At fifteen I fell in love. His name was Jake
Stephens and he took the abandoned, lonely girl I had been and made me whole.
His love was a pure and unconditional love that made every day better than the
last…a fairy tale of my
very own.
But this story isn’t about Jake. It’s about Abel Madden; the man I meet after the fairy tale goes to hell. A cocky, arrogant man who says what he wants, does as he pleases, and makes no excuses for it. He irritates me—downright pisses me off at times—but he also brings me back to life.
My name is Sidney Ellis and this is my story of finding love twice—the first when I needed it most and the second when I never saw it coming.
WOW! This book!
I don't even know how or where to start. I have A LOT to say, so please don't run away screaming while reading one of my rants. ☺ You should really read this book - no matter what I might say in my review!
First of all, what we have here are basically two or even more books. There's so much story here.
The first part takes up 20 to 25% of the book and I basically cried all through it! ☺
Let's start at the beginning. I'll try my best to not spoil too much.
This is the story of Sidney.
I don't even know how or where to start. I have A LOT to say, so please don't run away screaming while reading one of my rants. ☺ You should really read this book - no matter what I might say in my review!
First of all, what we have here are basically two or even more books. There's so much story here.
The first part takes up 20 to 25% of the book and I basically cried all through it! ☺
Let's start at the beginning. I'll try my best to not spoil too much.
This is the story of Sidney.
She
was left on the steps of a hospital when she was just a baby in 1987.
And after living in an okay group-home for ten years, she's finally
living with foster parents. Not really the best foster parents. They
only do it for the money, but at least they're not violent or
abusing.
At the Millers is where Sidney meets her very first real 'family'. Connor. He's a few years older and he's already been with the Millers for a while. He becomes her brother and best friend.
And while Sidney thrives once she's out of the group home and then also later once she's starting highschool, Connor can't deal with his sad life and sinks deeper and deeper into alcohol and drugs.
But Sidney has the time of her life at school. She meets her forever-ever-after-BFF Rylee and she meets the love of her life: Jake.
Jake is perfect. He loves her with all his heart. And his parents fall in love with Sidney too.
For the first time Sidney has a family. She's in love and she's being loved for the first time in her life.
She's over the moon happy, but her thoughts are with her brother a lot.
And one day, after being blissfully married to Jake for a few years, almost done with vet-school, her love for her brother ends the perfect little life she made for herself and Jake.
Fast forward to three years later.
Sidney is still not completely healed from everything that happened. But Rylee decides it's time for a change. So they up and move to Wyoming of all places, to take over the vet clinic in Sheridan.
Sidney agrees that it's probably time to start dating again. She's pretty sure she will never fall in love again and start a family. Even though those were always her biggest dreams.
But one day she sees this guy. This horribly attractive guy who is SO not her type.
He's got a full beard and a bun and rides a motorcycle. But she can't stop thinking about him.
And it's the same for Abel.
But he's SO not looking for something serious either. But they just can't resist each other.
But of course there some problems to overcome until our darling Sidney can finally find her forever-ever-after-happy.....
We have some criminal activity in town - murderous criminal activity.
Some very dangerous wild animals. Horses to fall off of. ☺
And of course we're afraid to get hurt again when this new love doesn't work out in whatever way.
What will happen with Sidney?
Will she find her forever-ever-after in Wyoming?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
And don't forget to keep a box of tissues handy!
At the Millers is where Sidney meets her very first real 'family'. Connor. He's a few years older and he's already been with the Millers for a while. He becomes her brother and best friend.
And while Sidney thrives once she's out of the group home and then also later once she's starting highschool, Connor can't deal with his sad life and sinks deeper and deeper into alcohol and drugs.
But Sidney has the time of her life at school. She meets her forever-ever-after-BFF Rylee and she meets the love of her life: Jake.
Jake is perfect. He loves her with all his heart. And his parents fall in love with Sidney too.
