How do you repair a broken life?
Home is a dark place of anguish and pain for seventeen-year-old Bree Jacobs, forced to endure emotional and physical torment daily at the hands of a violently unstable mother. Bree’s only escape is high school, particularly her history class taught by young, handsome, kind and caring Axel Taylor. Mr. Taylor becomes Bree’s dearest friend, a sympathetic ear and a … sympathetic ear and a shoulder to cry on, and soon their shared affection grows into something greater. But by reaching out to protect her—to mend her breaks and soothe her wounds—Axel has crossed a dangerous line, resulting in two shattered lives instead of just one.
Six years later, they will meet again: Bree, still battling the demons that continue to possess her, and Axel, reduced to taking work as a substitute teacher wherever he can find it. Once again he will feel compelled to rescue her. But this time it will be different, because now the yearnings of a loving heart won’t be silenced by suspicious minds. And now there’s more than one life that desperately needs saving.
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Leddy Harper out did herself with this one. She was able to make you feel every emotion right along side the characters. Bree was someone that you just wanted to hold onto and tell her that everything would be ok. The way her home life and even her school life was, you could see why she felt herself invisible. It took someone finally seeing her, to make her feel. Axel wasn’t suppose to get attached to any of his students, especially a female one. But, there was something about Bree that had him breaking all the rules. He knew that someone needed to protect her, and that person was going to be him.
This book was one that had me engrossed from page one. I couldn’t help but feel each and every emotion that Bree was feeling. There was just something about her that grabbed ahold of my soul and held on with a death grip that wouldn’t let go, even days after finishing. Axel was another one that carved his way into my heart. The way he just instinctively just started protecting Bree. Even when they were separated for years, he never let her go. His heart wouldn’t let him.
Harper just made it so that her reader wasn’t ever going to forget these characters. Or able to to forget their story. They were so true to life that one can’t help but feel a connection to them. That’s the thing about Harper’s writing, she just had the ability to write romance that’s so real to life. There was more to the teacher/student story. This story had more layers to it. And as each layer was revealed, you find yourself getting more and more emotionally attached to these characters. At least that’s the way it was for me.
Falling to Pieces is a Student/Teacher Romance. Aubrey Jacobs is a 17 year old student whose friends call Bree, but she doesn’t have any friends. Axel Taylor is a first time teacher, substituting for a history teacher who has had a baby. Their first time as teacher and student starts right after Christmas break. Her desk was close to his desk, and she thought he was young and gorgeous. He had a heart-stopping smile. His bright clear-blue eyes twinkled in the lights from above. He had broad shoulders, and arms that filled out his sleeves very nicely. Watching him move across the front of the class, Bree realized she’d probably fail American History. There would be no way she’d be able to concentrate on what he taught. Not that she stood a chance with Mr. Taylor. He was a teacher and she was an under-age student. With her low self-esteem, Bree had a feeling of worthlessness come over her.
A confrontation with Bree’s horrid mother left her with a wide split next to her eyebrow. She had cleaned it up, and then closed it with two butterfly strips. The bruising looked worse the next day, and it wasn’t her first time showing up at school injured, and probably wouldn’t be the last. In the past a teacher or two had noticed, but had accepted her excuse, but she knew Mr. Taylor would be the exception and he was. Showing up in his class with a busted-up face would not go unnoticed. The first person who had showed her any attention, but she was afraid he would see just how much things weren’t alright. He wasn’t the type of teacher or human being to let it go. And so started their unlikely friendship that turned into a forbidden relationship.
She wanted a friend she could talk to for so long, but had no idea that it would’ve come in the form of a sexy, demanding history teacher. It was ironic to her that she was the girl he couldn’t protect, and he was the guy she couldn’t touch. He was her teacher. She was his student. His “underage” student. And he was seven years older than her. It was unethical and just plain wrong for this to go any further beyond him trying to keep her safe. There were lines drawn, but lines too easily crossed. She had never had anyone care for her like he cared. He had never had someone that he cared about as much as he did her. Fate brought them each other. Would they be able to stay together, or be torn apart?
Another five star read from this author!!
This is the second book I read from this author and I have to say that she really knows how to make my emotions go all over the place with her books. I have to say that her writing really hits me right in the heart and her stories are so heartfelt and they hit me deep.
This story is about a girl who feels like she has no one in the world. Her dad abandoned her when she was only 11 years old and her mother never fails to tell her how much she regrets ever having her and always reminding her that she’s a failure just like her father. Bree has done nothing but try and please her mother and just wants a little bit of love but she never gets anything other than reproaches and insults. Her mother has always verbally and physically abused Bree but Bree was always too scared to report her because she was an attorney and figured that she would just end up in a worse situation than she currently was at.
Until Bree met Mr. Taylor, the new history teacher in her school. Something about him drew her to him and actually opened up to him since she never had a “real” friend in her life. Mr. Taylor was the type of person who cared about people and the last thing he wanted to see was anyone get hurt physically or mentally and when he saw Bree one day with a bruised cheek, he knew he had to protect her and save her from whatever abusive relationship she was in, whether with a boyfriend or family member.
Bree and Mr. Taylor grew together and became the best of friends but in the process of this friendship, love started to blossom. Bree knew that it couldn’t happen and so did Mr. Taylor but neither one wanted to end it nor take it a step further, so what do they do now?????
Apparently the inevitable happened and things got out of hand and Mr. Taylor ended up leaving the school without a word to Bree and just disappeared–just like thin air!
Six years later they run into each other and there are so many unanswered questions that they need to resolve. Bree has lived a good life and feels like she grew and has learned to spread her wings, while Mr. Taylor fell in a deep depression and was drowning in his sorrows throughout these six years. After they meet again, can they resolve their issues and forgive each other for misunderstandings that brought them to where they are now? Can they move forward and actually leave their past in the past and move forward? The main question is, can they make it work again?
This love story really had me in shambles and I have to say that Ms. Harper has a way with twisting my heart and then untwisting it. Her stories really evoke emotions in me that I thought I could never have because these stories are so touching and they are so worth reading. Because these types of situations happen in real life. Her stories find a way in my heart that I can’t seem to get out and they stay with me for a long time. I sincerely love this story about a troubled teen and a teacher who has a passion for his students, one in particular of course 😉
If I could rate this higher than five stars….believe me I would give it more
OMG. I am soooooo in love. I’m in love with Axel, I’m in love with this story. I can’t wait for everyone to be able to one click November 18th.
This story pierced itself into my heart and has no intention of ever leaving. It is one of those books that gets all of your emotions flowing and keeps you turning the pages. Luckily for you guys you get the entire book all put together. I on the other hand was tortured between every few chapters.
Bree is a beautiful soul, purely genuine who doesn’t give herself any credit. Her mother is to blame. Axel is her reason for change.
Axel well he’s just damn freaking hot. Not only physically but his super hero complex makes me melt. All he wants to do us protect Bree because he sees her pain. There’s only one problem………
He’s her teacher!
This is officially my favorite book of Leddy’s. Until the next one which is already a WIP.