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Pieces of You
Lucy,
I don’t even know how to start this letter.
Something happened. Something terrible . . .
Lucy was always sure of one thing – her future with husband and soulmate Luke. But after eight long, heartbreaking years trying to have a baby, that future is crumbling before her eyes.
When a terrible accident puts Luke into a coma, Lucy is forced to reassess everything she thought she wanted.
Then a woman arrives with a shocking secret that will force Lucy to make the hardest decision of her life.
As compelling and powerful as Jojo Moyes and Liane Moriarty, Pieces of You is a heart-rending, haunting and ultimately life-affirming novel about a love tested to its limits.
I don’t even know how to start this letter.
Something happened. Something terrible . . .
Lucy was always sure of one thing – her future with husband and soulmate Luke. But after eight long, heartbreaking years trying to have a baby, that future is crumbling before her eyes.
When a terrible accident puts Luke into a coma, Lucy is forced to reassess everything she thought she wanted.
Then a woman arrives with a shocking secret that will force Lucy to make the hardest decision of her life.
As compelling and powerful as Jojo Moyes and Liane Moriarty, Pieces of You is a heart-rending, haunting and ultimately life-affirming novel about a love tested to its limits.
418 pages, Paperback
First published August 14, 2014
96 people are currently reading
1318 people want to read
About the author
Ella Harper
40 books59 followersElla Harper learned foreign languages, and imagined she might eventually get a glamorous job speaking French. After climbing her way up the banking ladder, Ella started idly mapping out the beginnings of a novel on an old laptop.
When she realised her characters were more real to her than dividends and corporate actions ever could be, she left her job to become a writer.
When she realised her characters were more real to her than dividends and corporate actions ever could be, she left her job to become a writer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
May 27, 2016
Pieces of You is one of those bittersweet novels that can evoke a mixture of feelings and emotions towards the plot and the characters, certainly a book that I think would be great for book club discussion, as each reader no doubt would have different feelings and thoughts after reading it.
What is the book about?
The perfect marriage.
A devastating secret.
An impossible choice.
Lucy was always sure of one thing – her future with husband and soulmate Luke. But after eight long, heartbreaking years trying to have a baby, that future is crumbling before her eyes.
When a terrible accident puts Luke into a coma, Lucy is forced to reassess everything she thought she wanted.
Then Stella arrives. A woman Lucy’s never met, but with a secret that will change her world forever...
My Review:
Lucy and Luke seem to have the picture perfect lovey-dovey marriage, the type that can make you jealous, gagging or in awe depending on your own circumstances. Perfect happiness right? Not exactly.
The novel tackles the heartbreak of repeated failed pregnancies and miscarriage, really harrowing for any woman, Lucy is one of those, her and Luke hold on to hope that one day a healthy baby will complete their perfect vision of family and home. It's not an easy road, it's tearing at their hearts and souls.
Aside from Lucy and Luke we meet a circle of other characters through the book, extended family and friends of the couple. The book switches point of view and gives voice to some of these other characters, some being stronger than others. Luke's mother is a strong woman, protective of her children, her family, desperate for a grandchild from Lucy and Luke, I found her one of the more raw, tangible and likeable characters in the book. By the end I wanted to just give her a big hug for all that she does. Exceptional.
By halfway through the book I was finding it lulled a bit, the stories were intertwining, voices were being heard, things were slow but and I have to admit I was struggling to hold on, losing focus at times. I put the book down a few times and came back to it. I am glad I kept going.
By the last part of the novel, secrets and lies were exposed and I was hooked on to every word. My emotions were tossed around all over the place, I had tears in my eyes at one point, felt indignant and angry the next. I didn't expect the ending, surprising once you looked back and reflected on how the book began.
It's a book for those that love to read about relationships, family, and have an emotional connection with the characters and their lives. Up to the halfway point this book was a steady 3 star read for me, but the last quarter of the book was so well done it pushed my overall rating up to 4 stars.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What is the book about?
The perfect marriage.
A devastating secret.
An impossible choice.
Lucy was always sure of one thing – her future with husband and soulmate Luke. But after eight long, heartbreaking years trying to have a baby, that future is crumbling before her eyes.
When a terrible accident puts Luke into a coma, Lucy is forced to reassess everything she thought she wanted.
Then Stella arrives. A woman Lucy’s never met, but with a secret that will change her world forever...
My Review:
Lucy and Luke seem to have the picture perfect lovey-dovey marriage, the type that can make you jealous, gagging or in awe depending on your own circumstances. Perfect happiness right? Not exactly.
The novel tackles the heartbreak of repeated failed pregnancies and miscarriage, really harrowing for any woman, Lucy is one of those, her and Luke hold on to hope that one day a healthy baby will complete their perfect vision of family and home. It's not an easy road, it's tearing at their hearts and souls.
Aside from Lucy and Luke we meet a circle of other characters through the book, extended family and friends of the couple. The book switches point of view and gives voice to some of these other characters, some being stronger than others. Luke's mother is a strong woman, protective of her children, her family, desperate for a grandchild from Lucy and Luke, I found her one of the more raw, tangible and likeable characters in the book. By the end I wanted to just give her a big hug for all that she does. Exceptional.
By halfway through the book I was finding it lulled a bit, the stories were intertwining, voices were being heard, things were slow but and I have to admit I was struggling to hold on, losing focus at times. I put the book down a few times and came back to it. I am glad I kept going.
By the last part of the novel, secrets and lies were exposed and I was hooked on to every word. My emotions were tossed around all over the place, I had tears in my eyes at one point, felt indignant and angry the next. I didn't expect the ending, surprising once you looked back and reflected on how the book began.
It's a book for those that love to read about relationships, family, and have an emotional connection with the characters and their lives. Up to the halfway point this book was a steady 3 star read for me, but the last quarter of the book was so well done it pushed my overall rating up to 4 stars.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 18, 2014
2.5 Torn to Pieces Stars
Seriously after reading the blurb I probably should not have read the book, but I am not one that has hard limits about cheating in books. As a Molly McAdams fan it would almost seem hypocritical for me to complain about this, or be so hung up on this issue, but with this book it totally bothered me.
Lucy and Luke were the ideal couple. Throughout the book we get flashbacks of their time together. But current time we find that Lucy and Luke are struggling due to infertility issues and recurrent pregnancy loss. I liked that the book was real in the portrayal of this couple's difficulty and struggle. I loved and felt for Lucy throughout the story, and up until part way through the book, I felt for Luke too.
I will apologize now as I will likely ramble. Perhaps it is best for me to point out my issues and what I liked.
Starting positive I loved Lucy as a heroine. Her heartache and her confusion and struggles were very real to me. I know someone just like Lucy and her recurrent losses were so difficult for her and her husband.
I loved the great friends Lucy had in Dre and Dan. They too were a real couple and came across as true friends and the friendship was very real.
I appreciated Luke's mom Patricia and his brother Ade for their change and growth throughout the story.
Now for my issues:
The book changed POV often through this book and though entwined it was as if you were getting four people's stories: Lucy and Luke, Luke's sister, and Luke's mom. As I was more invested in Luke and Lucy's story, I found myself skimming often over the other chapters. Nell's chapters only made me more infuriated as the story went on so I barely read hers.
Nell and her story totally bothered me. What is worse is that I found Lucy was put in an even more difficult position because of her feelings for Nell.
Luke--he was on the fast track to best book boyfriend/husband but he totally lost it. I could care less how sad he was that he felt he could not make his wife happy and that he was distraught over what they were going through. What he did was inexcusable, in my mind unforgivable and though I hated the ending of the story, I was only devastated because of the effect it had on Lucy.
Stella--I have no words for this woman. I hate that she winds up being portrayed as someone deserving sympathy at the end. She is a horrible person.
So overall, too many things bothered me in the is story. I know we don't always get the happily ever after, but this didn't even come close.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Seriously after reading the blurb I probably should not have read the book, but I am not one that has hard limits about cheating in books. As a Molly McAdams fan it would almost seem hypocritical for me to complain about this, or be so hung up on this issue, but with this book it totally bothered me.
Lucy and Luke were the ideal couple. Throughout the book we get flashbacks of their time together. But current time we find that Lucy and Luke are struggling due to infertility issues and recurrent pregnancy loss. I liked that the book was real in the portrayal of this couple's difficulty and struggle. I loved and felt for Lucy throughout the story, and up until part way through the book, I felt for Luke too.
I will apologize now as I will likely ramble. Perhaps it is best for me to point out my issues and what I liked.
Starting positive I loved Lucy as a heroine. Her heartache and her confusion and struggles were very real to me. I know someone just like Lucy and her recurrent losses were so difficult for her and her husband.
I loved the great friends Lucy had in Dre and Dan. They too were a real couple and came across as true friends and the friendship was very real.
I appreciated Luke's mom Patricia and his brother Ade for their change and growth throughout the story.
Now for my issues:
The book changed POV often through this book and though entwined it was as if you were getting four people's stories: Lucy and Luke, Luke's sister, and Luke's mom. As I was more invested in Luke and Lucy's story, I found myself skimming often over the other chapters. Nell's chapters only made me more infuriated as the story went on so I barely read hers.
Nell and her story totally bothered me. What is worse is that I found Lucy was put in an even more difficult position because of her feelings for Nell.
Luke--he was on the fast track to best book boyfriend/husband but he totally lost it. I could care less how sad he was that he felt he could not make his wife happy and that he was distraught over what they were going through. What he did was inexcusable, in my mind unforgivable and though I hated the ending of the story, I was only devastated because of the effect it had on Lucy.
