Pieces of Us

by Eve Ainsworth

To move forward, I’ll have to look back to our past… I know I have to get myself out of this funk, but it feels impossible. My childhood best friend is dead and nothing in life is working out as I’d planned.

Then Lottie leaves me a ‘jar of joy’ in her will – filled with instructions to visit places where we had our happiest memories. But with every happy memory, I also remember the things that tore us apart.

Because Lottie was keeping secrets. And Jay – the man we both loved – keeps turning up at the same places. Even as I feel pieces of myself begin to heal, some wounds run too deep.

It’s time to make a change in my life, but can Lottie’s jar of joy really give me the strength I need?

A heartbreaking yet hopeful novel for fans of PS I Love You, The Memory of Us and The Last Letter from Your Lover.

Praise for Pieces of Us ‘So well written… I loved it and read it in two days’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

‘A beautiful novel centered around some of my favorite love stories of all time… made me feel all the feels. You won’t regret picking up’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

‘Such a good book. I loved the writing… The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

‘I couldn’t put this down. The relationship between Lottie and Sara was so interesting and I loved the ending’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

‘This book brought out so many emotions!!! I loved it’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

Genres: Audiobook

308 pages, Paperback

Published February 27, 2025

About the author

Author of Seven Days & Crush
Scholastic
www.eveainsworth.com

http://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/eve-ains...

I have also self published an adult comedy - The Blog of Maisy Malone.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blog-Maisy-Ma...

I love reading, long walks, hot baths, eighties music and tea.

Please follow me on Twitter

https://twitter.com/EveAinsworth

Or find me on Facebook

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Reviews

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Book Review Crew Blog

I found this book incredibly frustrating for a few reasons. For one, I don't really like love triangles add in the fact that these are supposed to be the best of friends just made it worse and another thing I hate in romance books is the miscommunication trope. I was a little forgiving at first because they were so young but when you're 28 and dying not telling your best friend the truth is just heartless. Lottie just hoped her jar of joy tricks works and her two friends would just happen to meet up and find out what really happened all those years ago.

I hated every character in this story they are petty, self-centered and at times downright cruel. Being drunk is not a good reason to fuck your best friend's boyfriend and then lie to him about you. I liked the idea of the book, leaving a jar for a loved one filled with happy memories but you should do it as a kindness not to ease your own guilt over the multitude of times you failed your so-called best friend. I also liked the two points of view and the two timelines. We get Eve in the present and Lottie in the past. I loved knowing what was going on in both their heads at different times.

This book did not leave me feeling sad about a young lady's death, I almost felt like "fuck around and find out" where Lottie was concerned. Unless the author set out to have me hate every character in her book she failed to impress me. I can see why some would like it but for me, it was just infuriating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

[Nina · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.75⭐️ Lottie was echt een slechte vriendin, dit hoeft niet goed gepraat te worden door haar kanker te geven. Vervelend dat ze ziek is en dood gaat maar ze was gewoon niet een goede vriendin voor Sara en Jay. Verder ook echt geen chemie tussen de hoofdpersonages.

[Jazz .☘︎ ݁˖]

DNF.

I can tell where this is going and I’m not for it AT ALL. Not only that but the writing is lowkey so bad and I just CAN’T stand the MCs like at all.

No hate to the author ever! This just wasn’t the right read for ME.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾.

[Lauren Elkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was something really lovely about this book! You could tell it was a newer author into writing but there was definitely something I really liked about this book - the forgiveness and memories element and I liked piecing together the past and present sections, a lovely easy read!

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️



Sara, Jay y Dec eran amigos de toda la vida, como los tres mosqueteros. Cuando una nueva alumna, Lottie, se incorporó a la escuela, los chicos la acogieron, y los cuatro se volvieron inseparables. A lo largo de 13 años, su amistad cambió mientras crecían, tenían sueños y los cumplían. Sin embargo, no todo fue perfecto, ya que Lottie murió de cáncer, dejando detrás algunas verdades dolorosas. Los amigos tendrían que enfrentar su pasado y descubrir que no todos eran como parecían; entre ellos había alguien egoísta y envidioso que casi les arruina la vida.




