An unlikely meeting after a decade apart, a drunken Vegas wedding, a note goodbye, a broken second chance at love . . . and the wedding invitation that changes it all.The first time I saw Brinley Knox, she was crying and heartbroken at her own sweet sixteen party. The daughter of the wealthiest family in Orchid Valley, she was off limits to someone like me—the teenage charity case, the hired help. charity case, the hired help.
But that didn’t stop me from kissing her. Or from promising if she were ever mine, I’d never let her go.
The last time I saw Brinley Knox, I made good on that promise. Forget that it was the first time we’d seen each other in ten years, or that we were drunk in Vegas when we said I do. I meant every word, every touch, every promise.
The problem? When I came back to the hotel, she was gone—the ring I slipped on her finger and the note she left behind the only reminders she had been there. Well, those and the hole she left in my chest in place of my heart.
We haven’t spoken in the six months since, and I’m not the kind of guy who’d file for a divorce he doesn’t want.
But when I get the invitation to her wedding to another man, it’s time to return to Orchid Valley and remind the bride-to-be that I’m a man who keeps his promises.
Every Little Piece of Me is a sexy, standalone second-chance romance in Lexi Ryan’s all-new Orchid Valley series.
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3.5 Every Little Piece Stars
There’s a lot to be said for a man who know what he wants. Marston Rowe is just that man. He may have come with some baggage, but he’s determined to get the girl. He’s steadfast and confident. It doesn’t hurt that he’s handsome, self-made and loves deeply. He’s a man to believe in. I believed in him with every step he took.
Brinley Knox took some warming up to. I can’t say that I’m familiar with the ins and outs of the rich, but the power trip they get by being in control over people they supposedly love is completely incomprehensible. It’s part of the reason I couldn’t completely get on board with Brinley’s thoughts and decisions. I realize that is the world she was raised in and there is more than what we see on the surface, but I wanted her to step away from that, be more mature and a bit selfish when it comes to love. She’s got strength and backbone. She just needs to use it.
With the chapters set up as past and present they sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. I felt like I was either missing key information or just not getting it fast enough. But then the meat of the story finally kicked in. I wanted them to work. I wanted the stubbornness to go away. I could feel the switch and the change in emotions. In the end, it made for a love story that was satisfying.
Loved it! This trope is my guilty pleasure and I gobbled this one RIGHT UP! Marston is top book boyfriend material. All men should be like this man. Brinley and Marston were meant to be, he could see it, and he had to make her see it as well.
I love the “waking up married in Vegas” trope, but I also love second chance romance. These two deserved their second chance for sure. While I didn’t love that someone else had to be hurt in the process, it was clear that Brinley and Marston were meant to be together. I loved the fast that Marston was the one fighting hard for Brinley and not the other way around. Usually the man is so unsure of what he wants, it was refreshing to have a man know what he wanted and go after it, never wavering. I loved this book and I can’t wait for the second in this series!
This was a really great story and I really loved this couple so much and I can’t wait to read about the other book your gonna write in this series. I loved this story very much
Whoa what an emotional roller coaster of a book! So much angst and boy that chemistry! I’m so excited for more of this series!
I received a complimentary ARC – early release copy of this book in Kindle format from the author for review purposes.
This author is a fairly new author for me so I was excited to start this brand new series The first part of the story is a prequel that is 11 chapters long and takes place six months before the story begins in Las Vegas where the heroine, Brinley and hero, Marston meet up and end up spending a night together. The next day she wakes up with a ring on her finger and she leaves a note and the ring behind and goes home to her life.
The book/story then picks up 6 months later when he receives a wedding invite. He realises that Brinley does not know she married him in Vegas and so he goes back to try and get his wife back.
The story goes back between two periods the past when they knew each other in high school and the now and we get to meet, Julian, the fiancee and the other important characters in Brinley’s life. And we get to see how far Mars will go to get his wife back.
I absolutely adored this second or third chance at love story and I could not put it down. The author has created Orchid Valley and the spa and hotel there that I will enjoy coming back to as this series continues. She also introduces us to future characters in this series and Brinley’s best friends and family members.
I cannot wait for the next book in the series starring her cousin Kace and friend Stella.
