A deeply emotional, intimate and heartfelt book that wouldn’t let me go. Beautifully written and paced, this is the perfect happily ever after to an amazing series, which ultimately tells a story of forgiveness and hope that with an unwavering believe proves that love conquers all.
Claire Nixon is a college student with a past full of secrets and heartbreak. She was saved once by her first love, and rock star, Chris Knight. But when she encouraged Chris to leave town to pursue his dreams, both Claire and Chris didn’t realize it would be the biggest mistake of their lives.
After a devastating year apart and thousands of miles of distance between them, Claire met sexy surfer Adam Parker. With his awful jokes and profound patience, he helped Claire pick up the shattered pieces of her broken heart for the second time.
But now Chris has returned and he is willing and determined to make Claire’s dreams come true—the same way she did for him when she let him go.
With Adam’s former girlfriend in the picture, Claire finds herself torn between the new, passionate love she shares with Adam and the love and family she shares with Chris.
This was the perfect ending to an amazing series. A series that with with each book became stronger and more introspective when it came to what we learned from the lives of three flawed, but very human individuals. To me, this is almost quite simply three life stories… ones that through destiny’s doing had more than their fair share of pain and sadness, but also ones that were filled with an abundance of love. Two of these people’s stories connected and were forever entwined, and one took a separate path that led him to his own, rightful happiness.
Reading this final installment, I could sense all the love and thoughtfulness that was poured into every word, every twist of the story. And I think that’s why the book felt so personal and intimate, allowing me, as a reader, to connect with and care about each of the characters. Yes, the series features a love triangle, but it’s much more than that. We also need to recognize what each character represents to the other, so we better understand their journey and ultimately their destiny.
As the series progressed, it became increasingly clear to me who Claire belonged with. There was really only one person that felt truly right… her heart really only whole with him. And yes, despite the love they shared, life happened, mistakes were made and their path diverged for some time. After all, love doesn’t always give us a straightforward journey, it has unforseen twists and turns that we don’t always understand.
When Adam and Claire first met, they were both in pain and they became what the other needed. A sort of addiction that intensified as they found comfort in each other. Adam was still hurting from what happened with Myles, from his breakup with Lindsay and from his broken relationship with his father. So coming from a place where he felt betrayed, like no one loved him enough, he found Claire, who showed him love and understanding… exactly what he needed. For Claire, she was still reeling from the loss of Abigail and from her breakup with Chris. She was suffering with PTSD and seemingly had a huge hole in her heart. When Adam challenged Claire to open up, with love and patience, it was exactly what Claire needed so that she could finally face her past and begin to move forward.
But was Adam the right person for her happily ever after or was it Chris, her first love? Chris was the first person that opened her heart, allowing her to feel, to love, to be loved… but big mistakes were made when Chris chose his career over Claire. After Pieces of You, we see, however, how much Chris loves her and that he’ll do anything to claim her forever.
For so long, Claire had been so scared to hurt again, afraid to be vulnerable enough to give herself fully, feeling the errors of her past somehow made her unworthy. In this third book, however, we see Claire begin to own her future, finally taking the reigns of her life and begin to heal. And after all she had been through, it was so great to finally see Claire happy.
I can’t comment more on the story or how right the relationships ended up being without revealing her choice, but I assure you that the way the book ends is full of love and happiness. I honestly think that if you truly understood the series and loved each of these three people, you will be happy with the ending. All three of them are where they should be, with whom they should be with. It’s also important to note, that each played a pivotal part of how their journey concluded… perhaps the ending wouldn’t have been the same if paths hadn’t crossed as they did.
Overall, this has just been a wonderful series. So heartfelt, so moving, so full of love… and so full of learning even. Reading the last page was a bittersweet feeling, but I’m so very happy I had the opportunity to read these heartfelt and emotional books. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Cassia Leo!
USA Today bestselling author Cassia Leo loves her coffee, chocolate, and margaritas with salt. When she’s not writing, she spends way too much time watching old reruns of Friends and Sex and the City. When she’s not watching reruns, she’s usually enjoying the California sunshine or reading–sometimes both.
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