Pieces of You, the first book in the Pieces Duet by Jay McLean, is live!
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Blurb
They could’ve been perfect.
In another time. Another world.
Where his wasn’t falling apart.
And hers wasn’t already in pieces.
–
High school senior Holden Eastwood only has one fear in life: growing up.
He spends his days unmotivated, moving from one game to the next, searching for his next challenge.
He never expected that challenge to come in the form of a girl…
A girl with zero fashion sense, a filthy mouth, and a bullsh*t attitude.
Unlike Holden, Jameson Taylor had no choice but to grow up.
Neglected, isolated, and forced to raise herself, Jameson only has one goal in life: graduate and move on.
The last thing she needs is some guy she can’t stand suddenly declaring her as his new hobby.
Their lives couldn’t be more opposite.
Their pasts a complete paradox.
But in each other, they find the unexpected…
They find solace.
Fragments of forever…
A forever that might tear them to pieces.
Review
5 ‘Jay McLean holds my heart in her hands’ stars
I’ve been sitting here staring at a blank page for way too long trying to figure out how to put my feels onto paper, and I just don’t know where to start. This book is an angsty, heartwrenching, dramatic and emotional ride. It’s messy and heartbreaking, yet I couldn’t put it down, and I have so much love for these damaged yet incredible characters, and their complicated story.
I fell in love with Holden Eastwood when I read Leo (Preston Brothers, #3). He is Mia’s wild, carefree, but deeply devoted best friend, and was just begging to have his story told, and I loved this opportunity to get to know him. Holden is 17-years-old, a fun-loving playboy who doesn’t really take anything too seriously, and who is embracing his lack of responsibility, hating the idea of having to grow up. But there is depth there too, and so much more to this boy than you see on the surface.
Jameson Taylor is Holden’s completely opposite. Forced to grow up way before she should have, she has been through hell, and though she is heartachingly alone, she is smart and hilariously sassy, and driven to graduate high school, get out of town and move on from her past.
It’s snark at first site for these two. Holden teases Jamie’s plainness and lack of fashion sense, Jamie has no time for an arrogant, good-looking playboy. But when they are teamed up to work on an after-school project, they get to know each other more, and a tentative friendship develops. It’s effortless between them, and they joke, they tease, they are open and honest with each other, and the and banter is fantastic as they open up to each other, and of course, the feelings aren’t far behind.
Jameson Taylor is like a puzzle.
And I’ve always liked puzzles.
Searching for the right piece to fit perfectly in just the right place… it’s time-consuming and challenging, but it brings a kind of order to the chaos, and if you put in the effort, the end result is always rewarding. And that’s why I do it: for the reward.
And now… sitting opposite Jamie, watching her, I feel like I need to somehow piece her together.
It’s not exactly straightforward, but their coming together is so natural, and I loved seeing them find their way to each other and discover something so incredibly special – something that they both needed, and that starts to heal their damaged hearts.
Maybe I had it wrong.
Maybe Holden Eastwood isn’t the flame to my moth.
Maybe he’s the moon.
The light.
Guiding me out of my darkness.“You’re the only fucking thing that makes sense to me right now.”
The love story is beautifully emotional, and I fell right alongside Holden and Jamie as they openly and eagerly explore everything between them. It’s fun, sweet, passionate and super freaking sexy (seriously – these are two of the most sexually mature and confident 17-year-olds that I’ve ever read, and as a mother to teenagers, I was slightly horrified), and they are just gorgeous together.
She’s everything I thought she’d be and nothing at all like I’d imagined … Jameson Taylor is a masterpiece, and I’m in way, way over my head.
But life hasn’t been easy for these two, and there is more angst ahead. They both know they’ve been emotionally scarred by what they’ve been through, but they are damaged in ways they aren’t even aware of yet, and their story is full of twists and turns that they aren’t sure how to navigate. It’s heartbreakingly raw, and so many times I wanted to reach into my kindle and shake and/or hug these characters, but they’re so young, they still have so much to figure out, and they are dealing with their situation the best way they know how. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, and I can’t even put into words how much I ached for them both.
McLean writes the best tortured characters, and Holden and Jamie have been through so much. Yes, they’re a bit broken, but they show incredible depth, strength and resilience, and I felt so much for them. They both deserve the world, and I desperately wanted them to hold on to their happy, but life is not always fair, their story is complex, their choices are limited, and their emotions are confusing and overwhelming. I didn’t like the way their story played out, but I could understand the why and the how, and I was completely swept up in the intensity of it all.
We could’ve been perfect.
In another time.
Another world.
Where mine wasn’t falling part.
And hers wasn’t already in pieces.
This story takes place at the same time as the later part of Leo, so Holden is partly involved in Mia’s drama while he’s going through his own (beware spoilers for Leo in this book). Watching his pain over everything that his best friend is going through, again brings the feels, and I wanted to give the kid a hug so badly.
It’s not all heartbreak and angst though, Holden and Jamie’s banter and wit is fantastic, and there are so many scenes that made me laugh. McLean has a wicked sense of humour, and she managed to inject that into cheeky Holden and feisty Jamie, and I love them as characters.
The book ends on a nasty cliffhanger and honestly, that epilogue left me devastated. I’m kind of terrified for the next book because I’m already feeling unhappy at some of the story directions, but I will put my broken heart in Jay’s hands and trust that she will give me the happy ending that I, and these characters need so badly.
5 emotionally overwhelmed stars.
An Advanced Reader Copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Pieces Duet
This duet is a standalone spin off from Leo, Book #3 in the Preston Brothers series
Lucas (#1)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
Logan (#2)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
Lincoln (#4)
To be released
Liam (#5)
To be released
About the Author
Writer. Reader. Mom. Wife. Master of awkward Sarcasm.
Jay McLean is a full-time reader, writer of New Adult and Young Adult romance, and skilled procrastinator. When she’s not doing any of those things, she can be found running after her three boys, investing way too much time on True Crime Documentaries and binge-watching reality TV.
She writes what she loves to read, which are books that can make her laugh, make her hurt and make her feel.
Jay lives in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, in her dream home where music is loud and laughter is louder.
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