Little Pieces of Me by Alison Hammer (thoughts)

 

Summary from Goodreads:

"When Paige Meyer gets an email from a DNA testing website announcing that her father is a man she never met, she is convinced there must be a mistake. But as she digs deeper into her mother's past and her own feelings of being the odd child out growing up, Paige begins to question everything she thought she knew. Could this be why Paige never felt like she fit in her family, and why her mother always seemed to keep her at an arm's length? And what does it mean for Paige's memories of her father, a man she idolized and whose death she is still grieving? Back in 1975, Betsy Kaplan, Paige's mom, is a straightlaced sophomore at the University of Kansas. When her sweet but boring boyfriend disappoints her, Betsy decides she wants more out of life, and is tired of playing it safe. Enter Andy Abrams, the golden boy on campus with a potentially devastating secret. After their night together has unexpected consequences, Betsy is determined to bury the truth and rebuild a stable life for her unborn child, whatever the cost.

When Paige can't get answers from her mother, she goes looking for the only other person who was there that night. The more she learns about what happened, the more she sees her unflappable, distant mother as a real person faced with an impossible choice. But will it be enough to mend their broken relationship?"

My Thoughts:

Little Pieces of Me is one of those books that is going to stick with me for awhile.  Last year I read (and was broken by but in a good way) this author's debut You and Me and Us.  If you haven't had the opportunity yet to read that one, I highly recommend it as well.  I was nervous to read this one because I enjoyed that first book so much so I was both afraid that it was also going to break me and I wasn't emotionally ready and also worried that I had too high of expectations set for this one.  This book though didn't disappoint in the slightest.    It was just as good of a read as her debut but also very different.  This author has a knack for looking at mother/daughter relationships and bringing them to life in all of their messy glory.  One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book was how real each of the characters felt.  They weren't perfect but instead had faults and just felt like normal, everyday people.  They made mistakes, poor decisions, and had insecurities that just helped me to become even more attached to them.  I even came to respect Paige's mother by the end although I still don't agree with the decisions that she made.  I also really liked how this book was told in two parts: one from Paige's viewpoint as she both learns and tries to deal with the fact that the man who she believed was her father wasn't and the second viewpoint from Paige's mother back in the past before and after she became pregnant with Paige.  It was interesting to see how the events from one viewpoint tied into and led to things that happened in the present.  All in all, this really was an enjoyable read and a good look at what makes up one's own identity.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this book and feel like this is an author to watch.  Her books bring about strong emotions for me but in the best of ways.  I hope that she continues to dive into the mother/daughter relationship in different ways because she really does it well.  Readers who enjoy contemporary fiction, women's fiction, and books with characters that come to life for you should give this book a read.  An easy book (and author) for me to recommend!

Bottom Line:  A book that tugged at my emotions as both a mother and daughter.

CW: Grief, lying, cheating, adoption, death of a loved one

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher.  Honest thoughts are my own.

The Lost Girls of Devon by Barbara O'Neal (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"It’s been years since Zoe Fairchild has been to the small Devon village of her birth, but the wounds she suffered there still ache. When she learns that her old friend and grandmother’s caretaker has gone missing, Zoe and her fifteen-year-old daughter return to England to help.

Zoe dreads seeing her estranged mother, who left when Zoe was seven to travel the world. As the four generations of women reunite, the emotional pain of the past is awakened. And to complicate matters further, Zoe must also confront the ex-boyfriend she betrayed many years before.

Anxieties spike when tragedy befalls another woman in the village. As the mystery turns more sinister, new grief melds with old betrayal. Now the four Fairchild women will be tested in ways they couldn’t imagine as they contend with dangers within and without, desperate to heal themselves and their relationships with each other."

