Now an Amazon Top 15 Bestseller Maxon Chambers has a way of stealing all the attention.All my affection, and all my dreams.What I needed to remember was he’d stolen my good judgment and my virginity, too.When he broke up with me, I ran across the country and swore I’d never return to Broadshire Rim.But here I am, thirteen years later.Maxon is all grown up.Sexier than sin and more tempting than … years later.
Maxon is all grown up.
Sexier than sin and more tempting than ever.
A detective on the Charleston force, he lives on the outside of safety, devoted to protecting the people of his city.
But with the way he’s looking at me now? I’m pretty sure what needs protecting is my heart.
Can we mend the pieces of us? Or will he leave my heart shattered forever . . .more
This last book in the Confessions of the Heart series, could very well be the most powerful one of all. All along I’ve been very curious about Maxon Chambers. The man who seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders as he made sure that his brothers, his best friends in Jace and Ian Jacobs, rose above their tortured pasts and had the lives they deserved. His protective ways seemed to help everyone else he cared for, but who was going to save him? His loner ways broke my heart and yet A.L. Jackson in her wickedly masterful ways gave him the only balm that could ever repair his shattered soul: the woman he had to let go of all those years ago, his Izzy.
Oh my goodness. From the very start I fell into the gloriously perfect pace Of Pieces of Us. It is just written so damn beautifully. I was afraid to put it down for fear that I would regret finishing it way too quickly. The words are full of the kind of angst I can’t help but get lost in with Jackson once again, bringing her writing to a whole other level. It’s honestly an honor being able to experience her gift of storytelling.
Getting both Mack’s and Izzy’s POVs told the whole story. The way they separated when just 18 years old. The way they still loved each other from afar and the way they both hurt deep inside. The secrets they held from back then are revealed in a timely manner and the shock felt by Mack at what Izzy has been hiding for so long gutted me as well. I could feel every ounce of pure heartache at what Mack may have felt was his fault. That revelation continued the thoughts in his head that he would never truly be the Dragon who could slay anything in the path of his Little Bird. The notion of never being good enough still at the forefront of his mind. These deep feelings felt by both Mack and Izzy are literally dripping off of each page and I was more than happy to soak up each and every one.
What these two have been through at times felt as if they had been cheated because of simply wanting what was best for the other. Even if that meant never seeing each other ever again. But in their misguided and youthful brains, being a bit rash seemed to be the answer. Now in the present, it was painstakingly clear that both Mack and Izzy have grown. They have become more than worthy of each other’s love and their journey, full of stops and starts, was finally on the right track.
I loved that Mack knew what he wanted, no matter what challenges he might be facing. Izzy was his and there was no way in hell he was ever letting her go. And I also loved that Izzy didn’t make him wait too long before she let him back into her life, allowing him to be a part of her crazy world, which now included than he could have imagined.
A.L. Jackson lets this second chance romance simmer at the right temperature. Mack and Izzy have that undeniable heat that even 13 years apart can’t extinguish. There is the right amount of passion, mixed impeccably with sincere emotion as they finally find their rhythm once more. This one has ALL the feels times ten and I happily got lost in every single one. There is also a bit of mystery and danger that is truly an added bonus. It gave Izzy and Mack even more reason to show why they are a caring and dedicated couple and how their pasts and past actions don’t define them. They are fierce together and that was all the more reason to smile through some nail-biting moments.
With scene-stealing characters in Dillon, Benjamin and Mr. and Mrs. Lane, not to mention the continued support from Jace, Ian, Faith and Grace and their expanding families, Pieces of Us is definitely the ultimate conclusion to this incredible trilogy. I have thoroughly enjoyed every single minute and honestly can’t recommend this book and series highly enough.
5++++ stars!
Rate: 5 / 5 stars
Oh my god guys! I don’t even have words so this might be a short review but Mack.. oh my sweet Mack… he owns my heart. His and Izzy story was angst filled and burned me slow to the ground with the love pouring from their souls and the hurt these two carried over their past.
It was a beautiful love story and oh so sweet. My heart was so warm while reading this book. The love between them and the love Izzy had for her kids and then how fast and how hard Mack loved them too. I could cry over how sweet it all was. I loved them all so much.
Honestly, although there was a lot of hurt and a huge secret between Izzy and Mack, you could feel how much they still loved and yearned for each other from their first encounter once Izzy is back in town. She tried to stay away from him, tried to pretend she didn’t love him and would never give him a second chance but she was powerless to fight their connection, specially after she told him her big secret. Oh my poor heart felt so much for Mack. Even though he’s the one who did Izzy wrong in the past, you have no doubt from the very beginning he did it out of love, because he loved her so much he was willing to let her go so she could have a better life. And when he learns that he was deprived of much more than the love of his life for the past 12 years… it’s heartbreaking to see him suffer.
And the friendship between Mack, Ian and Jace was stronger then ever! Their little moments and teases were so funny and cute. They all go on a triple date at some point and omg seeing them all together is AMAZING. How happy Ian and Jace are for Mack is so damn sweet. I love their friendship.
