Life in Bits

by Harper Bliss, T.B. Markinson

ASIN moved from less recent edition

Can a Christmas romance mend a life that's broken to pieces?

Eileen Makenna is a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer who has traveled the world for over two decades, chasing the next big story. She returns home for the holidays shattered by a life-altering event and facing the terrifying prospect she'll never be able to work again.

When Eileen meets Naomi Weaver, a small-town girl who dedicates her free time to helping those in need, Eileen is entranced by Naomi's zest for life. Can Eileen overcome her inner demons and troubled family relationships to let Naomi in?

Best-selling lesbian romance authors Harper Bliss & T.B. Markinson have teamed up to bring this touching age-gap love story to life. Grab your copy of the holiday romance that's the talk of the season.

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Lesbian, Christmas, Holiday, Lesbian Romance, Fiction

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2018

About the author

Harper Bliss is a best-selling lesbian romance author. Among her most-loved books are the highly dramatic French Kissing and the often thought-provoking Pink Bean series. She is the co-founder of My LesFic, a weekly newsletter offering discount deals on lesbian fiction.

Harper lived in Hong Kong for 7 years, travelled the world for a bit, and has now settled in Brussels (Belgium) with her wife and photogenic cat, Dolly Purrton.

Together with her wife, she hosts a weekly podcast called Harper Bliss & Her Mrs.

Reviews

[Jo reece · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.9

Been struggling with some off Harper Bliss's books of late. Was actually going to pass on this one, but something told me to give it a chance. I'm rather pleased I did.

I really like a HEA read.

[lov2laf]

Got 25% into this and have to DNF. Eileen is 49 and recovering from a stroke that derailed her career and life plans...

Which, okay, blows and can bring on depression, etc. But, man, she’s just mean and unnecessarily rude. I can hang with an antihero but Eileen is not only unlikable, when it got to a scene where her and the other love interest, Naomi, are in an elevator, she seems completely out of her mind with her reactions and jumping to conclusions that she’s plain toxic. I wanted Naomi to run for the hills.

Even though Naomi is 27 she came across as a lot older (not in a good way) and bland while Eileen seemed utterly immature. The balance is all wrong.

Wasn’t enjoying it so stopping here.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lost

I honestly don’t get it. How did a self righteous bitter person, who was a complete asshole to the woman she supposedly cared about multiple times, still get the girl? You can say you have “mommy issues” all you want, but that’s not an excuse for a 49 yr old ADULT, to behave like a petulant child.

[AnnMaree Of Oz]

Kindle Unlimited Read, which is over 3 hours, so a fuller book not just a novella.

I'm starting to think age gaps and Ice Queens aren't necessarily in my wheelhouse.

Eileen is 49 and is a war photographer, and is back at home because she is in need of physical therapy and family help after some health issues. She antagonistic, stubborn and closed off. Judgemental and pitiful in herself, too.

She meets Naomi 27 at the hospital, who is a social worker, and is eternally optimistic and a volunteer for kids with cancer. She's open and honest, friendly and humorous. And Challenges Eileen in a good way.

I was a little confused because I assumed it was set in the UK and the city of Derby because that's what it said - so the fact they were celebrating Thanksgiving confused the hell outta me. It didn't appear these people were American?. Both came from Derby and talked about London. So yeah, it just puzzled me.

Anyway, onto the romance. I just didn't feel like Eileen deserved the sweet and savvy Naomi. Eileen was constantly being rude and brusk with her. Obsessed with the age difference, which again confused me because she clearly knew there was an age difference when she first considered dating her, but then suddenly they're kissing and reveal their ages and THEN it becomes a problem? Talk about self-sabotage.
Then Eileen is going on about how Naomi just pities her, and want to pity fuck her - but maybe she should allow it because what 49 year old wouldn't wanna fuck a 27 year old? That's it. Not because she's a good nice decent person, or because she has any real feelings - just hey hot young smut. Which is the problem I have with a lot of age gap stories, where it sounds like some older womans fantasy for fresh young meat, and there's no real emotional connection. If this were a straight novel with the same age gap and dialogues, I'd be seriously concerned, but because it's lesfic, it's applauded? I dunno man...

