Member Reviews
This book was truly gripping from start to finish. I found myself sneaking the odd few pages here and there at work as I could not put this down. The first chapter had me hooked and held my attention all through the story from start to finish.
I enjoy books where there is different points of view and narration is from various characters perspectives, I feel that in general this helps to build up a bigger picture of the story and know what is going on inside the mind of more characters. I especially liked the use of Michael's point of view.
I was kept guessing throughout this book. Drew remembering her past with Adam and building up to the present day kept me intrigued and I was, at times, wondering whose version of events was correct. Was Drew as mentally unstable as she had been made out to be or was she on the run for genuine reasons.
This is a dark and creepy thriller and I will be recommending it to friends and family.
I hope that J.M. Winchester continues to write in this genre as I would be excited to read more. Thank you to Netgalley for approving me to read the kindle version of this prior to its release.
I started All The Lovely Pieces at ten o'clock at night, naively thinking I would read a little bit and then go to bed. At 1:18 a.m., I finished this book without pausing or setting it down and coming back later. Drew's story reeled me in on page one. On the run with her son from her billionaire husband and wanted by the law, she tries to live her life with no attachments. Michael makes friends in the new town and Drew's well thought out plans are tossed out the window. The story seeps out a little at a time until the horrors and truth smacks you upside the head and leaves you rooting for Drew. Exciting and chilling, this story demands finishing in one sitting while leaving the reader with a hangover full of shock and awe. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
If you try to drown your sorrows........they eventually learn how to swim.
Drew is on the run. Period.
She and her nine year old son, Michael, have lived in the dark shadows since almost the day of his birth. But this time they've come upon a small town in Missouri with a highly ironic name. Liberty. Drew hasn't felt one iota of release since they left Seattle on that fateful day.
Adam was suppose to be a haven of strength for Drew when she first met him through her father. He recognized her art talent that day when she brought in her portfolio. Her prints were to be displayed at the Herman Gallery. Adam had a very persuasive personality as the CEO of C2 Technologies. Before Drew knew it, she and Adam were married and Drew was expecting their first child.
And what Drew wasn't expecting was the drastic change in Adam. Possessive to the point of cruel, Adam hardly allowed Drew out of his sight. after Michael was born. As readers, we will take a front seat witnessing. Adam's over-the-top behavior. In a sheer moment of good fortune, Drew and Michael escape from the gated house. But Drew will leave behind drifting and uncertain memories of what occured in the last moments in that nursery.......and the blood that stained the carpet.
J.M. Winchester sweeps Drew and her son from one harrowing situation to the next. She and Michael have lived in dives and changed their identities. They've managed to stay ahead of their past. But it's here in Liberty that Drew begins to let her guard down inch by inch inviting phantoms from the past. Phantoms that don't have Drew's best interest in mind.
All the Lovely Pieces is relayed through the voices of Drew, Michael, and Catherine (Who will be revealed as you set foot in this one). Winchester does a fine job of carving out the intensity and the fear residing in the character of Drew. Because of her strings are so taut, Drew will have a tendency to be sharp-edged at times and almost off-putting. But we'll give our girl a break as the twists and turns of the story start to surface. Sleeping with a box cutter under your pillow makes for some pretty sliced up nightmares come morning.
I received a copy of All the Lovely Pieces through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to J.M. Winchester and to Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity.
This was a page turner! A who-done-it type of book full of evil and lies. Written with 4 different viewpoints (the husband, the nanny, the mother and the child) what a mother would go through for a child and why you should never hire the nanny 😂. I actually had a nightmare while reading this one 😂. I absolutely loved it!
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read All the Lovely Pieces.
I found this story to be well written, the characters stood on their own. I liked that you got some snip-it's of other characters as well with there thoughts. Some of the "abuse by the husband" parts I found to be unbelievable. It seems in books that when a husband calls his wife crazy it is automatically believed. Even when the wife is bruised and battered nobody blinks an eye. That for some reason bothers me. Luckily that isn't all that was in this book, there was more that kept me reading. The ending was kind of blah, I wish the author got more into the relationships between Drew and Michael her son as well as her explaining everything to Parker. It just sort of jumped to her court date. All in all I enjoyed this book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. This was incredible! It really hits home whenever I read anything involving a mother wanting to protect her child over anything else. I can relate to that need as my son is everything to me. The writing, the characters, the plot, the thrills, everything was great in this book! I loved it from start to finish!
This is my first book by J.M.Winchester and I must say, it was just okay for me.
The story was told from several different perspectives and went from past to present with flashbacks. The characters were very well developed and the author paints a picture of a wide range of emotions with Drew; the main character. How she's been on the run with her son since he was a baby, trying to escape her abusive, multi-billionaire psychopath husband and his callous, manipulative, overblown-ego ways. She craves normalcy for her son and her sheer terror of her past with her abusive psychotic husband always has her second guessing every decision she makes.
