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Broken Pieces
Coming back to Plains Point, Missouri, to face her tragic past, Mariah Sayers embraces her return as she is swept up by old friendships and the possibility of romance, until a vicious attack on one of her friends brings the past rushing back and forces her to do the unthinkable to stop a madman. Original.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 2, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 6, 2008
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Sep08
I have shivers running up and down my spine. I just finished “Broken Pieces” by Carla Cassidy and I really hope none of my stairs creak tonight or I’ll likely have a heart attack screaming my head off. If you like books that scare you and have you looking over your shoulder, this one will fit the bill.
Mariah’s childhood wasn’t that great. Her fire and brimstone father was a firm believer in ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’. So much so, that she still carries the willow switch marks on her thighs and bottom. But that wasn’t what made her run away. It wasn’t until she was brutally raped and found herself pregnant that she ran. Sixteen years later, she’s a successful adult with a teenage daughter. When her father dies, Mariah returns to sell the family home and bury her nightmares. She knew she would run into old friends. She knew she needed to come to grips with her past. But she didn’t know she would fall for the class geek who’s now a sexy veterinarian. And she also didn’t know that what happened to her sixteen years ago was just the beginning…and He’s still here, waiting for Mariah.
Carla Cassidy does a great job laying out her mystery. She provides plenty of suspicious characters and ominous possibilities. The glimpses she provides into the killer’s mind will leave you breathless with anticipation. The romance in this story is by no means the main focus, but it’s not forgotten either. There’s a struggle for both the hero and heroine to overcome past experiences and they don’t ‘jump’ into bed even though the sexual tension is pretty strong from the beginning. Their relationship progresses alongside the ratcheting tension from the mystery.
I only had a couple of small detractions. I guessed the killer very early into the book…and was right. And there were a couple of places where the pacing seemed to stutter, but other than that, I was very drawn to the story. This is my first book by Carla Cassidy, but it won’t be my last. If you’re in the mood for a romantic suspense with about 70% suspense and 30% romance, try “Broken Pieces”…but don’t read it late at night, OK?
I have shivers running up and down my spine. I just finished “Broken Pieces” by Carla Cassidy and I really hope none of my stairs creak tonight or I’ll likely have a heart attack screaming my head off. If you like books that scare you and have you looking over your shoulder, this one will fit the bill.
Mariah’s childhood wasn’t that great. Her fire and brimstone father was a firm believer in ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’. So much so, that she still carries the willow switch marks on her thighs and bottom. But that wasn’t what made her run away. It wasn’t until she was brutally raped and found herself pregnant that she ran. Sixteen years later, she’s a successful adult with a teenage daughter. When her father dies, Mariah returns to sell the family home and bury her nightmares. She knew she would run into old friends. She knew she needed to come to grips with her past. But she didn’t know she would fall for the class geek who’s now a sexy veterinarian. And she also didn’t know that what happened to her sixteen years ago was just the beginning…and He’s still here, waiting for Mariah.
Carla Cassidy does a great job laying out her mystery. She provides plenty of suspicious characters and ominous possibilities. The glimpses she provides into the killer’s mind will leave you breathless with anticipation. The romance in this story is by no means the main focus, but it’s not forgotten either. There’s a struggle for both the hero and heroine to overcome past experiences and they don’t ‘jump’ into bed even though the sexual tension is pretty strong from the beginning. Their relationship progresses alongside the ratcheting tension from the mystery.
I only had a couple of small detractions. I guessed the killer very early into the book…and was right. And there were a couple of places where the pacing seemed to stutter, but other than that, I was very drawn to the story. This is my first book by Carla Cassidy, but it won’t be my last. If you’re in the mood for a romantic suspense with about 70% suspense and 30% romance, try “Broken Pieces”…but don’t read it late at night, OK?
September 25, 2008
Carla Cassidy has created a story that has the reader’s attention at the very beginning. Mariah Sayers doesn’t seem like a heroine at the beginning, just a woman with a traumatic start in life, yet as the plot unfolds you realize that indeed she is, simply by doing, being constant and overcoming; indeed more than a heroine, she is a strong survivor. This is a good read for those who like myself, enjoy reading books where the universe seems to finally right itself for individuals who not only deserve it, but has earned it as well.
April 5, 2009
I have a bunch half read books that I'm trying to finish up. Really glad I came back to this one. I am not always in the mood to want to read stories that have elements of sexual assault and healing past trauma. Not to mention teenage daughters, this is a topic I am always trying to get away from. This was a suspenseful, good read. I look forward to reading more of her work.
January 25, 2011
This book is definitley going down on one of my "treasure forever" books. It definitley has a lot of climax points and i am for sure that the end will be astonishing...I look forward to seeing who the killer is.
September 5, 2011
I picked this up at one of the dollar stores for 1.50. It was well worth it. Everyone I have loaned out to thought it was a great read too. The story kept twisting. It kept you guessing right up to the end who the "bad guy" was. Loved the mother daughter relationship.
April 16, 2012
I never in a MILLION years expected the monster to be...........who it was! I was caught up in this book and read it in one day!!
July 19, 2021
Pretty good book. The rape & abuse was brutal but not graphically described. I was a bit frustrated with the h at times but not too much. The H is not alpha but was a really good guy. I figured out who the rapist was about 1/3 of the way in but was not truly bothered by that because I was anxiously awaiting the confrontation when Mariah figured it out and there was enough tension with other things going on. Worth a read.
May 9, 2015
This was one of the best stories I've read in quite a while. It invoked many emotions and was an all out entertaining book. It was easy to figure out who the perpertrator was, but that didn't make the story any less enticing. The characters were strong and well written. This is a story I plan to reread again the future.
July 28, 2011
Great book. It was full of drama, intrigue, suspense, love, romance and friendship. A definite page turner that will keep you guessing till the end. Well written with a great writing style. Mariah and Dr Hot were just that HOT.
October 26, 2011
Nicely done romantic suspense. The plot made sense and moved right along. The author kept me guessing about the bad guy. I did guess but mostly because I picked one of the suspects and just stuck with him. A nice balance of romance and suspense. I liked the strong heroine and the nice guy hero.
December 31, 2008
Broken Pieces is very light reading. I have never read Carla Cassidy's work before, but it is very reminiscent in style to Mary Higgins Clark. A good mystery but a little heavy on the romance.
April 12, 2009
another great story.. keeps you guessing right till the end.
June 11, 2009
Just finished this book this morning. It felt like it took me forever to read but at the end I didn't want to put it down!
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July 28, 2011i read this book in just hours of starting it and i adored it. i loved the entire idea and it shocked me and i loved it
October 16, 2008
Carla Cassidy is an awesome author and I would recommend all of her books.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews