No relationship, no promises. Just an old-fashioned friends-with-benefits arrangement…
Griff Lambert runs a whale-watching business in the small beach town he grew up in. The laid-back captain is strong, sexy, and capable of sweeping a woman off her feet, if only he hadn’t sworn them off for good.
But then he meets Autumn Paxton. The beautiful new pier owner who strides into town in a pair of … beautiful new pier owner who strides into town in a pair of sexy sky-high shoes and a smile that lights up the beach. From the moment their eyes meet, he knows he’s in trouble.
After a messy divorce, Autumn’s hoping to start a brand new life. One that doesn’t involve making the kind of mistakes that landed her here. Like falling for the gorgeous whaleboat captain who makes her feel things she never has before.
One kiss leads to another, and before they know it they’re tangled together in Griff’s bed.
They both know the rules. No complications, no messy feelings, and definitely no falling for each other.
It should be simple, right?
Pieces of Us is the sixth book in the Angel Sands series, set in a small beach town on the California coast. If you like a heartwarming read that’s low on angst and big on feels, this stand-alone romance is for you.
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4 stars
I purchased a copy of the steamy romantic novel Pieces of Us: A Small Town No Strings Love Story (Angel Sands Book 6) by Carrie Elks and this review was given freely.
This is a steamy opposites attract romance with some drama in the form of a vindictive ex, a near drowning, a fire and Autumn’s unfiltered sister Lydia which is mixed in with town events and the progressing lives of the ever increasing group of close knit friends we have come to love in the prior sequels.
Seeking a change after being emotionally scarred by her shifty ex-husband and her overprotective and controlling father,newly divorced former Manhattan real estate business co-owner Autumn takes a drunken chance on a pier with her maiden Paxton in Angel Sands California where she finds herself attracted to the emotionally scarred survivor of childhood neglect whale watch Tour boat captain and surfer Griffin Lambert.
A captivating read from beginning to end! An exciting storyline that leaves you breathless wanting more! Sexy steam filled chemistry! Emotionally heartfelt, enjoyable and fun! One heck of a twisted, intense rollercoaster ride! An amazing must read!
This book is full of characters that are engaging, well developed and boy their connection and chemistry Was strong with each turn of the page. I liked that the storyline flows easy from beginning to the end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this wonderful story. It’s richly detailed and satisfying. I could picture it all in my mind. The characters are so full of life, so real. Griff and Autumn have that magical chemistry that makes for the best of romances. The setting is enticing and the story is captivating, warm, and full of heart. Great writing by Carrie Elks. I couldn’t put it down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved the story of Griff and Autumn and really struggled to put this book down once I picked it up and started reading it. Carrie did an amazing job of developing both the plot and the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When Divorcee Autumn Paxton buys the pier in Angel Sands she finds herself living in and loving this quaint beach town. She also finds herself falling for Captain Griff, the long drink of water that immediately captures her attention. And vice versa. I loved being back in Angel Sands and I’ve longed for Griffin Lambert’s story, as the town surfer god and breaker of hearts.
Carrie Elks delivers a delightful story about love and second chances. About two people giving over to their attraction and taking the chance for a meaningful relationship. The connection between them is sexy and sweet, I saw their introduction as a meet-sexy because the attraction is immediate and undeniable. There are a few heartstopping moments, and a little drama from a well-meaning but interfering father.
This is a quick and heartfelt story and one I happily recommend.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
On the day of her divorce, Autumn celebrates a bit too much with her sister, and wakes up the next morning to find that she’s the new owner of Paxton’s Pier in Angel Sands, CA. She’s just gotten out of her husband’s control, and this is a chance to get away from her father’s control as well. She rents a beach cottage from a couple, then is invited to hang out with their group. Griff is part of that group. He’s an avid surfer, and runs a whale-watching boat based at the pier. They’ve got a huge pull to each other, but there are issues – he’s anti-relationship, and she’s eventually going back to New York. Friends with benefits is a terrific idea. Too bad they both begin to want more. This book is just a wonderful addition to this series. Griff’s been part of the group, but Autumn is a newcomer. His family history is heartbreaking, and explains everything about his aversion to forever. Yet there’s something there that makes him so attractive. Autumn’s father did his best raising her and Lydia alone, giving them every opportunity to be successful. She’s been so successful in New York, but the laid-back attitude in Angel Sands is new to her, and she’s beginning to like it. There are some bumps in their road to happiness, but nothing that can’t be overcome. Her father is so overwhelming – I love when she finally makes him understand that she’s doing exactly what she wants to do, living exactly where she wants to live, and in love with exactly who she wants to love. This is just a great group of friends; some of them have known each other for a long time, some are new additions, but they are supportive and welcoming. The next book is Jackson and Lydia, and I just know it will be equally wonderful!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Autumn has just gotten divorced from Josh a man she never should have married but to please her father. After one too many drinks with friends she buys a pier in Angel Sands California so she leaves New York to check out this new purchase with the thought that she would get things settled then hire someone to manage the property. Griff is a no relationship one night stand man and when he meets Autumn with her sexy shoes he thinks he may be interested in more than a one night with her. When she meets all the friendly people she decides she just may stay even when her father pressures her to come back to New York.
