Through The Pieces

by Bobbi Jo Green

She can’t run from her past…

In the middle of the night, Claire flees her abusive, alcoholic husband Scott, taking their four-year old daughter along with her. Seeking some long-needed peace, Claire goes to her sister Annie and her family, hoping she can at last begin the process of healing.

As she embarks on this new life she meets a family friend. Buck, who seems to be everything any woman would want-successful, handsome, charming. Claire wants to let him in, but how could she be ready to love again?

And can they even survive when Scott will not stop until they are where they both belong?

Genres: Realistic Fiction

155 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 2016

About the author

Bobbi Jo Bentz is a self-published writer of romance, suspense and thrillers, is as much an avid reader as an enthusiastic story-teller and is a fan of Horror and Marvel movies. Aside from her writing, Bobbi Jo is passionate about hiking, feminism and a good cup of coffee. Known for her sense of humor, Bobbi Jo often finds ways to laugh, sometimes in the most inopportune moments.
Yet, Bobbi Jo has a strong balance of positive energy with a recognition of serious issues. Working full-time as a family advocate at a local Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Shelter has enlightened Bobbi Jo on the emotions of victims and brought out the serious aspect of her personality.

https://www.facebook.com/bobbijobentz...

Reviews

[Yasemin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this not knowing what to expect. The emotions were raw and authentic, and the plot was really true to life. Claire's life was in jeopardy. I liked how, even though she was terrified and a complete mess at first, she persevered. She grew in strength and bravery. She defeated her assailant, who happened to be her husband. The characters were fantastic. Scott, on the other hand, I despised. I felt heartbroken, but happy at the same time. This author has a knack for eliciting the characters' actual feelings. Everyone should read this book, in my opinion. The editing is the only thing that needs to be improved.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through the Pieces is Bobbi Jo Bentz's debut novel that was filled with excitement, suspense, and romance. The opening scene was very emotional and I felt connected to Claire and Maggie right away. Warning...be prepared for a graphic portrayal of abuse that could be triggering for some. With that being said, I appreciated the real depiction of abuse and believe this book allows the reader a small glimpse into the tragedy and horror of abusive relationships. Claire's ex is a major creep and truly scary individual.

Claire proves to be a strong character who strives to protect herself and her daughter from her abusive ex. Claire was extremely likable and made smart decisions as she navigated her situation. And don't even get me started on Buck. Loved him. There was enough drama to keep things interesting, but Buck proved to be a charming, kind, lovable guy.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a character driven romance with a dose of reality and suspense. I look forward to reading other books by this author!

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

review coming :)

[Denise✝☮☕♎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won the book, Through The Pieces, by Bobbi Jo Bentz, from the Goodreads giveaways on here. I went to my PO Box at around 12 noon, today and just got done reading it now at 5:38 pm. I have not read a book that quick in a long time..lol..I could not put this book down. Not even to eat, I did go pee though..lol...The tears are still streaming down my face as I am writing this 'from my heart' review. Its about a woman, mostly, who was under a spell, as I like to call it, caste on her by a no good piece of s**t of a man, up until the spell is broken by the help of those at a support group(angels actually in disguise) I loved being on this journey with Claire, her sisters, brother in law, the children and a lot of others that actually LOVED Claire with their whole heart and soul. I cried a lot. I laughed a lot. I got angry to the point of actually cursing out loud at a particular character..lol..For me, when I pick up a book, any book, I can usually tell by the first few pages if it's a book for me, by the way I feel inside my gut, if it catches and grabs at me, and won't let me go. NOT until the very last page that is. And even then it is still swirling around my head leaving feelings of emotions that seem all to real. These are the kind of books I love to read.
Bobbi Jo, you are a very good author that has a lot still left inside of you to give to those of us who are anxiously awaiting for your next book to come out. God bless you always. I am officially a "lover of Bobbi Jo Bentz's books".. :)

[Shandi Boyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an ARC by the author for an honest review.

The book starts a little dark. Poor Clair has been through some pretty bad times. Then next few chapters I actually did laugh. The antics of Boris (a dog horse) had me laughing hard. Buck seemed swoon worthy, although I am not a fan of his name (lol). The parts that were narrated from the husband Scott scared the poop out of me. It is scary world we live in when you realise there are people like that in society. I would love to see a little more of Buck and Clair's relationship blossom throughout the book. It would be nice to finally see that she gets someone she deserves after years of misery. Annie seems like a great sister and I laughed at the prank Clair pulled on her at their sisters weekend.

It feels like you are getting two books in one. Romantic comedy and a deep dark suspense book. I think the author has done well for a first time debut novel.

[Bobbi Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I can't believe I can review my own book. I have learned a lot through this process and hope I continue to grow and develop as a writer with each book.

Part of this book is based on personal experience, part is made up. I needed to get my story out for my own healing, and to finally take the time and really evaluate the feelings and emotions I personally went through.

Some people may like it some people may not and I am okay with that. This story was a way to heal for me and to truly feel like a survivor of domestic violence.

To all the survivors and victims you are not alone, we can end violence together.

[Ann Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

Real life problems, suspense and well written characters make "Through the Pieces", the debut novel of Bobbi Jo Bentz, a good read. Claire and her young daughter Maggie abruptly flee from Claire's abusive husband. Once you realize Claire will not get back with her ex, you will root for her new relationship to succeed because Claire and Maggie deserve happiness but also because Buck is a great guy! I will watch for future novels by this author. Thanks for the win of a different sort of book, not preachy, but telling the facts of abuse in a way that will touch hearts and could potentially make the difference for someone in the same boat as Claire.

[Tee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book blew me away. It starts out slow with a young mum leaving her abusive husband, taking her daughter. She meets a nice new man and things develop slowly with him, not without hiccups of course.
However the husband is a crazy man and he wants her back.
By the time I got about halfway through I could not put it down, I had to keep reading to find out what happens next.
Well written, worth a read. But be warned it is not all sunshine and lollipops.

[Lynette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire has had enough, one fight too many as she gets her daughter and flees the man she thought loved her but only wants to hit her and treat her badly. She runs to her sister and fights to get her life back to normal . There is one thing that is a constant in her new life . The doctor in town and a good friend of her brother in law . They become friends and are there for each other but Claire is scared to let him in cause she doesn't think she is ready for love . Once they do will they survive what the ex Scott has in store for them . Will they find the love that they both deserve .

Ok lets talk about this book , wow is one of the words I will say about these characters . Claire is one tough woman even when she is being put through the ringer we get to see her grow. She is tougher then she realizes and puts others lives ahead of her. I love to see when she is vulnerable with Buck. Buck well he is a sweetheart of a man and is so lovable but there is a little sadness to him and when you find out his past you will want to hug him tight. He also has this mischievous side to him that gets him and Claire into some good fun trouble. Oh my I so wanted to punch Scott out so many times through this book . That man is evil and i mean evil . These characters are very well written and complex.

This is a book I will tell you right now has some triggers of domestic abuse . I sat down to read this book and I was sucked in by the end of the first chapter . You could feel the angst the main character was going through. You almost got goose bumps on your skin when she got the hairs standing up on the back of her neck. The author's way of writing really draws you in and keeps you inside the story . I couldn't put this book down and it was a fast read packed with lots of emotion, a sweet romance and lots of angst . So if you want a book that will have you on the edge of your seat and this book to your summer reading list .

[Elura Coren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had a strong opening chapter that set the tone. However, I just couldn't make myself like this title.
My scale:
Story line: This tale involves trauma, abuse, recovery, learning to live again, and the past coming back to haunt. The story line itself is okay.
Writing Style: The personalities of the lead characters shift a bit too much and/or too quickly, which makes it harder to relate to them. The POV shifts from 1st to 3rd leaves the reader confused. Areas of dialogue which included a shift in the speakers thoughts lacked tags or descriptives. (-1 star)
Editing: This actually gave me a bit of a headache. In the same sentence, the verbs were a mix of present and past. The heavily dialogue-driven sections involving more than 2 speakers lacked a lot of tags and required additional read-throughs to keep track of who was speaking based on what was said. (-1 star)
Spice to story ratio: I appreciated that the author did not attempt to just throw in intimate scenes just for the sake of having them. However, by the time those events occurred, I had already lost interest in the story resolution.
Drive to finish: No. Definitely not. I was ready to stop reading within 5 chapters. (-1 star)

My overall feeling is that this story had potential, and with a good editor for encouragement, it could have been very gripping. My issues had nothing to do with the concept of the story. Unfortunately, not-yet-nurtured writing development can make or break any book.

