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
I have been extremely invested in this series each book just better and better. Getting to know all the amazing characters in the series was a gift. I thought that I knew Maxon Chambers aka Mack, but I was so wrong. There was so much more to Mack then had been revealed in the first two books. Mack was a very broken man from so many things that happened in his youth. One such thing or I should say person that happened to Mack when he was younger was Izzy his childhood friend and love of his life. She was his safe harbor to escape his home life and abusive father. But about the time that they were teenagers and Mack’s Dad was forcing him to do some of his dirty work, Mack began to think that he was not good enough for Izzy. So, he proceeded to break Izzy’s heart and she left town and a broken Mack.
Present day Izzy has moved home to live with her parents with her two boys. She is a single mother and has not always had it so easy. Mack is in the grocery store and runs face to face with none other than Izzy, talk about an uncomfortable moment. It is also so very clear that they each still have feeling for each other.
Mack begins to peruse Izzy and doing this a little secret comes out. If they are even going to attempt a reconciliation, they will have to build the trust that was broken and mend all the hurt feelings that they both have. Mack will need to build a relationship with both Izzy’s son which are fantastic by the way!!
There is a taste of mystery and suspense when some shady things start happening to Mack which only enhances the story.
We are gifted with being able to revisit couples from the earlier books and seeing where their lives are. There were a few new characters that really stood out Izzy’s Mom and Dad her Mom was a gem!!
This was such a beautiful second chance romance!
Pieces of Us gave me all the “feels.” I’ve been interested in getting Mack’s story since we met him in book one. I was not disappointed. Mack had a rough childhood growing up, but now he’s a detective for Broadshire Rim. Izzy was his childhood best friend and then teenage girlfriend until he broke her heart and she left 13 years ago. Now Izzy is back and Mack, or Maxon as she calls him, can’t quit thinking about her. Izzy is back in town with her two young sons and has no interest of letting Maxon break her heart again. I enjoyed seeing their story play out. My heart broke for both of them. They had been through a lot and both deserved to be happy. The kids were hilarious. And it was nice to see some of our old friends again. I will definitely be telling all my reading buddies about this book.
Mack had a hard life growing up and did things he didn’t want to so he could survive. The one bright spot in his life was Izzy. Anytime something bad happened. He was always over at her house. The problem was he never felt like he was good enough. Izzy was just a girl who fell for a boy. He was her everything until one day he was gone. Izzy left town but ended up coming back, what will this mean for Izzy and Mack?
Holy Feels, Batman. Someone hold me. Mack and Izzy’s story just about killed me and my emotions. Their’s was a story that had so much sweetness between the heartbreaks and tough times that I almost lost it. They had me captivated, dying to find out how everything would work between them and if they could move past the hurt from so many years ago. There were a lot of obstacles in their way but I knew from the beginning that they belonged together and was rooting for them to make it work.
“Dragon, dragon, come and rescue me”
If you know me then you know that I’m not the biggest fan of flashbacks in my books. But the few that were put into this story were absolutely amazing and I wouldn’t wish them away. Seeing Izzy and Mack as kids was so friggin adorable and only had me loving them harder. It was really fun to see that even as adults with yeas apart between them they never lost that connection from when they were younger.
Overall, I’m so happy I read this story and got to experience a love like Mack and Izzy’s. I would say this could definitely be read as a standalone, though there’s maybe one or two things from the previous book that some would consider a spoiler.
5 “Endless” Stars
Finally! Mack’s story is here. I have been anxiously awaiting this one and AL Jackson did not disappoint. I knew Mack was hiding demons that we could only imagine the depth and depravity of. He is my favorite type of hero. The broken ones that have undeniable strength, but feel as if they don’t deserve anything in this world but desperately want to belong and be loved.
“That 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.”
Izzy Lane left broken hearted thirteen years and swore she would never come back to Broadshire Rim, but finds herself back home when the opportunity of a lifetime comes available. Seeing Maxon Chambers again only proves to her how much of a connection they still have and how very much in love with him she still is, but she’s not willing to risk her heart all over again.
Pieces of Us is a beautifully written story that will pull on your heartstrings. It is the ultimate second chance romance. Beautiful, heartwarming and emotionally charged. The love story between Maxon and Izzy is definitely one you don’t want to miss out on.
Angela – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
“You think I was ever fine for a second without you? That my heart ever beat right? That my spirit was ever at peace? Not for a second, Little Bird. Can’t fly without you by my side.”
After reading More of You and All of Me, I could not WAIT to get my hands on this book! I feel completely floored by how much this book made me feel. As the third standalone in the Confessions of the Heart series, Pieces of Us was heart-clenching, angst filled, and second chance romance at its finest. In Mack, author A.L. Jackson delivers another broken hero with a past riddled with pain, suffering, and love lost. The fire within him burns, and there’s only one person that can calm the flames. The one person he’s thrown away. When Izzy walks back into town, his heart nearly stops. With more than a decades worth of space and time between them, nothing has changed the way he feels about her. With a second chance presents itself to repair the broken parts, scared like hell or not, Mack is going to take it. But with the time comes secrets, and there are some things time just can’t change.
Jace and Ian’s stories touched my heart, but Maxon Chambers owns it. He’s compelling, fiercely loyal, and protective, yet so broken. I absolutely love the female characters in this series, and Izzy is no exception. She’s inherently good, pure to the core, and helplessly in love with the boy next door. Jackson’s emotive writing allows for these characters emotions to be yours, and her words appeal to your heart. Reading this story as a mother, gutted me. I found myself completely riveted by this story and unable to put it down!
I don’t want to give any details away, you just have to experience Pieces of Us for yourself. Expect to laugh, to cry, and full-on swoon. Prepare your heart, because you’re about to fall in love with Maxon Chambers. One-click this exceptional story today!
Mistakes, secrets and a second chance romance that both broke my heart and made it soar. I couldn’t wait to find out more about the sexy detective we met in the first two books in this series.
Izzy has returned to Charleston after swearing she’d never step foot there again after what Mack did to her. After running into each other, all the intense feelings that never went away came storming to the forefront for both of them, right along with all that sizzling sexual chemistry! I could literally feel the pain and heartbreak just by reading A.L. Jackson’s words. These two needed and deserved a happy ending. An element of crime drama, some surprising twists and turns, and the amazing friendships between the characters from all the Confessions of the Heart series made an already stunning love story even more incredible. Definitely one of my fave romance book series!
Maxon and Izzy were best friends from time she was 4 years old and he rescued her from a tree. Her house was his solace from his abusive father, and he was her dragon and protector. Their friendship grew into love, but then he broke her heart and she left town. Now the single mother of two has returned because her oldest son Benjamin, who has cerebral palsy, has been accepted into a program offered in Charleston that could help improve his motor function. As Maxon and Izzy spend time together and get to know each other again, secrets come out.
This was a pretty good book. It’s heavy on the angt, but the kids in the book provide much needed comic relief. Benjamin is a joy and Dillon is hilarious. Maxon’s journey over the course of the book is incredible.
6 Hearts
Pieces of Us is the third book in the Confessions of the Heart series by the ever-poetic and talented, A.L Jackson. It can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the previous books because they are fantastic! I don’t want to spoil anything so I will make this fast.
Izzy fell in love with the boy next door when she was four. She didn’t even know what love fully meant but she knew she wanted to marry him. Protect him. Be his everything. At seventeen, he broke her and she ran. And now at thirty, she was back in the town she said she would never come back to. Too many memories. Good and bad. Now, she just needed to avoid those feelings she always had for him. She couldn’t go down that road again even if he was everything and more.
Mack is shocked to see her. Hit with a wave of wanting. He thought about her every day for the last thirteen years. He still knew he wasn’t good enough for her but she was just as tempting now as she was then. His best friend. His only love. He knows he hurt her badly but was this fate? Her being back. It was like he could breathe again.
I absolutely loved, loved, loved this book! It’s such a beautiful story full of all the emotions. I cried probably a dozen times. A.L’s writing is also so poetic and this one just might be my favorite of hers. I felt their connection. Their bond. I loved the characters. I was invested in them. I loved the way Mack didn’t hide his feelings. He put himself out there even if he was in danger of being shot by her daddy. And I loved Izzy’s strength.
Overall…it was epic!! I loved every minute of their story. It’s inspiring, sweet, sassy, sexy, and one emotional ride.
P. S. Make sure to sign up for bonus scene!
Quotes:
“And how do you stop being afraid of the one thing that can destroy you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you slay it.”
“Little Bird, Little Bird, stuck in a tree.”
She giggled, her heart feeling light. “Dragon, dragon, come and rescue me.”
Flames flickered beneath the bare caress. The man my fire, my cold body begging to come alive under his scorching touch.