I just loved this story. And Griffin will you marry me hi hi:)?
I have been waiting for Griffin’s romance for a looooong time And Carrie Elks certainly didn’t let me down. He was everything I expected him to be. He is a big tall muscular man with a huge heart. He is the captain of a boat that takes people whale watching and he is also a surfer. His childhood was unfortunately really bad with parents who only paid attention to each other and their yelling and fighting and forgot all about him. So he has big commitment issues and he is afraid of being left behind and forgotten.
Autumn is a great counterpart to Griffin’s character. She is a real estate agent who owned a business with her ex husband but sold her part of it to him in the divorce. She has felt controlled by her father, ex husband and New York City. But now since she bought the pier in Angel Sands she decides to move there for a while and see if she wants to keep it or sell it again. She has always been a people pleaser and hates to let people down. She also learned from the divorce to talk things through and think things through before believing everything she is told.
Griffin and Autumn has the sweetest meet cute on the pier where he sings “Baby shark” over the phone to his godson Arthur just as she steps onto the pier for the first time. I loved it
We meet his friends from the former 5 books and how their relationships has evolved and this little group of friends opens up to Autumn right away and bits her welcome to the town with open arms.
I really can’t wait for the next book in the series and I was so right when I guessed who the hero and heroine would be so I want to read it now;).
I can definitely recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Well Carrie Elks did it again she brought me into the series so easily, so much so I want to live there, everybody seems so sweet, such a friendly place to live.
Autumn came from New York leaving the only life she’d ever known, she craved the acceptance of her dad who saw her as someone he would mould into a mini me.
After a long drawn divorce her move rejuvenated her, changing her into the women she wanted to be.
Griff was a gentle giant always feeling unwanted never knowing love found Autumn s a wonder, they seamlessly became a couple who were meant to be.
A few dramas ensued ( no spoilers )
I would have loved to see Griff take her ex down a peg or too or to see him get his just what he deserved. A sweet read I would recommend.
This is book number 6 in this series. Its a small town romance that give you all the feels. Griff has been mentioned in the other Angel Sands books, but we haven’t learned much about him. Griff quietly runs boat trips from the old pier in Angel Sands. Griff likes female companionship with no promises or commitments involved. When a newly divorced Autumn buys a rundown California pier while under the influence of tequila, it puts her on a very different path from the one she’s been on in New York. When Griff & Autumn meet, there’s instant chemistry. These two are complete opposites that they genuinely like one another. This book was a great addition to this series and can’t wait for the next book to come out in this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have been looking forward to Griff’s story pretty much since the first time I read the very first book in the series. I had no idea that there were the kinds of hidden depths we see in this book behind his happy-go-lucky surfer-boy attitude. And some of those deep dark places broke my heart. I love that like her maybe/maybe-not ancestor, Autumn arrived in Angel Sands looking for a fresh start. And like it did for that long-ago captain, the town offered her a safe haven. One that provided new friends, peace, and a chance to discover who she wanted to be without other people telling her what to do and how to do it. (I apologize in advance if the following gets a little spoiler-y. I’m keeping it as vague as possible to prevent that, but please be warned…) The only issue I had with the story was that when the inevitable chaos ensues, it felt to me a lot like ‘victim-blaming’ when everyone points out why Griffin was wrong. Especially the people who know his history and should understand why he reacted the way he did. That didn’t sit quite right with me. However, I really like that they both apologize to one another for everything that caused the mess and open up a little more about the histories that brought them to that point. And, like with every book in the series before this, the ending is a spun-sugar treat of utter sweetness.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through Booksprout.
love the Angel sand series
Griff and Autumn grabbed my heart and squuezed
intense emotional beautiful love story
ready for more
A drunken on-line shop turns her life around: heartwarming & well-written
Another lovely romance for the small beach town of Angel Sands, this time between local boat charter owner Griff and a beautiful New Yorker ready for a change and some distance from her old, high-powered life. Well, I guess a whole continent of distance is a good start and then she falls for the town. And its residents. And a man not looking for commitment…
I’ve read every book in the series thus far and they are all well-written, romantic, somewhat steamy though not really explicit, just a jot of angst, and built around fully fleshed-out characters. Old characters return, new ones enter and join the community spirit of this lovely, regenerating coastal California town.