I just honestly loved this book, everything from the relationship when they were kids, the one they had now and all othe relationships in the book. It was the perfect conclusion to this wonderful series. It tied all three books so well and that ENDING. I am not gonna lie, I teared up while reading it.
What you can expect in Pieces of Us:
second chance romance
a lot of angst
slow burn
broken hero
mystery
and a whole lot of love!
A. L. Jackson’s writing is just as amazing as ever. I don’t know what it was about this story but it pulled me in from the get go and it was impossible not to love these characters to pieces.
Pieces of Us was a very emotional read for me that first smashed my poor heart and then slowly filled its cracks. The struggles of the main characters were so real that together with them I experienced disappointment, heartbreak and pain. I’m completely in love with both Mack, who sacrificed his happiness so that the love of his life could find what she deserves, but also with Izzy, who is a personification of strength and determination to provide for her family everything they need. Even if it means going back to the place where she was abandoned years ago with a bleeding heart in her hands.
Mack’s upbringing left him in the constant conviction that he is unworthy and that was the biggest factor that led him to pushing away the only thing that lit up his dark life – Izzy. A girl who loved him with all her heart. After 13 years, Izzy returned to the small town from where she ran away after Mack had hurt her. They both still feel the strength of their love. But will this second chance let them overcome the obstacles that have separated them in the past? Will the insecurities once again get in the way and crush their wounded hearts?
A. L. Jackson poured in this book an enormous amount of emotions that pull the strings of the heart. Her writing style is flawless and it results in amazing reading experiences. Because even though you’re reading a fictional story, its delivery is so realistic that you are experiencing every described situation as a participant. Together with Mack and Izzy I felt pain and had to wipe the tears running down my cheeks. Along with them I felt the blossoming hope that this time they would reach a happy ending. And love … The overwhelming love that flows from the pages of this book filled my heart to the brim. I don’t know if A.L. Jackson is an expert in the human psyche or is it simply a matter of her unquestionable talent, but I can certainly say that this author is a master puppeteer who controls the reader’s emotions as she likes. Pieces of Us is not an ordinary book. It’s an experience that deserves the highest rating. Mack and Izzy’s story will always be in the depths of my heart.
Amy does it every single time, delivering another incredible 5* must read that just has to be devoured.
Not only does she give us characters we fall in love with but the stories she writes are ones that have you so captivated, they grab hold of your heart and imprint and will Forever stay with you; they cause your stomach to flip,churn and do somersaults. Your heart Pounds and they make you really feel, feel every thing.
I should be used to it by now but as always, Maxon and Izzy’s story will have you sobbing your eyes out. A story that has you feeling everything and completely emotionally wrecked me. This has you hanging on to every beautiful word written. The love created between Amy’s characters is always special, unique runs so deep it’s burrowed and never meant to escape, truly soul mates.
After reading both Jace and Ian’s story I was more than ready for Mack’s but I’ve got to say Amy blew me away with this and although I didn’t know what to expect his story took me by surprise, hooked from the very beginning, it’s raw, heart breaking , heart warming and truly melts your heart.
And the bonus is getting more
Or Jace and Ian!
And the one who stole the show for me ? Lil’ Dil !
Pieces of Us – A. L. Jackson
A.L.Jackson knows how to bring all the emotion and feeling into a story and Pieces of Us certainly oozes with both.
Maxon Chambers had the kind of upbringing no child deserves but his constant childhood friend, Isabel Lane, was the thread that kept him tethered to the right side of life.
Isabel Lane had a perfect and wonderful childhood but her troubled friend Maxon was always her saviour.
When fate and an evil father turns Mack’s life upside down, he has to choose to tarnish the girl he loves or release her to live the life she deserves, away from his darkness.
A wonderful story of love and resilience, told through the experiences and memories of the characters. Not always hearts and flowers and some rather gritty and hard scenarios to deal with but a fabulous story of the power of love and faith in the ones you love.
A.L. Jackson always hits the right chord with her stories and this is definitely another five star read.
“The man had always bled pain. It was his biggest pitfall-his refusal to see that he could live outside of it. The belief that maybe my love could have been enough.”
Pieces of Us is an emotional and beautiful second-chance contemporary romance. Maxon (Mack) already made an appearance in the previous two books of this series, so I already felt a bond with him. I wanted to meet the woman who would show him that he was worthy of happiness, love and a family. Izzy is his childhood friend turned lover who has left the town more than ten years ago after a very difficult decision Mack made. He got wrapped up with the wrong people, and he wanted to protect Izzy and her family so he broke her heart. I absolutely loved the flashbacks because they gave me a background story and explained the dynamics of their relationship. Mack still thinks Izzy deserves better, but that definitely doesn’t stop him from pursuing her. He wants to do better and prove that he deserves a second chance.
“You are my heart. The one I ache for. The one I need. The moon in my sky.”
