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amyesmith81's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 I'm not quite sure how to feel about this one.
The writing style pulled me in and I was curious about the story, but the ending threw me. It wasn't bad, it just took a turn I wasn't expecting.
The push and pull of Josie and Colton's relationship was interesting with the characters both being a bit odd in their own right.
I liked how they were each other's person, even with all the angst.
Not sure how I felt about why/how they separated, Josie's father involvement in the separation and distance between both characters, the long time frame in which they were apart, and the fact that them getting back together was due to happenstance, rather than one of the characters reaching out.
I started reading the second book and unfortunately I DNF. It's not my type of story and I won't be finishing the series.
The writing style pulled me in and I was curious about the story, but the ending threw me. It wasn't bad, it just took a turn I wasn't expecting.
The push and pull of Josie and Colton's relationship was interesting with the characters both being a bit odd in their own right.
I liked how they were each other's person, even with all the angst.
Not sure how I felt about why/how they separated, Josie's father involvement in the separation and distance between both characters, the long time frame in which they were apart, and the fact that them getting back together was due to happenstance, rather than one of the characters reaching out.
I started reading the second book and unfortunately I DNF. It's not my type of story and I won't be finishing the series.
shesaysgetbooked's review against another edition
5.0
This was a whirlwind!
We have a friends to somewhat lovers to 17 years of being enemies to lovers.
Jewel E Ann really out did herself with this one. We watch two people come back together after so long apart, working together on various homicide cases. I loved watching them find their way back to each other.
The twist is very unique and had me on the edge of my seat. The end had me audibly gasping. I cannot wait for par 2!
We have a friends to somewhat lovers to 17 years of being enemies to lovers.
Jewel E Ann really out did herself with this one. We watch two people come back together after so long apart, working together on various homicide cases. I loved watching them find their way back to each other.
The twist is very unique and had me on the edge of my seat. The end had me audibly gasping. I cannot wait for par 2!
hayleysnextpage's review against another edition
4.0
"Josie wasn't some girl in my life, she was my life. The sun. The air. Gravity. My whole world and reason for existing."
Here's what to expect when you dive into Pieces of a Life:
- romantic suspense
- dual perspectives
- detective x forensic pathologist in Chicago
- then vs now timelines (effortlessly tied together)
- childhood friends to enemies to lovers (I mean, she did call him a flesh-eating infection
Here's what to expect when you dive into Pieces of a Life:
- romantic suspense
- dual perspectives
- detective x forensic pathologist in Chicago
- then vs now timelines (effortlessly tied together)
- childhood friends to enemies to lovers (I mean, she did call him a flesh-eating infection
canadian_chaos_gremlin's review against another edition
4.0
I have been dying to get my hands on this book for some time. Ann did not disappoint. While this is technically book three in a series, it is book one in this duet and the previous duet does not have to be read to fully enjoy this story. BUT come on, you know you wanna read them! With that said, I am in love with the characters of this story, the concept and so much more. I enjoyed their history and how it played into their present. The angst between Josie and Colton is EVERYTHING. This story is honestly giving me Jack and Jill feelings and I have so much love for that series. This story is constantly on the move and you will devour it like I did in one sitting! I am dying to get my hands on the next book to see how it all plays out!
bookdragonheart's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars! What an interesting, and fascinating story! Childhood best friends, both secretly wanting more, but he’s essentially warned off by her father, making any possible relationship between them beyond friend forbidden. But it’s not just that aspect that makes their relationship so interesting. Their dynamic is just…..for lack of a better word, odd. And I don’t mean this in a bad way, like at all. Josie is such an intriguing character. She’s very logical, blunt, speaks her mind, almost to a fault, brilliant, and very socially awkward. I would even put her character near autistic in mannerisms and behaviors. She’s also very fascinated with death, and completely unfazed and unendingly curious by all things related to it. He’s enamored by her nearly from day one, even if she’s not of the same mind with him.
Colton and Josie become fast friends when he moves to town when they were kids, a meet cute that is adorable, and morphs relatively quickly from enemies to best friends. They go through their high school years, dating other people, sabotaging each other’s relationships in various ways - both purposely and inadvertently, until right before graduation, which brings on a culmination of events that tears them apart, devastating Josie, and forever making him the bad guy in her story. Seventeen years later, when their jobs bring them into each other’s paths, he sees it as a sign of their destiny to be together, while she’s still deeply, desperately heartbroken and angry with how they left things in high school.
While Colton works to regain Josie’s affection, and she fights him tooth an nail, they are thrust together over and over again for work, making it harder for Josie to avoid what Colton believes is inevitable. Then a highly traumatic event flips their lives over, and suddenly Josie finds herself dreaming about and obsessed over a serial murder case from over a century prior. As more and more about their history comes to light, their own personal demons coming to the surface, Josie and Colton find themselves more and more drawn together, all while an unexpected darkness works to pull them apart again. The twist at the end has me reeling, and really excited to see where the second half of this duet is going to take us - I know it’s going to be an absolutely engrossing story!
Colton and Josie become fast friends when he moves to town when they were kids, a meet cute that is adorable, and morphs relatively quickly from enemies to best friends. They go through their high school years, dating other people, sabotaging each other’s relationships in various ways - both purposely and inadvertently, until right before graduation, which brings on a culmination of events that tears them apart, devastating Josie, and forever making him the bad guy in her story. Seventeen years later, when their jobs bring them into each other’s paths, he sees it as a sign of their destiny to be together, while she’s still deeply, desperately heartbroken and angry with how they left things in high school.
While Colton works to regain Josie’s affection, and she fights him tooth an nail, they are thrust together over and over again for work, making it harder for Josie to avoid what Colton believes is inevitable. Then a highly traumatic event flips their lives over, and suddenly Josie finds herself dreaming about and obsessed over a serial murder case from over a century prior. As more and more about their history comes to light, their own personal demons coming to the surface, Josie and Colton find themselves more and more drawn together, all while an unexpected darkness works to pull them apart again. The twist at the end has me reeling, and really excited to see where the second half of this duet is going to take us - I know it’s going to be an absolutely engrossing story!
bookish_jeanie's review against another edition
4.0
Jewel E Ann has given us another perfect swoon-worthy man and charmingly odd yet perfect leading lady with Pieces of a Life. This is book 1 of the Life Series duet and it follows the story of Colton Mosley and Josephine Watts from the time they met at 9 years old to the two reconnecting seventeen years later. Colton shattered Josie’s heart when they were 18 years old and nearly two decades later, she hears his voice in a restaurant while on a date. Turns out Colton is now Detective Mosley, and she is one of the medical examiners, so their professional lives intersect on a regular basis, much to Josie’s dismay and the Detective’s delight. One day, Colton saves Josie’s life but now she is plagued with creepy and terrible visions she just can’t shake.
As I mentioned before, Colton is absolutely swoon-worthy, but it wasn’t always that way. When we get the flashbacks of the two when they were young I couldn’t help but think about how toxic the two were together, but I also couldn’t help but cheer for them to get it together and was heartbroken when it was over…. And then 35-year-old Colton opened his mouth and spewed some of the most romantic worlds I’ve read in a long time and I was done for… and so was Josephine Watts.
I am a sucker for second chance romances (give me all the angsty that comes with them) but when you throw in some of the paranormal or unknown aspects of life and I’m a goner. Just when you’re starting to get comfortable in the story and think you know where it’s going the author throws something way out of left field at you and you didn’t realize you needed it but it’s there now and it makes sense. I cannot wait for the second book bc I need answers and I need them bad. I have theories and I need to know if they are right but also, I just need more Dr Watts and Detective Mosley in my life.
