The Pieces Left Behind | Ryan Marie

#friendstolovers #hea #singledad #smalltownromance #secondchanceromance

No love is greater than your first love the second time around.

Camille Stevens life was perfect.
Perfect husband.
Perfect home.
Perfect career.
She and her husband were the envy of all of their friends. Yes, Camille’s life was perfect…until it wasn’t.

When her husband is lost to an invisible demon, she decides to return to Texas with plans for a fresh start and resigned to a life alone. What she doesn’t plan for is crossing paths with the first man she ever loved and lost. The first man to leave her in pieces.

Vaughan McCallan.

The sweet boy who said he’d always love her then left her is now a sexy man, complete with cowboy hat and chiseled muscles. Now that she’s in his sights, Vaughan will stop at nothing to have her again. When he confesses the truth about what really happened all those years ago, old flames are stoked and their fiery love is rekindled.

With her future looking like the one she always imagined they would have, Camille can finally breathe again.
Or can she?
Can she let her mended, yet fragile, heart believe in love again.
Can she risk getting so close to the fire?
Will she get a second chance at first love, or will she lose him forever?

My Thoughts:

If you’re looking for a book to bring all the emotion to the table, this is it! We open up to our lead female, Camille, facing an unfathomable travesty that no one should ever have to face. I love that her family gives her encouragement while also letting her go through the emotions without telling her to let go, move on, or get over it.

When she moves back home to Texas, the support of not only her family, but also her friends, continues to astound me. She’s incredibly blessed to have such amazing people in her life! She’s had time to grieve, and now, with all the love in the world, they are pushing her out of the comfort bubble she’s built around herself.

Vaughn. What do I say about this amazing man?! He went through something traumatic of his own and lost his true love in the process. But now that she’s back, he is ready to prove that it’s always been her. From the tattoos to his dirty talk — woo! I definitely went back to re-read several scenes!

In addition to all of the spice, we get a sweetness with Day that brings such a joy to the pages. My heart broke for her having to live life without her mother. I love that none of the adults tainted her image of her mother (even though she was awful) and that real-life struggles of becoming a pre-teen girl were included.

I received a complimentary copy for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.