Picking up the Pieces

by Frey Ortega

I'm Noah Linkletter, and I'm broken.

Shattered, really—and I've been trying my best to ignore my problems by chasing temporary highs wherever I can find them. I put my makeup on and dance my way through a club, and by night's end, I find a man who's willing to indulge in a little act of sin to help me forget the demons in my own head.

It only takes one moment for my entire world to turn upside down. I'm left bloody and beaten, but even through the haze I meet him.

Farid Hassan.

A man who is strong and intimidating yet calm and patient. A man who wants me, despite my demons. A man so wonderful, he's willing to help pick me up the pieces.

Maybe he'll succeed.

Genres: M M Romance

121 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 26, 2019

About the author

Frey Ortega writes erotic romance, primarily of the gay variety. He lives in what a friend affectionately calls “the south-easternmost part of Spain,” which is an archipelago called the Philippines. He’s a graduate of the Royal, Pontifical, and Catholic University in Manila, with a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology. Primarily, he works as a writer, a novelist, sometimes a video game journalist, and overall a homebody who spends way too much time on the internet.

Reviews

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I thought it was a dark read... but it was quite a romantic story.
I loved the way it was written... Noah was a thinker and we are witness of many doubts, many painful memories, many ugly down spiral moments.

After beaten into the hospital and barely conscious he meets Farid. The boss of his boss...
Farid is attracted to Noah and spends his free time with Noah.
Noah’s destructive thoughts can’t believe Farid’s honestly. So Farid has to go slow... to convince him.

All Noah’s thoughts are captivating to read. I would have loved to see some more of Farid’s inner being. We see him through Noah’s eyes and those are blurred...

Overall a good read, well written, captivating, provocative, sexy and a bit mysterious...
At times hurtful but it had also romantic moments.
I would love to see a continuing story !

Read and reviewed for LesCourt ARC team

[Cee Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

It made sense

💫💫🌟🌟🌟💫💫4 picking up the pieces stars💫💫🌟🌟🌟💫💫

"Emotionally, I was a mess, and anyone within a hundred-foot radius could see that." ~Noah

Weirdly enough, I connected with this story in another level. After his attack, Noah was in a place of recovery. His boss's boss had no right making sense to him, but Farid's presence calmed him and drew him in. Over a series of events spent together, Noah was finally able to glean Farid's attraction and his slow wooing of Noah. I like that both men were somewhat aware of the others interest, but hesitant over moving to vastly. Noah had his own issues to work out and it would take time for Farid to convince him that he was really interested and willing to stay par for the course.

A KU read.

[Ramona · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolut nichtssagend ...
Gestern Abend in einem Rutsch ausgelesen. Ist ja auch nicht sehr lang.
Noah hat einen schweren Schicksalsschlag erlitten und versucht nun diese dunkle Leere in seinem Inneren damit zu vertreiben, sich durch die ganze Stadt zu vögeln. Eines Abends wird er nach einem Clubbesuch zusammengeschlagen. Bis dahin ist ja alles noch okay, Noah ist jetzt nicht sehr sympathisch und spannend ist die Sache auch noch nicht, aber das kann ja noch werden. Das war aber ein Trugschluss. Am nächsten Tag besucht ihn sein Chef und bester Freund, zusammen mit einem Investor ihrer Firma, Farid. WTF?! Farid und Noah kennen sich nicht. Farid saß in einem Meeting mit Noahs Chef, als der von dem Vorfall erfahren hat. Farid fährt mit und verliebt sich in Noah.
Was danach folgt ist eine völlig unromantische und lückenhafte Liebesgeschichte, die mich zum Schluss nur noch genervt hat.

[Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just an okay read for me. It might have been because I've read some really angsty stuff lately that had me hyperventilating so if I'd read this at another time the review could have been different. Anyway, I did like the story, I just thought that whilst there was angst, there didn't seem to be very much of a reason for it unless I missed something critical? I get that it would have been hard for Noah when his boyfriend died and the reaction of his boyfriends' parents at the funeral but as we never find out any actual backstory it's hard to tap into any emotion or empathy for his character. Farid was a weird one for me. Apart from a couple of mildly emotional speeches about why he wanted Noah I still didn't understand the attraction. Solid writing and no issues that threw me out of the story though.

[thunderlightning · Rating 1 out of 5]

DND @60%

Farid is creepy. There. I said it.

Or MC gets beaten up, he’s in a rotten mental state, and he’s vulnerable physically and mentally.