Stella--I have no words for this woman. I hate that she winds up being portrayed as someone deserving sympathy at the end. She is a horrible person.
So overall, too many things bothered me in the is story. I know we don't always get the happily ever after, but this didn't even come close.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
January 9, 2015
'It’s amazing how someone can break your heart, but you still love them with all the little pieces."
Wow! Incredibly devastating. Not sure if I'll recover from that anytime soon.
It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve read this book and I’m still thinking about it, so I guess it’s time I write a review in the hopes that I can finally move on to another book. I don’t think my heart has felt this spent and dismantled since Me Before You.
Every now and I again, I look for something emotional... something I know will remind me other people have it worse, but there’s always hope. So, when I stumble upon little gems such as Pieces of You by Ella Harper, I think to myself… Oh my! What Lucy went through... I don't even know...
This book was amazing in small little ways that eventually felt magnanimous. There was nothing extraordinary about it, except for the fact that it felt so real and so non-fictional. I absolutely loved Lucy. She was a protagonist worthy of my emotion and contemplation. To get to know her as she fell in love with Luke and they built a wonderful life together, was a story I wanted a front row ticket to. However, as many love stories prove to be… there is often heartbreak, and theirs came in the form of over eight miscarriages that left them broken but still hopeful for a family.
I don’t want to share all of the details, because to experience this story first hand is a privilege, so let me just tell you… there’s Luke’s family, a great set of friends, a tragic accident, an unexpected pregnancy and an unforgiveable event that just had my heart and emotions all over the place.
Having this story unfold through various perspectives was brilliant, but it also taught me patience. As much as I just wanted to concentrate on Lucy’s story, it forced me to consider parallel events that brought on a whole new set of considerations to contemplate.
Pieces of You is beautifully written, bold and emotional… Exactly what I was looking for. Loved it!
Wow! Incredibly devastating. Not sure if I'll recover from that anytime soon.
It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve read this book and I’m still thinking about it, so I guess it’s time I write a review in the hopes that I can finally move on to another book. I don’t think my heart has felt this spent and dismantled since Me Before You.
Every now and I again, I look for something emotional... something I know will remind me other people have it worse, but there’s always hope. So, when I stumble upon little gems such as Pieces of You by Ella Harper, I think to myself… Oh my! What Lucy went through... I don't even know...
This book was amazing in small little ways that eventually felt magnanimous. There was nothing extraordinary about it, except for the fact that it felt so real and so non-fictional. I absolutely loved Lucy. She was a protagonist worthy of my emotion and contemplation. To get to know her as she fell in love with Luke and they built a wonderful life together, was a story I wanted a front row ticket to. However, as many love stories prove to be… there is often heartbreak, and theirs came in the form of over eight miscarriages that left them broken but still hopeful for a family.
I don’t want to share all of the details, because to experience this story first hand is a privilege, so let me just tell you… there’s Luke’s family, a great set of friends, a tragic accident, an unexpected pregnancy and an unforgiveable event that just had my heart and emotions all over the place.
Having this story unfold through various perspectives was brilliant, but it also taught me patience. As much as I just wanted to concentrate on Lucy’s story, it forced me to consider parallel events that brought on a whole new set of considerations to contemplate.
Pieces of You is beautifully written, bold and emotional… Exactly what I was looking for. Loved it!
August 22, 2014
I have a few thoughts....
1) too many characters have sides in this book
2) yes I forgive Luke
3) we went through two months of waiting for the recovery and it wasn't a happy ending
4) I don't hate Stella
5) not a bad book
1) too many characters have sides in this book
2) yes I forgive Luke
3) we went through two months of waiting for the recovery and it wasn't a happy ending
4) I don't hate Stella
5) not a bad book
August 24, 2014
2 out of 5 Stars for a bittersweet and gut-wrenching read
*** ARC received in exchange for an honest review ***
WARNING: Massive spoilers ahead but I will indicate when to stop reading to avoid them!
Luke and Lucy Harte are the perfect couple, what people would call “the real thing”. They have been together for 8 years and married for 5, and even their closest friends are jealous of the love they share.
Luke is incredibly romantic, head over heels in love with Lucy and wants nothing more than to give her children. However, the couple has been trying to have a baby for years but to no avail. To add to the tragedy, Luke becomes victim of a severe accident putting him into a coma and Lucy is left to pick up the pieces of her seemingly happy marriage.
My rating for this book would have been 0 Stars if such a rating would exist. The only reason why I am giving this book 2 stars is because I did appreciate the very neat writing. It was very complex, with several different points of view, both 1st and 3rd person and kept jumping from present to past with the help of flashbacks. I also liked the English charm this book exuded and fell in love - and had my heart broken - by the lovely Luke.
However, the reason I hated this book was due to the fact that is was one of the most gut-wrenching, tear-threatening and hopeless reads I’ve read in a while. I read a lot of “happy stories” and I am not afraid of reading books that are not all hearts and flowers, but this one was just too much. There was no morale, nothing to keep you hanging on to despite of all the bad that’s happening, and I’m just wondering why anyone would actually write something so horrible without an ounce of morale - without it being a lesson learned? Because all I see in this book is Lucy being torn to pieces bit by bit and there’s nothing she could have done differently to avoid it.
In summary, reading this book brought me nothing but a depressing reminder of how volatile things as love, life and trust are, and that things just happen without a reason or agenda. It didn’t really bring me anything else and that’s what disappointed me. I mean The Fault In Our Stars is depressing as hell, but still it is marked with beauty and wise words, which make it understandable and a little easier to bear. But Pieces of You is just plain depressing and nothing but the gut-wrenching story of someone who loses everything and who will never be the same again, when there’s nothing she could have done to make it right.
WARNING: Massive spoilers ahead now - stop reading!
The question that I’ve asked myself several times when I finished this book - and which still lingers on is…
Why on earth did Luke need to die? What greater good did it to? What lesson did people learn from it?
And the answer I come up with is always the same: There was simply no reason to it. It just happened. At the end of the book, the author asks a pertinent (or not really, actually) question: “What would you chose between your husband and a baby?” The thing is, Lucy obviously got neither. She couldn’t get the baby, that was for certain. And even although she understood in the end that she had been putting a lot of pressure on the couple and been too focused on the baby stuff, it wouldn’t have helped to make it better and think about other ways to have a child (like adoption) since Luke still died, and it was out of her control.
If the storyline would have been different, I don’t know, let’s say Luke gets drunk because he’s unhappy and then has an accident when he drives - it would make sense because you could say “well if only Lucy had opened her eyes sooner and focused more on her couple etc.” But in this case, there’s absolutely no one to blame, and it just happens like that. As in: here’s your shit hand of cards, deal with it.
In the end, Lucy is left with nothing - no child, no husband, not even good memories of her marriage at is was just a lie (she’s seems to want to forgive Luke in the end, which is understandable but she doesn’t even get to tell him since he dies so this is an additional weight on her chest). All she’s left with is a constant reminder of what happened in the form of her dream, that’s been snatched from her by another woman.
And some things in this book are questionable: Why were there recent messages on Luke’s phone from Stella when Stella said she hadn’t talked to him since after the night? Why couldn’t Stella - the “other” women - have had an abortion? After all, she was pictured as a career-driven doctor in training. To me this just doesn’t make sense, especially since she admitted to feeling guilty of having had sex with Luke (practically “forced him” to it - even though I know there is no such thing). Why would she willingly carry around the shame for everyone to see it? You would assume that being a doctor, she would know of abortion (I’d like to point out that whether or not this is or isn’t a good choice is irrelevant to me now).
Last but not least, while I really liked of all the characters (even though I must admit that apart from Nell’s, they were a bit superfluous) I really had issues warming up to Lucy apart from feeling extremely sympathetic to what happened to her. But how could I in the first place when the author put her in such a bad light? She met Luke after her studies, when she didn’t know exactly what do to professionally and Luke’s mom offered her a job as a florist - temporarily. Although 8 years later, she’s still working there, and has no ambition whatsoever whereas Luke is out there, working as a paramedic and saving lives. Luke is the epitome of the romantic boyfriend and gives her the most original and sought out gifts while she is not even capable of cooking and admits openly to having no ideas on what to gift her husband. Was this intentional? Did Lucy get so caught up in the baby stuff that she didn’t care about other things such as a job, hobbies, or even her own husband? In this case, I must say that Luke would have left her/cheated on her sooner because there’s nothing quirky there to me, and that’s her character trait he fell in love with.
In summary, reading this book brought me nothing but a depressing reminder of how volatile things as love, life and trust are, and that things just happen without a reason or agenda. It didn’t really bring me anything else and that’s what disappointed me. I mean The Fault In Our Stars for example is depressing as hell, but still it is marked with beauty and wise words, which make it understandable and a little easier to bear. But Pieces of You is just plain depressing and nothing but the gut-wrenching story of someone who loses everything and who will never be the same again, when there’s nothing she could have done to make it right.
*** ARC received in exchange for an honest review ***
WARNING: Massive spoilers ahead but I will indicate when to stop reading to avoid them!
Luke and Lucy Harte are the perfect couple, what people would call “the real thing”. They have been together for 8 years and married for 5, and even their closest friends are jealous of the love they share.
Luke is incredibly romantic, head over heels in love with Lucy and wants nothing more than to give her children. However, the couple has been trying to have a baby for years but to no avail. To add to the tragedy, Luke becomes victim of a severe accident putting him into a coma and Lucy is left to pick up the pieces of her seemingly happy marriage.