Disfruté de la lectura, pero lo que no me gustó fue que, cuando se revela la verdadera personalidad del narcisista, se le perdona y se le trata como si nada hubiera pasado, manteniéndolo en gran estima. Esa persona siempre supo que sus acciones eran incorrectas, pero se escudó en la excusa de que lo hacía por el bien de los demás, cuando en realidad lo hacía solo por su propio beneficio. Es el seguro libro que leo de Eve y al parecer es su marca personal, el perdón, incluso para aquellos que no lo merecen.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, this book was ok. I had a hard time connecting to the characters to be honest.

Sara is grieving the loss of her best friend Lottie. The book goes back in time to give you a backstory of how their friendship started, then comes back to the present time with how she’s dealing with the loss.

I’ve read another ARC by this author that i really enjoyed but, i had a hard time finishing this one. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before it’s published.

[Abigail Lightfoot · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn’t really get me interested to be honest but finished it nonetheless

[RachelReads9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book, I really liked the last book by this author and whilst this one was a good read it didn’t quite hit me in the same way unfortunately.

What I did like was the way this is written - Eve Ainsworth has a way of making you feel immersed in the characters, I really bonded with Sara and felt her pain and emotions along the way. My favourite part of the book was her relationship with Derek in the care home - this gave me all the feels. I also liked the healing journey she goes on with her family.

What I didn’t like was how drawn out it felt. There were one too many times when things might have worked out but didn’t for an avoidable reason. The friendship between Sara and Lottie was very toxic and I felt uncomfortable at times about how certain situations played out. It was one of those books where you just wanted to shake the characters and tell them to just talk to each other and stop relying on information they are getting from others. There is one part that involves a letter which I just couldn’t cope with - it was all too horrible but I can understand the motive and insecurities that led to it.

I think for me this book bought up some insecurities about my own friendships I had at school so maybe that’s why I didn’t gel with it the same as I did with her last book. I wouldn’t let this stop others from picking this one up though as it is beautifully written.

Overall, I enjoyed the ending and how everything plays out. The concept of the jar of joy was great and redeemed Sara and Lotties friendship in a way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Zoe Radley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was quite an emotional read and one that a few people haven’t really considered is that friends and best friends can also be human and make mistakes especially if there’s already an imbalance. And being young and teenagers and hormones it can be a hard time trying to be mature and working things out in an adult manner. So yes do these characters come across as selfish, mean, and toxic… yes but also they were young. Plus they all had issues to deal with. I loved the idea of a jar of joys and how it’s used to make Sara and Jay come back together and learn about the past and heal and move on… especially Sara. I think this is a powerful, moving and heartwarming book about love, friendships, and forgiveness.

[Deana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Canelo for this ARC!

Eve Ainsworth has crafted a poignant and emotionally charged story, weaving themes of grief, heartache, friendship, family trauma, and so much more.

Sara, Jay, and Dec had been inseparable friends for what felt like forever until Lottie, a newcomer to their school, joined their circle. The narrative alternates between Sara's present-day mourning after Lottie's death and the past, exploring the origins of their friendship over a decade.

At first, I found myself deeply moved by Sara's grief, as it mirrored my own experience of losing a best friend to cancer. However, as I delved into Lottie's chapters, I felt a growing sense of anger. Her actions and thoughts were hard to understand, and I struggled to find any justification for them. But as the story unfolded, I appreciated watching Lottie's personal growth in the years leading up to her death. She came to realize the harm she had caused and was determined to bring joy to the people she loved. I think a big take away from this story is that time truly does play a large role in life.

The dual perspectives and timelines were well executed, adding depth and complexity to the narrative. While the story unfolded at a slower pace, the pacing was perfect, keeping me engaged as I eagerly awaited the conclusion.

