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Offstage #1
The Piece That Fits: Special Edition
Since that haunting accident years ago, Avery Fox has always followed her head and not her heart. With good grades, a future career in medicine, and a boyfriend ready to take the next step, it seems like she has everything she could ever want. But soon, the facade of her flawless life fades, and she questions every decision she’s made. With nowhere else to turn, Avery is forced to move in with her brother and his bandmates of A Quiet Peril—the band they started in high school that is now touring across the nation and selling out everywhere they go.
Following her head is a lot easier said than done before Liam Lockwood enters her life again. Because when deep-rooted anger and hatred for her brother’s best friend turn to growing affection and burning desire, she wants nothing more than to follow her heart. But there’s a reason she’s always made the controlled choice, and when her heart takes the lead, the secret of what really caused that accident all those years ago is revealed, threatening to shatter her life to pieces.
And there’s only one person who can put her back together.
Following her head is a lot easier said than done before Liam Lockwood enters her life again. Because when deep-rooted anger and hatred for her brother’s best friend turn to growing affection and burning desire, she wants nothing more than to follow her heart. But there’s a reason she’s always made the controlled choice, and when her heart takes the lead, the secret of what really caused that accident all those years ago is revealed, threatening to shatter her life to pieces.
And there’s only one person who can put her back together.
328 pages, Paperback
First published December 7, 2021
1955 people are currently reading
22010 people want to read
About the author
N.J. Gray
6 books308 followersN.J. Gray is a #1 Amazon Bestselling romance author, dog mom, cool auntie, and dessert enthusiast. She writes angsty, hard-fought romance novels with tattooed MMCs to swoon over and empowered FMCs that you can root for. Her raw and heartfelt stories will latch onto your soul and never let go. When she’s not writing you can find her watching hockey, reading under a pile of blankets, or walking her rescue dog, Korra. She writes from her home in Minnesota. Please visit her at www.instagram.com/thenjgray.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 659 reviews
December 13, 2021
It’s everything you’d expect in a new adult rock star romance:
- Alpha Manwhore H
- Good girl h
- Hate to love
- Misunderstandings
- It’s also a brothers best friend romance but this didn’t feature largely in the book. This is just as well since I found the brother/Sister relationship between Avery/Danny to be lacking and the friendship between Danny/Liam wasn’t explored either.
The book was fine so have rated it 3 stars but I did want to rate it 2 stars at times because:
- there were too many scenes with Liam and OW. He was even considering having a threesome at 68% after he had already kissed Avery. I know he’s a rockstar and this is characteristic behaviour but I don’t want actual scenes, it could have just been mentioned.
- I didn’t like that both Liam and Danny called Avery a B**tch.
- All the characters were flat, they served their purpose for the story but there was nothing unique or memorable about them.
- Alpha Manwhore H
- Good girl h
- Hate to love
- Misunderstandings
- It’s also a brothers best friend romance but this didn’t feature largely in the book. This is just as well since I found the brother/Sister relationship between Avery/Danny to be lacking and the friendship between Danny/Liam wasn’t explored either.
The book was fine so have rated it 3 stars but I did want to rate it 2 stars at times because:
- there were too many scenes with Liam and OW. He was even considering having a threesome at 68% after he had already kissed Avery. I know he’s a rockstar and this is characteristic behaviour but I don’t want actual scenes, it could have just been mentioned.
- I didn’t like that both Liam and Danny called Avery a B**tch.
- All the characters were flat, they served their purpose for the story but there was nothing unique or memorable about them.
August 19, 2024
3 ⭐️ “I’ve never wanted to be someone’s someone more than I do yours.”
If you found that quote incredibly moving, you would be the only one. Listen, I liked this, but it felt very much like Wattpad for me. Avery Fox is following the footsteps of her ambitious mother and is well on her way to becoming a doctor. Her life changes when she and her boyfriend Zayn end their relationship and she moves into her brothers house. Now she’s living in a house with her brother and his bandmates. One of which happens to be her childhood nemises. You know what they say, love and hate is a fine line.