For the first time Sidney has a family. She's in love and she's being loved for the first time in her life.
She's over the moon happy, but her thoughts are with her brother a lot.
And one day, after being blissfully married to Jake for a few years, almost done with vet-school, her love for her brother ends the perfect little life she made for herself and Jake.
Fast forward to three years later.
Sidney is still not completely healed from everything that happened. But Rylee decides it's time for a change. So they up and move to Wyoming of all places, to take over the vet clinic in Sheridan.
Sidney agrees that it's probably time to start dating again. She's pretty sure she will never fall in love again and start a family. Even though those were always her biggest dreams.
But one day she sees this guy. This horribly attractive guy who is SO not her type.
He's got a full beard and a bun and rides a motorcycle. But she can't stop thinking about him.
And it's the same for Abel.
But he's SO not looking for something serious either. But they just can't resist each other.
But of course there some problems to overcome until our darling Sidney can finally find her forever-ever-after-happy.....
We have some criminal activity in town - murderous criminal activity.
Some very dangerous wild animals. Horses to fall off of. ☺
And of course we're afraid to get hurt again when this new love doesn't work out in whatever way.
What will happen with Sidney?
Will she find her forever-ever-after in Wyoming?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
And don't forget to keep a box of tissues handy!
I don't even know what to say about the book.
There were so many amazing moments and so many FEELS!
I loved it. I loved the whole book .... But it's like once the story with Jake is done after 20-something %, the story of Sidney is just this nice and cute and adventurous little romance. And that's not really a bad thing, but it's like all the feels and emotions and tears and greatness left with Jake.
I don't mean that the rest of the book is bad. It's not. Abel is an amazing guy and they're building an amazing lovestory together. It's all very sexy and exciting and funny and adorable. But it's so unfair to Abel that we met Jake first. That Jake had such a huge impact on Sidney, on us and that he took up that much space in the book. I don't know what could've or should've been done differently by the author. I don't want to say that she should've left out Jake, or only made him a little part of it - maybe only 7% of the book. But that would've been better. We're so shattered and empty after Jake, just like Sidney. But Sidney had three years to heal, and we don't get that.
I didn't really like the way the book was written. The Jake part needs to be smaller. It's unfair to Abel and to the reader. And maybe Jake should've gotten a tiny little bad thing about him. So that we would be sure to love Abel more. But Jake was perfect. Young, but perfect. That's maybe the only 'bad' thing about him. That he was her first try at a real life, her first love. And now Abel is here to make it all better and right.
Ugh, I don't want to ruin this book for you, but it's just weird. It should've been more books than one.
Also the many people we meet in Wyoming. Carly and all the guy friends of Abel. There are at least 2 more romance novels that could be written for those. We hear too much about them in this book. We don't really care all that much about all that stuff. It's all so very far from Jake and the first part of the book, I felt as if it was a completely different book once we're in Wyoming.
BUT - aside from all my complaining about it, the book was really great.
The beginning, young Sidney and how she dealt with being an orphan and how happy she was once she met Rylee and Jake. It was just the most adorable thing. I cried so much in those first 20%. I started crying in the first chapter and never stopped until we got to Wyoming.
Once we're there the Abel story starts. And he's amazing. So effing hot on his bike and with all the hair. And he's funny and adorable and rude and and cocky and ugh, I just loved him.
And I love that Sidney is moving on with her life. She's loved and lost and now here's Abel and she's suddenly feeling wickedly erotic things she never felt before. Jake and Sidney were too young to really experience all that life had to offer. Their's was still some kind of puppy love. But now here's her second chance. And she's using it. I'm kind of proud of her, but also still a bit sad about Jake. ☺
I really enjoyed reading this book even though I had some problems with it.
It would've been perfect if the Jake part would've been shorter and if we would've gone a little more deep into things with Abel and Sidney. Their story just moves along slowly, almost boringly at the beginning. I just wished for a bit 'more'. (And by more I don't mean other people, we have enough of those already!☺)
BUT ... I will rate it 4 big and fat stars - and one of those stars is for the amazing cover alone! WOW!