4.5 stars
Marston and Brinley were high school sweethearts—in secret. When the story opens, Marston is a delinquent from the ‘wrong side of the tracks,’ and Brinley is a daughter of the wealthiest family in town. They meet on the night of Brinley’s 16th birthday party, after a cruel break-up scene with her boyfriend. They end up seeing each other in secret, and having lots of stolen moments while getting to know each other. They fall in love, knowing that her parents will never approve. Brinley has a twin sister, who is undergoing cancer treatments. When a tragedy occurs, Brinley takes it out on Marston and asks him to leave. So he does.
Fast forward 10 years, and Brinley and Marston meet up again in a Las Vegas bar. Brinley wakes up the next morning, with a ring on her finger, and assumes that she and Marston got engaged overnight. So she hightails it out of there, and goes back to her life in Georgia, not realizing that she’s married. And in a rebellious twist, she accepts a marriage proposal that’s partly a business proposition, and sends a wedding invitation to Marston, who has been biding his time and waiting for Brinley to reach out again. Since she’s already married, he needs to stop this wedding and find out why she thinks she’s about to get married.
This book has some periods of really high tension. There are also other parts that are hilarious, awkward, fun, and/or serious. Through her relationship with her friends, she finally realizes some pretty important things. Brinley’s growth arc is well done, but it takes her a long time to reach it. Marston is a pretty steady protagonist throughout, and just has to figure out the best way to relate to Brinley. He understands her as well or better than her closest friends, but he sometimes acts in ways that don’t mesh with that deeper understanding. Let’s just say there’s a learning curve involved… Nevertheless, these two finally figure it out, with a few important revelations along the way.
This book definitely holds the interest of the reader, because there are times when it seems pretty hopeless. Yet somehow, this author makes it work. During some of the higher tension times, this reader had to put the book down and walk away, just to get a break from it! I was rooting for Marston the whole time, but it wasn’t clear that Brinley would ever find her footing. The author uses the vehicle of friendship to move the story forward in several places, and it’s very effective
Marston comes from nothing and wants to prove that he can be something. Brinley wants to be her own person and not have to be who everyone expects her to be. When Brinley’s heart is broken, Marston consoles her and they end up falling in love but that all changes when Brinley pushes Marston away when a tragedy happens in her family. Ten years later Marston and Brinley run into each other in Las Vegas and old feelings resurface and the chemistry is off the charts. Brinley wakes up not knowing what has happened and heads home to Orchid Valley. When Marston receives an invitation to Brinley’s wedding he decides it’s time to return home and win back his love.
Every Little Piece of Me is a second chance romance that is a heavy emotional rollercoaster ride. This book does deal with forms of addiction and abuse that may be triggers to some people. The story was an interesting telling of both past and present which worked in some parts and did not work in other parts. Marston and Brinley had always loved each other and were two broken people that finally got their second chance at romance and helped each other heal. I feel that Brinley needed to be a little bit stronger than she was.
*ARC was generously provided in exchange for my honest review*
So I finished Every Little Promise and I was so emotionally invested in the story of Brinley and Marston. I immediately had to dive into Every Little Piece. I needed to know what happened in Vegas and how Marston was going to get Brinley to call off her wedding.
There was also the ten year old secret that was between them that I had so many questions about. Having this book told in present tense with chapters flashing back to their past had me feeling the depth of their connection as much as the chemistry. But having it told in dual point of view made this story perfect.
If not for the dual point of view I probably wouldn’t have liked Brinley very much. Because the decisions she made all through the book and in both times would seem selfish and cold if not for knowing exactly what was propelling her to make those decisions.
I call dibs on Marston. Every single thing he did was so transparent and was done with nothing but love for Brinley. And even when she made choices and decisions that broke his heart he still went above and beyond to do the right thing for Brinley. He was just beautiful and I couldn’t get enough of him.
I would have loved to get more of them together once all of their issues were resolved. Especially with their friends and family all on the same page. But knowing that we are getting Stella’s story next hopefully we will get a whole lot more of all these guys. I loved the story and couldn’t put it down from the first page. Which is what I knew to expect from a Lexi Ryan book.
5 Stars
Every Little Piece of Me by Lexi Ryan is the first book in the brand new Orchid Valley series. I have been patiently waiting for this story for what seems like forever and I’m telling you that it is Ms. Ryan at her absolute BEST! Talk about feeling ALL THE FEELS!! This second chance romance will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions-forgiveness, friendship, and most importantly love.