The plot isn’t one that hasn’t been told before, however, I can always depend on Amy to create great, likable and intriguing characters. They are the heart of the story and I especially love when she writes a second-chance romance. I always feel very connected and feel a deep understanding for her characters actions. Mack and Izzy were a beautiful couple with a strong history and love. There were also two extra characters that were a great addition to the story, I absolutely loved their interaction with Mack. It was also nice for the previous two couples to make appearances in this book, so I could catch up on what they have been up to. Confessions of the Heart series is a great contemporary romance series, and Pieces of Us was a great addition to it. I already look forward to Amy’s next project, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
AL Jackson is THE BEST when it comes to swoony-emotional romance, and this book was at the top of her game. I fell hard for Mack and even harder for Izzy and her family. Together they were dynamic – full of compassion, love, loyalty, and determination to make their dreams happen even after so many years. This book will absolutely be a top read of mine for 2019!!
I have loved the Confessions of the Heart series – Jace and Ian were phenomenal, and their women even better. These heroes and heroines are broken yet strong, afraid to love yet give their entire heart in the end, and Mack & Izzy are no different. Mack is the epitome of the broken bad boy. He has such a tortured past and the only woman who can make him feel whole is Izzy. His love for her is endless – it is all-consuming, and you will feel it deep down in your soul. He is so swoony at times that I wanted to melt into a puddle at his feet. His protective and possessive nature is so attractive and admirable, and my heart both broke and beat for him so strongly.
Izzy is the mother we all strive to be. Her story was hard to read at times and I cried with and for her over and again. Her love, loyalty, and passion for her family is awe-inspiring. She has so much good in her, and her devotion to Mack is heartbreaking at times. She has her guard up yet you want her to have everything she desires and want to see her walls crumble. When she opens up her love for both her boys and Mack was so real and raw.
AL Jackson continues to be the queen of swoony emotional romance. These characters are buried deep in my heart and I’m not letting them go. I will fight and cheer for them again and again. Well done once again Al Jackson!!!
Pieces of Us is an beautifully written, emotionally charged, angsty, second chance romance that made me feel ALL.THE.THINGS. I am always in awe at the way A.L. Jackson’s books affect me. She has a way of breaking my heart into a million little pieces and then putting it back together. Only to find out it she put it back better than it was before.
When we met Mack in the previous Confessions of the Heart series books, I had a feeling he would have a story to tell. Boy did he. I fell head over heels for, in my opinion, Jackson’s sexiest hero to date. I love Maxon. So incredibly sexy but so broken – filled with a world of guilt, regret and a feeling of undeserving. My goodness. I wanted to comfort him so many times. He had something missing in his life and yearned for the love he once let go. When he runs into his lost love, Izzy, all his old feelings resurface and are too strong to fight.
The “endless love” Mack and Izzy shared radiated off the pages. Even after so many years apart, it felt so natural. Izzy, who I also adored, spent so much of her life trying to stay away from the man who destroyed her heart. However, their connection and the relationships between her kids and Mack made it difficult to not fall. Can I say no one writes children as amazingly as A.L. Jackson. Gah!! I love Benjamin and Dillon so much. Those boys definitely have my heart.
Even though I love, love, loved this story. It did contain one of my least favorite tropes. It’s a plotline that makes me both angry and sad. A.L. Jackson’s words and the heart behind them was able to soften the blow. Yet, because of this situation, I couldn’t give it a five star rating.
That being said, A.L. Jackson takes you on another beautiful and emotional journey. A journey that will put you through the ringer and ultimately make your heart so happy it could burst. I highly recommend picking up Pieces of Us and visiting the sexy, swoony detective of Broadshire Rim.
Whew- I think my heart rate has finally returned to normal after finishing Pieces of Us. This second-chance romance broke my heart almost as much as it made it sigh in delight.
I LOVED Izzy. Her strength and compassion. How she gave it all for her children. How her heart ached for the boy that stole it as a child and broke it as a young adult. But that boy was a man now and Mack wasn’t going to let his one slip through his fingers again. They had a past full of joy and pain and he was determined to give them the future they had always dreamed of. He just had to convince Izzy, and her kids.
There was more than one hiccup on that road. Secrets and danger threatened to put an end to it all before it even began. But the strength of their love was endless and not to be denied. That doesn’t mean they didn’t have to work for it. Fight for it. The issues from their past didn’t just up and vanish. They took their time and worked through them together.
The heartbreak. The remorse. The sacrifice. The fear. The forgiveness. The hope. The love… A.L. Jackson gave me all of that and so much more with Pieces of Us. Izzy and Mack’s achingly beautiful journey was the perfect ending to the Confessions of the Heart Series.
Where do I even begin?
This story… Maxon Chambers… the raw emotion… it was EVERYTHING! A.L. Jackson has topped herself in this second chance romance. Her flawless writing style made this such an effortless read. The beauty in her words, captivated me from beginning to end. I fell in love with Mack and Izzy’s story. From all the angst, to all the heart warming moments that left me with tears in my eyes, I devoured this book. The Confessions of the Heart series has been such an amazing series. I loved Jace and Ian, but Maxon… he completely stole my heart. This beautifully broken, sexy-as-hell detective has found his place, forever in my heart.
A.L. Jackson continues to be one of my most favorite authors. Her stories are always so beautifully written with so much heart, heat, and suspense. They are the very best of romance! I highly recommend that you not only read Maxon’s story, but that you read them all!
Review by Lys