My Thoughts:

The Lost Girls of Devon was one of those books that just felt like the perfect book at the perfect time.  I absolutely love when that happens!  I feel like there is a certain kind of magic when a book fits into your reading mood so perfectly without you even realizing that it was what you were in the mood for necessarily.  There was just something about it that really drew me into the book from the very beginning.  There's a lot going on in this book but it never felt like too much.  I was worried about what happened to Zoe's missing friend throughout the book.  I was also equally concerned about Zoe and her mother's relationship, the romance that seemed to be developing between Zoe and Sage, the secrets Zoe's daughter Isabel was hiding, and the health struggles that Zoe's grandmother was facing.  I was just completely absorbed in their lives - there is really no other way to put it.  Another thing that I appreciated about this book was despite the harder topics it covered, I found this book hopeful.  I can't really explain what I mean about that without spoiling anything but I still really wanted to mention it.  The characters are up against many different things but it still left me hopeful by the end without just wrapping those darker threads into a bow.  This book is also told from each of the four women's viewpoints which was the perfect setup in my opinion.  We got to read from Zoe's point of view the most but she was really at the center of everything.  I felt like I understood each of these women more because of the way that the book was written.  Having the opportunity to really see things from their point of view allowed for the author to bring all of these characters to life for me.  I liked the way things ended with this book but I almost wasn't ready to say goodbye to these characters.  I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more by this author in the future!

Overall, this book really swept me away in its' pages and was a wonderful reading experience.  These are characters that I came to really care about.  I won't be forgetting their story anytime soon.  I'm so glad that I took the opportunity to read this book because it just fit with my reading mood perfectly.  I love when that happens!  Also, can we please talk about how gorgeous that cover is!  It brings to mind (for me anyways) a summer read but I have to say that this book felt just a bit heavier than that.  It may not have given me the summer vibes that the cover did but it really was a compelling read with characters that came to life for me.  I would recommend this book to fans of women's fiction, those readers who enjoy a lighter mystery, and just fiction in general.  I really think that this book would appeal to a variety of readers - I hope that many other readers find it and love it just as much as I did!  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  This is one of those books that I found myself just entranced by from beginning to end!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book as part of a TLC book tour.  Honest thoughts are my own.

**Please note that Blogger seems to have cut out portions of my thoughts - I didn't realize until afterwards so I went back and edited it with my original thoughts as best as I could.  My apologies!

You and Me and Us by Alison Hammer (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Alexis Gold knows how to put the “work” in working mom. It’s the “mom” part that she’s been struggling with lately. Since opening her own advertising agency three years ago, Alexis has all but given up on finding a good work/life balance. Instead, she’s handed over the household reins to her supportive, loving partner, Tommy. While he’s quick to say they divide and conquer, Alexis knows that Tommy does most of the heavy lifting—especially when it comes to their teenage daughter, CeCe. 

Their world changes in an instant when Tommy receives a terminal cancer diagnosis, and Alexis realizes everything she’s worked relentlessly for doesn’t matter without him. So Alexis does what Tommy has done for her almost every day since they were twelve-year-old kids in Destin, Florida—she puts him first. And when the only thing Tommy wants is to spend one last summer together at “their” beach, she puts her career on hold to make it happen…even if it means putting her family within striking distance of Tommy’s ex, an actress CeCe idolizes.

But Alexis and Tommy aren’t the only ones whose lives have been turned inside out. In addition to dealing with the normal ups and downs that come with being a teenager, CeCe is also forced to confront her feelings about Tommy’s illness—and what will happen when the one person who’s always been there for her is gone. When the magic of first love brings a bright spot to her summer, CeCe is determined not to let her mother ruin that for her, too.

As CeCe’s behavior becomes more rebellious, Alexis realizes the only thing harder for her than losing Tommy will be convincing CeCe to give her one more chance. "

My Thoughts:

This book was absolutely heartbreaking to read.  In all honesty, I don't think I've ever teared up while reading so many times.  I didn't sob but only because I kept setting the book down to allow myself time to get myself together.  It was also a hopeful read and one that I couldn't help but appreciate.  The thing that really struck me about this book is the importance of family and learning what really matters.  In the end, our family is what matters and thinks like work really don't matter as much.  I think that the author did a great job of delving into this topic without hitting you over the head about it.  She also did a really great job of portraying the difficulties working mothers can face with that work and life balance.  I do think that this is a book that you want to make sure that you are in the right mindset for.  It is about terminal cancer and is sad.  With everything going on in the world today (which is scary enough), I would recommend making sure that you are in the right head space for a book like this which can feel dark and depressing at times.  The author is able to give rays of hope throughout which I really appreciated.  I just cared about the characters in this book so much!  I feel like the author brought them to life for me and I almost wasn't ready for this book to end.  I wasn't ready to say goodbye to these characters (it felt like) after we had gone through so much together.  And that is the mark of a truly good book!