COLLECTING THE PIECES was a heartbreakingly beautiful story. About second chances and finding your forever-ever-after-happy-end with a hot guy on a bike with a man-bun. ☺ Run to your nearest amazon to read about Sidney's life!
oh and what I didn't mention earlier - another thing I didn't like about the book. I had some problems with the writing. We have very weird sentences and the worst ... The author uses the short versions for YOU HAVE - I HAVE - et cetera A LOT. And not in the places where we usually see it. I never see or hear people talk like that - maybe in a pub full of old people in Ireland. But not twenty-somethings in america. I guess the author is british and that's why she uses it that much. ☺ Didn't bother me all that much but it happened a lot and it just sounds weird.
After writing this earlier, I just re-read my review for the last LA Fiore book HIS LIGHT IN THE DARK and it must be a Fiore thing because I already complained about that problem in that book - here's what I wrote back then:
It was my first Fiore book - and I don't know - it's probably just me being weird, but I had some huge problems with her writing :/
She sounds very british here and there, and this story is set in Philadelphia, so there shouldn't be any britishness in there. And the way she lets people talk. Little Mia talks way too old for her age. Everyone always leaves out the 'I' at the beginning of a sentence - that bothered me A LOT!!! Another thing I personally hate in my books, when people begin a sentence with 'I've something to tell you...' those I've's at the beginning sound sooo weird :/ (Is that a british thing too???)
That is STILL all happening in this book - the leaving out the I's at the beginning of a sentence, Fiore still does that all the time! And some conversations. They wouldn't happen like that in real life. It sometimes felt as if they were reading letters to each other. Nobody talks that much and that formally.☺
BUT - since I don't want to chase you away from this book... I really loved it too. Please give it a try. You will cry - A LOT - and laugh and aww and oooh. It's a really great book with an amazing cover!
• GIVEAWAY •
The Author is hosting an amazing giveaway on her page for release day, a $100.00 Amazon Gift Card (Actual GC not Virtual) and a Signed Paper Back, make sure to share the giveaway with your following and go enter as well >>> http://bit.ly/2eoDj9n
↓ LiNKS TO THE BOOK AND AUTHOR ↓
In elementary
school, third grade I think, I wrote a book as part of a class
assignment. It had a cardboard cover, the pages were typed and the
illustrations were done in my seven-year-old hand. The title: The Case of the Missing Jewels. The main character was my stuff rabbit Whitey.
I won an award
through the school district for that book and it was then that I
realized I could share what was in my head with others. Later, in
University, I majored in Economics but that's pretty dry material, so I
started writing daily tales that starred my friends. They were silly and
fun and each ended in a moral, something profound like: Never eat a
pickle in cowboy boots unless you're walking backwards. By the time I
graduated, I had quite a following.
My dream has
always been to write: to lose myself in the world of my creating. After
University, while working in Corporate America, I wrote novel after
novel, many finished—far too many unfinished—and I tried to get them
published the old-fashioned way: query letters to literary agents with
no luck. My husband encouraged me to go the ebook route but it had
always been a dream to get that box of books: the first off the presses.
In 2012, I
relented and published six of my books on Amazon as ebooks. It was
really more a lesson for my kids to go after their dreams; to teach them
by doing and not just saying. I really never thought any of my stories
would take off and so I was taken completely by surprise at the success
of Beautifully Damaged. In the
Spring of 2013, I got the call I had been dreaming about getting since
my first novel back in 1993: a publishing house was interested in Beautifully Damaged and
the sequel. This past February, I got that box. I was really sick with
the flu, but I watched as my husband opened the box and just seeing my
book looking back at me, I'll never forget it.
I can't even begin to tell you what it feels like to be living my dream. I wouldn't be here if not for the fans of Beautifully Damaged, so thank you for helping to make my dream come true.