Review: Pieces of You by Cassia Leo

AMAZON | KINDLE

Pieces of You (Shattered Hearts #2) by Cassia Leo 
Contemporary / New Adult
Cassia Leo (May 17, 2013)

Rating: B+
Heat: Warm

Heroine: Claire Nixon - College Student, Emotional Wreck
Hero: Adam Parker – Surfer, Self-less
Hero: Chris Knight – Rock Star, Player

 

 

 

Synopsis:

The story that began in the USA Today bestseller RELENTLESS continues. Which team are you on?

In Relentless, college student Claire Nixon and surfer Adam Parker each had a painful past too heavy to carry alone. Claire tried to push Adam away, but Adam's relentless pursuit of her heart and her secrets made her walls come crumbling down.

Though their hearts will never be whole again, Claire and Adam now know they are stronger together than they are apart.

But now Claire's attending college a hundred miles away from Adam. With their relationship already hanging by a thread, Adam is sent to Hawaii on business.

And rock star Chris Knight is back in Claire's life.

Chris wants his ex-girlfriend back and he knows just how to get her: only he has the power to mend the final missing piece of Claire's broken heart. Now Claire must choose between a long-distance relationship with Adam and a second chance at love, family, and home.

Review:

**PLEASE NOTE** Pieces of You is the second book in the Shattered Hearts series. This is not a stand-alone. You have to read book one, Relentless, before you read book two. See my review for Relentless here.

Pieces of You picks up where Relentless left off. In Relentless, Claire Nixon and Adam Parker met during a time when they were both struggling with painful secrets from their past and just trying to live through their pain. Adam relentlessly pursued and pushed Claire until he broke down her walls and found a way to burrow his way into her life and heart. With Claire's help, Adam found a way to forgive himself and let go of his guilt over an accident he blames himself for. Together they helped each other heal and become whole and happy again - which led to Adam and Claire forming a very sweet relationship.

Everything was going good until Chris Knight, Claire’s ex-boyfriend and rock star, comes back and her secret is revealed in the worse way possible. They’ve managed to deal with this sensitive secret, but there is still a heavy cloud weighing over their heads. So, even though they are still together, their relationship is not as solid as either would like it to be.

There are many miles in between them now that Claire has decided to go back to college, and Adam has returned to doing what he loves the most: surfing competitively. They both struggle with the distance, insecurities, jealousy, and try their hardest to not to let the miles tear them apart. But now that Chris is back in town, he's decided he wants Claire permanently back in his life.This puts a lot of stress on Adam and Claire's relationship, especially since Adam has taken a job in Hawaii for his father's business with the hopes to get the job done so he can be with Claire for good.

His plan begins to crumble the longer he's away from Claire, knowing she is becoming closer to Chris again since they have so much history together. Not to mention they have a secret that emotionally binds them together. It doesn't get any more personal than this secret. And if her love life isn't enough to make her emotionally distressed, Claire now has an opportunity to fill the void in her heart that broke her in the first place before Adam mended her back together.

Claire made a heartbreaking decision that she thought, at the time, was for the best. But, when reality starts to settle in, and her past comes back to haunt her, she begins to drown in her pain and grief again. This time Adam couldn't save her. So, even though I felt for Claire, I was extremely frustrated with her in this book. She made a lot of irrational decisions that I didn't care for. Claire was a wreck. She cried a lot and almost came across as very needy. The way she went from one guy to the next didn't sit well with me. I really wish she would've handled both these guys hearts with better care.

Don't get me wrong though, I do genuinely understand Claire's emotional turmoil. I could see how much she struggled with her feelings towards both guys. Her past and present feelings collided together - which made it difficult for Claire to see clearly what was best for her. She was drowning in her emotions not knowing whether to go to choose the boy from her past or the boy that brought her back to life. I will give Claire credit where credit is due. She made a mature decision at the end of the book that showed a lot of character growth.

Who will Claire choose? Adam or Chris.

Chris... I wanted to like him so bad. I saw good qualities in him in the first book. I understand the strong bond between him and Claire. I get why these two are drawn to each other. They have history. The flashbacks in the first book showed me exactly how much they love each other. And the things he did for Claire were beautiful. However, that was before he left to become a rock star and left Claire behind. I didn't like the way he pursued Claire even though she was with Adam. Not cool. I also think he took advantage of Claire during a weak moment in her life. Not cool either. Yet, at the same time, Claire should've taken better precautions with Chris. So, they are both in the wrong for what they did. I just hope that Claire can see that, even though Chris says he loves her, and I do believe him, that he isn't the right person for her. Sometimes it's just time to let go of the past.

Adam, Adam, Adam... so sexy and funny with his adorable jokes. He is also incredibly self-less and caring. He would do anything for Claire. He pushed her into going back to school because he knew that’s what she wanted. He knew it would put distance between them, yet he did it for Claire. Making Claire happy is what Adam wanted the most of all. I honestly think Adam would do just about anything for Claire. Adam made a mistake which pushed Claire away but I completely saw where he was coming from. Claire’s baggage is a lot to handle and he thought a little time would help her get her life together and less stress would help him concentrate on what he needed to do. But Adam quickly realizes that no matter what, he wants to be with Claire, and would leave behind everything for her. I really think the connection between Adam and Claire feels more genuine and less tainted than what Claire and Chris have together. They have a significant amount of chemistry between them that shines like a burning star. It’s brilliant. Claire, honey, you better pick Adam... damn't!

It clearly shows how much love and heart and soul Cassia Leo put into Pieces of You. It’s extremely well-written and captivating. I knew from the moment I started this book it was going to be a soul-crusher. I was right. I will admit to struggling with how this book made me feel when I finished it. To get my thoughts in order, I ended up discussing this book with a friend to get a better grasp on my emotions in order for me to rate this book fairly. My final rating boiled down to how passionately involved I was with the story.

This book made me FEEL everything. Miz Leo does an excellent job writing a real and honest story that tugs on my heart strings. This story made me remember what it was like to be so young and confused and so insanely unsure of myself. To be able to relate to a book is important to me. So, I forgive this book for making me feel so much anger, frustration, and for shattering my heart into a billion pieces. Feeling those types of emotions are necessary for this story to be experienced to the fullest. Now I'm struggling with not knowing who Claire ends up with when this story ends. There are no if's and's or but's... I MUST know how this story ends. Bring Me Home is the conclusion to this story and comes out sometime in August. I'm dying to know what happens.