She settles in a small no-name town called Liberty with her son; Michael, whom is now 9 years old.
Some parts in the book were a bit repetitive and slow but I understand that the author wanted to make sure we (readers) knew what it would be like to be living with that kind of fear.
About 1/3 of the way through the book, it picks up and doesn't let go. I was flipping pages well past my bedtime to find out what happens next. The author plants many twists and turns you won't see coming. I would recommend to anyone who likes suspense/thrillers. I will also definitely be checking out other books by this author as well.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for this ARC!
This book! It sucked me in on page one and I finished it in no time. Suspenseful, gripping, on the edge of your seat terror!! I'm recommending it to every reader that I know.
All the Lovely Pieces was like jumping into a freezing pool on a scorching day; it was fun, intense, and the jolt I needed for getting out of my reading slump.
Drew Crenshaw is running for her life. Fleeing her abusive (yet insanely rich and handsome) husband has her constantly paranoid, alert and scared. Not only is she fleeing the abuse, but because of actions she took before she fled, she has everyone convinced that she's insane, dangerous and a murderer.
Drew fled with her son and has yet to make roots in the 9 years she's been on the run. But, now that her son Micheal is getting older, he's not only asking questions but he's also more inclined to want to stay in one place for longer than a couple of weeks. This leaves Drew to decide between her safety and her son's happiness. As she continues to run from the demons of her past, she quickly realizes that if she's going to outrun them forever, she's going to need to get a whole lot faster.
I loved All the Lovely Pieces for a lot of reasons. At times it broke my heart. At times it made me so mad I saw red. At times, it made me hopeless. In the end, it brought just a bit of light.
I thought Winchester accurately captured the fear of an abused woman, while also showcasing the range of emotions that one feels as they leave the only life they've ever known. Even though Drew was running from a man that was evil incarnate, she still found herself lusting after what she once had. She found herself remembering the man that she thought she loved while also consciously acknowledging that he was not ever the man she thought he was. Drew's fear was nearly palpable ; her worry and paranoia completely understandable. You saw her grapple with feelings of unworthiness and disgust - during those moments, I found myself yelling to Drew "you are worthy. You don't deserve this. You're enough. It's not your fault."
I also liked digging into Drew's relationship with her parents - in fact, if there's one thing I would have changed about the book it would be that we dug into that hole a bit deeper. There were a lot of topics that I wish we dug into a bit deeper, but I also appreciate the author not answering every question I had and allowing me to make my own assumptions for some of the aspects of this novel.
I found myself wanting to jump into this novel, wrap my arms around Drew and tell her it will be ok. The fear that radiated off the page made my heart hurt for all of the woman that are fleeing abusive husbands, but it also made me hopeful for those that find their way out.
Many thanks to NetGalley for my early copy of All the Lovely Pieces in exchange for my honest review.
Extremely dark and disturbing thriller that I could not put down even if I wanted to. Written in two timelines from three points of view, three women and a child reel from physical and emotional abuse of a powerful and despicable man. The resulting real and emotional impact is heartbreaking for all involved. Intriguing writing style where not too much is revealed and a sense of dread rises from the pages (and the readers stomach) towards a climax that we all know can’t be good.
An excellent addictive story written in the style of many bestselling thrillers of recent years.
This book keeps you reading and not want to put it down; in fact at times you forget you are reading it, you are so absorbed in the story.
The anxiety and panic and Drew feels reflects itself in the reader, and this is the true sign of a good storyteller.
The use of the alternating characters adds more pace to an already fast paced story.
I see this being optioned for TV / film.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read prior to release.
Wow! Absolutely brilliant! Thank you netgalley.
9 years on the run with a child. Moving around all of the time. Deciding to settle down and enrol her son into a school where she reluctantly makes friends with other parents.
Life begins to become "normal" for drew and Michael, although drew is still trying to find her own answers to the past.
I can't really say too much else without spoiling it. The twist with Michael, Adam and Drew towards the end.... I didn't see that coming!
I think it could have had another chapter with what happened next. After. But maybe it's been left there for a sequel?
The suspense kept me reading All the Lovely Pieces when I should've been doing other things--laundry, cooking, walking the dog, and even driving the kids to VBS. Yes, this book made my kids late to VBS. I certainly use un-put-down-able-ness as one criteria for deciding if a book was good or not, so I'd say this one was definitely a success. I'm also a sucker for a happy ending, and I am pleased that this ending was realistic, with Drew not getting off completely, still having to serve some time to make a point to the public. Throughout reading, I was periodically bothered by the super quick storyline involving Parker. Within a chapter (maybe not, but it seemed), they are in love, expecting, and moving in together. Improbable. And then, when Parker finds the scrapbook, he doesn't want to hear Drew's explanation, he just immediately calls the cops. Now come on...is that true love? I think not. If I thought my lover and baby daddy was a murderer, and that went against everything I knew to be true about him, I'd at least listen to what he had to say before I ratted him out. Either way, superb story that I really enjoyed reading! Sorry VBS leaders! We'll be on time tomorrow!
