What do you think?
Rate this book
Pieces of Me
Still battling the physical and emotional scars of war, Army Veteran Jason Bowman, never expects to meet his match in the upbeat introvert Kylie Oliver. But Kylie may not be as put together as she comes across. Finding love and solace in Jason forces her to look at her own reality and confront the issues that have ruined her chances at love in the past. “Pieces of Me” is a light-hearted tale of love and healing with a twist you’ll never see coming.
151 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 31, 2015
31 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 19, 2016
WTF DID I JUST READ?!!! HOLY PLOT TWISTS BATMAN! Your mind will be blown when you finish cause…I just wasn’t expecting that?!
Whew! First let me say that the cover model to this story is Jason all the way! I don’t know if the author saw this photo and wrote a story based on the guy or she lucked up and found the perfect photo. Either way, he is Jason, and he is hot!
This story was sweet, heartwarming, and heartbreaking all in one. It’s rare to read a romance featuring a hero with a physical disability. That’s what initially attracted me to the story (Well, the cover did, not gonna lie…) Jason is an Iraqi war veteran who lost his leg and is attempting to adjust to civilian life. Like so many of our vets, disabled or not, he is also suffering from PTSD, and has night terrors, shame about his disability, and feeling a little less than worthy, until he meets Kylie.
Kylie is a BAP (Black American Princess). She left her privileged life in Atlanta, GA to make a new life, her own life, in Baltimore, MD, much to her bougie parents’ dismay. Her parents had her life planned for her, and when she rebelled, she was the disappointment of their three daughters. Her dreams of becoming a writer and musician just aren’t befitting her parents who want her to pursue a career that “makes money” and to also marry well, but more importantly, to marry well to a black man.
While some may perceive the conflict as a matter of race, I approached it more from the perspective of classism. Yes, Kylie’s parents wanted her to marry a well-to-do black man, and had no problems letting Jason know this in no uncertain terms, but I’ve witnessed firsthand how elitist the black bourgeoisie actually is. It wouldn’t have matter what color Jason was to me; he simply would’ve never been good enough. Kylie, like so many other women, was put into a position of choosing: your parents or your man.
This could’ve been a 5-star read for me if it weren’t for Kylie. She was a lil too childish to me at times. Her seventeen year old sister often displayed more common sense to me, and there were a few minor plot holes, but otherwise, it was an overall sweet, feel-good story of true love prevailing. And as for how the story ends: Wayment!
Whew! First let me say that the cover model to this story is Jason all the way! I don’t know if the author saw this photo and wrote a story based on the guy or she lucked up and found the perfect photo. Either way, he is Jason, and he is hot!
This story was sweet, heartwarming, and heartbreaking all in one. It’s rare to read a romance featuring a hero with a physical disability. That’s what initially attracted me to the story (Well, the cover did, not gonna lie…) Jason is an Iraqi war veteran who lost his leg and is attempting to adjust to civilian life. Like so many of our vets, disabled or not, he is also suffering from PTSD, and has night terrors, shame about his disability, and feeling a little less than worthy, until he meets Kylie.
Kylie is a BAP (Black American Princess). She left her privileged life in Atlanta, GA to make a new life, her own life, in Baltimore, MD, much to her bougie parents’ dismay. Her parents had her life planned for her, and when she rebelled, she was the disappointment of their three daughters. Her dreams of becoming a writer and musician just aren’t befitting her parents who want her to pursue a career that “makes money” and to also marry well, but more importantly, to marry well to a black man.
While some may perceive the conflict as a matter of race, I approached it more from the perspective of classism. Yes, Kylie’s parents wanted her to marry a well-to-do black man, and had no problems letting Jason know this in no uncertain terms, but I’ve witnessed firsthand how elitist the black bourgeoisie actually is. It wouldn’t have matter what color Jason was to me; he simply would’ve never been good enough. Kylie, like so many other women, was put into a position of choosing: your parents or your man.
This could’ve been a 5-star read for me if it weren’t for Kylie. She was a lil too childish to me at times. Her seventeen year old sister often displayed more common sense to me, and there were a few minor plot holes, but otherwise, it was an overall sweet, feel-good story of true love prevailing. And as for how the story ends: Wayment!
January 16, 2016
Cute simple read... nice twist because I clearly wasn't expecting that...however it added something different to the book.
January 14, 2016
OM...Freaking...GEE! This book was a page turner - So cute! The author weaved together a story from the heart and reiterated by belief in FATE and love at first sight! This book had fantasy and reality of our Veterans trying to make it through life after war. I absolutely loved my man-bun wearing, tattooed, SEXY ASS, Veteran hero - Jason Bowman!!!