Farid is his boss’s boss. He meets our MC (who I genuinely can’t remember his name) and sees him breakdown and suddenly gets a hardon and decides he wants him.

Red flag? Check

The power imbalance. The mc’s vulnerability and low self worth. Farid’s power and domineering personality. It felt like a recipe for abusive relationship not grand romance.

Because really who looks at someone beaten and broken in a hospital and decide they’re their soulmates? Yeah, assholes.

[Shelba · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 56%.

This started off well enough. I'm not crazy over 1st person POV, but the first bit was engaging. The our MC, whose name I've already forgotten, gets beat up, ends up in the hospital, is unconscious for 12 hours, wakes up and his boss's boss, Farid, is there and for some reason already super into our MC. What? How do you fall for a beat to a pulp, unconscious guy? And our MC is digging Farid too, because he feels so safe around him. And I just don't get where either MCs feelings are coming from. I tried reading a bit further, but I just couldn't get past their off-page connection.

[Diane Dannenfeldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. There was a couple of things that kept me from rating this higher. I would have liked the guy that beat Noah would have been caught & brought to justice. Even though I did appreciate how Farid took things slowly in bring their dates to Noah & not forcing him to go out in public, I would have liked seeing them go out in public and do things. I also would have liked to see them working on the app, I guess that is the geek in me. And the last thing, the ending didn't really feel like a HEA. If felt more like HFN but no real HEA on the horizon as things still felt uncertain. I would have liked to have seen an epilogue with them a little further down the road after Noah had some time in therapy & the two of them in an actual HEA. As previously mentioned, I really enjoyed watching Farid take things slowly with Noah & when they were together he was totally focused on Noah. I'm glad that they didn't jump right into bed, that came way later & work perfectly. Farid really did show Noah that he cared for him, brokenness and all. For what little we saw of Todd, at one point I wasn't sure he was real (yes my mind goes to weird places) but just part of Noah's messed up mind, I really liked him & would love him to find someone & have his HEA. This is a new to me author & I am looking forward to reading more books by him.

ARC provided by LesCourt in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer Reilley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. I can’t say I hated it and can’t say that I loved it. I did not feel a connection to the characters or story. I didn’t feel any romance for their HFN.

Noah has reached rock bottom when he is attacked. He seeks out sex when he is in a dark place. He does not do relationships anymore since losing a loved one. I was curious about how this love one lost their life and to learn more about Noah’s history and family but we didn’t get it. We also didn’t get any resolution to something big in the story

Farid meets Noah on that lowest night and pursues a friendship but wants a relationship. I really missed seeing them build this relationship with conversations and getting to know more of each other .

I just wish there was more to their story shared. I feel like a lot was missing.

[Dixiecowgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gritty, heartbreaking yet with a ray of hope. Self-reflection and recovery from trauma is painful and challenging. Noah is a complex character and has lots to recover from. Farid is this powerful yet quiet character that becomes a cornerstone for Noah. i found their relationship interesting and wanted them to find their way to together.

i really wanted Noah to get some counseling and find help to work through his traumas. This is certainly not a HEA, maybe a stretch at HFN. I would like to get to know Farid more and see Noah heal. They do have awesome chemistry and i really want these guys to find their HEA.


One of my favorite quotes from the book:
'...telling me that he accepted me as I was, but wanted me to be better- not for him, but for me.'

I was gifted this book from the LesCourt Author Services and i freely give my honest opinion and review.

[caroline wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea, but well written

I received this book by the author and this is my honest opinion.
This is a new to me author so I didn't know what to expect but the book description caught my attention so I gave it a bash. It's an okay book, but I wasn't raving over it afterwards. I just didn't think it was my cup of tea, though the book was well written and flowed. I would of liked more of an outcome from the beating and for justice to be served,but there was plenty of emotional angst with the characters, and I liked that due to the characters self esteem issues and feelings of not being worthy that the relationship didn't automatically go to sex which was the main characters coping mechanism but instead stilled in him that yes he was worthy to be treated right. A okay book but I just wasn't feeling it, and that's on me and not the writing

[Teal Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking Up The Pieces by Frey Ortega tells the love story of Noah Linkletter and Farid Hassan. Noah is a broken man trying to find moments of bliss anyway he can. When that lands him in the hospital, he meets the Rich, handsome and kind Farid. And together, they may be able to put all of Noah's pieces together again.

Sweet, romantic, and a bit sexy... this story had me engrossed and delivered a well written plot filled with likeable and relateable characters that made me need to see their happy ending.