[Amber Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book - had me in tears by the end! Really good plot and I love the idea of the Jar of Joy - think that’s a really cute thing to do.
Highly highly recommend reading this if you’re looking for a quick and easy read…but make sure you have some tissues handy! 🥲

[Emma ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Shelley Boothman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes I gave this book 5 stars!
Yes it made me cry.
Yes it made me smile.
Was it predictable? Somewhat.
Did I love it? Too right I did.

Truly a gorgeous read.

[Keisha Pattinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 ⭐️

I went into Pieces of Us by Eve Ainsworth really wanting to love it, and while there were some parts I genuinely enjoyed, overall the story just didn’t quite work for me. It felt incredibly messy sometimes in a good, realistic way, but mostly in a way that made it hard for me to connect to or root for the main characters.

The dynamics between the characters were honestly quite toxic, and it was difficult to get behind most of them. I did really like Derek, Dec, and Tyler, they were definitely the standout characters for me but they didn’t have enough page time since they weren’t the main focus. The central characters did have moments where you could feel for them and understand why they acted the way they did, especially considering the heavy stuff they’d been through. But just as quickly as I’d start to feel sympathy for them, they’d get dragged back into selfish, unhealthy patterns that made me lose patience.

I get why Jay and Sara struggled so much to be together, especially when they were younger. They were trying to figure out who they were, and both of their families had so much drama surrounding them. But honestly I don’t think they were good for each other. They constantly hurt each other, the communication between them was awful, and I think they would have been much better off as friends. I really didn’t agree with Sara choosing Jay in the end. Too much damage had been done, and it didn’t feel like a healthy or believable resolution.

Lottie’s part in the story was interesting, but frustrating too. I understand why she felt scared and left out—she didn’t really have much support around her, and she was always on the outside looking in. But that doesn’t excuse her actions. Friends shouldn’t hurt each other the way she did, just like partners shouldn’t treat each other like that either. I do think Lottie could have been a better friend if she had just been honest with Sara from the beginning about how she felt about Jay and their relationship. But maybe deep down she knew Sara wouldn’t have listened, which made the whole situation even messier.

The only character I thought was genuinely non-toxic was Dec, and I’m glad he got out of it all.

The ending, though, was actually one of my favourite parts. I started to like Sara more in those final chapters, and I was genuinely happy she got to see the bigger picture and found some happiness. I just didn’t agree with who she chose to share that happiness with. I really wish she’d ended up on her own and pursued her art career, or even ended up with someone like Tyler, who I think would have been good for her. The relationship choices in this book just didn’t sit right with me.

Overall, I found this story pretty underwhelming and I struggled to back most of the characters. But I will say this: it was really nice to read a book set on a council estate that felt authentic and had good representation.

This one just wasn’t for me, but I can see why others might connect to the rawness and the chaos. I just wish the relationships had been healthier, or at least acknowledged as being too damaging to continue.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for this ARC.

Rating is a 3, at times it felt higher or lower. For whatever reason, cover and description lead me to believe that it would be more romance than it actually was. The cover seems so bright, but a lot of it was deep and some of it dark.

The main characters are group of “friends” Lottie, Sara, Jay, and Dec. Dec seems to play a minor role in the group, and unfortunately he has very little depth other than being a plot device at times. The other three are definitely all youth that experienced trauma with parents who have some serious issues.

I can relate to this personally because I experienced neglect and abuse for much of my life under 18, and as such Lottie’s need to be loved and her neediness resonates with me. I can remember being clingy in relationships and even at the beginning of my marriage. However, I don’t love the fact that she did such heinous things to Sara and Jay (and even poor Dec) because of it. And I really don’t love that this is turned into some positive at the end. That if she hadn’t done these things Jay and Sara wouldn’t have grown and “healed” before finally getting together.

This brings me to Jay and Sara. I do agree that they caused enough damage on their own. But I think Sara knew from the very beginning that Lottie was trouble. I think she knew this because of the trauma she faced. Hyper-vigilance being common in those who face trauma, I think she noticed the small things but Lottie gaslit her so well because in essence as it goes with trauma survivors she found someone like her Mom. That part is at least well written.