I thought I had read at least one book by this author but when I went back through my books I found out that I hadn’t. It also means that I now need to go back and read More of You and All of Me. The first 2 books in this series. This book can be read as a standalone and I was able to read and enjoy Pieces of Us. There are mentions of best friends and other characters that I would love to know more about is the reason I will now go back.
I did not want Maxon Chambers and Izzy Lane’s story to end. Even though I got my HEA! Maxon and Izzy’s story is emotional and angst driven.
Maxon “Mack” chased Izzy off 13 years ago. He thought it was for her own good. Now 13 years later Izzy is back home and all those feelings have returned. I don’t want to get into any spoilers but I fell in love with Mack! He still has some conflicting feelings because of the way he was raised but Izzy has her own concerns.
Thank goodness More of You is on KU. I already have it on my Kindle to read as soon as I have this review completed.
Absolutely my favorite book in this series!
Maxon, Oh Maxon! How I love thee. You are broken, beaten and painfully beautiful. Y’all this man…..
This is one of those books that bleeds your heart dry. These characters deserve so much that you ache for them. This second chance read is beautifully written and I love the way this author incorporates situations that real people are dealing with. I can picture Benjamin’s smile and my heart explodes! I absolutely loved this book. You gotta read it!
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*Review by Michelle
Absolutely my favorite book in this series!
Maxon, Oh Maxon! How I love thee. You are broken, beaten and painfully beautiful. Y’all this man…..
This is one of those books that bleeds your heart dry. These characters deserve so much that you ache for them. This second chance read is beautifully written and I love the way this author incorporates situations that real people are dealing with. I can picture Benjamin’s smile and my heart explodes! I absolutely loved this book. You gotta read it!
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Ok, so I always find it hard to write a review on a Story that I truly loved because I just want To ramble on about the story, good, happy, sappy and angst.. PIECES OF US is that story. I want to ramble about Every part.. That wouldn’t be fair to the next reader though because I’d definitely spoil a Story that is a must read!!
This Story had such a great Plot to it and I can say that I loved both Mack and Izzy so much.
Mack a Detective with a past that made him more appealing to me because not all Officers have an easy childhood.. I loved that the most. It’s easy for some people to look at an officer and say they are on a Power Trip or they had their career handed to them etc.. ect.. .. Mack proves in this story that is NOT true!! His past along with his buddies, Ian and Jace make the story so intriguing.
Izzy’s childhood may have been one that many would truly have wished for, however her early childhood friendship that turned into a teenage relationship with Mack set her future on a path that made her life a struggle.. Leaving her home and her town to escape the boy that had her heart and turned her world upside down. After thirteen years when she does finally return home, she’s a single mom of two amazing boys, back with her parents with secrets that are about to all come out.
Such a great and Amazing Story.
I don’t think there’s much in life better than an A.L. Jackson book. I’ve loved each of the books in this series, and this one was no different.
From the beginning, I fell for these characters. All their pain and sadness displayed so fully, just covering the love they’ve held for each other since day one. Not only was this a second chance for Mack and Izzy, but it was destiny – this childhood friendship that was somehow always more.
Izzy’s struggles were just heartbreaking, and Mack’s believe that he was nothing good just hurt my heart. I was pulling for them from moment one – for them to find their love again, for them to become the family they were always meant to be.
As always, Jackson’s writing is flawless. You can’t help feeling everything for these characters, from Mack and Izzy, to the children she writes so well, and for the other characters from Broadshire Rim that you get these wonderful little peeks at throughout the book. These characters will be in my heart forever <3
5 Endless Stars
I fell hard for Izzy and Mack. This was a fantastic second-chance romance, full of emotions, regret, forgiveness, heartbreak, hardship and longing. These two characters were amazing together. Mack was just kind of going through the motions of life until the day that Izzy reappeared in his life.
Mack is a small-town detective, but he’s carrying some deep emotional scars. He’s always felt like he wasn’t good enough, deserving enough. Even though he was fighting crime in their small town, he came from crime and always felt like it held him back. No matter how his little bird, Izzy, tried to convince him that he was a dragon and could slay anything.
These characters were just amazing. I know I said that already, but I fell for Izzy and Mack, hard. Their reunion isn’t easy — she’s a single mom and worries how the mistakes of their past will affect her children. But her boys! How could you not fall in love with Dillon and Benjamin? Mack absolutely melts in their presence, and once he meets those sweet kids, there’s no way he is going to let the three of them go.
