Every person is a puzzle made up of many different pieces, each connecting perfectly to the pieces around it. After a while, a picture begins to come into focus, and then we, the puzzle creator, can finally make sense of the beauty displayed before us. It was different for me. Some of my pieces were bent or twisted, but I made them fit. It wasn’t until I finally let him in that I realized I was … I was missing one important piece…
Love.
I knew how to give it. What I didn’t know was how to accept it––until he showed me how…
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I absolutely loved this book. The author creates characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. She puts them in real life situations that rip your heart out. It’s so easy to fully invest in their story, their journey becomes your own. Her stories touch your soul you see pieces of yourself or people you know in her characters. The title of this story “The Pieces that Built Me” rings true not just in the book, but in life… The good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between… Everyone that comes into your life teaches you something, gives you something, leaves something… Love and Heartache, Joy and Pain, its all a part of the puzzle that is you. That is what I took away from this story and I can’t wait for the next book. I definitely recommend this book!
This is a wonderful dark book. It is sad and full of sad things. I don’t know how someone can get through to all. But it has a H.E. This book drew me in and I read it in one go. I could not put it away and yet I sometimes didn’t want to read any further. Does this make sense. I’m going to the next book the pieces that built him. Recommend.
I have always called Amber the Queen of ugly cries and
she doesn’t disappoint with this book. I had to take a day before reviewing to wrap my head around what I had just read. I have a awful book hangover, but that always happens after reading Ambers books. At times in this book I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest,
but she always fixes it. I could not put this book down.
I stayed up way past my bed time to finish, I had to know what was gonna happen.
If you are looking for an emotional rollercoaster read that you cant put down this book is for you.
I loved Arlo and August’s story. Poor Arlo has gone through some pretty awful stuff
to get to where she is in life. I have decided I am gonna kidnap August and keep him for myself. I mean who doesn’t love a rock star.
There was times I would have loved to jump in this book and hug her and him.
This is probably my favorite book by Amber!
I have read all her books and they just keep getting better and better.
Guys this is a must read, along with all of Amber’s other books..
Amber has outdone herself again. With each new book I love her work more and more. I love watching her grow as an Author. This book was something. Amber writes about the hard topics, and this one covers a few! I really liked how this spanned through her life, it wasn’t just boom a HEA, there were so many struggles that Arlo had to face pretty much alone. All around an amazing book, definitely a must read!
This is my first novel that I have read from this author, so I had no idea what I was in for.
As I sit here I am trying to find the right words to explain what I felt about this novel, but I have to admit it’s a little difficult.
I guess the best way for to articulate it is with one simple word….
You see for me what this novel gave me was ‘real’.
In this novel we meet Arlington and this is her story, her life, her world.
It starts at the beginning, Arlington as a young girl and it takes us on her journey, and let me tell you her journey is one of sheer heartache.
It follows Arlington on her life as she grows from a teenager into adulthood.
We get to explore life through Arlington’s eyes, the grief she encounters, the loss she feels, the decisions she makes, her first love, her first breakup….All the things that happen to every single one of us each and every single day.
The title of this novel fits perfectly with this novel because that is exactly what you get from this novel. It’s all the pieces that built Arlington that gives us this heartfelt, highly emotionally charged novel.
A beautifully, in depth read that I couldn’t put down.
To Arlington, your story will stay with me always.
To August….Thank you for never giving up.
To Andrea….Girl I have a serious crush on you.
To Daniel….May you finally seek the peace you were always trying to find.
To Amber Lacie….Thank you for sharing Arlington’s story.
4 stars
Amber always delivers an emotional read, it is something you can count on. And this is yet another! Loved it and cannot wait to read whatever comes next from this fantastic author!
3.5 stars
“If I could have cured the world from disease, healing the sick, and saving those who needed more than the world could offer, I would have started with you.” – Love this dedication! <3
The Pieces That Built Me was my blind date for February and it was a though read. Not only because it felt like I was reading a lot more than 200 pages but mostly because the topics it deals with are pretty though and made my heart and soul heavy.
"First you stole my heart. Then you stole my words. That makes you the perfect thief because I didn't even know they could be taken."
The story around Arlington consists mostly of loss, dealing with it, dealing with the pain it causes. It shows exactly that life is a puzzle and how every decision we take influences our future and the people in our life. This book shows how Arlington grew up to become a wonderful strong woman formed by loss and lies of her past. But the love of her family, not by blood but by choice, and the love of August helped her staying on her path.
"Time is a bitch. She's fleeting, and she never turns around. She will take everything from you and never look back over her shoulder."
Amber Lacie must be a very strong woman herself taking on such a touching story that seems to be cut right out of real life. All characters feel real and far away from being perfect/flawless. Almost like she endured some of the pain herself putting it between the lines.
The only thing I had some issues with is that I couldn't really feel the chemistry and love neither between Arlo and August nor between Arlo and Ben. However, I was always team August.
"Life is a puzzle. Sometimes, it's hard to see in the beginning the picture they would make, but part of the fun is building it."
