{"id":42115,"date":"2019-04-22T09:12:24","date_gmt":"2019-04-22T13:12:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=42115"},"modified":"2019-12-17T20:40:21","modified_gmt":"2019-12-18T01:40:21","slug":"arc-review-excerpt-giveaway-pieces-of-us-confessions-of-the-heart-3-by-a-l-jackson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=42115","title":{"rendered":"ARC Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: Pieces of Us (Confessions of the Heart, #3) by A.L. Jackson"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

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A stand-alone second-chance romance in A.L. Jackson’s Confessions of the Heart Series<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Kindle Ebook<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Free in KU<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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\r\n <\/div><\/div><\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Synopsis<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Maxon Chambers has a way of stealing all the attention.<\/p>\n

All my affection, and all my dreams.
\nWhat I needed to remember was he\u2019d stolen my good judgment and my virginity, too.
\nWhen he broke up with me, I ran across the country and swore I\u2019d never return to Broadshire Rim.
\nBut here I am, thirteen years later.<\/p>\n

Maxon is all grown up.
\nSexier than sin and more tempting than ever.
\nA detective on the Charleston force, he lives on the outside of safety, devoted to protecting the people of his city.
\nBut with the way he\u2019s looking at me now? I\u2019m pretty sure what needs protecting is my heart.<\/p>\n

Can we mend the pieces of us? Or will he leave my heart shattered forever . . .<\/p>\n

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Review<\/b><\/h4>\n

\u201cLoving you was the <\/i>only truth I knew \u2026 The only thing I ever did right. The only thing that has ever been real.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

4 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

A beautifully emotional second-chance-romance with all the feels, A.L. Jackson has delivered another passionate and intense romance as she finishes off her Confessions of the Heart<\/i> series with Mack and Izzy\u2019s story.<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n

Mack is a detective, and the best friend of Jace and Ian from the previous two books of the series. This one can be read as a standalone, but be aware that there is some background context in the earlier books.<\/p>\n

Izzy and Mack grew up the best of friends. They lived next door to each other, and though their home lives couldn\u2019t have been more different, they shared a connection that became their whole worlds. When Mack needed to escape his abusive father, it was to Izzy that he fled to for comfort, and she was always there for him, right up until they were teenagers and everything changed between them. He knew that she was too good for him, but it didn\u2019t stop them from falling in mad, wild love, even if, in the end, he broke her heart and she left town.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s now 13 years later and Izzy has moved back home to get a fresh start. She has been through a lot and is now a single mother to two boys, and even though she knew coming back to town meant she would be facing up to her past, when she and Mack come face to face, it rocks them both.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d been my beginning. The girl had breathed her beauty and grace and goodness into my being. Made me think I could be something better. Saw me in a way I\u2019d never seen myself.
\nIn the same way, she\u2019d been my ending.
\nMy collision.
\nThe breaking point of who I\u2019d been and who I\u2019d come to be.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

From the moment Mack lays eyes on Izzy again, he knows this is his chance to right the wrongs of the past and get back the woman he has always loved. He is sweet, earnest, and open about what he wants, and from the very beginning, his devotion to winning Izzy back is just beautiful!<\/p>\n

\u201cNever expected you not to move on with your life. It\u2019s what I\u2019d hoped you\u2019d do. Find something better. But I\u2019d be a liar if I said I\u2019m not fucking thrilled that you\u2019re back.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But he has a battle on his hands as he confronts Izzy\u2019s fears about all that he put her through in the past, and he has to prove that he\u2019s a changed man if he wants any hope of a future with her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hurt me, Maxon. You hurt me somethin\u2019 fierce. I\u2019m not sure I can handle that kind of hurtin\u2019 again.\u201d
\nThen she left me there, my fists clenched at my side, a silent promise on my tongue.
\nShe was mine.
\nAnd I\u2019d never let a fucking thing hurt her again.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is such<\/i> a beautiful love story! There is so much emotion between these two, it\u2019s clear they still love each other deeply even despite their years apart, and OMG, the feels!<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s never been a single day in my life when I didn\u2019t want you. We are endless.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But they have a lot to deal with. There is broken trust and a whole lot of hurt on both sides, and my heart ached as they began to work through it all. Most of it is beautifully handled, and I loved how open and honest they were with each other, but I did struggle with a particular aspect of this book\u2026 beware spoiler\u2026

<\/span>Spoiler<\/div>
Izzy had Mack\u2019s child and never told him!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!! It\u2019s my biggest hate in romance books. There are circumstances where it may be ok – in this case, it\u2019s not ok, and the moment it happened my heart just sank.<\/p>\n

In this instance, Izzy tried to call Mack for the in the months after their breakup to tell him, and he never picked up the phone. He owns that, he admits it and he takes full blame for never knowing about his son. Ummmm\u2026 what about the 12 years AFTER he was born? Mack still lived in the same town, she knew where he was, he still saw her parents and her best friend who all knew. How could she not tell him? IT\u2019S NOT OK!!!!!<\/p>\n

Honestly, I was stunned at how quickly they got past this one. I think I was angrier about it than Mack was! My heart broke for him, and my anger disconnected from the story a bit, which was really unfortunate because I was initially so invested! <\/div><\/div> But the beauty of the story and the strength of the love between Mack and Izzy dragged me back in, and I started to feel it again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to go on living this life without you in it \u2026 Don\u2019t want to spend one more day without you by my side. One more night without you lying next to me. Let\u2019s love again, Little Bird. Love me the way I love you. And I promise, I will never let you go.\u201d <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One of the highlights of the book for me was the relationship that Mack creates with Izzy\u2019s sons. These boys are just fantastic, and the way they eagerly accept Mack into their lives is so beautiful, as is the way he opens his heart to them. There are lots of fun and sweet moments between them, and even a few that had me tearing up. Their relationship is so beautifully heartwarming and the way they come together as a family is just gorgeous.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you. Want you more than anything I\u2019ve ever wanted before \u2026 Want a family.\u201d
\nHis throat bobbed with turmoil. \u201cA family, Izzy Baby. Never had one before. And the only person I have wanted that with is you.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There\u2019s a bit of mystery and suspense with Mack being targeted by a criminal element in town, but that happens in the background of his and Izzy\u2019s reconnection and doesn\u2019t overtake the romance, which I was really happy about.<\/p>\n

We also get to catch up with the couples from the previous books. There was been some progression for both Jace and Ian, and I loved seeing where they and their families were at.<\/p>\n

The book ends in a great place, finishing off Mack and Izzy\u2019s story, and the series, really nicely.<\/p>\n

4 stars (would have been 5 without the thing<\/i>).<\/p>\n

An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Confessions of the Heart<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\" \u00a0\"\" \u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

More of You (#1)
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Paperback\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Audio<\/a><\/p>\n

All of Me (#2)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Audio<\/a><\/p>\n

Pieces of Us (#3)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0\u00a0Amazon \u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0 Paperback\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Audio<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Excerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n

His head rocked back and forth, his body shaking, shoulders pumping up and down.<\/p>\n

\u201cIzzy,\u201d he murmured, so low, my name a needy groan.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaxon.\u201d I shouldn\u2019t have said it because it came out sounding like a plea.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Bird,\u201d he whispered, his lips featherlight where he painted the words along the length of my jaw.<\/p>\n

A gasp left me on a breath as a riot of sensation erupted. Tingles streaked, gooseflesh rising in an undulating wave.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo pretty,\u201d he mumbled.<\/p>\n

He exhaled a breath that became mine.<\/p>\n

Our noses brushed.<\/p>\n

Back and forth.<\/p>\n

Back and forth.<\/p>\n

Oh, God, what was he doin\u2019?<\/p>\n

Flames flickered beneath the bare caress. The man my fire, my cold body begging to come alive under his scorching touch.<\/p>\n

I whimpered, sagging against the wall when he stroked his hands down my sides and slipped them under my dress, palms riding up the outside of my thighs.<\/p>\n

Better question was what I was doing. But there was no reason. No sanity in the middle of this.<\/p>\n

No logic where heartbreak and hope met.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are so fucking sexy.\u201d His confession was a growl. Deep and dark. \u201cDo you have any idea what it was like sitting across from you all night? What it was like waking up with you asleep in my chair? Like staring at the sun, knowing you\u2019ll go blind if you look for too long, and knowing taking in that beauty for even a second would be worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nudged forward, erasing the space between us, and his hands spread wider.<\/p>\n

Desire raced. A flashflood of need that shivered across my flesh.<\/p>\n

His mouth traced the shell of my ear. \u201cWant to stare at you forever. Get lost. Take you. Possess you. How\u2019s it possible you\u2019re here, Little Bird? You came back to me. Feel like I\u2019m dreaming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was you who didn\u2019t want me.\u201d<\/p>\n

His hands tightened on my thighs, tugging me forward against his hard body, eyes pinned on me. \u201cThere\u2019s never been a single day in my life when I didn\u2019t want you. We are endless.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"\"Giveaway<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Don’t miss the awesome giveaway for the Pieces of Us release! It’s the first two books from the Confessions of the Heart Series\u00a0+ Kindle Fire + Polaroid Camera + All the Goods!\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

The Escapist Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway<\/em><\/p>\n

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About the Author<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.<\/p>\n

Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES<\/a>, CLOSER TO YOU<\/a>, and BLEEDING STARS<\/a> novels. Grab A.L. Jackson\u2019s latest novel, MORE OF YOU, the first stand-alone novel in her brand-new CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART<\/a> series.<\/p>\n

If she\u2019s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.<\/p>\n

Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson \u2013 Sign up to receive her NEWSLETTER<\/a>\u00a0or text \u201caljackson\u201d to 24587 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

FACEBOOK<\/a> | FB READER GROUP<\/a> | AMAZON
\n<\/a>BOOKBUB<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0TWITTER<\/a> | INSTAGRAM<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Check out our A.L. Jackson Author Spotlight<\/a> for more great reads!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  A stand-alone second-chance romance in A.L. Jackson’s Confessions of the Heart Series   Kindle Ebook\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback\u00a0 Free in KU   Synopsis Maxon Chambers has a way of stealing all the attention. All my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":40792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":4,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"Product","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,9,24,1036,29],"tags":[35,59,900,48],"class_list":["post-42115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-romance","category-second-chance-romance","category-single-parent","category-steamy","tag-a-l-jackson","tag-arc","tag-confessions-of-the-heart","tag-review"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Pieces-of-Us.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-aXh","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42115\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/40792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}