Overall, it feels wrong to say that I enjoyed this one due to the subject matter so instead I will say that I found this to be a thoughtful read that opened my heart to these characters and the struggles that they faced.  I think that the subject matter could be triggering so like I said previously, be aware that this book is sad and heartbreaking at times.  But also know that it is hopeful at others and such a great read overall! This is a debut author - and wow - I just cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.  I will certainly be ready and willing to read more by her in the future!  I would recommend this book to fans of contemporary fiction, fiction in general, and even women's fiction as there was a strong female friendship in this the book as well.  Also, I just have to say that this book is told in two points of view, one is Alexis' and the other is her daughter CeCe's point of view.  I think that the author did a wonderful job of portraying both of these two different points of views and the struggles that mothers and daughters can face in their relationships with one another.  Recommended!

Bottom Line:  A heartbreaking but hopeful read that will stick with me for a long time to come.

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher.  Honest thoughts are my own.

The Shape of Family by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"The Olanders embody the American dream in a globalized world. Jaya, the cultured daughter of an Indian diplomat and Keith, an ambitious banker from middle-class Philadelphia, meet in a London pub in 1988 and make a life together in suburban California. Their strong marriage is built on shared beliefs and love for their two children: headstrong teenager Karina and young son Prem, the light of their home.

But love and prosperity cannot protect them from sudden, unspeakable tragedy, and the family’s foundation cracks as each member struggles to seek a way forward. Jaya finds solace in spirituality. Keith wagers on his high-powered career. Karina focuses relentlessly on her future and independence. And Prem watches helplessly as his once close-knit family drifts apart.

When Karina heads off to college for a fresh start, her search for identity and belonging leads her down a dark path, forcing her and her family to reckon with the past, the secrets they’ve held and the weight of their choices.

The Shape of Family is an intimate portrayal of four individuals as they grapple with what it means to be a family and how to move from a painful past into a hopeful future. It is a profoundly moving exploration of the ways we all seek belonging — in our families, our communities and ultimately, within ourselves."

My Thoughts:

The Shape of Family is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time to come.  It was a heartbreaking and emotional read at times but also just SO GOOD!  This book made me feel all of the emotions at one point or another.  It made me happy in certain points, broke my heart in others, and even made me feel anger at others.  The characters were everything in this book!  They felt realistic and flawed but I wanted the best for them the entire time.  Even when I wasn't on board with the decisions they were making or felt frustrated by their choices, I wanted what was best for them.  I cared about them like they were real people because the author brought them to life for me.  It was an incredibly moving experience reading about their lives and seeing the choices that they made.  It's hard because I'm being very careful here in what I say because I don't want to spoil anything.  The above summary also did a good job with not giving too much away which I feel is important.  More than anything, this is a book to be experienced in my opinion!  The author has created characters that I couldn't help but care and want the best for.  I also enjoyed the fact that the author explored identity in this book and the struggles that the characters faced with this in different ways.  This book is about family and what that can mean.  The struggles that families can face, the things that can break a family apart, and what can bring them together.  It was a beautiful book that I'm not doing justice with this review so I will just say to read it.  This is a book that deserves to be read widely and found by so many other readers!  I'm so glad that stepped out of my comfort zone and read this book because it was just SO, SO good!  It's really as simple as that!

Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely and have the feeling it will end up on my top reads list for 2020!  I knew that I wanted to push my reading boundaries this year and books like this are exactly why!  What other amazing books have I missed by not pushing myself more?  I can say without doubt that I will be reading more by this author in the future.  It looks like I have at least two more of her books to look forward to which is very exciting.  I'm so excited to see what other readers have thought of this one and to discuss it.  Especially because there was a quote on the very last page that was breathtaking but I didn't share since it might be considered to be a bit spoiler-ey.  It was so gorgeous though that I want to talk about it with other readers!  I highly recommend this one!

Bottom Line:  An emotional and standout read for me!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher.  Honest thoughts are my own.