This was quick and easy to read. But it also made me cringe multiple times and the characters were so emotional and acted out of character all the time. I felt like there could’ve been so much more done with Avery and her music and her relationship with her brother and Liam. I wanted more from this story than I got. Fast read, but unfulfilling.
If you found that quote incredibly moving, you would be the only one. Listen, I liked this, but it felt very much like Wattpad for me. Avery Fox is following the footsteps of her ambitious mother and is well on her way to becoming a doctor. Her life changes when she and her boyfriend Zayn end their relationship and she moves into her brothers house. Now she’s living in a house with her brother and his bandmates. One of which happens to be her childhood nemises. You know what they say, love and hate is a fine line.
This was quick and easy to read. But it also made me cringe multiple times and the characters were so emotional and acted out of character all the time. I felt like there could’ve been so much more done with Avery and her music and her relationship with her brother and Liam. I wanted more from this story than I got. Fast read, but unfulfilling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2022
Fit just right
This was the book I didn’t know I needed in my life. A brilliant story from start to finish with characters you can’t help but love, The Piece That Fits hits all the right notes.
This was the book I didn’t know I needed in my life. A brilliant story from start to finish with characters you can’t help but love, The Piece That Fits hits all the right notes.
February 18, 2025
3/5 ⭐️
I’m just drowning myself in romance books to fill the void of xaden riorson 😭
I’m just drowning myself in romance books to fill the void of xaden riorson 😭
May 29, 2024
3.5-4 ⭐️
1.5🌶️
I quite enjoyed this story only problem I have with short stories, is that they are slow to start and then all of a sudden everything is happening at once. However, the length and this small problem did not affect my stance on Gray. I will definitely read more of her books.
It’s a short, fun read however, it can get hard in some places. Though, I didn’t see any trigger warnings when there should be. Maybe I over looked them, so please correct me if I’m wrong, but I couldn’t find anything on the warnings of this book. So read with caution.
1.5🌶️
I quite enjoyed this story only problem I have with short stories, is that they are slow to start and then all of a sudden everything is happening at once. However, the length and this small problem did not affect my stance on Gray. I will definitely read more of her books.
It’s a short, fun read however, it can get hard in some places. Though, I didn’t see any trigger warnings when there should be. Maybe I over looked them, so please correct me if I’m wrong, but I couldn’t find anything on the warnings of this book. So read with caution.
August 22, 2022
4/5 ✰ - the piece that fits review
💌 thank you nj gray for sending me a copy !
this was such a cute & fast paced read! if you like enemies to lovers, brother’s bsf & secret relationship you’ll definitely enjoy this !! overall the writing was very entertaining & captivating, i finished this book in one sitting ! i really enjoyed seeing both avery and liam tear down the walls separating them & finally connecting, despite what was keeping them away from each other.
*my only complaint was nina’s character. as much as she claimed to be there for avery, as her bsf, sometimes, it felt as though nina was being lowkey shady ?? idk.
💌 thank you nj gray for sending me a copy !
this was such a cute & fast paced read! if you like enemies to lovers, brother’s bsf & secret relationship you’ll definitely enjoy this !! overall the writing was very entertaining & captivating, i finished this book in one sitting ! i really enjoyed seeing both avery and liam tear down the walls separating them & finally connecting, despite what was keeping them away from each other.
*my only complaint was nina’s character. as much as she claimed to be there for avery, as her bsf, sometimes, it felt as though nina was being lowkey shady ?? idk.
February 24, 2023
2.5 ⭐️
It was fine
It was fine
October 22, 2022
the big reveal was a little too soapy, the conflict didn't feel authentic. the characters were mostly two dimensional. i agree with previous reviews: this has big fanfic vibes.
i unlocked a new pet peeve too. i already hate seeing the word fisted as a verb and this author used TEETHED. he teethed her earlobe. please no.
i unlocked a new pet peeve too. i already hate seeing the word fisted as a verb and this author used TEETHED. he teethed her earlobe. please no.
March 27, 2022
“It’s okay to change your mind. It’s okay to not have every moment of your life planned out. If life has taught me anything, it’s that your mental health is more important than making someone else happy.”
February 8, 2025
light read! read it on KU because I saw a video of it lol - do I regret trusting it? maybe.