My rating for this book would have been 0 Stars if such a rating would exist. The only reason why I am giving this book 2 stars is because I did appreciate the very neat writing. It was very complex, with several different points of view, both 1st and 3rd person and kept jumping from present to past with the help of flashbacks. I also liked the English charm this book exuded and fell in love - and had my heart broken - by the lovely Luke.
However, the reason I hated this book was due to the fact that is was one of the most gut-wrenching, tear-threatening and hopeless reads I’ve read in a while. I read a lot of “happy stories” and I am not afraid of reading books that are not all hearts and flowers, but this one was just too much. There was no morale, nothing to keep you hanging on to despite of all the bad that’s happening, and I’m just wondering why anyone would actually write something so horrible without an ounce of morale - without it being a lesson learned? Because all I see in this book is Lucy being torn to pieces bit by bit and there’s nothing she could have done differently to avoid it.
In summary, reading this book brought me nothing but a depressing reminder of how volatile things as love, life and trust are, and that things just happen without a reason or agenda. It didn’t really bring me anything else and that’s what disappointed me. I mean The Fault In Our Stars is depressing as hell, but still it is marked with beauty and wise words, which make it understandable and a little easier to bear. But Pieces of You is just plain depressing and nothing but the gut-wrenching story of someone who loses everything and who will never be the same again, when there’s nothing she could have done to make it right.
WARNING: Massive spoilers ahead now - stop reading!
The question that I’ve asked myself several times when I finished this book - and which still lingers on is…
Why on earth did Luke need to die? What greater good did it to? What lesson did people learn from it?
And the answer I come up with is always the same: There was simply no reason to it. It just happened. At the end of the book, the author asks a pertinent (or not really, actually) question: “What would you chose between your husband and a baby?” The thing is, Lucy obviously got neither. She couldn’t get the baby, that was for certain. And even although she understood in the end that she had been putting a lot of pressure on the couple and been too focused on the baby stuff, it wouldn’t have helped to make it better and think about other ways to have a child (like adoption) since Luke still died, and it was out of her control.
If the storyline would have been different, I don’t know, let’s say Luke gets drunk because he’s unhappy and then has an accident when he drives - it would make sense because you could say “well if only Lucy had opened her eyes sooner and focused more on her couple etc.” But in this case, there’s absolutely no one to blame, and it just happens like that. As in: here’s your shit hand of cards, deal with it.
In the end, Lucy is left with nothing - no child, no husband, not even good memories of her marriage at is was just a lie (she’s seems to want to forgive Luke in the end, which is understandable but she doesn’t even get to tell him since he dies so this is an additional weight on her chest). All she’s left with is a constant reminder of what happened in the form of her dream, that’s been snatched from her by another woman.
And some things in this book are questionable: Why were there recent messages on Luke’s phone from Stella when Stella said she hadn’t talked to him since after the night? Why couldn’t Stella - the “other” women - have had an abortion? After all, she was pictured as a career-driven doctor in training. To me this just doesn’t make sense, especially since she admitted to feeling guilty of having had sex with Luke (practically “forced him” to it - even though I know there is no such thing). Why would she willingly carry around the shame for everyone to see it? You would assume that being a doctor, she would know of abortion (I’d like to point out that whether or not this is or isn’t a good choice is irrelevant to me now).
Last but not least, while I really liked of all the characters (even though I must admit that apart from Nell’s, they were a bit superfluous) I really had issues warming up to Lucy apart from feeling extremely sympathetic to what happened to her. But how could I in the first place when the author put her in such a bad light? She met Luke after her studies, when she didn’t know exactly what do to professionally and Luke’s mom offered her a job as a florist - temporarily. Although 8 years later, she’s still working there, and has no ambition whatsoever whereas Luke is out there, working as a paramedic and saving lives. Luke is the epitome of the romantic boyfriend and gives her the most original and sought out gifts while she is not even capable of cooking and admits openly to having no ideas on what to gift her husband. Was this intentional? Did Lucy get so caught up in the baby stuff that she didn’t care about other things such as a job, hobbies, or even her own husband? In this case, I must say that Luke would have left her/cheated on her sooner because there’s nothing quirky there to me, and that’s her character trait he fell in love with.
In summary, reading this book brought me nothing but a depressing reminder of how volatile things as love, life and trust are, and that things just happen without a reason or agenda. It didn’t really bring me anything else and that’s what disappointed me. I mean The Fault In Our Stars for example is depressing as hell, but still it is marked with beauty and wise words, which make it understandable and a little easier to bear. But Pieces of You is just plain depressing and nothing but the gut-wrenching story of someone who loses everything and who will never be the same again, when there’s nothing she could have done to make it right.
August 12, 2014
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins UK, Avon NetGalley.)
Lucy and Luke have been trying for a baby for 8 years, and every time they conceive they end up saddened when Lucy miscarries. This time Lucy has made it to 16 weeks though, and they’re hoping that things are finally going their way, when suddenly everything goes wrong in the worst possible way.
Can Lucy get over the coming tragedies in her life? And will things ever be the same again?
This was a difficult story about grief, pregnancy, miscarriage, and infidelity.
I liked Lucy and the whole way through this book I felt so sorry for her. She had lost so many babies, and wanted a baby so badly, and every time her dreams were snatched from her. Then to have even more bad luck and grief piled on to her was unbelievably sad.
The storyline in this was pretty sad, Lucy just had bad luck and then more bad luck, and then had the very foundations of her marriage rocked. The poor girl just could not catch a break, and the further into the story the worse things got for her. I have to say that blurb has awful spoilers for this book though, really quite bad!
The ending to this was okay, but it certainly wasn’t a classic ‘happily ever after’ but more of a realistic ending. I have to say that poor Lucy really did go through a lot in the book though, and she really did handle things well, the poor girl had her whole world cave in on her, and somehow came out of things still able to see the good things that came from the bad.
Overall; a difficult story about grief, pregnancy, miscarriage, and infidelity,
7 out of 10
Lucy and Luke have been trying for a baby for 8 years, and every time they conceive they end up saddened when Lucy miscarries. This time Lucy has made it to 16 weeks though, and they’re hoping that things are finally going their way, when suddenly everything goes wrong in the worst possible way.
Can Lucy get over the coming tragedies in her life? And will things ever be the same again?
This was a difficult story about grief, pregnancy, miscarriage, and infidelity.
I liked Lucy and the whole way through this book I felt so sorry for her. She had lost so many babies, and wanted a baby so badly, and every time her dreams were snatched from her. Then to have even more bad luck and grief piled on to her was unbelievably sad.
The storyline in this was pretty sad, Lucy just had bad luck and then more bad luck, and then had the very foundations of her marriage rocked. The poor girl just could not catch a break, and the further into the story the worse things got for her. I have to say that blurb has awful spoilers for this book though, really quite bad!
The ending to this was okay, but it certainly wasn’t a classic ‘happily ever after’ but more of a realistic ending. I have to say that poor Lucy really did go through a lot in the book though, and she really did handle things well, the poor girl had her whole world cave in on her, and somehow came out of things still able to see the good things that came from the bad.
Overall; a difficult story about grief, pregnancy, miscarriage, and infidelity,
7 out of 10
November 23, 2014
*Book provided by the author on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I’ve heard many great things about this book from a lot of my blogger friends and I was really happy when I was accepted for it on NetGalley.
This book is WOW!!! It has left me speechless…
I’m trying to put it in words now.
They story follows Lucy and her husband Luke. They are married for 5 years now and they have been trying for children ever since… Lucy had a lot of miscarriages already and it really has affected their lives. When Luke has an accident and it puts him into a coma everything in her loves is turned upside down. It’s not only not knowing about his state, but another woman arrives with some “terrible news”. It breaks Lucy’s heart and makes the whole situation even more complicated.
The story was not only told from Lucy’s perspective, but also from her mother-in-law Patricia’s side and Luke’s sister Nell’s side. They both had their own story to share, next to being worried about Luke. I saw these women growing together and forming a bond. They were there for each other in every possible way. Nell and Luke have a brother called Ade, he just left, but now he’s back, how is this going to add to the story?!
Dee and Dan Lucy’s friends were also always there…
This book is just full of so many deep emotions; I loved reading every part of it. Ella’s voice is perfect for it and her writing is just so beautiful, touching and full of charm and warmth.
There were episodes in this book, who took us to the past, making us see how Lucy and Luke met, how he proposed and what they had to go through wanting a baby. It was sweet reading about their past, it gave us a great insight to their love story and I think they have something really special, they are real soulmates.
I couldn’t believe it, when I read what happened, what he did… Lucy had to go through hell, not knowing the truth about this situation and also not knowing about Luke’s coma and his chances.
The book had me in tears, especially towards the end, so keep your tissues ready. A heart-breaking and beautiful book with the perfect title for what’s in there.
I’ve heard many great things about this book from a lot of my blogger friends and I was really happy when I was accepted for it on NetGalley.
This book is WOW!!! It has left me speechless…
I’m trying to put it in words now.
They story follows Lucy and her husband Luke. They are married for 5 years now and they have been trying for children ever since… Lucy had a lot of miscarriages already and it really has affected their lives. When Luke has an accident and it puts him into a coma everything in her loves is turned upside down. It’s not only not knowing about his state, but another woman arrives with some “terrible news”. It breaks Lucy’s heart and makes the whole situation even more complicated.
The story was not only told from Lucy’s perspective, but also from her mother-in-law Patricia’s side and Luke’s sister Nell’s side. They both had their own story to share, next to being worried about Luke. I saw these women growing together and forming a bond. They were there for each other in every possible way. Nell and Luke have a brother called Ade, he just left, but now he’s back, how is this going to add to the story?!
Dee and Dan Lucy’s friends were also always there…
This book is just full of so many deep emotions; I loved reading every part of it. Ella’s voice is perfect for it and her writing is just so beautiful, touching and full of charm and warmth.
There were episodes in this book, who took us to the past, making us see how Lucy and Luke met, how he proposed and what they had to go through wanting a baby. It was sweet reading about their past, it gave us a great insight to their love story and I think they have something really special, they are real soulmates.
I couldn’t believe it, when I read what happened, what he did… Lucy had to go through hell, not knowing the truth about this situation and also not knowing about Luke’s coma and his chances.
The book had me in tears, especially towards the end, so keep your tissues ready. A heart-breaking and beautiful book with the perfect title for what’s in there.
November 2, 2014
3.5
Reading Pieces of You broke my heart a little bit.
The story revolves around a family whom already have experienced the lost of a father.
The main characters are a couple: Lucy and Luke Harte who love each other dearly. Their lives would be perfect if it wasn’t for the agonizing misfortune of not being able to carry a pregnancy to term. Lucy has had several miscarriages over the years and they’re on their last IVF baby. Just when things seem to be going great for them, a new tragedy occurs.
Luke’s sister, Nell is also dealing with her own misery and she’ll have to make a tough decision soon.
Luke’s mom still misses her husband dearly and her other son who left them and move to Australia.
My thoughts:
Luke seems to be a great guy but he wasn’t perfect. Far from it. I wanted to hate him but I just couldn’t. He was so sweet to Lucy. I truly believed he loved her. His attention to details to make Lucy happy were so heartfelt. That’s why his betrayal was devastating.
I was happy that Patricia opened her heart again towards her family and her romantic life too.
It was very hard for me to sympathize with Nell. In my eyes she was weak.
I like how the author gave us several characters POV’s. It helped create a better picture in my mind of the family dynamics and how they were all dealing with what life threw at them.
My disappointment is mostly about Lucy. She didn’t deserve the things that happened to her. She was a good person with a good heart. I would’ve love for the author to have given me a happier Lucy.
The ending to me was not logical. In my mind you can only forgive and forget so much.
"I love you, Stripes," he said, his hand resting on my hip. 'Like, to pieces."
3.5/5 Fangs
*Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
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Reading Pieces of You broke my heart a little bit.
The story revolves around a family whom already have experienced the lost of a father.
The main characters are a couple: Lucy and Luke Harte who love each other dearly. Their lives would be perfect if it wasn’t for the agonizing misfortune of not being able to carry a pregnancy to term. Lucy has had several miscarriages over the years and they’re on their last IVF baby. Just when things seem to be going great for them, a new tragedy occurs.
Luke’s sister, Nell is also dealing with her own misery and she’ll have to make a tough decision soon.
Luke’s mom still misses her husband dearly and her other son who left them and move to Australia.
My thoughts:
Luke seems to be a great guy but he wasn’t perfect. Far from it. I wanted to hate him but I just couldn’t. He was so sweet to Lucy. I truly believed he loved her. His attention to details to make Lucy happy were so heartfelt. That’s why his betrayal was devastating.
I was happy that Patricia opened her heart again towards her family and her romantic life too.
It was very hard for me to sympathize with Nell. In my eyes she was weak.
I like how the author gave us several characters POV’s. It helped create a better picture in my mind of the family dynamics and how they were all dealing with what life threw at them.
My disappointment is mostly about Lucy. She didn’t deserve the things that happened to her. She was a good person with a good heart. I would’ve love for the author to have given me a happier Lucy.
The ending to me was not logical. In my mind you can only forgive and forget so much.
"I love you, Stripes," he said, his hand resting on my hip. 'Like, to pieces."
3.5/5 Fangs
*Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
September 19, 2014
Rating this book as a debut novel is not hard at all. Its exceptionally written, thought out well, and although told from different POV and angles its extremely easy to follow.
We have a couple here, seems the idea partnership, perfect marriage, so much so you either feel envious or gag with from the over flowing love of it.
There is one big huge thing that mars their perfection, that is, they are struggling to conceive. As anyone knows whether they have been through this themselves or know of someone, it takes its toll on you emotionally and on your relationship. Lucy hasn't just experience one, not even two miscarriages, she has experience multiple miscarriages and I could only sit here and cry with her.
I found Lucy to be quite strong, quite resilient in a lot of her areas of life. Lucy then finds herself pregnant again, she gets passed that critical stage and feels more hopeful, then something happens that turns Lucy's world upside down.
The voices that you read from other domino characters in this reading material will really pull at your heart strings as well. Lucy's Mom is a very strong noble character and I can see where Lucy gets her strong will from when push comes to shove.
I love reading books that are family, social related.
You do need to hold onto your tissues, not all is doom and gloom along the way, but that doesn't mean everything works out well at the end, you will have to see. But the conclusion of this book is not what you would expect.
My only downside would be one thing, in the middle of the book it lagged for me and I was getting a bit frustrated, but it was well worth me sticking with it.
Brilliant debut novel!
I was given this to read by HarperCollins UK, Avon via Net Galley also for a blog tour.
I would like to thank both parties.
We have a couple here, seems the idea partnership, perfect marriage, so much so you either feel envious or gag with from the over flowing love of it.
There is one big huge thing that mars their perfection, that is, they are struggling to conceive. As anyone knows whether they have been through this themselves or know of someone, it takes its toll on you emotionally and on your relationship. Lucy hasn't just experience one, not even two miscarriages, she has experience multiple miscarriages and I could only sit here and cry with her.
I found Lucy to be quite strong, quite resilient in a lot of her areas of life. Lucy then finds herself pregnant again, she gets passed that critical stage and feels more hopeful, then something happens that turns Lucy's world upside down.
The voices that you read from other domino characters in this reading material will really pull at your heart strings as well. Lucy's Mom is a very strong noble character and I can see where Lucy gets her strong will from when push comes to shove.
I love reading books that are family, social related.
You do need to hold onto your tissues, not all is doom and gloom along the way, but that doesn't mean everything works out well at the end, you will have to see. But the conclusion of this book is not what you would expect.
My only downside would be one thing, in the middle of the book it lagged for me and I was getting a bit frustrated, but it was well worth me sticking with it.
Brilliant debut novel!
I was given this to read by HarperCollins UK, Avon via Net Galley also for a blog tour.
I would like to thank both parties.
May 23, 2017
Yeah, hmm..........if this had happened to me, a pillow would be involved in the hospital room. ;-) just kidding, just kidding, ha ha, ha ha.
August 30, 2022
Not impressed at all
June 18, 2015
The trauma of the IVF process... loosely set in Bath, West Country
It takes a bit of work to establish exactly where Harper’s novel is set because there is little indication of setting; it could really be anywhere in modern Britain today. This is because Pieces of You focuses almost entirely on the inner world of feelings, something it has in common with other examples of this genre. Most of the novel is written in first person from the perspective of the central character, Lucy, although Harper does give us alternative narrative viewpoints (Nell, Lucy’s sister in law and Patricia, her mother in law) which at times makes for a slightly jarring and disconnected reading experience.
At the start of the novel, Lucy is more than happily married to her soulmate Luke, despite the fact their eight-year marriage has been blighted by repeated failed attempts to conceive a child, including their full whack of IVF. The novel, however, begins on a high; Lucy has found herself unexpectedly pregnant without the aid of IVF and is guarding her secret closely, hardly daring to hope that she might actually make it through this time. Unfortunately, from that point it’s downhill all the way. Almost inevitably, Lucy begins to miscarry and while she is dealing with that disaster her beloved husband is involved in a hideous accident that leaves him in a coma. And that’s not all, believe me …
On the positive side, Harper manages to convey with some sensitivity the trauma of the IVF experience, and there are sections of the novel which are pleasing, mostly the flashbacks to happier times, before Lucy and Luke had embarked on their mission to conceive, but the rest of the novel is like overdosing on emotion and that emotion is unremitting misery. I found myself pondering whether Harper actually didn’t realise that you need light and shade to make a book work. If you slam a reader with one anguished event after another, the inevitable happens – you get hardened to the pain and you stop caring.
In all honesty, I didn’t care all that much about the characters anyway. I found her women supremely irritating. I’d like to hope that there aren’t many women around like these – women who let themselves be completely defined by the men in their life. Nell, drawn into an affair with a married creep, Cal, smokes because, according to him, it makes her look like Marilyn Munroe and Lucy obligingly rolls her eyes because Luke tells her she looks alluring doing so. Oh, please.
To be totally fair, Harper does try to add a little bit of hope at the end of the novel – someone must have given her a nudge, but it’s a case of too little, too late and it’s not really believable anyway.
So, if you have a burning desire to wallow in misery, go ahead, but you’ve been warned …
It takes a bit of work to establish exactly where Harper’s novel is set because there is little indication of setting; it could really be anywhere in modern Britain today. This is because Pieces of You focuses almost entirely on the inner world of feelings, something it has in common with other examples of this genre. Most of the novel is written in first person from the perspective of the central character, Lucy, although Harper does give us alternative narrative viewpoints (Nell, Lucy’s sister in law and Patricia, her mother in law) which at times makes for a slightly jarring and disconnected reading experience.