Marston and Brinley were both such fantastic characters that had many layers. Brinley was strong and independent and wanted so badly to get out from under her parents control. She would do anything to turn her dreams into reality which played a huge part in the decisions she made. Marston was a fighter-but not in the way you’re thinking. He’s had to fight for everything he has which I believe played a part in his love for Brinley.
The chemistry between the two was electrifying. You could actually feel it as you were reading. I seriously fell head over heels in love with both the hero and heroine. I never wanted their story to end. I am so excited to see where Ms. Ryan takes this series next!
The prequel pulled me into the story of Brinley and Marston, so I was happy to be able to continue their story here.
I loved Marston. He felt like he had to prove himself even as an adult to a community that judged him harshly as a teen. He may have left Orchid Valley, but he couldn’t forget Brinley even after all this time. He has never had the same connection with anyone else, but has stayed away from OV at Brinley’s request. But now that they’ve reconnected, he may need to make a trip back and fight for Brinley.
Brinley was a little harder for me to love. She wants to own the Orchid, the spa she manages, so badly and is close to being able to purchase it. She is comfortable with the direction things are going, if a little hesitant to take those final steps. She wants to do things on her own, to the point that she pushes away the people around her when they want to help. Her actions had me shaking my head at her, recognizing the why behind her actions, but also recognizing that she could have made things so much easier for herself with a little more open communication.
This is a dramatic second chance with a lot of heart. I did finish with the thought that this was a lot of angst for fully adult characters (there was actually less angst in their teenage relationship than there was in the present day), but I was fully invested in their story. I loved their past — it had me rooting for them hard in the present. The side characters were a blast, even some of the ones I thought I didn’t like in the beginning. (But yes, there are a couple characters who couldn’t redeem themselves in my eyes based on their actions.) I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes, as I loved the group of people in OV surrounding Marston and Brinley.
If you are looking for an emotional second chance romance then this is the one for you.
Ever since I read the prequal, Every Little Promise, I fell in love with these characters and this new world that Lexi Ryan has created. I knew this would be emotional, it would be a wild ride. I couldn’t put it down. I DEVOURED this book.
Marston was the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The boy who was different from everyone else in Orchid Valley growing up. Brinley was the girl from the wealthy family. The princess. These two couldn’t be any more different, however, they bonded. They were each other’s everything growing up. Until Brinley told Marston to leave for good. He is back in Orchid Valley but will he be able to convince his wife that what they have is real and worth the risk?
Marston and Brinley have loads of chemistry. You can feel the tension oozing from the pages of their story. Their story was full of so many different emotions and ups and downs. I love Marston. He struggled his whole life growing up, however, he worked hard and made something of himself when so many expected him to fail. Brinley took some getting used to, but I admired the fact she wanted her independence, she wanted to do things for herself instead of relying on her family or someone else.
I LOVED their group of friends though. They were hilarious and added so much to the entire story. I can’t wait to see more of the Orchid Valley crew in the future. This one is a MUST READ!
J’avais passé un bon moment avec le prequel et j’étais curieuse de voir ce que cette histoire allait donner. Et bien j’ai adoré Marston, son caractère, le fait qu’il ne lâche jamais rien, il va au bout de ses idées et est bien décidé à ce que Brinley l’accepte de nouveau dans sa vie. Sauf qu’elle est têtue et bornée, on a très souvent envie de la secouer pour qu’elle accepte la main tendue et reconnaisse ses sentiments mais elle est bloquée par ce que pensent ses parents (et ça m’a pour le moins agacée…). Mais Marston n’est pas du genre à baisser les bras et je l’ai adoré pour ça ! Quant à Brinley, elle va apprendre à faire des concessions et à voir plus loin que le bout de son nez…
The prequel blew me away.. I had really high expectations for this book, but I was a little disappointed with it.. I found the heroine to be difficult to connect with and the hero to be too good for her.. I expected more from her since I adored her in the prequel.
I don’t know how she does it, but I’m hooked. Ryan crafts an epic romance using at it’s heart the emotions that drive us. What seems complicated can prove to be quite simple. Every Little Piece of Me examines both sides of the scenario. Marston and Brinley are a dance interrupted. Will their past heartbreak become their present undoing?