September 12, 2022
“𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎’𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝙸 𝚍𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜”
GUYSS!!!!! I had this book out on KU for MONTHS and I am so so sorry I put it off for so long! I AM OBSESSED AND WANT TO READ THE NEXT BOOK STAT.
Avery and Liam DO NOT get along. They hate each other... or so they say. Avery, who recently broke up with her boyfriend, moves in with her brother and his bandmates until she can get her feet on the ground and move in with her best friend Nina.
The lead singer of the band, Liam (rockstar heartthrob), who has gone out of his way to mess with Avery when she was younger, tries to distance himself from his best friends little sister. But as he begins to spend more time with Avery things begin to shift. You see a much more tender side that had me squealing with joy and a protective side that also had me swooning.
The pace at which the book goes is PERFECTION as was the slow burn. You watch as these two slowly let their walls crumble for each other and find their happy amidst the chaos. This is a book about understanding and growing from mistakes and about falling in love. It's about not judging a book by its cover and letting others in, to carry some of your burdens.
SO IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK AND ITS CHARACTERS.
Read if you like
- enemies to lovers
- musician/ rockstar romance
- brothers best friend
- guys with tattoos
- forced proximity
- dual pov
- slow burn with some spice
GUYSS!!!!! I had this book out on KU for MONTHS and I am so so sorry I put it off for so long! I AM OBSESSED AND WANT TO READ THE NEXT BOOK STAT.
Avery and Liam DO NOT get along. They hate each other... or so they say. Avery, who recently broke up with her boyfriend, moves in with her brother and his bandmates until she can get her feet on the ground and move in with her best friend Nina.
The lead singer of the band, Liam (rockstar heartthrob), who has gone out of his way to mess with Avery when she was younger, tries to distance himself from his best friends little sister. But as he begins to spend more time with Avery things begin to shift. You see a much more tender side that had me squealing with joy and a protective side that also had me swooning.
The pace at which the book goes is PERFECTION as was the slow burn. You watch as these two slowly let their walls crumble for each other and find their happy amidst the chaos. This is a book about understanding and growing from mistakes and about falling in love. It's about not judging a book by its cover and letting others in, to carry some of your burdens.
SO IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK AND ITS CHARACTERS.
Read if you like
- enemies to lovers
- musician/ rockstar romance
- brothers best friend
- guys with tattoos
- forced proximity
- dual pov
- slow burn with some spice
February 15, 2022
"For anyone struggling to find their way. You are never alone." -This..this right here is how you start a book. It's the truth and I needed to hear it.
This is about reinvention of oneself. It's about discovering what you love. And it's about falling in love with an unexpected man.
I want to say all the spoilers but take a chance and read this book. I went in with one sexy line from NJ's Tiktok but found that it was so much more than that.
Avery and Liam are really well developed and so is the storyline. Nothing is rushed and it doesn't drag on. The other supporting characters are wonderful. I really love Lexi, she's hilarious and lovable right when you meet her.
This is about reinvention of oneself. It's about discovering what you love. And it's about falling in love with an unexpected man.
I want to say all the spoilers but take a chance and read this book. I went in with one sexy line from NJ's Tiktok but found that it was so much more than that.
Avery and Liam are really well developed and so is the storyline. Nothing is rushed and it doesn't drag on. The other supporting characters are wonderful. I really love Lexi, she's hilarious and lovable right when you meet her.
April 11, 2022
Es un fanfic. Hay personajes que se llaman Liam, Zayn, no hay ningún Harry pero hay un Danny y se basa en una banda. Ni siquiera es un buen fanfic.
February 24, 2025
Who doesn’t love a good rockstar romance! Loved that I was able to see two characters point of views throughout the book and the hate to love chemistry of the main characters
March 28, 2023
Enemy’s to lovers >>> loved it with all my heart<3! Current favorite
November 9, 2025
3.75⭐️
An enemies-to-lovers, brothers best friend, rockstar romance. For whatever reason the just hit the spot. There's tension and yearning. He comes to her rescue and helps her embrace her true self. It was satisfying in the way that it just scratched the itch. He becomes soft for her and only sees her when a million other girls want him. He takes care of her even when he can't make sense of why...