At the start of the novel, Lucy is more than happily married to her soulmate Luke, despite the fact their eight-year marriage has been blighted by repeated failed attempts to conceive a child, including their full whack of IVF. The novel, however, begins on a high; Lucy has found herself unexpectedly pregnant without the aid of IVF and is guarding her secret closely, hardly daring to hope that she might actually make it through this time. Unfortunately, from that point it’s downhill all the way. Almost inevitably, Lucy begins to miscarry and while she is dealing with that disaster her beloved husband is involved in a hideous accident that leaves him in a coma. And that’s not all, believe me …
On the positive side, Harper manages to convey with some sensitivity the trauma of the IVF experience, and there are sections of the novel which are pleasing, mostly the flashbacks to happier times, before Lucy and Luke had embarked on their mission to conceive, but the rest of the novel is like overdosing on emotion and that emotion is unremitting misery. I found myself pondering whether Harper actually didn’t realise that you need light and shade to make a book work. If you slam a reader with one anguished event after another, the inevitable happens – you get hardened to the pain and you stop caring.
In all honesty, I didn’t care all that much about the characters anyway. I found her women supremely irritating. I’d like to hope that there aren’t many women around like these – women who let themselves be completely defined by the men in their life. Nell, drawn into an affair with a married creep, Cal, smokes because, according to him, it makes her look like Marilyn Munroe and Lucy obligingly rolls her eyes because Luke tells her she looks alluring doing so. Oh, please.
To be totally fair, Harper does try to add a little bit of hope at the end of the novel – someone must have given her a nudge, but it’s a case of too little, too late and it’s not really believable anyway.
So, if you have a burning desire to wallow in misery, go ahead, but you’ve been warned …
August 7, 2014
Wowzers. Bittersweet, compelling and utterly heartwrenching. A total blinder.
Engrossing, heart wrenching, bittersweet, compelling, emotional. A must read.
I urge you not to read the blurb before you buy this book – it gives too much of the story away. Just trust me on this one, you need to read this book.
Pieces Of You is a book that you won’t be able to put down. It pulls you into the hellish world of Lucy, leaves you hanging on every word and sitting in silence as you take in the events that unfold over the four hundred pages of fantastic prose.
I read this book everywhere, on the train, in the bath, at the dinner table, in bed – everywhere I could read it, I read it. I could not put it down. Every page left me wanting more and as I raced towards the conclusion of the novel my heart started to ache with the realisation I would soon leave the world of these characters. Harper has created a heart breaker of a novel. The tagline ‘What would you do?’ holds strong throughout and my heart was torn in two and my loyalties to characters were tested to the limit.
This novel explores a plethora of sensitive issues and whilst I read I felt as though I was part of the story – as though I was going through the same things the protagonist Lucy was going through. The novel is told through three female viewpoints which added beautiful layers to the story and multiple perspectives of the same events which compounded the emotional response I had to the situation.
Harper’s writing flows seamlessly from page to page pulling you tightly into the story until you are left completely immersed in the characters world. I cannot wait to see what comes next from Ella’s pen.
A striking debut.
Engrossing, heart wrenching, bittersweet, compelling, emotional. A must read.
I urge you not to read the blurb before you buy this book – it gives too much of the story away. Just trust me on this one, you need to read this book.
Pieces Of You is a book that you won’t be able to put down. It pulls you into the hellish world of Lucy, leaves you hanging on every word and sitting in silence as you take in the events that unfold over the four hundred pages of fantastic prose.
I read this book everywhere, on the train, in the bath, at the dinner table, in bed – everywhere I could read it, I read it. I could not put it down. Every page left me wanting more and as I raced towards the conclusion of the novel my heart started to ache with the realisation I would soon leave the world of these characters. Harper has created a heart breaker of a novel. The tagline ‘What would you do?’ holds strong throughout and my heart was torn in two and my loyalties to characters were tested to the limit.
This novel explores a plethora of sensitive issues and whilst I read I felt as though I was part of the story – as though I was going through the same things the protagonist Lucy was going through. The novel is told through three female viewpoints which added beautiful layers to the story and multiple perspectives of the same events which compounded the emotional response I had to the situation.
Harper’s writing flows seamlessly from page to page pulling you tightly into the story until you are left completely immersed in the characters world. I cannot wait to see what comes next from Ella’s pen.
A striking debut.
June 22, 2015
For a more detailed review, please check out my review below:
Debra's Book Cafe
Debs :-)
Debra's Book Cafe
Debs :-)
July 29, 2022
This book completely took it out of me at one point, it was so sad. I've not cried like that because of a book in a long time. I took it with me to read at lunch at work one day, read one sentence and decided blubbing my eyes out at work was not a good idea!
I don't know how Lucy got through all of that, it would have destroyed me.
It started slow this one and then had a soul destroying middle, with an uplifting ending. I loved it.
I don't know how Lucy got through all of that, it would have destroyed me.
It started slow this one and then had a soul destroying middle, with an uplifting ending. I loved it.
September 4, 2014
Erm.. Wow! Like, seriously oh my fucking god wow. I have never in my entire life read a book this soul destroying and heart breaking. It is without a doubt one of the most beautifully written and thought provoking books ever! It is fast, dramatic, inspiring, jaw droppingly amazing, with a family of characters expertly written and positioned to give this book a charm, and warmth that you straight away can relate too. I am seriously in awe right now.
I need to say that I did not read the blurb on this book, and I spotted a review that said under no circumstances to read it as it gave most of it away, so now I've seen it and read it, I would definitely advise against it. You need to go in blindfolded. Well, saying that you probably still would be left reeling from it even if you did so, yeah, erm..
So, Pieces Of You closely follows the marriage of florist Lucy Harte and her paramedic husband Luke as they struggle mentally and physically trying for a baby. After eight years and just as many miscarriages, it's coming up to their last IVF treatment, so as you can imagine it's a tough and tense time. Luke and Lucy have the most intense, gorgeous love that you can come across. They are straight up soulmates and even after a good lengthy relationship they are still smitten, and in total awe of each other. A baby to them would be the dream, the icing on the cake, the best thing they could ever achieve. When Luke is in an accident that leaves him in a coma, and Lucy has had to come to terms with something pretty big herself, life for Lucy turns drastically sour. When trainee Doctor Stella arrives at Luke's bedside one day with a secret so huge it may just push Lucy over the edge.
Proper gobsmacked with this one you know! Seriously, I keep putting me pen down and staring into space thinking about it all, and more so sitting here thinking what would I do? I seriously even asked my husband what he would do!
It is a story so unbelievably huge and powerful about love, life and how much a person can be pushed in the name of love...
You know what, sod it. I can't write a proper review for it. I can't. I'm just going to end up waffling crap and repeating myself. So, I'll stop here and I'll tell you that this is a book so unbelievably raw that you have to read it, then you have to tell your friends and family to read it too. This, I can more or less guarantee is my book of 2014 because it is going to take something emotionally life changing to top it. As a debut novel I am stunned. Ella Harper is most definitely a name to be looking out for.
I need to say that I did not read the blurb on this book, and I spotted a review that said under no circumstances to read it as it gave most of it away, so now I've seen it and read it, I would definitely advise against it. You need to go in blindfolded. Well, saying that you probably still would be left reeling from it even if you did so, yeah, erm..
So, Pieces Of You closely follows the marriage of florist Lucy Harte and her paramedic husband Luke as they struggle mentally and physically trying for a baby. After eight years and just as many miscarriages, it's coming up to their last IVF treatment, so as you can imagine it's a tough and tense time. Luke and Lucy have the most intense, gorgeous love that you can come across. They are straight up soulmates and even after a good lengthy relationship they are still smitten, and in total awe of each other. A baby to them would be the dream, the icing on the cake, the best thing they could ever achieve. When Luke is in an accident that leaves him in a coma, and Lucy has had to come to terms with something pretty big herself, life for Lucy turns drastically sour. When trainee Doctor Stella arrives at Luke's bedside one day with a secret so huge it may just push Lucy over the edge.
Proper gobsmacked with this one you know! Seriously, I keep putting me pen down and staring into space thinking about it all, and more so sitting here thinking what would I do? I seriously even asked my husband what he would do!
It is a story so unbelievably huge and powerful about love, life and how much a person can be pushed in the name of love...
You know what, sod it. I can't write a proper review for it. I can't. I'm just going to end up waffling crap and repeating myself. So, I'll stop here and I'll tell you that this is a book so unbelievably raw that you have to read it, then you have to tell your friends and family to read it too. This, I can more or less guarantee is my book of 2014 because it is going to take something emotionally life changing to top it. As a debut novel I am stunned. Ella Harper is most definitely a name to be looking out for.
May 24, 2016
Time taken to read - on and off for 4 days
Pages - 418
Blurb from Goodreads
Lucy,
I don’t even know how to start this letter.
Something happened. Something terrible . . .
Lucy was always sure of one thing – her future with husband and soulmate Luke. But after eight long, heartbreaking years trying to have a baby, that future is crumbling before her eyes.
When a terrible accident puts Luke into a coma, Lucy is forced to reassess everything she thought she wanted.
Then a woman arrives with a shocking secret that will force Lucy to make the hardest decision of her life.
As compelling and powerful as Jojo Moyes and Liane Moriarty, Pieces of You is a heart-rending, haunting and ultimately life-affirming novel about a love tested to its limits.
My Review
Lucy and Luke are the kind of couple everyone looks at with envy, they have that special look for each other, come alive in each others company, the world exists for only them. However the one thing they want to make their life complete is a baby, they have experienced loss, IVF and heartache. Now Lucy is pregnant and just when life should be perfect Luke has a terrible accident, things go from bad to worse and Lucy finds herself going through pain like never before.
