Pieces Of Me by Jacquie Underdown

★★★★★
Read: Jan 10-16 2016

"A story about starting fresh, letting go, and risking it all for love…

For Hannah, Mercy Island is a refuge, a new beginning, and a place to find safety in her own skin. Here, in this peaceful, beachside place, she will rediscover all those pieces of herself her abusive ex stole away.  For Bear, Mercy Island is a prison, a backwater, a place he can’t wait to escape. Away, in the city, he’ll chase his dreams and lose the bad memories haunting him.

When Hannah's home is damaged in an ugly storm, Bear offers his handyman services to repair it—a last job and a pretty girl to pass the time before he heads out. But Hannah is terrified to lose herself in another relationship, and Bear isn’t in it for the long haul.

However, their simmering sexual attraction refuses to be ignored, and just because love isn’t on the line doesn’t mean sex isn’t on the table. A no-strings-attached brief fling to curb the tension and take the edge off. No ties. No emotions. No pain.

But love has a way of coming in the windows, even when you’ve slammed the door, if only Hannah and Bear can stop looking to the past and find hope in their future."



This was a beautiful story of self discovery and understanding.

I loved Bear's character! He was probably one the best book boyfriends I've read about. He was attractive, kind, caring, hard-working, but to me the most important thing was that he truly understood Hannah, and tried his best to be there for her in her hardest moments, because he knew what she was going through.

Hannah was a really strong character. After being in an abusive relationship, she finally moved away from her boyfriend, and was able to find her little corner in the world where she could really be herself, although in the beginning of the story she wasn't even sure what that meant yet.

Both characters had big hurdles to face, and I loved the way they were just there for each other in their own ways, which ultimately freed them from the shackles that were locking them in their old lives.