Overall Grade:
“Let go of the relationships that cause you only pain. We make our own family.”
If you consider Lexi Ryan’s stories, there is a thread that runs through her stories: the idea of family. In her newest series, Orchid Valley, the constructed family is unconventional as it is built around familial relationships, not blood. In fact, the first two books of this series, Every Little Promise, the prequel, and Every Little Piece of Me, book 1, underscore this idea multiple times through their stories. It weaves itself through the romance between Brinley Knox and Marston Rowe. It’s a powerful message, a reminder that we can “make our own family,” so we can reject our blood family when they undermine our physical and mental health. This message is the power of this story, as it applies to so many readers who might need to be reminded of it.
The story follows Brinley Knox and Marston Rowe who were sweethearts in high school. Marston comes from a challenging background. His mother is an addict, and she’s incapable of caring for him, so he lives homeless as a teenager. In doing so, he breaks the law so that he can survive, but it gives him a reputation. His aunt takes him in, and she provides him a stable job and home, even though he is considered “poor.” Brinley Knox hails from a wealthy family with all of its advantages. One night, Marston and Brinley meet, and there is an immediate attraction. Even more, Marston sees Brinley in a way that no one in her social circle or family sees her, save her terminally-ill sister. Eventually, tragedy strikes and Brinley feels guilty, so she sends Marston away, even though her heart belongs to him. Eleven years pass and Marston and Brinley meet in Vegas unexpectedly (well sort of). All of the feelings are still there, and they pick up where they left off. In doing so, these two marry each other. The problem is Brinley leaves Marston again because she doesn’t remember that she is married to him. Six months later, Marston receives an invitation to his “wife’s” wedding, and he decides he has waited long enough, so he returns to Orchid Valley, the place that tore him and Brinley apart. He decides he will not leave until she’s “his” again.
Let me begin with the issues of the story. For one, Brinley. I hate struggling with a heroine’s choices, but Brinley’s crazy-making runs the gamut. On the one hand, she is striving for more independence, and her business sense is insightful in running The Orchid, the hotel/spa/restaurant where she works. This is a woman who has so much support in the form of her chosen family: her friends, Savvy, Stella, and Abbi. Yet, this woman rarely listens to her friends’ advice, which is doled out time and time again, and her own thinking is circular and does nothing to help her situation. She has no passion for her fiance, Julian, and she recognizes issues with him. Yet, she takes much of the story to do what her friends have been telling her. She has a daughter, Cami, who she hides from Marston, and she is annoyed when he becomes frustrated with her lack of transparency. It’s clear that Marston and Brinley are destined for each other, and he does everything to prove his love to her. Over and over again, Brinley spurns his advances, and it feels redundant. I found myself exceedingly frustrated with Brinley because she could be more. I understand that there needed to be more story so that Ryan could build the past and the present together, but the story felt slow because the present took up too much of the story in order to continue the same pattern of story. Brinley’s epiphany about Marston comes late in the story, and I think it could have come sooner.
Now, given that Brinley is a point of frustration in Every Little Piece of Me, Ryan has crafted a hero who becomes the reason for loving this story. The combination of Marston Rowe and Brinley’s friends save this story. All of them are devoted to a heroine who seems unworthy of that devotion. Yes, she would do anything for her friends, but the drama she creates in their lives seems overwhelming. Instead of crafting Brinley in a more meaningful way, Ryan does so with Marston’s character. This is a man who has pined for a woman for far too long, and he loves her in ways that don’t undermine her strengths. Since Brinley views her life through the filter of her parents’ “love” for her, she confuses Marston’s actions time and time again, putting him in a difficult position. Thankfully, Marston is one of the most mature people in this story. When Brinley pushes him away time and time again, he lives up to his promises, eventually winning her over. However, that process sometimes slows the narrative of the story.
Even though Brinley Knox is one of my recent least favorite heroines, the message, the hero, and the ancillary characters keep you engaged in Lexi Ryan’s Every Little Piece of Me. There is a promise in the Orchid Valley series of better stories: friends-to-lovers, single parent, etc. Even though this first book is a bit underwhelming, it still makes a good summer read when the beaches open and we can once again lie on the beach reading the day away.
All the feels in this truly wonderful second chance romance.