Oh this book will pack a punch with readers, more so if you have experienced pregnancy loss, IVF and longing for a baby. The storyline jumps from present to past, Luke and Lucy meeting, their love, their losses and their relationship in general. It is a love story, touched with tragedy, sadness, loss, strength, love and secrets. The story also looks at Luke's family, his estranged brother Abe who left after their father died, his sister Nell who has her own demons & his mother Patricia. As they wait to see what the future holds for Luke they overcome, or try to, the barriers to their relationships with each other.
Whilst this story stayed with me long after I put it down, there were a few things that fell just a wee bit short for me. How it ended, some of the interactions between particular characters and some of the plot directions left me a bit deflated. However, overall it was a good story, I am sure loads of readers will love the things that annoyed me and they always say a good author leaves the reader wanting more! 3/5 for me this time, this was my first dance with this author, I would certainly read her again.
Pages - 418
Blurb from Goodreads
Lucy,
I don’t even know how to start this letter.
Something happened. Something terrible . . .
Lucy was always sure of one thing – her future with husband and soulmate Luke. But after eight long, heartbreaking years trying to have a baby, that future is crumbling before her eyes.
When a terrible accident puts Luke into a coma, Lucy is forced to reassess everything she thought she wanted.
Then a woman arrives with a shocking secret that will force Lucy to make the hardest decision of her life.
As compelling and powerful as Jojo Moyes and Liane Moriarty, Pieces of You is a heart-rending, haunting and ultimately life-affirming novel about a love tested to its limits.
My Review
Lucy and Luke are the kind of couple everyone looks at with envy, they have that special look for each other, come alive in each others company, the world exists for only them. However the one thing they want to make their life complete is a baby, they have experienced loss, IVF and heartache. Now Lucy is pregnant and just when life should be perfect Luke has a terrible accident, things go from bad to worse and Lucy finds herself going through pain like never before.
Oh this book will pack a punch with readers, more so if you have experienced pregnancy loss, IVF and longing for a baby. The storyline jumps from present to past, Luke and Lucy meeting, their love, their losses and their relationship in general. It is a love story, touched with tragedy, sadness, loss, strength, love and secrets. The story also looks at Luke's family, his estranged brother Abe who left after their father died, his sister Nell who has her own demons & his mother Patricia. As they wait to see what the future holds for Luke they overcome, or try to, the barriers to their relationships with each other.
Whilst this story stayed with me long after I put it down, there were a few things that fell just a wee bit short for me. How it ended, some of the interactions between particular characters and some of the plot directions left me a bit deflated. However, overall it was a good story, I am sure loads of readers will love the things that annoyed me and they always say a good author leaves the reader wanting more! 3/5 for me this time, this was my first dance with this author, I would certainly read her again.
October 15, 2014
A really special book. You fall in love with the main characters in the first few pages- but then things unfurl and you begin to wonder what will happen next. I read reviews that said that it is best to leap into this book without reading the blurb and I think that's true. It takes you on a real journey where you really care about what the outcome is going to be for them both.
The extended family and friends are well rounded and you can just imagine the relationships with the under the surface tensions they all have. Ade comes back from Australia after an extended break from his entire family. Her friend and her husband tell Lucy how they always held Lucy and Luke up as having the perfect relationship everyone aspires to. Their love shines like a beacon and makes everyone aspire to achieve same.
I would highly recommend this book and thank Harper CollinsUk, Avon and Netgalley for the chance to read and review it.
Also reviewed on Amazon and Good Reads and on my blog Bookworms and shutterbugs
http://kims366.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10...
The extended family and friends are well rounded and you can just imagine the relationships with the under the surface tensions they all have. Ade comes back from Australia after an extended break from his entire family. Her friend and her husband tell Lucy how they always held Lucy and Luke up as having the perfect relationship everyone aspires to. Their love shines like a beacon and makes everyone aspire to achieve same.
I would highly recommend this book and thank Harper CollinsUk, Avon and Netgalley for the chance to read and review it.
Also reviewed on Amazon and Good Reads and on my blog Bookworms and shutterbugs
http://kims366.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10...
August 12, 2014
(I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
Pieces of You was an emotional read.
Lucy was a really strong character.
The poor girl just couldn't catch a break. Going through one miscarriage would be horrible, but to go through as many as she did, and then have to go through all the other bad things that happened to her would be awful. I don't know how she found the strength to get out of bed, let alone do anything else.
The ending to this was really sad, but it was also quite nice.
It wasn't a happy ever after, but it gave me hope that everyone involved could work through everything that happened.
Overall, a good read about a difficult journey.
Pieces of You was an emotional read.
Lucy was a really strong character.
The poor girl just couldn't catch a break. Going through one miscarriage would be horrible, but to go through as many as she did, and then have to go through all the other bad things that happened to her would be awful. I don't know how she found the strength to get out of bed, let alone do anything else.
The ending to this was really sad, but it was also quite nice.
It wasn't a happy ever after, but it gave me hope that everyone involved could work through everything that happened.
Overall, a good read about a difficult journey.
October 11, 2014
I enjoyed the first half of this book, I thought the premise of the story was very interesting. However I got to a point where everything was repeated multiple times throughout the story. It became very predictable and I felt that the ending was rushed and you could see it coming from a million miles away.
November 10, 2015
Originally posted on This Chick Reads
*Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I was just browsing my NetGalley shelf and the books that need a review, when I spotted "Pieces of You'. Imagine my shock when I realized that the book I read more than a year ago, the book I loved and devoured, the book I raved about constantly on twitter...I forgot to post a review for it. I know they say 'Better late than never' but seriously, this doesn't make me feel better about this. However, I do hope my review will help someone (even a year and more after its publishing) pick it up and be completely absorbed in this beautiful, emotional story. If you're from the UK, you can grab the kindle for just 99p which is a mega bargain as this book is worth so so much more.
'Pieces of You' is the first book by Ella Harper (well know on the women's fiction scene as Sasha Wagstaff) and a book everyone in my twitter timeline was talking about last year. Everyone was screaming 'Grab tissues, don't read in public, wear a waterproof mascara etc etc', which added a lot of pressure but also caused a lot of excitement for this little reader. Very soon I found out why.
And boy...
this is a sad story...
A story that simply rips your heart out, crushes it into pieces, makes you wonder just how well you know yourself and your partner, makes you cry and then cry some more.
Despite being over a year since I've read it and I've read a lot of books in between, I still remember everything about this book. Which only proves the impact it had on me. It tells the story of Lucy and Luke, the sweetest, cutest couple ever. They seem so perfect together, they understand and support each other over five years, being the very example to other couples. However, that's only on the outside, as there's a lot of sadness in that relationship. Despite the big love, they aren't blessed with a child, a child that will be the crown of that undying, big love. I've read loads of fiction on this sensitive topic, however 'Pieces of You' was so authentic. I could actually feel that sadness, pain, bitterness, grief, everything Lucy was going through. Not many years ago I was in a similar position, a time when you ask yourself, 'Why? Why me? Why us?'
And this is why it's so hard to review it...
Because it feels so real. It could happen to anyone..you or me.
Even now just by thinking of all the sadness, stress, hope and disappointments Luke and Lucy are going through, I can't help but have tears in my eyes. After numerous attempts, miscarriages, IVFs you'd think things couldn't get any worse for Lucy and Luke. Well, you're wrong, sadly. Luke is left in a comma after an accident and a mysterious stranger appears into their lives, crushing what's left of Lucy's heart into tiniest pieces. The new situation means secrets well hidden will be revealed, and Lucy will have to cope with all of this.
This is definitely one of the most emotional books I've ever read and one of the hardest to review. Not just because I loved it so much, but because there are way too many feelings involved and I can't make sense even out of my own words. As much as I try, I know my review will never do its justice. Which is OK and it's the way it should be.
Lucy is one of the toughest heroines I've read about, and all the time while I was reading I couldn't help but ask myself, 'Would I be so strong?'. The thing is until faced with a big problem we have no idea just how strong we are or what we are capable of.
The beauty of this book is the very variety of topics, twists, turns, mystery and drama. Everyone can get attached to a certain character or recognize themselves in them. Told from three point of views, you'll get to see a lot of stories making it a beautifully layered book crafted to perfection. No matter who you get connected to, I'm completely sure of one thing, this book will touch even the toughest kind of people.
Brilliantly written, bittersweet, tender and heart breaking story with well developed characters whose lives will touch your heart and make you sob like a little child. Don't mean to sound too cliched, but do have tissues at ready and make sure you don't miss out on this brilliant book. Ella Harper is definitely an author that's already firmly placed on top of many bloggers' fave authors lists and if she can do this with only one book, just imagine all the brilliant books that she'll write in the future. And speaking of Ms Harper's books, her new book 'The Years of Loving You' is already out as kindle and will be released as paperback on 19th November by Avon. So if you love this one, of which I'm sure, you can head straight to amazon and get a copy of her new one. What's better than an Ella Harper book? An Ella Harper marathon! Oh and If you're a fan of Jojo Moyes (and I know many of you are), then this is the perfect book for you. Just trust me!
August 17, 2014
Pieces of You is the debut novel from Ella Harper who has previously written four novels under her real name Sasha Wagstaff. I had read one or two novels by Sasha but can see the need to change names for this new genre. This was an absolutely stunning debut- emotional, moving, gut wrenching and most of all heart breaking. I never normally cry at books but by the end of this novel I was in floods of tears- keep a box of tissues handy when reading this and certainly don’t read it in public unless you want people to see you with mascara running down your face.
