A.L. JacksonPieces of Us (Confessions of the Heart)

This third book follows Mack and Izzy who were childhood best friends and in love with each other before things went wrong.Returning back to her childhood home Izzy finds herself still with all the feelings for policeman Mack.Her two sons instantly bond with him and it is heartwarming. I liked the banter, the descriptions of these intense feelings both characters felt towards each other.Again Children and the importance of family is very strong in this book and I love the whole Jace, Ian and Mack dynamic and with their women and children.These strong women see what these men have inside and they stick by them, build them up and love them.

When I downloaded this book I didn't realise that is was part of a series with a couple of books before it, but this can be read as a stand alone. I'm going to give a critical review here because although I did enjoy reading this book, in my opinion I it was lacking in some parts.The good: I liked the main characters; Mack (Maxon), Izzy and her two boys who were the main focus of the story. There were other supporting characters like Izzy's mum and dad and Mack's closest friends, but the story seemed to focus on the never ending connection and love flowing between Mack and Izzy. I liked too that it was written from a dual point of view and you didn't get, as with most books, their past lives first and the fast forward to the present day. Instead you got short chapters throughout the book that gave you a snapshot of what happened in their past lives, although this was mainly around Mack.Mack and Izzy were childhood friends that turned into more but because of Mack's tumultuous home life and bad relationship with his father he didn't believe that he was good enough for her. She was the sun in all of his darkness and he didn't want to drag her into that because he believed that he was all bad and was destined to be just like his father, so he broke up with her. There is also another woman involved called Clarissa who grew up just like Mack and whose father and Mack's father are acquaintances, which is uncovered as the story unfolds. She is into Mack and he therefore believes she is who he needs, who he deserves even though he doesn't really like her.Mack and Izzy separate but then meet up some 13 years later when Izzy has to return home because her eldest son Benjamin (who is disabled) is able to receive some much needed specialist treatment. I won't give too much away here but enough to say that the author covered this part really well, to watch the connection between Mack and Benjamin was beautiful and heartwarming. There was also good drama thrown in from the start, which unravels as the story unfolds and this kept me glued to the pages to see what would happen next.The not so good/or could be better: I felt that this book had scope to be way better than what it was. I would have loved to see a bit more angst and there was room for it with Clarissa and Izzy, but it was glossed over. Izzy left because of what what she saw, despite not giving up on Mack, but when she saw them together she upped and left. For me I would have loved to have seen how this scene played out but it was glossed over and not described in any detail at all, which was a shame because all through the story we are told how Mack obliterated Izzy's heart.Also, Mack in my opinion didn't get the opportunity to be the hero, and a hero in my view is an alpha male who can hold his own. Yes, Mack's character could hold his own in this story, but he wasn't given the opportunity to show just how macho he could be. I found that the author would build up the scenes where you think he's going to come out on top only for him to fall flat! For example the scene where he was jumped on by 4 men in the bar, because he was so drunk and left alone by his friends! How he saved Izzy and her mom from his father by fighting with him at 17 only to end up getting stabbed and at the scene towards the end with the villain where he ends up getting shot!My other gripe is with Dillon, Izzy's youngest boy who is meant to be 5 years old but going on 15! I understand that young kids can be a whirlwind of energy sometimes but from the conversations that he's having with Mack and Izzy he sounds like a teenager! Here's a snapshot of one conversation from Dillon "Oh man, is this what it's gonna be like all the time now? You two kissing away? Sheesh!"But this was still a good book and I'm glad I read it. I might just download the other two books in the series and then read this one again because I think I would like it better knowing the background with the other supporting characters.

So it's got 3 stars because in the long run it's an ok story and if nothing else you want to know what Happened. However, that quickly dies a slow death when you realise Izzy is pretty pathetic. I don't mind female mcs being timid or nice or whatever but you would think she was a tween the way her 'knees wobbled' or 'had a rush of heat cuz she brushed his arm' or her mouth dripped open or she gasped or her heart ached with live. Ugh it just got so repetitive and child like it was unreal. Especially given the circumstances. Not to mention there wasn't really much of the past from them told to us. Given how much I wanted it to be over though I'm glad. The main thing that really grated though? That would be the constant over descriptive feelings made into short sentences I'm assuming for dramatic purpose but all it did was make me skim because it became a page filler the author had, probably to see how poetic she could get it was frustrating as hell. Also wft was with this clarissa excuse? In the end what even happened there? We don't know lol it was just done but no mention of her and the hold over him or her dad. What a waste. I will say though, those kids were the best parts of the book.

You see I've read so many of A.L books Pulled, Take this regret, When we collide. So I had put the this book on my tbr list without reading the description .Since its just came out I was in a book rut. I had read a dark series then went on to read another dark book. So I needed something emotional. This book never truly meet the high standard of A.L Jackson.It did make me cry but from the start . It was made to show that Maxon had done something absautly terrible. I was hopping for gut wrenching pain, anguish which I never got. Personally I couldn't get over Maxon self-destructive before. He dumped Izzy because he thought he wasn't good enough for her. Because of something his dad did. For me that wasn't enough of anguish or pain. The whole time Izzy kept saying you broke my heart tortured me. She made it out as their was something deeper. Than him just dumping her. Yes I might sound cold hearted bitch. But as I've said I've read other books from this author and for me it just didn't have enough pain. I wasn't consumed by it.

‘Fly little Bird, be free’ … yet Izzy wasn’t fully able to without her Dragon. The broken boy next door, that she fell in love with.Mack and Izzy meet years later after he broke her heart, when she returns to her hometown.But Mack doesn’t realise she’s been hiding a secret all these years, one that binds them together forever .. will Mack allow himself happiness or will he always be trapped by his own fear? Will Izzy allow him back into her life? A sweet romance that will make you smile, laugh and cry.

Here we finally get Mack's story, the tortured policeman destined to be on his own. A lifetime of regrets and never feeling like he is enough or done enough to make up for past mistakes.Izzy was his best friend and love of his life who he let go for the best of reasons. Allowing his little bird to fly without his badness holding her back. Only now she is back after 13 years with more than a few secrets that will change his world. Will he ever be good enough can he be the man she believes he was.Brilliant book so well written and hooked from the start.