Pieces Blog Tour Stop

Hello all!  Today I am participating in the Pieces Blog Tour, hosted by the awesome Giselle at Xpresso Book Tours!  Today I am scheduled to do a review, excerpt, and giveaway, so let's get started!!!!

Pieces

by Michelle Davidson Argyle
Series: The Breakaway #2
Pages: 300
Release Date: February 14, 2013
by Rhemelda Publishing

Goodreads / Purchase
Staying in love can mean running away...

Two years after watching her kidnappers go to prison, Naomi Jensen is still in love with one of them. Jesse will be released in a few years, and Naomi knows college is the perfect distraction while she waits. But when her new friend Finn makes her question what is right and what is wrong, she begins to wonder if Jesse is the one for her...until she discovers he's out on parole. Naomi must sort through her confusion to figure out where love and freedom truly lie-in Finn, who has no connections to her past, or Jesse, who has just asked her to run away with him.

*A copy was provided by Rhemelda Publishing for review purposes*

Wow, what a book.  *Deep breath*.  This is the sequel to The Breakaway (which I absolutely loved) and carries on the story perfectly.  One thing that really surprised me was the way Argyle chose to take this story, but, I must admit, I prefer it to the alternative.  I think it made for a much more interesting book, and I loved how she manipulated the characters and the story to make it a thrilling, heartbreaking read.  The writing was flawless, the story line was flowing, and the staging was perfect.   I can sometimes guess where the story line is going in books, but in this one I couldn’t figure it out.  I really enjoyed the ending as well, and I loved that it was a happy ending for Naomi, and I definitely didn’t see that twist coming.

Even though there are two guys in this book, there isn’t really a love triangle.  I kind of don’t really like either guys.  But I did really like the main character, Naomi, and the fact that she didn’t go between the two guys.  Jesse was definitely an appealing character in The Breakaway, but not so much in this book, and that’s because Argyle didn’t want her readers to like him.  Finn was a really nice guy, but I’m still not a fan.  I can’t explain why – but I think if there was a reason it would be that he was trying to make a move on Naomi.  Even though Argyle wrote that he wasn’t trying to steal Naomi away, I still kind of felt like that, so I’m not his biggest fan.

This series is one you will not forget, I can pretty much guarantee it.  I haven’t heard of any other books like these, and it was really interesting to read, and also suspenseful and thrilling in it’s own way.  Argyle has really outdone herself!

4 pink flowers

~Excerpt~

There were always dragons, but never as dark as the ones before her now. She stood in a burning valley so hot that ash fell from the sky like slow-drifting snow. The dragons had started the fire, their scales blackened, skin peeling, their eyes hard as diamonds. She watched four of them land in front of her. Thick smoke curled to the darkening sky.
“I want to leave!” she screamed, but their only response was to open their mouths and breathe flames at her. She didn’t feel the pain, but when the fire cleared and she held out her arms to see the damage, she saw her skin was like dragon skin—black and peeling in jagged pieces. Falling to her knees, she grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at the dragons. Their mouths turned up in sneers, showing their pointed, blood-stained teeth.
You read too many fantasy novels, she could hear Jesse’s voice in the back of her head.They don’t love you, her mother said.Remember why you fell in love with him.She stopped at the memory of that last set of words, trying to remember who had said them to her. The dragons moved closer, and then she remembered it was Finn who had said the words. She saw the saltshaker on the table as he pushed it around in circles.With a start, she sat up in bed, realizing all the journal entries were still fresh in her mind. She had finished reading them hours ago and then stumbled into the bedroom to find Jesse already asleep. She had crawled in with him and drifted off, but the nightmares made her toss and turn. Jesse stirred beside her now, his toned arms reaching out for her. Morning sunlight fell across the bed.“You alright?” he asked, pulling her close.
“I think so.” Lying back down, she snuggled into him. He smelled like spicy soap from his shower earlier. She took in a deep breath, savoring the feel of him holding her.Remember why you fell in love with him.Shut up, Finn!She wanted to scream the words into the silent bedroom, but couldn’t. She loved Jesse because he loved her. It was that simple. He sacrificed things for her. He wanted to make her happy, and she wanted the same for him. She had left everything to be with him.A knock on the front door made Naomi jump. It frightened her to think of who might knock on their door so early in the morning. Jesse stirred again, mumbling something she couldn’t understand.
“You want me to get it?” she asked, almost afraid to wake him.Groaning, he sat up and blinked. His hair had dried in spikes. “Where the hell is my phone?” he asked. “Why are the curtains wide open?”He was always cranky when he was woken up too early. “I wanted to look at the stars as I fell asleep.”Turning to her, he blinked again. The sun made his green eyes pale. “How did that go, then? Last night? Did you read it all?”“Yes.”“And?”She looked away. “I was so tired I’m not sure how much of it stuck.”“It’s all in your head now. You can start sorting through it and face it all.”“Yeah, I guess so.”Another series of knocks. Jesse cursed and got out of bed. He was in his boxer shorts, and pulled on a pair of sweats before grabbing his phone off the dresser. He walked out of the bedroom. Curious, Naomi slipped out of bed and peeked down the hallway as Jesse looked through the peephole. She asked herself if she cared that he had lied to her about his parole, that he was a fugitive. Did it matter? Her stomach clenched.“What is it?” Jesse asked, opening the door a crack. His body blocked her view of whoever was on the other side. There was an answer. A man’s voice. A shudder went down Naomi’s spine.
“No,” Jesse said, “she’s here.”

~Giveaway~

~There will be one winner

~Giveaway ends on February 23, 2013 @ 12:00 A.M.

~This giveaway is INT

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