I know this is mainly Sara and Lottie’s story, but I so wish there had been more development of Jay’s character because what I saw makes me still feel he is problematic even if he felt like the hurt one, especially when he had a “relationship” with Lottie. Hurt people hurt people. But there isn’t really evidence he’s actually done the work to become better.

And that leads to maybe the biggest problem of them all and this is big spoilers here. Sara and Jay learn the truth of all, talk a bit, and the go on a share the relationship tour around town. Then Sara is moving to New Castle, everyone is fine and happy, and all is right with the world. But none of the trauma is actually healed! It’s all still there, everyone is just choosing to ignore it. All of the parents have just decided they’ve made mistakes but life is too short and are at peace now for the most part.

Overall the book wasn’t what I expected and while some things were done well (the trauma bonding and personality disorders), the happily ever after just didn’t feel true. It had a lot of potential, but missed the mark at the end.

[TheLisaD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eve Ainsworth’s Pieces of Us is a deeply emotional and thought-provoking novel that explores trauma, toxic relationships, and the complexities of healing. The story’s gripping narrative keeps readers engaged, but while I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I found myself grappling with mixed feelings by the end.

The novel follows Sara and Lottie, two girls whose lives are interwoven in unexpected ways. What initially seems like a story of rivalry and teenage struggles takes a much darker turn, revealing Sara as the true victim. Ainsworth masterfully builds suspense, slowly peeling back layers of manipulation and emotional abuse. This gradual revelation is both powerful and unsettling, making it clear that I wasn’t entirely prepared for the depth of Sara’s suffering.

However, the pacing towards the end felt rushed. After such a careful buildup, the resolution arrived too quickly, leaving me wanting more time to process Sara’s journey and her recovery. While I appreciated the raw emotion and the important themes tackled, I wished for a more in-depth exploration of the aftermath.

One of the most frustrating elements was the Jar of Joy. While its intention was to promote positivity, it inadvertently reinforced Lottie’s dominance, making her feel like the ultimate “winner” in their dynamic. This aspect left me conflicted, as it seemed to diminish some of the justice and closure I was hoping for.

Overall, Pieces of Us is an impactful read that doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. Despite its somewhat abrupt conclusion, the novel succeeds in delivering a poignant and thought-provoking story. Fans of contemporary YA fiction that delves into emotional and psychological struggles will find much to reflect on in Ainsworth’s work.

[J's Booktock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grief makes looking back feel impossible, and for Sara, losing her best friend Lottie has shattered her sense of direction. Nothing in her life is going the way she imagined—until she receives a Jar of Joy that Lottie prepared for her before she passed. At first, Sara doesn’t understand why Lottie left this for her, but as she reads one note a day, she’s reminded of the happiest moments of their friendship. However, each memory also reveals what eventually broke them apart.
The core of the story is emotional healing: can revisiting joy help someone move forward, or do secrets, regrets, and old wounds run too deep?
One of the strongest elements of this book is how well Eve writes character emotion. I felt deeply connected to Sara—her grief, confusion, and eventual growth were especially well-developed. The story explores different types of relationships: the gentle and grounding bond between Sara and Jay, the sweet connection with Derek in the nursing home, and the painful toxicity that grew between Sara and Lottie. Lottie’s chapters were at times difficult to read, but they added needed depth to the story’s themes of love, loss, and self-reflection.
Overall, I enjoyed this book for its honest portrayal of friendship, healing, and acceptance. The ending was moving and well-written.Rating: 3.5 stars. I’d recommend it if you like emotional contemporary stories about growth and complicated friendships.

[kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pieces of us is about a girl called Sara, her best friend passed away to cancer and she is trying to navigate her life without her. Little did Sara know lottie was keeping lots of secrets from Sara and her relationship ships with Sara’s best friend jay. Where Lottie passed away she gave Sara ‘a jar of joy’ to give her closure but to also to discover her secrets

Pieces of us is a Split posit of view between Lottie and her teen years and Sara after she passed.

I did enjoy pieces of us, i did find it a little slow paced and i did struggle to read more than 5 chapters at once. So i wasn’t hooked but i did enjoy the plot and the righting style.

Characters! :
Derik - i loved Derik, he was so wise and such a cute person who really helped Sara
Lottie - im not actually sure about her. She seemed genuine and regretful for what she did and her friends. Her relationship with jay seemed very toxic and bless her she just wanted to be loves.
Sara - love here and her cats ( gooses and Fifi). I loved her reconnecting with her family after a long time. And the ending was so sweet made me tear up

Overall - cute book and loved the ending but did feel a little rushed

Four stars!!!

[Karla Vetra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gracias a NetGallery por la oportunidad de leer esta historia 😌 ahora ¿Cuál es mi opinión?

La historia de Sara y Lottie fue bastante interesante, me recordó un poco a el mapa de los anhelos por lo de la persona que muere de cancer y le deja a la otra persona un regalo para sobrellevar todo.

Sobre los personajes creo que a pesar de que Sara tiene un crecimiento en su forma de ver el mundo y su personalidad cerrada, se ve ya muy a final este cambio y quizás habría sido mejor con cambios paulatinos y no tan de repente. Tuvo que enterarse de todo para realmente pensar en lo que realmente quería 🙃

Lo único que, aunque entiendo que es parte del personaje, es que no pude soportar o perdonar a Lottie como lo hizo Sara 🫠 haha, o sea entiendo que tuvieron más momentos que las hizo ser así de unidas pero a mí me hacen algo así y me cuestionaría toda la amistad ¿qué fue verdad y qué no? Podría perdonarla pero no convertirme en su amiga de nuevo

La historia me parece entretenida y te quedas para saber en qué momento se va a resolver todo este problema de comunicación

[Opus_bookclub · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sur le chemin de la guérison.

La narration à plusieurs voix est toujours efficace et ici, le changement de temporalité ajoute encore plus de rythme à la lecture. Un véritable page turner. Les personnages sont bien construits, ce qui les rend attachants. On suit leur évolution au fil des pages et à travers des sujets forts tels que la gestion du deuil, la recherche et l'acceptation de soi, la complexité des relations amicales et amoureuses et la valeur des souvenirs. Ce qui m'a dérangée, c'est le trop grand nombre d'incompréhensions entre les personnages et l'excuse de l'alcool qui, à mon avis, est utilisée de façon abusive et avec trop de légèreté.

Malgré ces quelques reproches, je ne pouvais pas mettre une note en dessous de 4, car j'ai été profondément touchée par la justesse de certains passages. Je ne connaissais pas cette autrice et c'est une belle découverte.

Merci à Netgalley, à l'autrice et aux éditeurs pour cette lecture.

[Kate (bookishkenyannerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sara's best friend Lottie is dead and nothing in life is working out as she'd planned. Then Lottie leaves her a ‘jar of joy’ in her will – filled with instructions to visit places where they had their happiest memories. With every happy memory comes painful memories as well. And Jay – the man they both loved – keeps turning up at the same places.

This was quite the complicated friend group. Sara, Lottie, Jay and Dec were all close as teenagers but present day showed that they'd grown apart. The dual timelines from both Lottie and Sara's POVs gave some insight.

I kept turning the page as secrets came to light. I was frustrated at times and bewildered at others but I was hooked and had to see how things turned out. Ending was a bit rushed after the buildup but I loved all the resolutions that took place.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5⭐
Steam level: 3🌶️ Open door, mild details

[Faithe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pieces of Us by Eve Ainsworth follows Millie through her journey navigating the loss of her best friend. Upon the death of her friend she receives a grateful Jar in her will. Moments in time her friend had written down of pieces of paper. Happy times the two do them shared and instructions to go to each of those places.

As she works her way through the jar she keeps bumping into Jay, someone she used to love but who her friend Fliss loved too. Her friend also kept some secrets that could shatter Millie when she learns them.

She takes us on her journey of grief, the good memories and the bad. Will she be able to forgive once she knows everything? Will she be able to love life again?