Totally pleasurable to read and done in Carrie Elks’s flowing, easy to read style. I’m a big fan of her contemporary romance and always eager for the next, be it beach, cowboy, British sisters, whatever: bring them on!
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Can someone please show me the way to Angel Sands???
With a seaside town setting that sounds so idyllic, with it’s beautiful pier and beaches to the eligible hot men just waiting there to find love, i’m so ready to pack up my stuff and move there!
Even though this is now book 6 of this series I approach each story as though it’s the first because each one has given me the same exciting feeling of when you first start reading a brand new series, it always feels fresh and different and not just a continuation of a long running story, yes we still get to catch up with the other previous characters but it’s easy to read each book as though it’s a standalone with no connection to anything else.
Griff and Autumn’s story is a heartfelt romance about two people that have been hurt so much in the past that it’s made them afraid to love, but neither can they both deign or help feeling the physical chemistry that they have for each other. It’s an emotional time for them both on so many levels, giving others opportunity to try and meddle in their relationship.
Carrie Elks has written another wonderful romance that can only be a credit to this already well established series and I just can’t help wanting to be swept away there to live amongst it’s characters in the warm California sun.
This story was so good, I couldn’t put it down until I finished. Autumn went through a nasty divorce and bought a pier in California. When she discovered what she had done, she thought it would be a good change and get her out of NY and her ex. The first time she saw Griff, it was so cute. I loved that scene. She tried really hard to restart her life and she was liking what she was doing. Of course, her father couldn’t accept that she could be happy not in NY. The characters were so likeable and I loved the whole book I have not been disappointed in any of Carrie Elks’s books. Hopefully another will come out soon
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Healing Two Damaged Lives –
OMG! Griff and Autumn’s story is a combination of heartbreak and happiness, that you just can’t put down, once you start reading it. Autumn had lived a life of control for so long that, it took her a while to realise that her new life and friends were real. Griff on the other hand had been through a tumultuous childhood, so he thought what he felt for Autumn was unreal. Whilst this book is a standalone, I suggest you read books one to five of the Angel Sands Series to get to know the other characters in the story. I am really looking forward to reading Jackson and Lydia’s story and to see how Autumn and Lydia’s father reacts to his children moving to Angel Sands permanently.
I received a copy of this ARC and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved reading this story because I not only fell in love with the characters, I fell in love with the town. The story itself is sweet, emotional, sexy, and romantic and the setting adds to it. I love the small-town feel that I get from this story. I could picture myself there. Griff and Autumn have amazing chemistry too and I could feel their emotions as I was reading.
A wonderfully written story of a small town romance. Carrie Elks quickly added herself to my favorite authors list and is one I know I’ll love her stories. The characters are realistic, easy to love and feel like family. The story line flows smoothly from page to page and captivates the reader from the first word til the last word. A perfect read for the summer evenings while sit on your deck enjoying the soft breeze.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved being able to return to Angel Sands and read Griffin and Autumn’s story, and to catch on the characters from the previous books.
Griffin is a happy-go-lucky guy who has his own business and loves surfing. He’s been burned before by dating someone from the pier so when he meets Autumn and feels an attraction to her, he tries to keep from getting involved with her.
Autumn is recently divorced and ready for a change of pace. A trip across the country to see the pier that she bought (while drunk) could be just what the doctor ordered – especially when she meets the whale boat captain. While she has no plans to start a relationship, she wouldn’t mind some no strings attached fun. But is that possible?
I couldn’t help but fall in love with Griffin. He didn’t have the best family life growing up but did have some close friends and Lucas’s mom to help him out. It never ceases to amaze how things that happened when we were young can have such an impact on us as an adult. And Autumn has her challenges with finding her voice where the men in her life are concerned. I just loved how the story progressed and can’t wait for Lydia and Jackson’s story.