Member Reviews
The conclusion to the Pieces of Me duet was satisfying. We as human beings take many things to heart...take blame for things that are completely out of our control. Jez and James are classic examples. They live their lives based on the mistaken belief that they could have changed the events that shaped their lives. This book focuses on James Blakely's past and on how the events that made him the man he is today continue to evolve around him. There are lessons to be learned about letting others in, allowing those you love to help carry the load of your emotional baggage. Will James learn to trust Jez or is their relationship doomed to burn in the aftermath of lies that were kept and omissions that threaten everyone around them.
Truth We Bear is book #2 in the Pieces of Me Series. Book #1 being Lies We Keep.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved that it was James' point of view. James found himself dealing with his past in this book with Jezebel right by his side.
I also loved the two-in-one story. It kept me so invested through the whole book.
I seriously hope that can get a third book with James & Jezebel now that they have dealt with their past...maybe a happy happy happy ever after.
Truth We Bear is the second book in the Pieces of Me series. This book continues with the two main characters from book one, James and Jezebel. In this book we learn more about James. It is his past that now has come to catch up to him. Truth We Bear was a fast paced, sexy romance that was an okay read for me. The conflict of the story revolved in him not being completely open about his past with Jezebel. Due to this he lied and omitted things causing problems between them. Also, there was just too much sexy times for my taste. It got a little too repetitive for me that I just skimmed those scenes. To me it seemed that they had a more physical connection than an emotional one. I did like that James admired Jezebel for how overcame her ordeal
The conflict at the end resolved too easily.
I love that this book is in James POV. You must read the first book or you will be completely lost. I look forward to more from this author.
Oh James.. how I wanted to smack you upside your head a few times and tell you to be truthful. This was all in his POV, which I liked. You got to see inside his head about a few things from Jez’s book and his past at Living Light. Proving how creepy those communities can be :p Was a quick, easy read that was insightful and entertaining.
Must read after you read Lies We Keep or you will be lost. Jezebel and James are back in the Truth We Bare. You are going to love this one. You were right there with Jezebel and watched James help her heal. Now we learn more about James and his demons. Can I just say how much I loved this book and series. Danielle Rose takes you on this wonderful journey of surviving and healing with these two souls and adds this love that is so strong along the way. James you just want to hold onto him even more when you find out more about his past. I really love Jezebel and James together. They are so strong and bring out the best in each other. I don't want to give too much away with this one. You are just going to have to read it for yourself. I couldn't put this down. I'm so in love with the Pieces of Me series. I can't wait to get my hands on more of Danielle Rose's books.
The first book was the blast and I was very excited for the second part in this series.
The story begins one year after the end of the first book.
This is James story, not his view of the events from the first book, but a story about his past and the demons that are haunting him everywhere. About his awful past, the lies that are connected with it, and the future he no longer hoped for, with the women that he loves. What happens when your lies and secrets caught up with you? What if the past begins to dictate your presence?
What when the past tries to destroy your future?
This book is completely dedicated to James and his terrible childhood that was already hinted at in the first book. We learn James horrible secrets from the past and his worst fears, when they knock at his door.
A very exciting, packed with action, a little mystery and a lot of erotic 🔥 book . It was a roller coaster of emotions and passion with a beautiful HEA.
Like the first book it was really good written and captivating.
I definitely enjoyed it 😍
Truth We Bear is the second book in the Pieces of Me duet. I think I loved this story more than book 1. This book was from James POV and it was great to learn more about his background. Glad I found this author!
This is the second installment in the Pieces of me duet. I loved getting to know James more and to be able to understand what life was like for him before he met Jezebel. James had already told her about his family living at Living Light and that his parent had passed away, but he has not told her the whole truth. As things come to light he is forced with telling her the truth or trying to protect her while keeping his secret.
This was a very complex book. It started in a commune and that life played a big part of James's attitude. He dearly loved his parents and he had trouble getting over the guilt surrounding them. A lot of the pieces finally came together toward the end. It was a good book that had a lot of heartache and healing in it
Howdy, howdy! It's the last Wednesday of April! Can you believe it? Time sure flies, I guess. Anyway, it's time for another book review! Actually, this month is a little different because I'm reviewing two books at once. My friend, Danielle Rose, has a duet coming out on May 14th, so I decided to see if I could get some Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) of the books. Thanks to NetGalley and Waterhouse Press, I did just that. The duet is called Pieces of Me and it's comprised of Lies We Keep and Truth We Bear. They are contemporary romances, so they're not my usual reads, but I knew that going in. I thought you should know as well. Anyway, as usual, I have to thank NetGalley and Waterhouse for allowing me access to the ARCs in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let's get on with it!