Ultimately, I'm just sitting just over here like, "Eileen, girl, you need therapy!" and hoping Naomi avoids her toxic ass. But alas, that didn't happen.

I struggle with that whole push-pull effect unless there's a clear connection there - and because I couldn't really see it, or feel it by 34% in I just wasn't really interested and decided to DNF.

I DID enjoy the photography aspect. I MAY finish it at a later date, and will update accordingly - but for now I have other reads I'd prefer to focus on.

[Les Rêveur · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic Christmas story!

Eileen’s life has changed dramatically after a health implication lands her in recovery and back in her hometown near her family… Not exactly her dream scenario. When home, she meets Naomi who is not only gorgeous but young with a positive attitude and a beautiful caring soul that Eileen can’t help but be drawn too. After fighting off the attraction she realises that what she really needs is to embrace her feelings for Naomi and live her best life.

Firstly, I wanted to say that I have read lots of books written with multiple authors that this one was definitely a favourite, I’m not sure how the writing was strategised but it flowed perfectly and I honestly couldn’t guess who was writing what at any given moment. The book was truly a success.

Oh, I loved this story. Not only was it right up my street with the age-gap romance trope but also both authors really portrayed Naomi and Eileen’s personalities perfectly. The chemistry between them was great and I could feel the tension and attraction from the first moment they met.

My favourite character was definitely Naomi. How could anyone not love her zest for life? Or her unbelievably beautiful view on life? She was amazing and I think if I was Eileen I would struggle not to fall for her pretty quickly too.

Well done Harper Bliss and T.B Markinson, this is a fantastic Christmas story that will be on my reread list every Christmas!

5 stars

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age-gap romance. Loved the banters between Eileen and Naomi - simply hilarious. And ooh, the sexy scenes are just hot!

Ratings - 4.25 ⭐️

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailed score: 3.5 rounded down

Baaaah humbug!! I think I must have missed the lesrom Christmas spirit memo this year.

For me this book was ...fine. But ultimately somehow flat and unsatisfying.

In other reviews I’ve described the characterisation as ‘2D’ - and so it was here. Certainly not completely superficial and completely lacking depth...but not leaping off the page and into my heart either.

There is a fine story and it’s a Bliss book so the pwoar scenes are *fans self*. But I’ve read these characters, and the barriers to love done much better elsewhere.

Overall: Fine. But Not going anywhere near the’must have’ or ‘will re-read’ shelf any time soon.

[Yoly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice Christmas story :)

[Vita L. Licari · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good story! Love the two MCs in Eileen and Naomi! Love the side characters except Eileen's mother. This is a May/December love story. Plus, Eileen is coming back from a stroke that's affecting her right arm. But, it doesn't bother Naomi. However, Eileen's mother has something to say. Good sex! 5 stars!

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been a huge fan of these phenomenal authors and I was over the moon when I realized that they put this delightful and heartwarming story together. Eileen and Naomi are so down to earth and realistic and I really wished they were flesh and blood women because I would have loved to meet them. Plus, I think this story brought out all of the warm and fuzzy feelings that I usually reserve for Christmas day but I don't mind at all because I indulged in a few cups of hot chocolate while I was reading this. This story is definitely going to be at the top of my favorites list!

[Elske · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but not as much as I liked some of the others by Bliss. I have not read Markinson I think, so I can’t compare this book to her others. Still I enjoyed reading this, even when the story was a bit thin for my taste. It was well written and funny sometimes. Liked the mc’s too. So 3.7 stars which rounds up to 4.

[Jos · Rating 2 out of 5]

This missed the mark for me.

I loved the disabled older woman perspective. Return to hometown is one of my guilty pleasures, and I love when characters have layers and are not always what they seem when they are first introduced, but there was just something missing.

The characters had playful chemistry, but it mostly revolved around young people vs. old people jokes. It never really moved on from that, which was a bit disappointing and eventually was overused in my opinion.

It is always a treat to have an ice queen melt during a Christmas setting, but the christmas nostalgia seemed a bit rushed. It worked for the story, but it made the overall effect less cozy than I was hoping.