Pieces of You focuses on Luke and Lucy who have been happily married for five years although small cracks due to the pressures of trying to start a family are slowly starting to appear. Luke and Lucy seem to be the perfect couple, they are besotted with each other and when reading I really felt the love they had for each other, that they were made for each other and would slowly grow old together. The only problem they seem to have had was infertility- Lucy struggles to conceive a baby and when she does she is unable to bring the baby to full term leading to several traumatic miscarriages. Finally things seem to be turning around for the couple, Lucy is pregnant and is progressing further than ever before- dare she hope she may have the baby she so longs for. But fate has a cruel blow in store when Luke is at work in his job as a paramedic- he is involved in a serious accident which leaves him with multiple injuries and in a coma. Lucy is devastated and is forced to try and cope alone with several tragedies all coming full force at her at the same time. Then a stranger appears at Luke’s beside which turns her whole life upside down even further.
Each chapter is told from a different characters point of view and this really helps us get to know Lucy and members of Luke’s family- all of which have problems of their own.-Nell his sister, Ade his estranged brother and his mother Patricia who is still struggling from the death of her husband several years before. With the absence of Luke the glue who holds everybody together slowly things start to unravel and people are forced to face up to the realities of things they had kept hidden and refused to deal with. The presence of a stranger only further adds to the mysteries and secrets surrounding the characters. Parts of this book were hard to read especially some scenes towards the end and also the scene where Lucy returns home for the first time after Luke’s accident. Ella wrote these scenes so well but I was glad to have the tissues enarby.
Lucy was my favourite character, she was so well written and you could feel her anguish and heartbreak .Her whole life begins to implode and she is forced to try and hold things together even though everything she thought to be true suddenly seems so unsure and up in the air. I felt she was stoic and strong and kept fighting and believing despite such cruel blows being thrown at her when any other woman would have fallen to pieces and just try to avoid the world . Lucy’s story and Luke’s family kept me turning the pages eager for more, this was filled with twists and turns which I didn’t expect which ultimately left me in shock and disbelief. The writing was absolutely beautiful and careful thought and consideration had been given to the sensitive topics being raised. I was engrossed in this book from start to finish and it has still stayed with me several days after finishing it.
This book unquestionably deserves to be reread as I was racing through the pages to find out the ending so I am sure I missed out on bits and also purely for the beautiful writing. Only when I had finished the book did I realise the full impact of what a fantastic, emotional roller-coaster I had just experienced. There are numerous aspects of the story which women today can relate to especially around the area of infertility and how it can slow start to forge a divide between husband and wife. This would make an excellent selection for a book club as it would provide endless hours of discussion with so many opinions and viewpoints to explore. There was quite a gap between the last Sasha Wagstaff novel and this new Ella Harper. Hopefully we won’t have long to wait for Ella’s second novel because after reading Pieces of You I am now eager to see what this author will come up with next.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Pieces of You focuses on Luke and Lucy who have been happily married for five years although small cracks due to the pressures of trying to start a family are slowly starting to appear. Luke and Lucy seem to be the perfect couple, they are besotted with each other and when reading I really felt the love they had for each other, that they were made for each other and would slowly grow old together. The only problem they seem to have had was infertility- Lucy struggles to conceive a baby and when she does she is unable to bring the baby to full term leading to several traumatic miscarriages. Finally things seem to be turning around for the couple, Lucy is pregnant and is progressing further than ever before- dare she hope she may have the baby she so longs for. But fate has a cruel blow in store when Luke is at work in his job as a paramedic- he is involved in a serious accident which leaves him with multiple injuries and in a coma. Lucy is devastated and is forced to try and cope alone with several tragedies all coming full force at her at the same time. Then a stranger appears at Luke’s beside which turns her whole life upside down even further.
Each chapter is told from a different characters point of view and this really helps us get to know Lucy and members of Luke’s family- all of which have problems of their own.-Nell his sister, Ade his estranged brother and his mother Patricia who is still struggling from the death of her husband several years before. With the absence of Luke the glue who holds everybody together slowly things start to unravel and people are forced to face up to the realities of things they had kept hidden and refused to deal with. The presence of a stranger only further adds to the mysteries and secrets surrounding the characters. Parts of this book were hard to read especially some scenes towards the end and also the scene where Lucy returns home for the first time after Luke’s accident. Ella wrote these scenes so well but I was glad to have the tissues enarby.
Lucy was my favourite character, she was so well written and you could feel her anguish and heartbreak .Her whole life begins to implode and she is forced to try and hold things together even though everything she thought to be true suddenly seems so unsure and up in the air. I felt she was stoic and strong and kept fighting and believing despite such cruel blows being thrown at her when any other woman would have fallen to pieces and just try to avoid the world . Lucy’s story and Luke’s family kept me turning the pages eager for more, this was filled with twists and turns which I didn’t expect which ultimately left me in shock and disbelief. The writing was absolutely beautiful and careful thought and consideration had been given to the sensitive topics being raised. I was engrossed in this book from start to finish and it has still stayed with me several days after finishing it.
This book unquestionably deserves to be reread as I was racing through the pages to find out the ending so I am sure I missed out on bits and also purely for the beautiful writing. Only when I had finished the book did I realise the full impact of what a fantastic, emotional roller-coaster I had just experienced. There are numerous aspects of the story which women today can relate to especially around the area of infertility and how it can slow start to forge a divide between husband and wife. This would make an excellent selection for a book club as it would provide endless hours of discussion with so many opinions and viewpoints to explore. There was quite a gap between the last Sasha Wagstaff novel and this new Ella Harper. Hopefully we won’t have long to wait for Ella’s second novel because after reading Pieces of You I am now eager to see what this author will come up with next.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
October 13, 2014
This is an extremely sad book. Lucy and Luke's story broke my heart for so many different reasons.
It was obvious to anyone that heard Luke talk about Lucy or saw them together that they were in love. They just had that intense connection everyone searches for. That's not to say their lives were perfect, but they always had each other.
But things only get worse, even a little awkward. Lucy finds out that Luke has been keeping a devastating secret. She was so wrapped up in the heartbreak from not being able to carry a baby to term that she didn't see what all the miscarriages had done to Luke. The secret shocks their families and close friends. Most even question if it's true. But when faced with the reality, there is no denying that it happened and no one will ever be the same.
I grew to adore these characters and appreciated that the story switched from Lucy's POV to Luke's sister and mother. It really showed how the whole family was affected by his coma and the secret. If you are like me and enjoy a sad story, full of emotion, every now and then, I highly recommend this book.
4/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
*Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
It was obvious to anyone that heard Luke talk about Lucy or saw them together that they were in love. They just had that intense connection everyone searches for. That's not to say their lives were perfect, but they always had each other.
"I love you, Stripes," he said, his hand resting on my hip. "Like, to pieces."That all changed when Luke ended up in a coma after a horrific accident. Talk about having the worst day ever. Lucy has her eighth miscarriage and is brought to the hospital, only to find out her husband, that she hasn't been able to reach, is on a different floor in a coma. Lucy and Luke's family take shifts for months after the accident, watching over him and hoping that the vibrant, comical, adoring Luke they all miss will come back to them.
But things only get worse, even a little awkward. Lucy finds out that Luke has been keeping a devastating secret. She was so wrapped up in the heartbreak from not being able to carry a baby to term that she didn't see what all the miscarriages had done to Luke. The secret shocks their families and close friends. Most even question if it's true. But when faced with the reality, there is no denying that it happened and no one will ever be the same.
"It's amazing how someone can break your heart, but you still love them will all the little pieces."This book was a rollercoaster of emotions and even though it gutted me, I enjoyed it. I loved the quirky, playfulness that Lucy and "Stripes" had together. My emotions surrounding Luke were all over the place throughout the whole book. I loved him at one point, then found myself disappointed in him, only to be distraught, pissed off and finally back to loving him again. It broke me every time he called Lucy, "Stripes". It's really hard to imagine what I would have done in Lucy's situation, but I don't know if I would have had the strength she did at the end.
I grew to adore these characters and appreciated that the story switched from Lucy's POV to Luke's sister and mother. It really showed how the whole family was affected by his coma and the secret. If you are like me and enjoy a sad story, full of emotion, every now and then, I highly recommend this book.
4/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
*Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
September 18, 2014
Lucy is the happiest she has ever been. After eight miscarriages she is now four months pregnant with Luke's baby and this time she's sure her baby will be born safely. The night of their anniversary dinner changes both her and Luke's world as they know it when Luke is involved in a terrible accident just as Lucy has devastating news for him.
This is one of those book reviews where I can't tell you too much about the book without giving away any more spoilers.
Luke is one of the good guys, faithful and loving to Lucy and very thoughtful. Lucy loves Luke but is also consumed with the need to have a baby. Lucy's friend Dee seems to have no problem conceiving and having babies even without planning them. Although Lucy and her are best of friends and are always there for each other Lucy does slightly resent her friend for being able to have babies so easily.
Luke is the lynch pin of his family, for his sister Nell, his mother and for Lucy. Will they fall apart when he is no longer able to hold everything together?
I loved the relationship between Luke and Lucy, the little things they did for each other and how much they were in love made the story even more heartbreaking.
I felt let down by Luke's character during the book as secrets are revealed and I like Lucy and his family expected more from him.
Anyone who has gone through fertility treatment will feel for Lucy. The story will also give an insight for any friends or relatives of woman going through the treatment on what it can be like and how badly it affects the man as well as the woman.
You will go through a box of hankies reading this book and will feel emotionally drained at the end.
I read a review which said there was no moral in the story. I don't actually think a fiction book is there to give us morals but I do think this book has one. It reminds us not to focus on one thing in our lives to the point where we can't see anything else. We have to keep showing the person we love how much they matter to us, and finally, the need to make the best of a bad situation so not to cause any more hurt,yes there is a lesson for us all in this book.