As I mentioned before, Colton is absolutely swoon-worthy, but it wasn’t always that way. When we get the flashbacks of the two when they were young I couldn’t help but think about how toxic the two were together, but I also couldn’t help but cheer for them to get it together and was heartbroken when it was over…. And then 35-year-old Colton opened his mouth and spewed some of the most romantic worlds I’ve read in a long time and I was done for… and so was Josephine Watts.
I am a sucker for second chance romances (give me all the angsty that comes with them) but when you throw in some of the paranormal or unknown aspects of life and I’m a goner. Just when you’re starting to get comfortable in the story and think you know where it’s going the author throws something way out of left field at you and you didn’t realize you needed it but it’s there now and it makes sense. I cannot wait for the second book bc I need answers and I need them bad. I have theories and I need to know if they are right but also, I just need more Dr Watts and Detective Mosley in my life.
dragonflyreads's review against another edition
5.0
WOWOWOWOWOW
So the vibes for Pieces of a Life are honestly wonderful. Childhood best friends, quirky heroine, hero that would basically do anything for her. Seventeen years of no contact until they’re both working in the same city. The connection! The love!
I adored the chapters of Colten and Josie as children/teens (The innocence! The exploration!). It really brings their story to life for the build up of their mid-30’s reconnection. Bring in the factor that actually ties this book to The Life that Mattered (you do NOT have to read the first duet) and it is WILD. The last chapter left me gasping and I am SALIVATING for book two!
*CW: suicide of a parent (off page), lots of death (forensic pathologist)
So the vibes for Pieces of a Life are honestly wonderful. Childhood best friends, quirky heroine, hero that would basically do anything for her. Seventeen years of no contact until they’re both working in the same city. The connection! The love!
I adored the chapters of Colten and Josie as children/teens (The innocence! The exploration!). It really brings their story to life for the build up of their mid-30’s reconnection. Bring in the factor that actually ties this book to The Life that Mattered (you do NOT have to read the first duet) and it is WILD. The last chapter left me gasping and I am SALIVATING for book two!
*CW: suicide of a parent (off page), lots of death (forensic pathologist)
darknesslighttt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: childhood sweethearts, enemies to lovers, forbidden, single dad, second chance, law enforcement, slow burn
𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: cliffhanger
This book is unique! It has mistery, suspance, romance, some paranormal elements and that makes it special.
The book presents both scenes from the present and from the past, which shows you the reasons behind the characters behaviour.
Josie works as a forsensic pathologist and Colten as a homicide detective. Both try to solve the mystery behind the murders.
Colten tries his best to convince Josie to give him a chance, but the wall she has built around her feelings is too strong. Every action, every conversation between them, breaks the wall, and in the end Josie lets go of the strong feelings she has for Colten.
Towards the end of the book everything takes a turn. After an accident that happened during an investigation where Josie is saved by Colten, something happens to her. Everything becomes a mystery or paranormal (depending on how you interpret it) both for Colten and for us.
The book ends with a big cliffhanger, making Josie and Colton's story to end in the next book. I can't wait to see what happens with them but also how they solve the mystery.
𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: cliffhanger
This book is unique! It has mistery, suspance, romance, some paranormal elements and that makes it special.
The book presents both scenes from the present and from the past, which shows you the reasons behind the characters behaviour.
Josie works as a forsensic pathologist and Colten as a homicide detective. Both try to solve the mystery behind the murders.
Colten tries his best to convince Josie to give him a chance, but the wall she has built around her feelings is too strong. Every action, every conversation between them, breaks the wall, and in the end Josie lets go of the strong feelings she has for Colten.
Towards the end of the book everything takes a turn. After an accident that happened during an investigation where Josie is saved by Colten, something happens to her. Everything becomes a mystery or paranormal (depending on how you interpret it) both for Colten and for us.
The book ends with a big cliffhanger, making Josie and Colton's story to end in the next book. I can't wait to see what happens with them but also how they solve the mystery.