The Pieces of Me duet is centered around famous author, Jezebel Tate, and her bodyguard, James Blakely, as their relationship blooms from "just sex" into full blown love. Lies We Keep is told from Jezebel's perspective and follows her as she hires Blakely to protect her from her stalker. Along the way, she has to confront her past and accept that she isn't to blame for her parents' deaths. Truth We Bear is told in Blakely's perspective and follows him as he and his past chase each other into a head-on collision. He has to learn the same lesson as Jezebel, but under completely different circumstances.
Let's talk plots. The whole of the stories are vastly different, but both books are pretty similar if you boil them down to their bones. Both Jezebel and Blakely have to deal with stalkers while they sort out issues revolving around the deaths of their folks. Plus, they have to find time to cram in lots of steamy sex (a requirement of the romance genre, so don't pretend you didn't know it was coming). Granted, Jezebel's journey to resolving her issues is more internal and psychological while Blakely actually gets to confront people from his past, but still similar. I enjoyed the parallels.
The characters were interesting and mostly fleshed out. Jezebel vacillates between a strong woman who knows what she wants and takes it and an insecure woman who feels that only a big strong man can save her. It's annoying at times, but not out of the realm of believability. Blakely is basically your average stoic dom on the outside with a bunch of weird insecurities inside (I say weird because I didn't understand why he was worried about her leaving him over what happened when he was a kid). Tara, the literary agent, was a neat character that I felt could have been used more. As far as the bad people go, I felt like Jezebel's stalker could have shown up earlier and played a bigger part. He seemed a little like an afterthought. I really liked Blakely's stalker, though. Her development was quick, but nicely done. And lastly, the pastor (Blakely's actual bad guy) was a bit flat.
The writing is crisp and flows well. It makes for a quick read. There are some gestures that became repetitive. Distractingly so. Lots of bit lips and bobbing Adam's apples and clenched jaws, especially in the first book. But to be fair, this happens in every romance I read, so I guess it's a genre thing. But what I really liked was that they're written to work as both a duet and standalone novels, so even if you only read one, you get the pleasure of a satisfying ending.
Ultimately, both books in the Pieces of Me duet were fun and I'm glad I read them. It's good to get outside of my comfort zone once in a while.
Overall, I gave both books 4 out of 5 stars. The issues I had with them are minor and seem fairly common in the genre. If you like romance and lots of random sex, these are definitely worth a look.
This is the second book in the series. It was released along with Lies We Keep as standalones, but I think in order to get the full concept ( and background) you really need to read both books.
The first book was written from Jezebells point of view. While this book is from James' point of view.
This is well written from a new favorite author..
Truth We Bare is the second and final book in the Pieces of Me series, and it can be read as a stand-alone. Basically, this is the story from James’ POV, and we also get some valuable insight into his past which pieces together some previously missing facts. A much better story than book one, and rounded out the storyline and plot nicely.
Oh wow. The life he endured blows my mind. I could not put this story down. I was desperate to know more. Danielle you did an amazing job on this series!
Truth We Bear was the second in the Pieces of Me series. I really enjoyed both books but may have liked this one a little bit better than the first. It was always evident that James Blakely had been through some difficult times. In this book, we find out exactly what he lived through as a child. The fact that he hides it from Jezebel almost destroys their relationship.
Let me say that I really appreciated that in this duet we are able to get a POV from Jezebel in the first book, Lies We Keep and from James in this book. Both books had original plot lines that were woven together with the two main characters. It was nicely done.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
James put everything on the line for Jezebel and they are just finding their way back to each other. He always knew that his past would come back to haunt him but he never expected it to find Jezebel. If James leaves Jez to deal with his past will she continue to move forward in her recovery or will she crumble?
We learned about James’s secrets in the first book but this book is told from his perspective. It was a great follow up. I really hope we get more James and Jez books in the future.
in Truth We Bear by Danielle Rose we are able to dig into James Blakely's story more. It was a very interesting story as it was part - there is no way this could happen and part ripped from the headlines. Living Light had all the classic makings of a couple who wanted to escape the exhausting lifestyle of NYC which turned into a cult like atmosphere that changed everyone's lives.
Blakely compartmentalized his life from the first day he escaped and I can imagine that it was the only way for him to survive. For me, I really enjoyed this part of the duet a bit more than part one, although they were both solid reads.
This is the second book I read by this author. It was another wonderful book I definitely suggest these books if you haven’t read them.