It seems strange to say I loved a story that made me cry but I did love this story and I loved Lucy. It stayed in my head for days as I wondered what the future held for her and the rest of the family.
If you're going to read this please don't read any other reviews as there are many spoilers out there and the story is much better without them.
This is one of those book reviews where I can't tell you too much about the book without giving away any more spoilers.
Luke is one of the good guys, faithful and loving to Lucy and very thoughtful. Lucy loves Luke but is also consumed with the need to have a baby. Lucy's friend Dee seems to have no problem conceiving and having babies even without planning them. Although Lucy and her are best of friends and are always there for each other Lucy does slightly resent her friend for being able to have babies so easily.
Luke is the lynch pin of his family, for his sister Nell, his mother and for Lucy. Will they fall apart when he is no longer able to hold everything together?
I loved the relationship between Luke and Lucy, the little things they did for each other and how much they were in love made the story even more heartbreaking.
I felt let down by Luke's character during the book as secrets are revealed and I like Lucy and his family expected more from him.
Anyone who has gone through fertility treatment will feel for Lucy. The story will also give an insight for any friends or relatives of woman going through the treatment on what it can be like and how badly it affects the man as well as the woman.
You will go through a box of hankies reading this book and will feel emotionally drained at the end.
I read a review which said there was no moral in the story. I don't actually think a fiction book is there to give us morals but I do think this book has one. It reminds us not to focus on one thing in our lives to the point where we can't see anything else. We have to keep showing the person we love how much they matter to us, and finally, the need to make the best of a bad situation so not to cause any more hurt,yes there is a lesson for us all in this book.
It seems strange to say I loved a story that made me cry but I did love this story and I loved Lucy. It stayed in my head for days as I wondered what the future held for her and the rest of the family.
If you're going to read this please don't read any other reviews as there are many spoilers out there and the story is much better without them.
May 29, 2017
Reviewed for A Drop of Romeo.
I have this habit that if I enjoy a novel by an author I immediately reserve the rest of their available works at my local library. This is how Pieces of You by Ella Harper ended up on my shelf dedicated to books from the library and oh my goodness am I glad it did! Despite having read a different book by Ella Harper, this is Harper’s debut novel and what a beautiful piece it is. I have genuinely called this the book of my 2016.
Lucy and her husband Luke have been trying unsuccessfully for eight years to have a child. Despite their lack of a child, she knew that she would always have Luke in her life and that was enough to keep her going through their attempts. Until one day Luke is in a car crash and as he lies in a coma her world comes crashing around her - in the form of a pregnant nurse; the result of a one night stand with her beloved husband.
This book flooded me with emotions. From heartbreak to downright anger. Seriously, the amount of times I had to put this book down and phone someone (many thanks to my Mother, sister and best friend who were often at the end of these phone calls patiently reminding me it’s just a novel!) about what was happening and how it was so frustrating was a clear sign of how amazing Harper’s writing it. The empathy the reader (or I did) feels for Lucy is astounding - seriously, I told my Mum at one point if it had been my husband there would have been a huge chance of his machine being switched off (only joking of course!).
I read over this review and realise that I don’t actually make much sense and I’m basically flailing like a massive fangirl but that’s now what I am. Harper has joined the small group of authors that I follow blindly into the dark with each novel they release and she achieved this magic with only having two books out. I eagerly await her third one and I hope that you’ll give this book a chance and feel even just a small part of the emotion that I did towards it...
I have this habit that if I enjoy a novel by an author I immediately reserve the rest of their available works at my local library. This is how Pieces of You by Ella Harper ended up on my shelf dedicated to books from the library and oh my goodness am I glad it did! Despite having read a different book by Ella Harper, this is Harper’s debut novel and what a beautiful piece it is. I have genuinely called this the book of my 2016.
Lucy and her husband Luke have been trying unsuccessfully for eight years to have a child. Despite their lack of a child, she knew that she would always have Luke in her life and that was enough to keep her going through their attempts. Until one day Luke is in a car crash and as he lies in a coma her world comes crashing around her - in the form of a pregnant nurse; the result of a one night stand with her beloved husband.
This book flooded me with emotions. From heartbreak to downright anger. Seriously, the amount of times I had to put this book down and phone someone (many thanks to my Mother, sister and best friend who were often at the end of these phone calls patiently reminding me it’s just a novel!) about what was happening and how it was so frustrating was a clear sign of how amazing Harper’s writing it. The empathy the reader (or I did) feels for Lucy is astounding - seriously, I told my Mum at one point if it had been my husband there would have been a huge chance of his machine being switched off (only joking of course!).
I read over this review and realise that I don’t actually make much sense and I’m basically flailing like a massive fangirl but that’s now what I am. Harper has joined the small group of authors that I follow blindly into the dark with each novel they release and she achieved this magic with only having two books out. I eagerly await her third one and I hope that you’ll give this book a chance and feel even just a small part of the emotion that I did towards it...
July 13, 2015
Lucy and Luke; one of those couples that are so in love, and so happy that it could be sickening. Great jobs, a lovely home, friends and family who adore them, what more could they want?
A baby. They want a baby desperately, they've suffered so much over the past six years or so, miscarriage after miscarriage, little boxes of sadness. Nobody knows why they can't have a baby and IVF treatment is tough, but they are determined that their love for each other will see them through.
Then comes the day when Lucy's world is torn apart.
As Luke lies in intensive care after being involved in a serious accident, Lucy and his close family try not to think about what the world may be like without him. When Stella arrives on the scene, life gets even harder for Lucy.
Pieces of You is a story that is told in the present, by Lucy, Luke's sister Nell and his mother Patricia, with flash-back chapters that let the reader get to know Lucy and Luke and watch their relationship unfold. Personally, I wasn't a fan of Nell, or her story, for me it didn't really add much to the plot, she just annoyed me if I'm honest.
However, both Lucy and Patricia are emotionally intricate characters, with great voices and whose personal thoughts and emotions are really well written. As their relationship strengthens, bonded as they are by horror of Luke's injuries, the story takes a new turn and becomes deeper and at times, very hard-hitting.
Ella Harper has dealt with some very sensitive issues within Pieces of You, she writes extremely well and her characterisation is excellent. The supporting characters, most especially Luke's prodigal brother Ade are very well created and add tons to the story.
Pieces of You is by no means an uplifting, or happy story. It is quite heart-wrenching at times and really does give the reader food for thought.
A fine debut novel from Ella Harper. I look forward to reading more from her.
A baby. They want a baby desperately, they've suffered so much over the past six years or so, miscarriage after miscarriage, little boxes of sadness. Nobody knows why they can't have a baby and IVF treatment is tough, but they are determined that their love for each other will see them through.
Then comes the day when Lucy's world is torn apart.
As Luke lies in intensive care after being involved in a serious accident, Lucy and his close family try not to think about what the world may be like without him. When Stella arrives on the scene, life gets even harder for Lucy.
Pieces of You is a story that is told in the present, by Lucy, Luke's sister Nell and his mother Patricia, with flash-back chapters that let the reader get to know Lucy and Luke and watch their relationship unfold. Personally, I wasn't a fan of Nell, or her story, for me it didn't really add much to the plot, she just annoyed me if I'm honest.
However, both Lucy and Patricia are emotionally intricate characters, with great voices and whose personal thoughts and emotions are really well written. As their relationship strengthens, bonded as they are by horror of Luke's injuries, the story takes a new turn and becomes deeper and at times, very hard-hitting.
Ella Harper has dealt with some very sensitive issues within Pieces of You, she writes extremely well and her characterisation is excellent. The supporting characters, most especially Luke's prodigal brother Ade are very well created and add tons to the story.
Pieces of You is by no means an uplifting, or happy story. It is quite heart-wrenching at times and really does give the reader food for thought.
A fine debut novel from Ella Harper. I look forward to reading more from her.
May 16, 2015
Pieces of You by Ella Harper tells the story of Lucy and her husband Luke, a young childless couple who have been struggling with infertility and miscarriages for a long period of time. Luke is injured seriously and is left in a coma while Lucy loses yet another baby. Secrets become exposed while Lucy sits at Luke side waiting desparately for him to awake. She is joined in her vigil by Luke’s mother, sister and brother. Luke’s coma exposes cracks in not only his and Lucy’s relationship, but also in his entire family. Fine women’s fiction read.
July 3, 2021
I enjoyed the love story between Luke and Lucy. Stella had her own agenda and in my opinion felt that Luke would leave Lucy after she had the baby. The author just couldn't dump enough heartbreak on Lucy after 8 miscarriages and a stillbirth only to discover that one time with Stella, Luke made her pregnant. Way to make Lucy feel even less of a woman. Then in the end to have Lucy decide she could help Stella take care of the baby, I don't think so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 4, 2015Ella Harper, you ruined a pretty good book with that last chapter. I want to curse you to the pit of hell bc that was such a weak POS ending That reduced the book that was so unrewarding yet understandable to that cliched Bullshit "high road" ending. It's stinks of contrivance and doesn't remotely ring true for that heroine who you've written and tortured. I f-cking pissed!
December 24, 2015
4.9*
What a bittersweet book.
I did not see that coming!!!
This book was an emotional roller coster.
I picked this book up on a total whim i had no clue what it was about and before i knew it i had tears in my eyes and the had book ended.
What a fantastic read bittersweet to say the least great read.
What a bittersweet book.
I did not see that coming!!!
This book was an emotional roller coster.
I picked this book up on a total whim i had no clue what it was about and before i knew it i had tears in my eyes and the had book ended.
What a fantastic read bittersweet to say the least great read.
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