[Ellie Dunne]

This book clearly impacted me, as I still think about it over a month after I finished reading it. I liked the family dynamic that was set up, as well as other relationships such as the romance which I particularly loved. I appreciated the more hard hitting theme of domestic abuse and what it brought to the story, but definitely didn't enjoy Scott's perspective as much and just wanted to get back to the main story. A smaller thing that I picked up on, particularly at the beginning of the book, was the lack of contractions especially in speech. It made the book feel like it was trying to be more formal than it was in my opinion. One of my favourite parts of the book was the intense end- but on the other hand this definitely felt somewhat rushed and I think the book could have benefitted from being overall longer. Despite my criticisms, I'm glad I read this book and would recommend it if it interests you.

[J. Florence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clair takes her daughter and runs from an abusive marriage after her husband almost kills her.
She goes to her sisters house, where she stays until she finds a job and her own apartment.
She meets Buck and they become good friends.
She always feels like she is being watched, but can never see anyone. Her life becomes what she wants for her daughter, but then, her ex comes back with a vengeance.
If you have been the victim of abuse from a husband or a partner, this may not be the best book for you to read. I have not been, but even I cringed.
This was a really good book.
Well worth reading.

[Amanda Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This stories has alot packed into a small package, in the best way. The emotions of up and down and everywhere in between. As a survivor, Claire is hope for life after domestic abuse. And I absolutely love learning about the meaning of the lotus flower. That is truly beautiful. Most novellas struggle with getting everything at a good timeline but this author did amazing. There's a big jump at one point but it fits the story perfectly. Such an impactful story with dark moments but beautiful endings.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book But it does have scenes of domestic/sexual violence. Finding the strength to leave an abusing spouse takes a strong person to do it. Having others that will help you thru the after effects helps. This book made me cry , leaving the abuser is extremely hard to do, but it must be done. Kudos to Bobbi Jo Green for writing this book, I hope that this gives at least one person to do what they must to find freedom and safety.

[RomanceMyHeart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I absolutely loved reading this book. Although some aspects i didnt really care for was the ex husband for obvious reasons. I love how Claire was able to pick herself up after what she had been through. Buck is dr mcdreamy in every way. That man was absolutely perfect. The love and affection that he showed claire was amazing.

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through the Pieces

A beautiful story that speaks of strength, hope, and love. I enjoyed the story and loved the strength of the character to overcome her horrible situation and give hope to those in similar circumstances.

[Keradwen Sweeten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt Rushed

This wasn't a bad book it just felt like the relationship was a bit rushed. Like the main character had literally just gotten out of an abusive relationship and was already pining over the hot doctor. I'm sure people move on that quickly, and this is a suspension of disbelief thing for me.

The book was good. I did enjoy the story and the plot line. I loved little Maggie. I'd wouldn't mind seeing another story about this family.

Overall this was a good book.

[Adaline · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good I liked it, i especially liked it since I just read a book that broke my heart and this was a easy read

[Brandy Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an amazing book. Clare shows that she is done with the way her husband treats her and their daughter, she is a tough loving woman trying to move on from her past.

[Ruth Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book a page Turner that I couldn't stop reading. Wanted to punch her x but buck was cool. Want to read more from the author

[Amy Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reads like a diary from a survivor of domestic violence. A quick, but important read. The author is very brave to share some personal experience surviving spousal abuse.

[A.A. Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give it a 3.5 stars. Although it was short and not my cup of tea, I recommend you read it and make your own decisions! I am one of the Two Bookish Girls on Facebook and cohosted a live review last Saturday!

[Coco.V]

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