I received an advanced reader's copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.

[Mrs.V · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, though honestly I couldn't fully connect with either characters.
It sort of seemed to me that there's something missing from the story, like a deeper insight into Noah's previous history, or even how Farid comes to see and notice Noah and decides to pursue him...
That being said, this is a good book, more an internal voyage into Noah's mind and self-recovery than an actual sequence of events. This leads tovthe book being more descriptive and narrative and having fewer dialogues.

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I choose this story after reading the blurb about Noah being a broken man. He has to face himself and the thoughts that run through his head. How to deal with the voids. His way is not necessarily a healthy way which leads to an encounter that leaves him physically harmed. This brings Farid into his life. Someone is strong, and stable. But problems of the mind do not go away and this story tells a realistic version of what could happen. I enjoyed that about this story. It was a realistic tale of having to deal with your personal battles.

[Amy Dufera - Amy's MM Romance Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to like this story, but it fell a little short for me.

It had so much hope. Noah is a broken man, full of fears, doubts, and insecurities. His self-sabotaging is his biggest problem. Noah was a decent character, as he's grieving the death of his ex. But, something's missing.

Farid is a great guy, but I found his behavior to be strange. He sees the real Noah, and wants to challenge him, but it happens so quickly, and without a whole lot of reason.

It's decent, but it's lacking a whole lot for me.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a wonderful story. I really like Noah and Farid, though I felt we were only told bits and pieces of Noah’s past and don’t have the whole story. Farid is unwavering in his compassion and feelings for Noah, though him deciding that they are a done deal when he first meets Noah in the hospital was a bit weird. I liked that Farid’s presence helped Noah to gain the strength he needed to start really living life again. They came together quickly and I didn’t feel that we got too much of a chance to see them actually having a relationship just the beginning and 6 months later.

I received an ARC of this book and am giving an honest review.

[Dawn Nicole Costiera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picking up the pieces by Frey Ortega was short, sweet and sadly lackluster. I just kept waiting for more. The story itself was decent and I was entertained enough read it in one sitting. But too much thought was put into the wording and not emotions. The usage of big words actually took away from the story. It made it feel too mechanical and not organic. The content in the plot should have made me emotional, but I never got there......

Noah's past dictates his present. He suffered a tremendous loss that has left him broken. His homophobic family only compounded his misery. Dangerous mindless hookups are his answer to filling the void in his heart. I wish the author would have delved deeper into his past. I think would have felt more for him.

The way Noah and Farid's relationship started was a bit unbelievable, but it was still endearing. Farid is established, mysterious and caring. He gravitated towards Noah and took things slow. Building a friendship first. I didn't completely feel their connection. I did however like how the book ended.

[Sheridan · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌟 3.5 Stars 🌟

This shorter story wasn’t a bad read.
But I did feel like something was missing. I think it could be that I didn’t fully feel connected to the characters.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the story line, it was intriguing and I wanted to know more.
But the characters, Noah , as broken as he is, you just wanted to know him more. And Farid, he still remains a mystery to me.
But as I said the story line was good, not as broken or angsty as I thought it might have been.

[Amanda at WickedGoodReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new to me author, and I found Picking Up The Pieces to be an ok read for me. It was short in length, and can be read rather quick. The MC's Noah and Farid....well, you get all of this from Noah's POV. Farid could come off as a little pushy, but perhaps some would find it endearing. It was obvious that Noah's past has left him with a lot of emotional scars and baggage, and Farid was the perfect man to help him work past his issues.

[Samantha Ortega · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was short but the writer managed to give us a whole story.
Noah is really damaged and we discovered that since the beginning.
His relationship with Farid is really well explored. I like the way the author introduce that relationship and the fact that they take the time to know each other.
The book was well written and the story is touching. It's centered on Farid and Noah's relationship and that point is really well written. I'm only disappointed that it was so short because I really like the characters and their story.
Frey Ortega is a new to me writer but I'm pretty sure I'll check his other books.

[Aerielle Bondi · Rating 4 out of 5]

After getting bashed, Noah is recouping in the hospital and meets Farid. The attraction between the two is immediate but Noah is hesitant. He doesn’t feel deserving of any type of affection. I enjoyed seeing Farid nurturing Noah’s self worth. Very beautiful story

[Barbara Ingram · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟🌟4 Emotional and Romantic Stars🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was a first for me by this author and I will say I enjoyed the story, connected with the characters and found the romance hot. It had everything I look for in a short story and the author delivered!