AotM ~ Broken Pieces & Full Circle by Riley Hart (Reviews+Giveaway)

Join us in welcoming our May's Author of the Month, the very talented Riley Hart!!!

AotM: Broken Pieces & Full Circle by Riley Hart (Reviews)

Title: Broken Pieces

Author: Riley Hart

Pages: 444

Published: Febuary 2, 2014

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Can three broken pieces make a whole?

Josiah Evans is the orphan who lost both his parents. He’s sweet, shy, and all heart. He wants nothing more than to be loved.

Mateo Sanchez is the son of a gang leader. He’s seen it all, and never hesitates to do what needs to be done, no matter what it is.

Tristan Croft is the wealthy attorney who clawed his way up from the bottom to rule his own world. He’ll never depend on anyone but himself again.

Three men who couldn’t be more different…and yet, as their lives intersect they find an uncommon balance that calms the storms inside each of them, and ignites fires hotter than they ever thought imaginable.

Told in three parts and spanning over ten years, BROKEN PIECES is a journey of healing for three fragmented souls, finding love in the unlikeliest of places—with each other.

5 Stars! 

Ugh! I needed the Kleenex with this one. These men broke my heart.

What I Loved: Broken Pieces is broken up into 3 parts. First, Josiah and Mateo as teenagers, which truly sets the groundwork for the whole story. The second part is Josiah and Tristan and finally the third is all three men. Each section broke my heart and warmed it at the same time. I loved all three of them and to see everything that they go through in search for just a tiny bit of happiness is a truly emotional ride. (I don't want to give too much away because, honestly, you have to experience everything yourself to see how beautiful these men are together).

Josiah: *sighs* As a boy, Josiah was so sweet, I just couldn't help but fall in love with him. He was so unbelievably vulnerable and I just couldn't help but think he did not belong in the life he was living. He deserved so much more, he deserved loving parents and friends and to be able to trust people. Meeting Mateo and the bond they shared, their love for one another was so sweet. It was innocent and pure and they both needed it so much.

As an adult, it's hard to see what has become of Josiah because this man is so broken, he's barely living. He has only one friend in the entire world because he can't trust anyone and he can't take another person abandoning him. It's like the light is completely gone from him and I hurt for him.

Mateo as a young man was special. Here's a guy who came from more violence than anything else. He couldn't get close to anyone and he didn't trust people and with good reason. It was different with Josiah, though, and he needed what they had more than anything. Josiah was his reason for trying to be a better person, he felt the need to protect and take care of him. He'd do anything, risk anything for him and that's what made him that much more special.

As a man, Mateo was probably just as special because of all he lived through and still, the best part of his life was with Josiah. He didn't want to be the man his family made him be, deep down he wasn't. Mateo has always been good he just needs to know he deserves to be happy.

Tristan, while we don't get to actually see Tristan as a teenager, we are given a bit of his back story and he too lived a life that was full of heartbreak and struggles. His mother struggled to take care of them and was manipulated into selling her body to ensure they survived. Tristan having witnessed what slowly broke her, lives with the guilt that he could not help even if he was a kid. Now as a man he knows the only person he can count on is himself.

When Tristan meets a very broken Josiah they slowly over time (we're talking years) become friends, then roommates and eventually lovers. It's not just a slow burn, it gives us the knowledge that it's serious and it means everything. Josiah is trying to build a life even if there is a huge Mateo shaped hole in his heart and slowly it's happening but he and Tristan are still two broken pieces not quite fitting together perfectly.

Then, it gets even more intense because out of the blue Mateo returns and their worlds are turned upside down once again. Now Josiah is faced with two men he loves, two men he can't imagine living without and choosing between them would break him. I loved that he never has to because it turns out they fit better as three than they do as just two.

What I Liked: The secondary characters, Elliot, who is Josiah's one friend as an adult. He adds a bit of comic relief to an otherwise very intense, dramatic and bittersweet story. The same for Tristan's friend, Ben. They bring laughs during their conversations with Josiah and Tristan.

What I Didn't Like: there is not much I didn't like about Broken Pieces. If I had to pick something, it would have to be that I would've liked to know what happened to the foster parents (Molly was sick and probably passed), I wanted them to see what these men had become. That they were together and in love.

Overall, this was a beautifully written story and I highly recommend it. Riley Hart managed to create a story about 3 men who truly belonged together.

Title: Full Circle

Author: Riley Hart

Pages: 307

Published: September 2, 2014

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Nothing in life is ever easy, and no one is more painfully aware of that than Josiah Evans, Mateo Sanchez, and Tristan Croft. They know what they want—each other—but with three people as broken as they are, all those pieces aren't so easily mended.

Josiah is their glue. All he wants is to give his men what they need.

Mateo wants to absolve himself of his sins. To be worthy of love and to protect it.

Tristan must let go of his past, must learn how to need, and what it really means to take care of someone.

To keep the balance intact, they all have their roles to play. But what happens if the balance shifts? What happens when someone doesn’t play the right part? If one of them falters, they all feel the strain.

The only way to complete their full circle is for all their pieces, despite the curves and rough edges, to fit together perfectly. To do that, Josiah, Mateo, and Tristan must learn to get over the pasts that have defined who they are. And when an old enemy returns and threatens the foundation of their new life, decisions will be made, and boundaries will be tested that could change their lives forever.

4.5 Stars! 

What I Loved: They say Josiah is the glue but I didn't really feel like that. They are all important in their relationship and it would never completely work if it was only two of them. It may seem that with their past Mateo and Josiah were more but truth be told Tristan gives Mateo things he needs and can't get from Josiah. The same for Tristan. Both men have more experience with the darker side of life, they've seen and done things Josiah hasn't had to experience. That's why Mateo and Tristan need one another because they can be there for each other once the demons come knocking.

I also was so happy that the people that mattered to them, Rhonda, Elliot and Ben all accepted their relationship. They see why they're together and how good it is for them instead of judging them. Rhonda is so great with Mateo and it was sweet to see him with her.

What I Liked: Things aren't magically perfect now that they are all together. It takes hard work and they still have to fight back their pasts and insecurities. It was much more realistic to see them going through these things.

What I Didn't Like: I sometimes had trouble picturing Josiah being as old as he is. The way he's treated sometimes it's almost like he's only 20-years-old, not late 20's. Mateo and Tristan always seem so much older than Josiah.

Overall, I really loved Full Circle. It was nice to see how these men were navigating their new relationship and dealing with everything going on around them. This story really gave us a look at who Tristan was and how he was changing because of their relationship. Mateo has to deal with his past catching back up to them and how to keep them safe. At the same time, Josiah is finally so close to getting his dream. Full Circle is a lot more action-packed than book 1. A lot less angst-ridden, too, but still highly recommendable.

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