Wow! This book will keep you up at night until the last page is read. It is a very suspenseful page turner of a book. Generally speaking, most thrillers are somewhat predictable. All The Lovely Pieces was absolutely not predictable. Loved this exciting, thrilling, well written book.
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
J.M. Winchester delivers a fascinating narrative full of decisive madness and mystery. The perpetual underlying apprehension she creates does something special in supporting the plot with this unnerving addiction, daring the reader to put the book down. The characters are well-crafted and surprising. Winchester leaves the reader in anticipation by slowly defining the story’s true antagonist and protagonist. While some of the foreshadowing is perceptible, especially for avid readers of this genre, it does nothing to take away the unveiling of events. Great novel for book clubs everywhere as the ending leaves much to be discussed. Loved it. 5 stars.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #ThomasandMercer for this ARC of #AllTheLovelyPieces
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. J.M. Winchester, the alter-ego author name of a known romance writer, has certainly captured the evil mind in her first attempt at writing a psychological thriller. We meet Drew and her son Michael as they are starting their lives, yet again, in a new town. It’s why they’re running that will grab you. This book had me torn between not being able to put it down and not being able to read any more. Being told from three different characters’ perspectives builds the intensity and drama as the storyline unfolds slowly. Not knowing whom to believe as being crazy adds to the suspense. The reader wants to be sympathetic to Drew and wants to believe in her, yet the author cleverly keeps us unsure of her motives or actions as Drew, herself, struggles to remember the truth. Reader be warned: this book takes you to some very dark places, but if you like books that draw you to the edge of not being able to read any more, this is one for you!
This book took a bit of getting into but I'm glad I stuck with it. J.M Winchester is a good author and I'll definitely look into more of her books. The story line of this book was really interesting with turns that you didn't expect. I liked the way she gave you insights and the story was told from different perspectives, I just wish she had given more insight into parker. All in all a good book.
All the Lovely Pieces is a book written by J.M Winchester.
This story is about Drew who escapes with her son from her violent billionaire husband, Adam, and has been on the run for 9 years before her past catches up with her.
Told in the voices of Drew, her son Michael and Adam’s mistress - Catherine the book is a good read but I was left wanting more. This was reminiscent of a lot of books which focus on domestic abuse with the protagonist managing to escape, life on the run and the aftermath.
I am a huge reader of thrillers and although I liked the book I did not love it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an review.
All The Lovely Pieces is an adult psychological thriller told in three points of view.
In the first perspective we follow Drew. For the past 9 years she and her son Michael have been on the run,never staying in one place for long. In the beginning of the book they settle down in the small town called Liberty. From the start we can see that the choise of place was not random,Drew is clearly after something. Very fast we learn that 9 years ago Drew killed her son's nanny,took her son and ran away from her abusive husband Adam. But the problem is,even she herself is not so sure that is what really happened as she suffers from some memory loss. So she is somewhat of an unreliable narrator. As the book goes on you start to ask more questions:is she telling the truth about her husband? Is she maybe mentally ill? The spooky stuff that's been happening to her in this town-is it real or just hallucinations? What is she looking for in Liberty?
The second perspective is Drew's son Michael. Though his povs were very short they definitely added to the creepiness factor of the story.
And the third POV is Catherine,the woman by Adam's side. Now her chapters were hella twisted. She gave off some Stockholm syndrome vibes and it freaked me the hell out.
The plot was really engaging, I read the book in two days. When I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it. But I did not like the ending. They do this kind of ending a lot for horror movies and I never liked it.
But the major problem I had was the believability of some events. The same things were happening in the book Behind Closed Doors by B.A.Paris. I remember not buying it then and I did not buy it now. All the husband has to do is label his wife crazy and then everyone and anyone believes them right away. The heroine would scream for help,for the police and just clearly be in distress. But as soon as people hear the word crazy they loose all interest. Never thought that's believable. My neighbor has some memory loss. The day after his sister would leave he'd claim she had not visited him for months. And he would tell that to people and they would believe him even though they know about his condition. At times that cost his sister quite a few problems. Because people would believe in his emotions. Now,Drew could be bruised, covered in blood, dresses horribly and screaming at the top of her lungs for help but you still tell me that not one soul would care? Unlikely.
I also didn't like the amount of violence in this book. I understand Drew suffered a lot of abuse, but there was no need for such long descriptions of it. Catherine's chapters in comparison felt deliciously creepy without being explicit.
I would recommend this book for the interesting story and the characters .
A suspenseful, page-turning mystery/thriller with quite a cast of characters.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43706711