Rather than doing a full post for each book, this post will feature reviews for all three books in the Missing Pieces series. A gorgeous second-chance love story that’ll give you all the feels!
Pieces of You
We’d had the perfect life, and in the blink of an eye, it was gone.
Deleted.
Gah!! This book did a number on my heart. Dallas and Justin were madly in love and had a good life but then a terrible accident rips that all away. Justin survived the accident but is left with no memories of Dallas or their time together and both men are left to figure out where to go from here. At the start of the book, we knew very little about them as a couple before the accident took place, other than they were in a good place. But the way this book is written, you can’t help but become entirely invested in them and need them to find their way back to one another. It was only a few chapters in before I was a teary mess (sad tears and happy tears) and that continued for much of the book.
“Years ago, I made a promise to you to be by your side through whatever life threw at us. I know you don’t remember, but you don’t have to. Because I remember. And I’ll be by your side for as long as you’ll have me.”
Dallas was understandably devastated that this happened to Justin and to them but he was so incredible at being there for Justin. No matter how badly he was hurting or how badly he wanted to fall apart, he remained strong for them and was a constant for Justin as he began to heal. Justin may not have remembered Dallas but his kindness toward Justin did not go unnoticed. Seeing how badly Justin wanted to remember their life together tugged at my heart.
“The only constant thing in my life since I woke up . . . is you.”
My heart squeezed to the point of pain. “I’m not going anywhere.”
There were ups and downs and the whole situation was just heartbreaking but it was laced with just enough hope to make it ok. Dallas’ love for Justin never waned and Justin saw enough good in Dallas to want to fall in love with him again. This was obviously a slow burn but there was so much to swoon over. The handholding, the hugs, then later on, the flirting – it was all so good! Many moments left me with butterflies witnessing the power of their love and how even if the brain forgets, the heart remembers. It was just beautiful. I can’t wait to continue their journey, Dallas and Justin have burrowed themselves deep within my heart and I need them to get their HEA!
“There are pieces of you that are a part of me, and I’ll help you find them. I promise you, Justin. I don’t care how long it takes. I’ll wait until you’re certain. I’ll wait forever if I have to.”
Pieces of Me
“Thank you for staying.”
“Staying where?” In this hug?
“With me. For not leaving me. You could have, but you didn’t.”
This book is not a standalone so make sure you’ve read Pieces of You before reading this. In this one, we pick up where the first one left off. Justin is home and recovering, it’s slow but every day is a slight improvement. Dallas is still being a pillar of strength for him and even if Justin’s memories are still spotty at best, he’s beginning to remember little bits and pieces of their relationship. The memories, combined with how wonderful Dallas has been make it easy for Justin to fall in love with him all over again.
It’s not all smooth sailing, though. Justin is struggling with boredom and feeling useless and is frustrated over his inability to do certain things. And Dallas is burning the candle at both ends, taking care of Justin and trying to keep his business afloat. A task that’s becoming increasingly difficult due to added financial strain stemming from the accident. Dallas is set on not burdening Justin with any of this but even someone as wonderful as Dallas has a breaking point.
His heart knew me, even if his head didn’t.
And I clung to that with everything I had.
I loved seeing the next step in the journey for these guys. There were so many wonderful moments as they worked to find their way back to one another. They were so darn cute together. The way Justin would sweetly ask for hugs or just want to hold Dallas’ hand, melted my heart. And just these simple acts of affection sent Dallas’ heart soaring. Their love for one another is such a beautiful thing and it was such a sweet thing watching them get a second chance at that.
“You make it easy, you know,” he whispered.
“Make what easy?”
“To fall in love with you.”
This book had a bit more angst than the first one, but it wasn’t too bad. My heart hurt for Dallas who was trying to be everything for everyone without really having anyone he could lean on. When he finally reaches a breaking point, though, Justin was so supportive and it was just what Dallas needed. My heart also hurt for Justin, though, as he continued to deal with his recovery. He made such improvement but he was still a long way off from what he used to be and he was, understandably, frustrated from time to time. The author did a great job portraying the struggles of everyone involved when an accident like this happens. It’s all so realistic and tugged at my heartstrings. Now I’m excited to read the final installment and see these two get their HEA!
“I want to be for you what you are for me.”
I touched the side of his face. “And what’s that?”
“Everything. Dallas, you’re everything to me.”
Pieces of Us
Dallas had said that we fell in love hard and fast the first time, and it was much the same for me the second time.
A hard-fought HEA if ever there was one! Once again, this book picks up right after the conclusion of Pieces of Me and is the conclusion to Justin and Dallas’ story. Be sure you’ve read the first two before reading this one, they aren’t standalones! Justin is continuing to heal after the accident and he and Dallas are starting to settle into their new normal. There are still ups and downs, but thankfully the good outweighs the bad these days. But there are a few more challenges they must overcome as they confront the reality of living with a TBI. But with a love like theirs, they can face anything as long as it’s together and after coming this far, they aren’t going to let anything stand between them and their HEA.
“…love has its ups and downs. But you and me, we got this. We found each other years ago, and when the universe tried to pull us apart with the accident, we found each other again.”
From book one all the way to this one, this was a beautiful story. It was sad at times, and not an easy road but it was also hopeful, adorable, sweet as can be, funny, and sexy. Dallas and Justin were soulmates, there’s no doubt about it. Seeing how they loved and supported each other through such a traumatic event will warm even the coldest heart. I loved seeing them find more of themselves in this one. A big part of this last book was finding their sex life again, which was adorable, funny, and very hot. These two were compatible on so many levels and I loved seeing Justin rediscover that side of himself.
This book also dealt with what it means to live with a TBI. They both learned firsthand how certain triggers could send Justin back to almost square one and how scary that can be. And as they were finally looking to their future, they had to take into consideration the long-term impacts of the injury. It’s a lot of stuff that you don’t think about but it was their reality now. It was sad but the way they supported one another and talked through everything was so lovely.
“You’re the one true thing in my life. Out of all the fog and fear and loss, was you. I can’t imagine my life or my future without you.”
Another thing I loved about this series was the found family. Of course, there was the little family that Dallas and Justin built but it extended beyond that to Davo and Sparro (who were wonderful and supportive and Dallas would have been lost without them) and even a few unexpected members along the way. As Justin said at one point, all he ever wanted was a family of his own and it made me so happy that he finally had that. Dallas and Justin will always hold a special place in my heart and theirs is a story I won’t soon forget!
“I was missing pieces of my life, and pieces of myself were gone. But there was always you. And through it all, I realised the pieces of us were what kept me together.”
The Book Boyfriend Addict 