If you like age gap romances and ice queens I recommend giving it a try.

[Alena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed a bit more than the books I gave 2 stars to recently, hence 3.

But I still had issues with it. The characters could have been developed better to make more sense. Ellie really isn’t easy to like. And a bit too old to have all these issues with her mother. Then again, moving away early and hardly ever returning home doesn’t give you many chances to deal with them.

I was intrigued by her physical restrictions due to a stroke, you don’t see that in lesfic often.

A lot of things happened off page which I didn’t like a lot as it felt like character development happened off page as well.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was hoping for a much better Christmas-set story when I picked this up. Instead, it's another lesfic attempting to mask a fairly toxic relationship as love. I'm all for the May-December romance genre when it's done well, but not when a large portion of the conversations between the characters reiterate that one of them is a "twenty-something" and age-related jibes against the younger or older party. I don't mind a few scattered mentions if it's relevant to the scene in some way but literally every conversation these two had would bring up the age gap somehow. That alone took me out of the story. However, the character of Eileen is extremely problematic to me as she's just a flat out asshole, disability or not. From the very first time Eileen meets Naomi, she's defensive and nasty, treating her like crap--and yet Naomi eats it up. I didn't care about the rationale, I didn't buy the heavy-handed "mommy issues," and I have a difficult time rooting for a character who wants to wallow in their own self-imposed misery rather than attempting to be a decent human being despite being surrounded by people who love them. Not my kind of Christmas story.

[lauraღ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I... didn't really like this. :( Which is a bummer, because every time I pick up a Harper Bliss book, I know that I'm in for a reasonably good time. Sometimes she hits it out of the park, sometimes it's just so so, but in general I really like her writing and the ways she approaches issues like family and grief and new love. But there was nothing about this novella that was especially striking or fun or insightful or good. I mean, I liked having a character learning to live with a disability, I liked seeing troubled parental relationships, I liked seeing a prickly protag. But all of the emotion in this was just... I don't know, on the surface somehow. There was no subtlety or intricacy of feeling. Lots of telling, no showing. The writing wasn't great. I'm not sure how they handled the co-writing, if one author was responsible for one character, but it didn't feel like Naomi and Eileen had much chemistry at all. I sort of sped through the latter half of the book, because I felt like it kept getting worse the more I read.

Bummer!

[Heatherblakely · Rating 2 out of 5]

- The authors didn’t seem to have any idea how old millennials actually are. Granted, I’m 31, but my friends in their late twenties know what a disposable camera is and how to use one
- Having the 49yo keep joking about millennials and make a joke that we’re lazy is, funky enough, pretty damn lazy
- There was room in this book to talk about ableism, as the 49yo had a stroke and was regaining use of her right arm, but she’d say things like buying precut vegetables is lazy and then the person she was with wouldn’t argue it
- Eileen (49)’s sister implies that Eileen not having sex for several years is why she’s grouchy or whatever, which as an ace person was a slap in the face
- Eileen is bratty and whiny and grouchy and not in an endearing way at all
- People and plot points would just appear out of nowhere

Skip this. There are much better f/f romances out there.

[Lorraine Rusnack · Rating 5 out of 5]

You would think at 49 Yrs old and 30 yrs abroad Eileen would be able to stand up to her mother. Naomi is full of life and good deeds. She is interested in cracking Eileen’s Christmas grumpy mood. This story is full of family drama and romance. These two authors make a great combination and Stephanie is a wonderful narrator. I found it made me laugh and what to smack some sense in the characters. I loved it.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sexy cougar?

Thank you for writing such an amazing story! There aren’t enough books written about middle aged characters and this one fits the bill perfectly. I enjoyed the all the characters in this book, even Eileen’s stuffy mother added to the story! The fact that Naomi cared enough to help Eileen feel like she could live a normal life while recovering from her disability was heartwarming! And the steamy sexy times are seat squirm worthy! I really hope you two will work together on another story! Well done ladies! Readers will love this one!