This book had me feeling all of the emotions. From sweetness to that pit in my stomach sadness and finally – satisfaction from a book well written.
An epic tale of one woman’s journey to happiness with lots of not so happy things that make up all the pieces of the puzzle.
Absolutely recommend this story.
The Pieces that Built Me
“Life is like a puzzle. Sometimes, it’s hard to see in the beginning the picture they would make, but part of the fun is building it.”
Every single time I read a novel by this author I’m taken into a world of pure emotion. I felt like I was there with Arlington every time her heart broke, every time she picked herself back up and forged ahead. Too much of this story was painfully real for me, a reminder of what I’ve lost, but also what I’ve gained. I laughed and cried with the characters, falling in love with each of them, feeling their loss as they fell victim to the very real problems in our world. This book was hard to put down for even a second, holding me captive as the story embraced me, needing to know what would happen next. I cannot wait for the next in series!
Amber seizes to amaze me! She has outdone it once again. The Pieces that Built me was awesome! The story line was perfect and I loved the characters.
There are so many feels in this book. Amber knows how to write reality. There is so much hardship..The way they grew up to the reality of adulthood. There are not many books that I will ugly cry in and this one definitely was one.
I have loved getting to know these characters and cannot wait for more! I am looking forward to seeing how all of these pieces come together!
Amber Lacie has quite a way with words. She creates amazing characters and oh the feels! I loved Arlo and August!!!
Oh my gosh, this is a great book. I loved reading about Arlington’s and August’s life.
Amber Lacie has done it again. This book will rip your heart apart and put it back together again. I just love her books and Arlo and August’s story is no different. Arlo goes through some pretty hard stuff to get where she ends up. I had trouble putting this book down once I started it. I highly recommend this and all of Ms. Lacie’s works.
I absolutely loved this book to pieces! A fantastic read! I love the characters and the plot is amazing. I couldn’t put it down.
This is an emotional rollercoaster of a read that will have you loving the characters and also hating some of them. Arlo’s life is a turmoil with her family life and her twins. When her heart is broken she turns to someone that her best friend keeps warning her of. But can love a love August from her past save her. This had me big time ugly cry at so many times. I’d highly recommend as a must read beautifully written book.
What can I say Amber Lacie’s books are fantastic. I have read every one of them on or before their released and she just keeps getting better. This one a story of a very dysfunctional family, that twins had more pain that anyone should have to bear. Arlington and Daniel are twins that love each other more then life it’s self. When tragedy happens Arlington has to learn how to live as half of a whole. August loves to sing and wants to be a rock star, he wants Arlington to come with him to California she declines. Arlington meets Ben who makes the pain go away. One thing leads to another and Arlington has to find for herself. August loves Arlington and keeps come back for her. Arlington has decisions to make will she make the right ones? This story has everything in it heartbreak, love and more emotions than you can handle, oh bring the Kleenex.
Another intense and emotional story by Amber Lacie
I love that she doesn’t shy away from the true story she needs to write and try to keep tithe themes so common in the genre now.
The story was raw, heart wrenching, beautiful and honest.
Amber is a one click author for me and this story really showed me why.
I love Amber Lacie’s writing and how she brings her characters to life from the first page. I got a little reprieve from the gut punch I usually get from her, but don’t take that to mean this book wasn’t packed with emotion.
There are many characters in this book, the primary being Arlington. The pieces of the puzzle are the pieces of her life. From an early childhood those pieces are broken and bent and we follow through life with her to find out how that happened.
This story is full of love and loss. It’s risks and safety. It’s the unknown and absolute certainty. The thing is, you never know when you turn the page what it will bring. The characters in this book are strong. I think right out of the gate there was SO much going on that I felt a bit detached until about the halfway point, but by the end I was hooked and rooting for Arlington to get it together.
This is a great read, just like the rest of Ambers’ books, and you won’t be disappointed taking the time to jump in!
Amber’s books are the absolute best for breaking your heart and rebuilding it all within one story.
The story of Arlington, Daniel and August tears at your heart strings. Arlington and Daniel are twins who have a very difficult childhood that effects them both in different ways.
While Daniel turns towards drugs, Arlington is struggling with watching her brother throw everything away while trying not to find comfort in her brother’s friend August.
Even though Ben might not have been a character everyone liked or loved I thought his role was needed in order to carry this story to the lengths Amber took us.
I honestly dare you to pick up a copy of any of Amber’s books and not become connected with the characters in some way by the end.
This story has so much emotion. I cried, I dont cry but I did. These characters become people you love people you know people you wanna know.
Arlo is stuck between the 2 men she loves. 1 is good for her and 1 isnt. Shes forced to make a choice.
Shes also dealing with her twin brother and what he going through. Shes spread thin between all the men in her life.
I want them all to be happy, but theres no way that can happen.
Amber is a goddess of words, she builds you up and then tears you down. She makes you laugh, then makes you ugly cry. The words she writes are so realistic you become part of her stories.