a mí misma que de seguro la madre del difunto no habrá querido que le colocaran el traje reglamentario ya que ella habrá pensado que la propia guerra fue lo que le causó la muerte a su hijo. No sé… Eso lo vi extraño. De hecho, pienso que hubiese sido bastante interesante para Angie y Davin sentir de lejos las detonaciones en el aire en honor de aquel.
A la autora se le olvidó mencionar en sus notas finales, los contactos telefónicos de asociaciones de ayuda para casos de Abuso en las Escuelas. Dónde están los números de contactos para denunciar el Bulling? Es muy importante no olvidar ese gran detalle ya que la protagonista sufre bastante bajo esas circunstancias. Es como si el tema no fuese tocado más nunca.
Puntos a favor y en contra:
La muerte de ese alguien generó lo que tenía que generar: un injusto dolor extremo y aplaudo eso. Sin embargo, cuando esa parte llegó, debo admitir que dejé de leer por un día entero porque me sentía ultra molesta. No lloré (aunque sí sentí pena y verdadero dolor) porque sentía mucha rabia: a partir de allí la trama cambiaría. De hecho cambió tanto, que efectivamente la tercera parte de la historia se convirtió en otro libro muy distinto.
La trama tiene fuerza y te mantiene en vilo, está muy bien narrada. Pero me pareció que la autora debió haberle puesto un poco más de coherencia a algunas escenas y no haber golpeado tanto a los personajes. Fue rudo eso. Aunque supongo que es su marca. No he leído otros de sus libros.
Punto a favor:
Davin hace algo verdaderamente macabro para proteger a su chica. Eso me pareció sensacional y podría decir que es un punto bastante interesante que contar. Me dio a entender lo muy vulnerables que podemos ser todo lo que podemos llegar a hacer por amor.
I almost read this book in one sitting! I had 30 pages to finish the next day! I’m a slow reader and that never happens! I couldn’t put this down! I laughed, I cried, I gasped, felt sick, and felt warm and fuzzy! This book has everything!! Beautifully written, great characters, phenomenal storylines! A must read!
Always an amazing read!
I received an advance complimentary copy of this book for free to give an honest review. This review contains only my own thoughts and opinions of this book. First and foremost, thank you Siobhan Davis for this opportunity and for an amazing journey through the pages!
Wow! Just wow! That’s all I can say after finishing reading this book. This story was a roller coaster of emotions and tears. So, warning to those who can’t handle darker plots and themes, because I don’t think I have cried this much in a long, long time. Davis really grabbed ahold of my heart with this beautiful, passionate and heartbreaking story. Even after finish reading, my heart is still broken just thinking about all the emotions, the events and what conspired. It feels like I myself lived it, was a part of it. Which is both an amazing experience and a curse.
I’m a sucker for romance and drama. Books that contains both is a goldmine for me. I felt almost from chapter one that this was my kind of book, with all the secrets, tension and chemistry between the main characters and an overall exciting plot. Davis does not spare a single page from her beautiful writing and storytelling. The plot and character really pulled me into the written world and I could almost not put the book down until I had read to the final word. I could really relate to the characters and their relationships, mainly because they were written so expertly realistic with unique personalities and flaws. Both the characters and the story developed perfectly with the tone of the book and just as in any person’s life there where drama, heartbreak, happy moments, sad moments, confusion … you name it. It felt like everything that happened might as well had happened to me. That’s how invested I became. I especially loved how one of a kind this story was. Maybe not the plot in it self, but all the unique personalities, hobbies and events really made it memorable and just amazing!
I was surprised of how dark the story suddenly became at one point. I had not expected that and it really came as a shock to me. That’s the negative part of investing myself so deeply in a story. When things go bad in the book it gets real hard for me, like it was happening to me personally. It turned into a huge sob fest and I don’t think I have hated and loved an author so much at the same time as now. Hate, because Davis is putting me as the reader through the same pain as the characters. And love, just for the fact that she can make me feel so strongly with the story and characters that I turn into a huge cry baby. And that to me is awe-inspiring. Only a really great writer can do that. What makes me the most awed is the message behind the book and how the author tries to reach out to help people in similar situations as the characters with the story. It actually really related to me who was put through a similar situation as a child. That was also probably why it became very personal to me as well.
I don’t believe in anything being completely perfect, but this book was close to it. Sure, there were things that could have been better. Things that could have been tweaked a bit. One thing that comes to mind for example is how much cheesy praise the dialogues were peppered with. Some is okay, but it became a bit too much at some points. It was almost repetitive. Another thing was how the main girl, Angelina, was described as beautiful, with an awesome figure and curves and could not gain weight however how much she ate (well, to summarize, described as perfect). While I’m all for breaking the stereotype that all women have small appetites, it is kind of unrealistic to make her so perfect physically. We all have some flaws physically and that’s fine, so why not make Angelina have one too? She would have been much more relatable then.
Overall, I felt like the things that bothered me and could have been worked on was so minor that they did not affect the book much. Honestly, this is one of the best books I’ve read this year, if not even the best. It 110 % deserves the highest rating it can get
This book gives you emotions on top of emotions. It hurt my heart so many times. I was so sad most of the time but the story was beautiful. So much tragedy and conflict. But well,worth the read!