[Em Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good story, actually I loved it and a great collaboration by Harper Bliss and T.B Markinson. An Age Gap romance, set in the holiday season in small town USA. Naomi, with an indomitable spirit for life and all things good and Eileen, recovering from a debilitating stroke, a baggage of mommy issues and the older woman. How could you not love Naomi, what a beautiful sole she is and she sees something in Eileen and the story unfolds. I hope these two talented authors collaborate again, as this book is very good, I would love some more.

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was all in for a holiday romance by two consistent authors. But this was just average to me. Eileen Makenna is a Pulitzer Prize photo journalist. But her career is on hold because she is recovering from a stroke. She is only 49 and decides to return to her small town for the holidays and start physical therapy. In the hospital coffee shop she meets social worker Naomi Weaver. Naomi is fantastic, kind and understanding. She is also more mature than her age which lets me ignore the age-gap difference. Unfortunately for me, Eileen and her self pity for her stroke and her raging mommy issues left me thinking Naomi deserves better. This is an okay read but both authors have written more enjoyable stories.

[Lisa B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a great fan of both T.B. and Harper and so was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately I was a little disappointed, it is just not up to their usual standards. The quality of the writing is good of course, and the interchange between the writers is seamless, but what it lacks for me is much connection or chemistry between the two main characters Eileen and Naomi. A shame and highly unusual for these two writers.
I was given an ARC by the author (Markinson) in exchange for an honest review.

[Fran Sappharc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow! Full disclosure I am reading this Christmas holiday romance on my spring break in a warm country, so it shouldn't work. However this is another collaboration between two great authors so all bets are off! What is on however is the scene setting. I am only one chapter in but the mom is a piece of work and I would currently say she has been an incubator not a mom- and resents even doing that. Chapter 1 and I have strong feelings. Wow!
This was an enjoyable read. I never warmed to the mother but really liked all the other characters. The book held my interest throughout.

[Paulina · Rating 2 out of 5]

.

I really couldn't get into this story. Maybe it would be more interesting if everything was a little bit more developed because it all felt a little flat. The connection between the characters was so sudden and it felt forced.

[Jennabeebs79 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet age gap romance but two fantastic authors. I enjoyed the storyline and the relationship between Eileen and Naomi. This was such a sweet way to get into the holiday spirit!!

[Mari Stark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was expecting eagerly for this story. I knew these wonderful writers and two of my very favourite, would do an exceptional collaboration and they didn’t disappoint.

Eileen Makenna is a remarkable photographer, Pulitzer winner and has been away from her family for a very long time, because of her mother. She has been travelling all around the globe capturing the most heart breaking scenes in the most indomitable places for over twenty years. Naomi Weaver is a twenty seven year old, with a big heart, full of life and always willing to help those in need.

I loved this book! The storyline moved along flawlessly and kept me totally involved. I’d love to see more of Eileen and Naomi again in the future.

The characters are well developed with a storyline that flows from the pages and right into your heart. I loved the scenes of good steamy romance, as well as the chemistry between the two main characters.

I love the writing style of both authors and they merged them exquisitely, creating something extraordinary and very enjoyable. Also I think the way they navigated through the storyline and how they described the characters is brilliant. I truly enjoyed this book and hope that there are plenty more collaborations from these authors. One of the things I loved the most is the growth of Eileen, the chemistry between her and Naomi, and the build-up of the romance.

An absolutely brilliant story, I would recommend this to anyone.

ARC provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars. This story was about Eileen Makenna,a 479 year old Pulitzer Prize winner photographer who has a stroke and loses the ability to use her right arm. She comes home after being away from her home town of Derby for almost 20 years for the holidays. Eileen may never be able to work again as she needs her arm to take pictures. She meets Naomi Weaver, a 27 tear old who helps people in need and volunteers at the hospital with children with cancer. Naomi and Eileen have an instant connection, even with the 22 year age difference.

