4⭐
Genre ~ women’s fiction
Setting ~ not sure, but I think in the UK
Publication date ~ February 1, 2023
Est page Count ~ 353 (33 chapters)
POV ~ single 3rd
Featuring ~ debut, characters in their late 20’s/early 30’s, secret crush, brother’s best friend, best friend’s sister, best friends to lovers, slow burn, no communication, no steamage, attempted r@pe
My review:
This is very much more of a personal growth women’s fiction story and a slow burn on the romance front as it’s not until the end.
Nina has just lost her job and is having difficulty finding a new one, until one day she sees the perfect job posting. The only problem is that it’s in the suburbs an hour and a half away from the life she has in the city. I love that she took a leap and accepted it in an effort to start over. The qualms that come along with trying to get in a groove in a managerial position when the current employees are set in their ways was realistically written. There were many times she wanted to give up, but she persevered and came up with some great ideas to motivate the team and make them feel appreciated.
Nina has a wonderful, positive relationship with her brother, Ryan and his wife, Olivia. Not so much with her mother, but the growth throughout the story on their relationship was nice to see.
Nina’s secret crush on Lucas began many years ago. While they’re very close he is oblivious to her feelings. He needed to see what was right in front of him all on his own without any pushes. I am usually not a fan of lack of communication, but I can always see the reasoning when they’re friends first because they don’t want to rock the friendship boat, however I do feel like it’s time wasted, too. I do wish he would have opened his gorgeous eyes a lot sooner though. I wouldn’t mind a sequel of their budding relationship since we didn’t get much of it at all. I could have went without the Tammy shenanigans, but I did appreciate Nina’s effort to help her even if I, and everyone else, didn’t agree with her.
Overall, a nice debut about family dynamics and friendships, and how personal growth can lead you to where you were always meant to be.
*Thanks to Lara Martin for sending me a copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Get your copy on ~ Amazon
Add to your never ending TBR ~ goodreads
I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read it.
Book blurb:
Perfect for fans of Katherine Center and Kristan Higgins, All the Lost Pieces is a funny, warmhearted novel that explores the dynamics of family, friendship and falling in love, and all the ways we try to save ourselves.
Twenty-nine-year-old Nina Abrahams is not in a good place. She’s been fired from her restaurant manager job after she stands up to her bully of a boss, her motivational speaker mother is helping other people get their lives on track and ignoring the derailing of her daughter’s, and her best friend, Lucas Wilson, the guy she’s loved since she was eighteen, can’t seem to look beyond the girl in braces to the woman she is now.
When a new opportunity comes up, Nina decides it’s the perfect time to start over. The restaurant needs a reinvention and so does she. Unfortunately for Nina, the restaurant comes with hostile servers, a belligerent chef, and an owner averse to change.
But if Nina’s brave enough to take on the restaurant and tackle the people out to sabotage her, perhaps she can find the courage to tell Lucas how she really feels, even if it means risking the most important relationship in her life.
If you liked The Cheat Sheet and The Bodyguard, then you’ll love this feel-good romantic novel.
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