Pieces of You by Ella Harper

Out Now
Published by Harpercollins, Avon
Purchase from Amazon here

The blurb:

The perfect marriage.
A devastating secret.
An impossible choice.

Lucy was always sure of one thing – her future with husband and soulmate Luke. But after eight long, heartbreaking years trying to have a baby, that future is crumbling before her eyes.

When a terrible accident puts Luke into a coma, Lucy is forced to reassess everything she thought she wanted.

Then Stella arrives. A woman Lucy’s never met, but with a secret that will change her world forever . . .

My review:

Pieces of You is a beautiful and moving read that had me hooked from the start. I am exhausted today after staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish it. I couldn't put it down until I knew what happened!

The book tells the story of Lucy and Luke. They have been together for 8 years, and married for 5. It was clear from the start just how absolutely besotted they are with eachother. The one thing missing for them is a much wanted baby. They have been trying for years, but each pregnancy has ended in miscarriage and heartbreak. We then also learn early on in the book that Luke has had a terrible accident and has been left in a coma.

Sounding heartbreaking? Wait until you see what happens next! I am not going to tell you and spoil it all for you but suffice to say that there are shocks and more heartbreak ahead for Lucy.

As a reader I enjoyed not only following Lucy and Luke's story, but also those of the other characters who as more than bit part players. We meet their best friends Dee and Dan, as well as Luke's Mum, brother and sister. There is one other character who I will not mention more about.

 I really liked Dee who I felt was very much Lucy's best friend and would be there for her no matter what. The one character I struggled to warm to was Patricia, Luke's Mum. For some reason I just couldn't warm to her. I found her quite cold and distant towards Lucy despite what she was going through. I know that as a Mum she must have been distraught to see her son so ill, but I just wanted her to be more loving towards her daughter in law. I felt a sense of jealousy, but could be totally wrong.

My favourite character has got to be Lucy. I defy you not to want to wave a magic wand and make it all better for her. It is clear that the last few years have been just awful for her with all the miscarriage misery. Now Luke has been in an accident and lies in a coma, leaving Lucy not knowing what the future holds. Oh, but there is more m&s that will rock Lucy to the core. I just wanted to wrap her up in cotton wool, tell her it was all a bad dream and make it go away. I felt a real affinity to Lucy and marvelled at her strength and courage. It seems like she is falling apart at times, but the fact she is there shows she isn't.  What a marvellous character.

I loved the way each chapter follows a different character which as a reader I felt helped me understand what was going on for each of them, and in a way bond with them. I loved the chapters showing how Luke and Lucy's relationship developed....so romantic!! The depth of love for eachother definitely came through which makes some of what happens so devastating.

The book for me also touched on the effects of bereavement and how Luke's fathers death had affected his family. This was almost a side story that entwined with the present, which I found compelling. Sometimes everyone is so caught up in their own grief it can affect family dynamics and also the longer term impact on the person bereaved. Having trained in bereavement counselling, as well as having experienced a family bereavement this year I was gripped and very interested in this part of the storyline.

For me, the book was perfectly written and paced brilliantly. I felt like it grabbed me and took me on a roller coaster ride of emotion which ranged from passion and love to bewilderment, anger and utter heartbreak and despair. At certain points in the book the despair was all encompassing. However by the end I felt a clear message that no matter how bad a hand life deals you, you can overcome anything, and to never give up....things can feel better.

I had seen alot of chat about Pieces of You on twitter with book bloggers and readers all saying how much they had loved the book so I was really looking forward to starting it. I will be joining in spreading my praise and love for this book!

Have some tissues ready and be prepared for a roller coaster of a ride with twists and turns, but do read what to me is a beautifully written story of love, loss, forgiveness and acceptance.

Thank you to Harpercollins UK, Avon who kindly provided a copy of the book via Netgalley in return for an honest review.