I have not read the other books in this Confessions series. The characters are all friends so there is crossover, but I didn’t feel like I was missing out on any background. Although, now I’m interested to read about Jace and Ian, so I definitely want to check them out!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Broke Me!!!! This story just broke me. I have loved all of the stories of the Confessions of the Heart series. I’ve loved each couple and the continuation of the storylines, each interwoven but independent. But the story of Maxon and Izzy gutted me.
The second-chance love story is one of my favorites. And Mack and Izzy definitely needed a second chance. Their lives were wrecked by circumstances and misunderstandings. He was her dragon and she was his little bird, which has so much meaning personally to me, it’s crazy! And learning about Benjamin only helped Mack realize even quicker that nothing and no one would ever be the same.
A.L Jackson, you are an absolute knock out author and this story will always be one of my all time favorites. Thank you for giving my little bird wings and a big old dragon to fly with.
Pieces of Us is the third and final book in the Confessions of the Heart Series by A.L. Jackson. It is not necessary to read the first two books in the series, but A.L. Jackson writes fantastic stories, so I highly recommend doing so.
Some books break your heart, some lift you up and some do both all at once. In Pieces of Us, we get the story of the Maxon ‘Mack’ Chambers and Isalbell ‘Izzy’ Lane, his old love who has returned to town after thirteen years.
When the two see each other for the first time turmoil starts for both of them. Mack holds guilt for the way things went down before Izzy left. Izzy, of course, holds long seeded anger toward Mack but she also holds a big secret and when the secret comes out things change for the both of them.
Whether Mack and Izzy are soulmates is never in question but whether they can survive all the outside influences around them is the biggest obstacle they face.
I’m a sucker for a small town love story, especially two people who were always meant to be and brought back together. You can’t help but fall in love with the characters that A.L. Jackson creates and this story is no different. Be prepared for her to bring your emotions to the edge of destruction just before she cements everything back together.
I’ve been completely enthralled by this story, I just couldn’t stop reading it until the end.
Oh how I loved Mack’s story! And Izzy… so many times I found myself tearing over her lost years with Mack. They deserved to find happiness together.
This story is full of heartbreak and hope. Angst and slow burn, just how I like to read about.
I can’t give away much about the story itself but for me to read it in one sitting means a lot! Trust me!
4.5 Stars
To me, there is nothing better then seeing a new book from A.L. Jackson hitting my kindle. I know right away that I am about to go on an amazing, incredible, beautiful journey. I know that the ride is going to play with my emotions and leaving hanging on every word. I know that every moment will pull at my heart and leave me aching for more. And Pieces of Us is the latest book by this author to capture my heart and find its way into my soul…
Pieces of Us is a beautifully written and all consuming second chance romance. It is the most epic kind of love story. It’s the kind of story that grabs you from the first page and that will have you hanging on every word. From the moment you meet the characters you are totally swept up in their story and you might as well cancel all of your plans for the day. You won’t want to put their story down and you’ll be dying to see just how their story will play out.
Maxson & Izzy’s road to happily ever after is not an easy one. It’s filled with pain and heartache. Maxon and Izzy will be tested in ways neither one of them ever expected. There is so much for them to move past and so much more to lose this time around. But, the love these two share is real and true and is the kind that’s worth fighting for. Sure both of them made mistakes and Maxon definitely had some demons plaguing him. But, if any couple deserved a second chance at love, it was these two. They fell in love at a young age and had a friendship that many could only wish for. I loved watching these two navigate their way through the past and journey towards their future.
Pieces of Us is the kind of story that just sweeps you up and knocks you off of your feet. It is a story of second chances and love. A story of forgiveness and moving on. Of accepting your faults and opening your heart. A story of taking chances and believing in yourself. A story that just captures you heart and leaves you begging for more. A story of just how complex and tough love can be. How it it can put you through the ringer and test you in ways you never saw coming. It can break you, yet make you even stronger because in the end, true love is always worth the pain, the fight, the heartache…
I loved every moment of this story from beginning to end. Maxon & Izzy stole my heart and took my emotions on a ride that I won’t be forgetting any time soon. A.L. Jackson has once again delivered a heartfelt and emotional romance that will stand the test of time….
I received an ARC in return for an honest review. I’m gonna start by saying I’m always down for a secret baby plot line. I just wish we knew the backstory in the beginning because I was having a hard time connecting with the two of them and understanding the pain about the past. Before we got some backstory, I was not happy with Izzy keeping this secret. Obviously, after we learned more I understood but I wish we got to see that sooner. It was a good story but I sometimes find when i read stories where we start in the present we miss out a lot of the connection you would have with the characters by knowing the past beforehand.