May 20, 2016
The Eye Candy that is this cover!
January 10, 2019
I am soooo disappointed with this book, as it started off good, and I really liked the H/h!
As I read, the errors began multiplying at an exponential rate...WTF? A typo here and there I could take, but when I had to reread whole chunks of the book on several occasions, due to the run-on sentences, incorrect word usage (which I'll get to later), and how the unique plot turned into more like the stuff in other books of the genre, I was about to throw in the towel. My reading experience was ruined, really.
Anyway, at several times throughout the read, I wanted to choke the shit out of the heroine Kylie, as I found her to be a spineless creature. She got her shit together later on, but still...unneeded drama that didn't really need to be in the book, or at the very least, it could have been handled differently.
The curveball ending threw me for a loop as well; still not sure if I liked it or not. I'm actually leaning towards just deleting that whole section off, and leaving the story as is. Of course, this is my taste, as I'm sure many others will love it.
And now...on to the more creative word usage...in which the wrong word is first:
pond - pawn
wondered - wandered
born - bone
boarder line - borderline
Demarko - DiMarco (assuming that this is someone of Italian descent)?
In the same paragraph with the Demarko, the book goes from third person to first person for a bit...WTF? It's in chapter 8, but one can't get to it or any other location easily, as the Kindle table of contents isn't available...another WTF.
I'm not an editor, but I figure that if some of my 100+ notations in the book will help the writer with some corrections, she's welcome to them; hell, I may have left the wrong corrections myself. I really think that she needs a pro to go over this and re-publish, as this is actually a wonderful story. (With an awesome cover - a very good depiction of Jason)! Sigh.
As I read, the errors began multiplying at an exponential rate...WTF? A typo here and there I could take, but when I had to reread whole chunks of the book on several occasions, due to the run-on sentences, incorrect word usage (which I'll get to later), and how the unique plot turned into more like the stuff in other books of the genre, I was about to throw in the towel. My reading experience was ruined, really.
Anyway, at several times throughout the read, I wanted to choke the shit out of the heroine Kylie, as I found her to be a spineless creature. She got her shit together later on, but still...unneeded drama that didn't really need to be in the book, or at the very least, it could have been handled differently.
The curveball ending threw me for a loop as well; still not sure if I liked it or not. I'm actually leaning towards just deleting that whole section off, and leaving the story as is. Of course, this is my taste, as I'm sure many others will love it.
And now...on to the more creative word usage...in which the wrong word is first:
pond - pawn
wondered - wandered
born - bone
boarder line - borderline
Demarko - DiMarco (assuming that this is someone of Italian descent)?
In the same paragraph with the Demarko, the book goes from third person to first person for a bit...WTF? It's in chapter 8, but one can't get to it or any other location easily, as the Kindle table of contents isn't available...another WTF.
I'm not an editor, but I figure that if some of my 100+ notations in the book will help the writer with some corrections, she's welcome to them; hell, I may have left the wrong corrections myself. I really think that she needs a pro to go over this and re-publish, as this is actually a wonderful story. (With an awesome cover - a very good depiction of Jason)! Sigh.
January 22, 2016
I almost gave up on this book because the heroine was so annoying to me, but I'm glad I didn't. The twist at the end made up for it, and I loved the hero. Going the tragic events that Jayson went through and coming out stronger made him so appealing to me.
January 16, 2016
My heart is still racing!!
Wow!!! This story was a page turner. Jason and Kylie story was truly love at first sight. I thought it was one of those story where the characters met one day and the where professing their love for one another the very next day. HOW WRONG I WAS!! This was truly a story about self rehabilitation on both ends. Jason was a amputee vet trying to revive himself from the horrific incident that happen in Iraq. Kylie was trying to figure out who she wanted be outside of her parents belief. To say that one save the other is an understatement. They both saved each other!! But the shocker is the part in this novel where you will be like "Are you freaking kidding me"!! And I will leave you with that!!
Wow!!! This story was a page turner. Jason and Kylie story was truly love at first sight. I thought it was one of those story where the characters met one day and the where professing their love for one another the very next day. HOW WRONG I WAS!! This was truly a story about self rehabilitation on both ends. Jason was a amputee vet trying to revive himself from the horrific incident that happen in Iraq. Kylie was trying to figure out who she wanted be outside of her parents belief. To say that one save the other is an understatement. They both saved each other!! But the shocker is the part in this novel where you will be like "Are you freaking kidding me"!! And I will leave you with that!!