The only thing that didn't really make sense was the reasoning for his distaste for her. While it was resolved it still didn't hold a lot of merit.
Overall, this was a solid rockstar romance read if you're looking for these specific tropes. I will say the audiobook was really done well and the narrators nailed the characters.
An enemies-to-lovers, brothers best friend, rockstar romance. For whatever reason the just hit the spot. There's tension and yearning. He comes to her rescue and helps her embrace her true self. It was satisfying in the way that it just scratched the itch. He becomes soft for her and only sees her when a million other girls want him. He takes care of her even when he can't make sense of why...
The only thing that didn't really make sense was the reasoning for his distaste for her. While it was resolved it still didn't hold a lot of merit.
Overall, this was a solid rockstar romance read if you're looking for these specific tropes. I will say the audiobook was really done well and the narrators nailed the characters.
February 12, 2022
I started this book and literally could not put it down.
The tension and build up between Liam and Avery had me needing more until they finally got together, and even then it was so good that I found myself still needing more of them.
This book did a beautiful job at showing you how even when life chips away at you, you're not alone. Hell I'd love to have Liam backing me put some of my pieces back together.
It is a bit of a slow burn but once they get together Liam and Avery can't seem to keep their hands off each other.
The tension and build up between Liam and Avery had me needing more until they finally got together, and even then it was so good that I found myself still needing more of them.
This book did a beautiful job at showing you how even when life chips away at you, you're not alone. Hell I'd love to have Liam backing me put some of my pieces back together.
It is a bit of a slow burn but once they get together Liam and Avery can't seem to keep their hands off each other.
August 30, 2022
Oh god i loved this book
Where can i buy a Liam Lockwood????
Where can i buy a Liam Lockwood????
January 27, 2024
I ignored my job, my responsibilities as a mother, and refused to make dinner so I could devour this book in the span of 24 hours.
July 30, 2024
Okay, took me a minute to start this, but I actually DEVOURED THIS BOOK.
Liam and Avery 🫶🏻🫶🏻 chefs kiss. No critiques. This was a TRUE enemies to lovers and done SO WELL. Like slow burn but not too slow - just enough to keep tearing through the pages till they finally broke! The “fuck it” moment will never get old. And Avery - yes queen for freaking being strong and resilient, and pouring a beer when and where it needed to be poured!
The Banter - top notch 👏🏻😘 (so good)
Gahhh. And I thought rock band idkkkk? Hmm probably going to be cheesy - nope love it. Every book should have a band.
It wasn’t even that spicy (🌶️🌶️? Maybe?), but the tension was delicious. Ate it up. Bra-VO
But definitely know there are some heavy topics in here. Like super heavy, but it was woven in perfectly.
Also, this author puts just enough thoughtful prose intertwined in the scenes and I loveddddd it.
“Life tended to chip little pieces of you away, the longer you were here. Shaping you. Molding you into who you were today. No one ever prepared you for when you lost too much of yourself. You stumbled. You fell. Lost, without a clear path to follow, hoping to find that one person, place, or passion that made you feel whole again. The piece that fit.”
Liam and Avery 🫶🏻🫶🏻 chefs kiss. No critiques. This was a TRUE enemies to lovers and done SO WELL. Like slow burn but not too slow - just enough to keep tearing through the pages till they finally broke! The “fuck it” moment will never get old. And Avery - yes queen for freaking being strong and resilient, and pouring a beer when and where it needed to be poured!
The Banter - top notch 👏🏻😘 (so good)
Gahhh. And I thought rock band idkkkk? Hmm probably going to be cheesy - nope love it. Every book should have a band.
It wasn’t even that spicy (🌶️🌶️? Maybe?), but the tension was delicious. Ate it up. Bra-VO
But definitely know there are some heavy topics in here. Like super heavy, but it was woven in perfectly.
Also, this author puts just enough thoughtful prose intertwined in the scenes and I loveddddd it.
“Life tended to chip little pieces of you away, the longer you were here. Shaping you. Molding you into who you were today. No one ever prepared you for when you lost too much of yourself. You stumbled. You fell. Lost, without a clear path to follow, hoping to find that one person, place, or passion that made you feel whole again. The piece that fit.”
January 17, 2025
Really, really cute story with a lot of grief, love and heart.
“You see, there’s this girl …” I stopped breathing when I saw him staring directly at me. “I think I might be falling in love with her, but I have a really hard time finding the words to tell her that. So, I did the next best thing and put some of my thoughts into lyrics.”
With Liam being the best friend of her brother and the lead singer of their band, and Avery being a med student, they don’t really have much in common. What bonds them is their trauma and the start of their friendship.
Can’t explain how much I love the fact that Liam is so supportive and shows Av that it’s okay to live a life for herself and not her mom.
- Life tended to chip little pieces of you away, the longer you were here. Shaping you. Molding you into who you were today. No one ever prepared you for when you lost too much of yourself. You stumbled. You fell. Lost, without a clear path to follow, hoping to find that one person, place, or passion that made you feel whole again. The piece that fit. -
⭐️⭐️⭐️,5 stars for me!
“You see, there’s this girl …” I stopped breathing when I saw him staring directly at me. “I think I might be falling in love with her, but I have a really hard time finding the words to tell her that. So, I did the next best thing and put some of my thoughts into lyrics.”
With Liam being the best friend of her brother and the lead singer of their band, and Avery being a med student, they don’t really have much in common. What bonds them is their trauma and the start of their friendship.
Can’t explain how much I love the fact that Liam is so supportive and shows Av that it’s okay to live a life for herself and not her mom.
- Life tended to chip little pieces of you away, the longer you were here. Shaping you. Molding you into who you were today. No one ever prepared you for when you lost too much of yourself. You stumbled. You fell. Lost, without a clear path to follow, hoping to find that one person, place, or passion that made you feel whole again. The piece that fit. -
⭐️⭐️⭐️,5 stars for me!
April 12, 2025
3.5 ⭐️s
an emotional brother’s best friend rockstar romance 🎸
there were some parts of the plot and characters I thought were slightly underdeveloped, like the brother/sister dynamic of danny and avery, but overall I still enjoyed this story and even shed some tears at the ending :’)
this was a short one and a great palette cleanser in between bigger books! I think I’ll continue the series and get to know more about danny! 🤍
an emotional brother’s best friend rockstar romance 🎸
there were some parts of the plot and characters I thought were slightly underdeveloped, like the brother/sister dynamic of danny and avery, but overall I still enjoyed this story and even shed some tears at the ending :’)
this was a short one and a great palette cleanser in between bigger books! I think I’ll continue the series and get to know more about danny! 🤍
April 26, 2023
finished it in a day couldn’t put it down, liked the plot twist at the end
August 24, 2023
love a rockstar romance that makes me picture one direction the whole time
February 8, 2025
4.5🌟
A hard one to put down; hence finishing it in less than 24hrs. Pulled some tears out of me too. *chefs kiss*
A hard one to put down; hence finishing it in less than 24hrs. Pulled some tears out of me too. *chefs kiss*
March 22, 2025
Surprisingly liked this a lot. Quick. Easy to read. Adorable. The character dynamics were just too good! Avery’s character is everything and I love the idea that Liam can sing. So cute!💗
March 15, 2025
did not enjoy it. it felt like a one direction fan fic and that ruined the book for me lol
also thought the spicy scenes were mediocre 😔 was left feeling disappointed 🍅🍅🍅🍅
also thought the spicy scenes were mediocre 😔 was left feeling disappointed 🍅🍅🍅🍅
May 26, 2022
Easy read that I absolutely devoured within hours. Great Rockstar read.
February 26, 2025
I think the plot was interesting, but the writing was just really bad and didn’t execute it well. The book felt very rushed, and there was little to no character development, or relationship development between any of the characters. I think there is potential here, just hasn’t reached it yet.
February 23, 2023
I finished this book in less than 24 hours! I could not put it down. Such a captivating story, and so many honest things people go through in their life. I related to this book so much! Av and Liam ugh, I love seeing people happy at the end. This book deff had me tear up a few times!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 659 reviews