I thought this book was just okay. My one main problem with this book is I felt like Eileen acted like a child a lot. She had a lot of problems with her mother and instead of dealing with them she seemed to just run away and never deal with it. She let her mother talk her into things she shouldn't and led to a conflict in the book. Naomi always seems like the more adult one, maybe that makes them perfect for each other. The age difference of 20 years always bothers me a little, but I knew there was one going into this book. This book had some good interactions between the two main characters, as they did have some chemistry and were written well. I did not like the drama in the book as it made Eileen feel childish. Eileen did not seem to be written as an actual older adult, she sometimes seemed like she should have been the 27 year old, not Naomi.

I like Harper Bliss books, but this was not my favorite. I would recommend it to someone who has read a lot of novels, but not as the first one of hers to read.

[Kexx · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun light read which kept me entertained. No real dramas - followed the tried and trusted script & worked seamlessly between the 2 authors. (T B Markham needs a better agent to get equal billing!!)

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

In considering this book, I would agree with many other reviewers about the overall impressions of the main characters, Naomi and Eileen. Clearly, there is much to admire in Naomi's character: her zest for life, her selflessness, her kindness, her empathy, and her ability to see the good in others. In Eileen, we see what might appear as a polar opposite character to Naomi: someone who is antagonistic, evasive, cold, angry, and self-absorbed. At first glance, it seems to be a true assessment, especially with the debilitating impact of the stroke Eileen has suffered at the start of the story. Yet, as the story unfolds, we begin to see there is so much more that lies behind the protective, hard facade Eileen has erected.

Through the story, we slowly learn of the controlling, harsh, manipulative wounding and traumatization Eileen has borne through the decades of a narcissistic mother's influence. Never being able to measure up to her mother's unrealistic expectations--imposed since Eileen was a child--the authors did an outstanding job of showing just how fully stymied and 'stuck' Eileen has been in the past, and how deeply the rejection and shaming by Eileen's mother has affected Eileen at a core level. In spite of her age of 49 years old, the dysfunctional dynamics have led to lots of defenses she has built to avoid facing the pain and the conflict.

In thinking of the love that evolves between Naomi and Eileen, it represents a beautiful story of healing--it shows how love can overcome the weight and pain of the past. Naomi refuses to give up on Eileen in spite of her messed-upness because, from the start, Naomi sees 'something more' in Eileen. She sees a kind, caring, talented, special woman, who needs to see that within herself and, once and for all, to finally find freedom from the shackles of an unhealthy, controlling mother. It is that kind of love that helps Eileen to move beyond staying stuck and seeking to really heal from all that has held her back.

While this story is a bit different from other stories I have read by these authors, I think it is a beautiful love story and very much resonates with the realities often faced by two people navigating the stuff of life together. To me, the take-home message is: We all carry things into relationships and it is only through sincerity, honesty, acceptance, love, forbearance, and humility that love can win.

[Christine Rains · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eileen Makenna is reluctantly returning to her hometown to get some help from her sister after having a stroke. She's avoided her family and the town for decades, and she's determined to push her recovery so she can leave after Christmas to get back to taking photographs around the world. Eileen doesn't expect to meet a younger woman who captivates her like she hasn't been in years. Naomi Weaver never expected to find a connection with the grouchy photographer who volunteered at the children's cancer ward. Can Eileen get over her fears to allow herself to fall for the lovely Naomi or will her stubbornness have her flee the town once again?

This is a wonderful lesbian age-gap romance with all the fun of a gossipy small town and the holiday season. It took a little while for me to warm up to Eileen as she was so grouchy, abrupt, and rude. Yet as her rough exterior wore away, there was a good heart under there. I thought her dealing with having had a stroke and the tough recovery was realistic. It wasn't at all rushed no matter how much Eileen would have liked that. Naomi is sweet and caring with the patience that she needed to get into Eileen's heart.

[Michael Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

stubborn love

Eileen Callahan is the photographer and that’s traveled the world. She recently had a stroke in the right arm is disabled. She returns home to America from London and they are the story begins. Eileen meets Naomi accidentally when she drops her change and they only helps for pick up.
The plot in the story is a good and really has a great depth of meaning. Naomi is looking for love and Eileen is dealing with family issues especially her mother and there’s trying to overcomes all the feelings that she has from her mother and from her stroke. I found this book to be exceptional and a very good read. There is lots of love and drama and the feelings represent it seems very genuine