This book would be great for those who are fans of P.S. I love you, it definitely had similar vibes. Thank you to Eve for working with NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

[Julissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sara is grieving the death of her best friend, Lottie. In the past timeline, we get the backstory of when the friends met and the drama that occurred with the friend group up until Lottie’s death. In the present timeline, we see Sara grieving and following Lottie’s last wishes.

I found it hard to connect to any of the characters. There was a lot of telling but not showing, especially in the past timeline. I couldn’t get past the awful and selfish things some of the characters did and how easily they were forgiven. Some of the relationships were toxic. The present timeline/resolutions didn’t feel like a realistic portrayal of grief nor how people would feel in the circumstances. The ending felt rushed. It’s an okay read but not one that will be memorable for me.

Thanks to the publisher (Canelo) & NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Pub date: 2/27/25

[Jennifer]

When i read the synopsis for this book i was like YES! I need to read this. (Thank you Canelo & NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book ) When I was accepted I was really happy and immediately started reading it. As someone who just recently lost a friend of mine I felt like it was perfect timing.. I started reading and now I'm not sure if it's me or the book itself but I'm not 100% loving it. I'm not sure if its just how its written or I'm feeling like its really slow I have no idea but i did decide to SOFT DNF it FOR NOW, I'm sure I will be coming back to it because I need to know what happened between the friend group but for now I'm just not feeling it.
- I'm not going to give it a star rating until I completely finish it.

[Aliyah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3/5

This book was kind of refreshing to read. I’ve never read anything like this and given what I have been indulging in recently this was different and an enjoyable read. I think it was well paced but I think the ending fell flat.

These characters are flawed and all could do with some serious therapy (except Dec). Lottie was also a bad friend and yes she died but it doesn’t change who she was. I feel like the author tried to justify her actions & give the characters reasoning to come to peace with it.

This book was predictable but I enjoyed the dual POV with the flashbacks. I just wish the ending was a bit bigger and more climactic, I found it quite dull given the buildup but oh well.

It’s not the best book ever but I did enjoy it

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can trust Eve to write a hell of an emotional book. This book hit hard in many ways. Some more personal than others but nonetheless it was amazing! Really enjoyed the plot - the way it was set out and the changing POVs.

I think the topics of heartbreak and grief were captured in a very emotional and moving way. It was also very interesting to see the little plot twists in how the characters ended up in the place they have.

Overall a great and emotional read I would recommend to anyone.

[andreea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐
at first i was really invested in seeing where this is gonna go, but then Lottie became so fucking annoying. I get that she felt alone and desperately needed company, I really really understand that, but lying to your friends about their feelings to each other and faking your best friend's letter to the guy she truly loved, just because you were jealous and you wanted him for yourself is crazy work. And then proceeding to complain about the fact that you're lonely like girl I WONDER WHY 😭
but except for that it's a beautiful story

[K J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think 3.5 stars is a fairer score for this book. Overall, I enjoyed the story and the writing style - it was easy to read and I liked the dual POV of Sara and Lottie.

I did find it a little bit repetitive at times, and Sara could be a bit contradictory (e.g one minute saying nothing had ever felt more right to her than being with Jay and the next saying ‘but what if he hurts me again?’ even after finding out the truth of what happened!)

But certainly a decent read - special mention to Derek who became one of my favourite characters in the book!

[Amanda Shinner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Eve Ainsworth for this arc!

This was a slow burn second chance romance done so well!! I got confused at points throughout the story with the changes in time but this story was so lovely! The heartbreaking friendship between Sara and Lottie was heartbreaking and frustrating at times, but in the end it came good!! Glad I gave this book another go! Plus the dramas between Sara and Jay’s families, Sara’s brother and the big C, I enjoyed this story! Just wish some of the MCs didn’t make such poor decisions

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pieces of Us by Eve Ainsworth is a raw and emotional novel that explores the complexities of grief, teenage life, trauma, and healing.

I did enjoy this book, however I found it slow at times, which meant it took me a while to read. However, I am sure that for someone who could relate to these tropes, they would find this a more personal and relatable story.

Thank you again for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.