{Release Tour} Collecting The Pieces by L. A. Fiore w/ review

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At fifteen I fell in love. His name was Jake Stephens and he took the abandoned, lonely girl I had been and made me whole. His love was a pure and unconditional love that made every day better than the last…a fairy tale of my very own.

But this story isn’t about Jake. It’s about Abel Madden; the man I meet after the fairy tale goes to hell. A cocky, arrogant man who says what he wants, does as he pleases, and makes no excuses for it. He irritates me—downright pisses me off at times—but he also brings me back to life. My name is Sidney Ellis and this is my story of finding love twice—the first when I needed it most and the second when I never saw it coming.

 

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Click the picture to enter the Authors Release day Giveaway! Or head to her FB page to enter.  

$100.00 Amazon Gift Card, this is not a digital card, but an actual gift card she will mail to the winner along with a signed paperback of Collecting The Pieces.

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L.A. Fiore is the author of several books including: Beautifully Damaged, Waiting for the One and A Glimpse of the Dream. She's also the social secretary for her two children, a tamer of ill-mannered cats, the companion to one awesome dog and married to her best friend. She likes her wine red, her shrimp chilled and her social gatherings small and intimate.

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My Review:

COLLECTING THE PIECES is one of those stories that you will need tons of tissues for. It is told in dual POV. We first get to see Sidney Ellis when she is a baby with no name , who has been left on the steps of a hospital and was only known as “infant #3”.  She was only called Sidney when a nurse called her Sidney. She was then placed in foster care until she turned 10 and a foster family took her in because they cared about the money more than Sidney. That is when we see a budding friendship take place with their other ward, a boy named Connor.  Fast forward a few years and we see Sidney at 15. She has fallen head over heels in love with the school’s captain and quarterback of the football team- a boy named Jake Stephens. Jake fell for Sidney when she started school her freshman year . Sidney couldn’t believe her luck that this man wanted to be with HER. She was nothing and he was someone. She tries to avoid it and him yet he wont let her. He tirelessly pursues her, letting her know he wont give up. Theirs is a classic beautiful “young love” story. Its beautiful and pure and true. Jake loved Sidney and they truly were going places and going to be together until suddenly it was ripped away in a horrible tragedy.  Sidney almost didn’t come out of the darkness that she fell in. She was lost and alone after Jake but she finally took herself and her memories and moved away to try and rebuild from the ashes.

Years later, Sidney is living again, in another state, after having gotten her degree in Vet medicine. She doesn’t ever think she will find her happily ever after again but wait— Abel Madden comes roaring into her life and gets her blood moving again in such a way that she doesn’t know if she wants to smack him or kiss him. Abel is so arrogant and such a know it all. He acts like a jerk but a sweet jerk. Sidney doesn’t know what to think about him and that is good for her- gets her out of the rut she was in and that is where the story really gets going for Sidney because Abel will challenge her, will get her living again. He will be the key to opening Sidney back up and bringing her to life but it’s a battle but Abel is the man to do that. He is charming, he is tough, he is sexy, and above all, he is THAT man who knows who Sidney is to him and is ready to show Sidney that.

Oh man, this book had me in tears multiple points in this story but that’s good. I was so invested in this story. I couldn’t believe everything Sidney went thru yet she kept going , kept trying to find her way , her role in life. She is strong, is tenacious and a fighter. She is beautiful and sweet. OH and Abel, he is sex personified. He is a fighter and is a man you want in your corner if you are going in a fight, He is so arrogant and can be a know it all. But they complement each other. You can tell he suffered a tragedy in his past so he can relate to Sid.  L.A. Fiore really wrote her heart and soul into this story and it shows. My empty tissue boxes show this as well. I cannot say enough good things about this story except I truly loved it and wish their story never ended.  I loved the cast of secondary characters and just every meshed really well = from start to end, even though there was pain and heartbreak, angst and anger, there was hope,  passion and true love that balanced everything out.

My rating: 4.9 stars *****

 "I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***