Well hell! After reading the prequel (which is in fact at the beginning of this book), I was all over the place. I knew it wasn’t going to be a straight forward happy ending, but I wasn’t prepared for the angst, the drama, and the wtf moments. To begin with I wasn’t happy with Brinley, she wasn’t the spoilt little rich girl she was made out to be, but she also wasn’t the independent woman she thought she was. I was possibly a little jealous because, Marston Rowe! He was the ultimate boyfriend, I mean, truly perfect, and yet I felt that she pushed him away at every opportunity. I wondered at one point if he could be considered a pushover and a little weak, but I realised that no, he was just that much of a good guy. And don’t even get me started on Brinley’s family. Despicable. A truly wonderful, sexy, emotional second chance romance. I was rooting for Marston and Brinley from the first page. Add in all those wonderful friends, and of course Cami, who I loved, what a sweetie, and this book was a firm Favourite for me. Hands down, 5 stars. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.
What a great second chance romance story! Brinley has grown up continuously trying to make her parents proud and live up to their expectations but has never been successful. She is determined to live an independent life and not have to depend on anyone for her survival. Marston came from nothing and is determined to make something of his life. Marston and Brinley have been in love with each other since they were teenagers. Life and circumstances have them estrange for ten years when they run into each other in Vegas. Old feelings resurface and the chemistry is just as hot as it has always been. I loved how the story intertwined the present and past within the story. Marston and Brinley are two broken souls and it was refreshing to see the two comfort each other and see each other for who they really are. Between the story and the cast your attention is drawn pretty quickly. Cami was a great added bonus to the story. There was times I wanted to reach in and shake Brinley and tell her to stand up for herself and make decisions for herself. Overall this a great story that I highly recommend. I cannot wait for more books in the series!
Every Little Piece of Me by Lexi Ryan is the First book in the Orchid Valley Series. There is a Prequel called ‘Every Little Promise’ that really starts their story but you could make this a standalone if you wish to do so. But, with that said… I think it helps to read that first to fully enjoy the their story. This continues the story of Brinley Knox and Marston Rowe. Marston was a orphan who had to work for everything he had but he always had feelings for Brinley. Brinley had a totally different life with rich parents who where all about status and looks. But Brinley loved Marston so they had a secret relationship that came to a end when tragedy in Brinley’s family happened. Now about 10 years later in their current day they meet again in Vegas where they have a passionate night. But we learn that their status in life has changed where Marston is a very well off business man and Brinley is still working to please her family but this time by doing a marriage of convenience to help her family. But that night had more than just passion but Brinley doesn’t remember it so Marston going to remind her and claim her fully. Enjoyed their story.
Second chances sometimes come around for a reason and the book Every Little Piece of Me by Lexi Ryan is the perfect second chance romance. This is a great book to read if you are wanting to have that warm fuzzy feeling from some heavy-duty emotional roller coaster riding. Every Little Piece of Me is a stan- alone book that is part of the Orchid Valley series and tells the story of Brinley and Marston. There is a prequel (which you do not have to read but it is fun to read) called Every Little Promise and there are more books to come. This was great book and I loved every page, lots of drama, and lots of steamy physical interactions that will get the blood pumping. 5-stars for Every Little Piece of Me by Lexi Ryan.
Brinley Knox has wanted to see her first love for over ten years but has stopped herself every time she had the thought. Marston Rowe never stopped thinking of Brinley, the one girl who took his heart and never gave it back. After a somewhat chance meeting in Vegas Marston and Brinley reconnect. Six months after Vegas and Marston gets an invitation to HIS wife’s wedding. Marston made a promise as a teenager to fight for Brinley and now that he has her as his wife, he is not going to let her get away again. Marston wants the only woman he’s ever loved, and he is willing do to whatever it takes to get her.
This isn’t the first time Lexi Ryan has completely sucked me in and made me feel. Angsty must be her thing because holy cow.
When I read the blurb about a girl getting married in Vegas, forgetting, and inviting the guy to the wedding, it sounded like light and silly shenanigans. No. Feelings ran deep and there is so much history between Marston and Brinley. This was emotional and difficult.
These two are basically made for each other. It did bother me how much he had to do ALL the chasing and Brinley even in the past gave up on their love too easily. It didn’t bother me enough to love the story any less though. So basically, to sum it up, this was a super awesome second chance romance with high emotions and high stakes. I loved it and look forward to the next in the series!