December 31, 2015
Sweet love
If you are looking for a tender, sweet romance, this is it. A war veteran and amputee and writer/ teacher/ artist, that meet in a coffee shop. There were a few errors but it did not take away from the story. Another reason I purchased the book was the cover. Loved it
If you are looking for a tender, sweet romance, this is it. A war veteran and amputee and writer/ teacher/ artist, that meet in a coffee shop. There were a few errors but it did not take away from the story. Another reason I purchased the book was the cover. Loved it
May 29, 2018
3.5 I might adjust to 4.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved learning about both characters but if I'm honest Kylie annoyed me when it came to her parents intolerance and she almost allowed it to mess things up with Jason. Sh definitely has an amazing imagination.
Jason is the sweetest and such a romantic
I really enjoyed this book. I loved learning about both characters but if I'm honest Kylie annoyed me when it came to her parents intolerance and she almost allowed it to mess things up with Jason. Sh definitely has an amazing imagination.
Jason is the sweetest and such a romantic
February 21, 2020
Twist ending...
It is a sweet story about overcoming issues. The characters are pretty well rounded, though Kylie is a little annoying that she kept breaking a good think. Love how open Jason is about his struggles.
The ending is a serious pet peeve, but overall still worth the read.
It is a sweet story about overcoming issues. The characters are pretty well rounded, though Kylie is a little annoying that she kept breaking a good think. Love how open Jason is about his struggles.
The ending is a serious pet peeve, but overall still worth the read.
June 2, 2020
Great cover
I don’t know about others but Covers of books pull me in and this book had a great one. I love when the picture matches the character in the book. Who is the model?
As for the book itself nicely done. I don’t know if I like the twist at the end. The read was great without it to me.
I don’t know about others but Covers of books pull me in and this book had a great one. I love when the picture matches the character in the book. Who is the model?
As for the book itself nicely done. I don’t know if I like the twist at the end. The read was great without it to me.
November 3, 2020
Story Within
I had read other reviewers stating that there was a story within a story but I read the book anyway. I liked both characters but I wasn’t sure if we met the real Jason since we see mostly the version Kylie has in her imagination. Unusual story, the fake Kylie was really childish.
I had read other reviewers stating that there was a story within a story but I read the book anyway. I liked both characters but I wasn’t sure if we met the real Jason since we see mostly the version Kylie has in her imagination. Unusual story, the fake Kylie was really childish.
November 14, 2020
Vet's everyday struggle for normalcy and love.
Very engaging from beginning to surprise ending. Characters are more than hoped for while reading this romance novel. Recommend as a good read.
Very engaging from beginning to surprise ending. Characters are more than hoped for while reading this romance novel. Recommend as a good read.
August 19, 2017
Total joy to read
Loved all the elements of the characters. Almost wished the story didn't end. Looking forward to more from this author
Loved all the elements of the characters. Almost wished the story didn't end. Looking forward to more from this author
August 29, 2019
Great read
I love how it didn't follow the typical ouline of a romance novel. I love how much I was rooting for both sets of characters. Great read.
I love how it didn't follow the typical ouline of a romance novel. I love how much I was rooting for both sets of characters. Great read.
May 27, 2020
Its not everyday a person can write their own happily ever after, then live it.
December 8, 2021
Ummm yeah I wasn’t expecting that. Loved the story
March 4, 2016
Sweet and surprisingly good
I love when an author can pack a good storyline in less than 200 pages that didn't leave questions. Pieces of Me was a military romance mix with a little interracial family drama. There is a surprising twist in the story, so it's better reading this novel knowing very little of the plotline. Overall, I love this novel!
I love when an author can pack a good storyline in less than 200 pages that didn't leave questions. Pieces of Me was a military romance mix with a little interracial family drama. There is a surprising twist in the story, so it's better reading this novel knowing very little of the plotline. Overall, I love this novel!
January 13, 2016
Wow
This is my first book by Kirby Elaine and I must say I really enjoyed it. Even the part about the house and ring.
This is my first book by Kirby Elaine and I must say I really enjoyed it. Even the part about the house and ring.
January 14, 2016
Great love story
Kylie and Jason made the perfect couple. This story took me for a loop. It has a little surprise in it too. Loved it.
Kylie and Jason made the perfect couple. This story took me for a loop. It has a little surprise in it too. Loved it.
February 9, 2016
The story was so cute and drew me in from the beginning and then WHAM! I never saw it coming!
The plot twist made the story even more endearing. Well played.
The plot twist made the story even more endearing. Well played.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews