Thank you Bethany House for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to read/review at this time due to sensitive content in the book (trigger warning below). Many of my friends have read and reviewed this at 4 stars (the rating I'm using here is for that reason) and I'm sure it's great, but not the right thing for me at this time. I look forward to future books from this author.



TW: Miscarriage (not a spoiler, mentioned very early in the book).

There's a lot to enjoy in this novel! This is my first read by Carmen Schober and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I watch my fair share of home improvement shows—so that element combined with the gorgeous cover got my attention right away. I loved the setting and the premise.

I will admit, I had some small qualms, mostly related to the hero. The "hot alpha male/military sniper who loves guns" thing just isn't quite my jam, which I realize is personal preference more than anything. But also—I would've actually loved seeing Cassidy and Georgina work through their initial differing perspective on guns a little more. It could've been a neat and relatable thing to show two adults that maintain opposite perspectives but choose to respect each other's opinions. Instead, well . . . I don't want to give a spoiler, so I'll just say the way that thread played out took away a little of the romance for me.

But I don't want to make it sound like I didn't enjoy this book—I definitely did and I'd be interested to read more by Carmen Schober. I loved how the author included imperfect characters, many of their flaws on full display, and took us on a journey as they worked through their hurts and hopes.

Have you ever been at the top of your game only to watch it all slide away? That's where Georgina Havoc finds herself. She's spent years building her brand in the home improvement television industry. But just as true success seems to be within her grasp circumstances out of her control begin chipping away until she's left with crumbs.

So what's a girl to do? Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again. And that's what she does. She heads out to a quaint little town that has fond childhood memories. It also has the rugged Cassidy Stokes. He's a little farther down the recovery road than Georgina but it's still an ongoing journey.

This is the first book I've read by Carmen Schober and I really enjoyed it. The story does contain a lot of fixer-upper elements so if that's your thing you are in for a treat. That's not really my thing but I liked the characters and the overall story. You can't help but cheer these two on. There are seemingly insurmountable things that should keep the two apart, but my goodness you want them to find a way to be together.

I'm looking forward to going back and reading her previous book After She Falls and I'm going to be eagerly awaiting her next novel. I hope you'll give this one a chance. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.

No one can accuse this author of being all style with no substance. I love HGTV and renovation shows, so was eager to give this book a go because of that angle. Some hard topics tackles, but grace covered all.

Add this book to your 2023 TBR lists! Carmen brings a very compelling, thought provoking contemporary romance in her newest book Pretty Little Pieces. If you love shows about home decor/DIY and a little sizzle to your sweet clean romance then this book is for you!

Georgiana Havoc, an interior designer and rising star in Nashville, has everything lined up and on track for her life. Till she doesn’t. Her boyfriend puts her on “Pause”, and her reality tv career is on thin ice unless she can convince the TV network to take a chance on her for a solo show. She heads to Taragon Tennessee, to set the stage for her new show, hoping to pull the broken pieces of her life together.

An ex-militarily with his own battle scars, Cassidy Stokes has made peace with his struggles thanks to a found faith in God and unshakable friends and family who wouldn’t let him sink deeper into his troubles. He isn’t looking for a relationship, yet when a near hit and miss throws Georgiana into Cassidy’s orbit the attraction between the two is undeniable.

Sparks fly and things sizzle in this opposites-attract romance. I love how patient Cassidy is with Georgiana as she learns to open up her heart not just to a new romantic relationship but to faith in God. Their flirty banter and honest exchanges about belief in God were equally enjoyable to read. Carmen doesn’t dodge hard topics or the issues in their pasts but expertly weaves them into the story making it very real to life with a happy ending we all enjoy and want in a romance book.

I am always uncertain about how I will feel about contemporary stories when I start to read them. I wonder will they hold my attention and make me feel like I went on a journey outside of my own life. I had nothing to worry about with Carmen’s story. It was engaging from beginning to end. A diverse and entertaining cast of characters had me feeling like I was settling in with my favorite movie.

TW: Miscarriage, past alcohol addiction, death of spouse

This book I'm sure would be a wonderful read for someone without my personal experience of a miscarriage in the midst of the holidays. I am not choosing to rate or review elsewhere because I feel like my life experience and emotions are not a fair indicator of this author's voice and the joy she can bring to other readers. However, I do wish that there had been a trigger warning in either the synopsis or prior to the first chapter so that I could have been made aware instead of blindsided. I'm leaving a three star only because I can't not choose a star count and Netgalley's suggestion for a DNF is this rating.
This will not in any way discourage me from reading this author in the future as I know other readers who have enjoyed her novel.
Thank you to Bethany House and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

I love a good redemption story and Pretty Little Pieces by Carmen Schober is truly a fantastic one. Georgina Havoc is a designer on a home show who is trying to make a comeback after her relationship with her co-star falls apart. Cassidy Stokes has walked through so much pain and never thought he would be in a place to dream again about a better life.

This book is edgy and gritty in all the best ways. The author does not step around the hardships and troubles of life. She takes her characters and readers through the messy things while maintaining hope. This story had the depth and realness that kept me coming back for more. I was so engaged in the story I stayed up late to read, and was so sad when the story ended. Highlights for me were the secondary cast of characters; the behind the scenes of making a reality show; and humor woven in with realness.


This story has themes of forgiveness, friendship, and hope for the future. It was a pleasure to watch the characters grow and change. I highly recommend this book! This is the author’s second book and I feel she is someone to watch. I look forward to her future books.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review. .

I absolutely loved PRETTY LITTLE PIECES and I'm delighted that Carmen Schober does not shy away from life's difficulties, including worldly temptations, with respect to her characters' arcs. I understand that some readers will be hesitant. For example, the main character is living with her boyfriend at the beginning of the book. I loved this. It's real life. The characters are tempted in realistic ways. This makes their redemption arc so incredibly satisfying (while, hopefully, steering clear of a judgmental tone). This type of book is why I keep coming back to Christian fiction. Give me real life with all its ugliness. Faith will make it beautiful.

Carmon Schober follows up her debut novel with another great contemporary read that fans of HGTV will fall in love with!

Georgina Havoc and her boyfriend Lance Broussard are the newest up and comers following in the footsteps of Chip and Joanna Gaines. But when their fairytale romance falls apart, Georgina comes up with the idea of reinventing herself and creating her own show by renovating a cottage in a tiny town on the outskirts of Tennessee. Having been billed as a package deal, Georgina now must prove that she has enough to offer the network without their star, Lance. The town and trying to get her show in order are stressful enough, but when her sister comes to town, things get even tougher. To top it off, she finds herself around Cassidy Stokes, an ex-sniper that quickly develops feelings for Georgina. While trying to pick up the pieces of her life, she must decide if she is going to stick with what she knows or trying something new.

Carmen Schober blew me away last year with her debut novel, After She Falls. I was excited to read her next book, Pretty Little Pieces. The hard thing is when an author writes such an amazing book it becomes difficult to follow it up with something as wonderful. Pretty Little Pieces was a good read but falls in a completely different genre than what I was expecting. The story of Georgina and all that she went through while Lance decided he needed time is well played out, it is written where it is very easy to dislike Lance and cheer for Georgina to come out on top. Schober has a way of writing characters with such depth that readers will be pulled in deep and not be able to look away until the story is over. Georgina and Cassidy had a great connection and I loved the way they are written. Georgina has gone through a lot in a very short amount of time and as a reader I felt for her deeply and that is the mark of a great author. I recommend this book to readers that love contemporary romance novels.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Title: Pretty Little Pieces
Author: Carmen Schober
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Ambitious influencer Georgina Havoc and her designer beau Lance Broussard have been dubbed the the next Chip and Joanna Gaines, but their happily-ever-after falls apart when Lance blindsides her with a "pause." The show must go on, so Georgina takes on the task of renovating a forgotten cottage in the tiny, tight-knit town of Tarragon, Tennessee on her own.

Georgina has a plan to save her relationship--and her show--but a surprise drop-in from her troubled twin sister makes things extra messy. That, and the presence of rugged ex-sniper Cassidy Stokes, who throws a wrench in all her plans.

As she puts the pieces of her rippled life back together, will Georgina retreat to the familiar or embrace a new design?

This was a great read! I enjoyed the romance, as Georgina and Cassidy got to know each other. They were obviously perfect for each other! Cassidy’s ex was such a jerk, too. I loved the friendship between Georgina and her best friend—that relationship was absolutely believable and so funny! I even loved the small town of Tarragon—nosy busybodies and all.

Carmen Schober lives in Kansas. Pretty Little Pieces is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 12/20.)

Pretty Little Pieces
by Carmen Schober
Pub Date: December 6, 2022
Bethany House
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
This is a new to me author, and I loved it. I like depth in books so I usually don't go for romance novels but this one was really good.
Ambitious influencer Georgina Havoc and her designer beau Lance Broussard has been dubbed the next Chip and Joanna Gaines, but their happily-ever-after falls apart when Lance blindsides her with a "pause." The show must go on, so Georgina takes on the task of renovating a forgotten cottage in the tiny, tight-knit town of Tarragon, Tennessee on her own.
Georgina has a plan to save her relationship--and her show--but a surprise drop-in from her troubled twin sister makes things extra messy. That, and the presence of rugged ex-sniper Cassidy Stokes, throws a wrench in all her plans.
As she puts the pieces of her rippled life back together, will Georgina retreat to the familiar or embrace a new design? 4 stars

First and foremost, I must admit that this is most definitely one of those instances where I 100% judged this book by it's cover... I don't know what it is about this one, but the beautiful image is absolutely what first drew me in. Thankfully, the story inside lived up to the expectation as well.

Right up front I want to say (at the risk of spoilers), this book does talk about some hard topics like miscarriage and addiction...and done so in a way that feels very genuine. As someone who has struggled with miscarriages, this is a topic that I really struggle to read about and do wish that I could have prepared myself for beforehand. That said, I am still so very glad I read this book. This is a 'fixer upper' story in all the best ways possible... Georgina is a star on a home renovation show, and much of the story revolves around the fixing up of an old cottage... but it's also a story of healing the broken pieces of us as well... with a very strong faith message throughout.

For a Christian fiction novel, this does get a little steamier than perhaps we're used to seeing in the genre. It's still clean, of course... but does acknowledge the idea that Christians are human and face temptation as well, which I don't think we see so much in the genre. I personally appreciate the realness of that, though I could see where some readers might not. (It should also be noted that it starts out with Georgina living with her boyfriend, though she is NOT really a Christian in the beginning either.)

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! Fans of Fixer Up and romances that tackle the real life struggles are certainly not going to want to miss it!

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

"I think I like to read about home improvement shows more than watching them."

This is a hard hitting contemporary romance. Georgina and Lance are part of a home improvement show, when things go sour after Georgina's announcement. Georgina decides to try to make it on her own and start a new home improvement show. Heading out to a small town she almost runs down a hunky farm boy. What follows is sweet romance, a lovely redemption story of faith and God's love for us and how He fights for us.

I loved how Carmen Schober took the main character and had her on a rocky path of faith, because a lot of us have been there. I feel having characters like this is important and shows that when we go through the worst, God is there to pick us up and love us. And how the main character found her newfound love for the Lord.

I loved seeing the house get renovated, and the friendships that developed between the local townspeople and the TV show people.

The kissing scenes started getting a little heavy for my taste, but nothing past that.

*trigger warnings: miscarriage, and a character has been going to AA meeting to help his past addiction

Thank you to Baker Publishing and #netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review.

This was a sweet book and I particularly loved the designer perspective. The romance was clean but had great tension. The banter was enjoyable as well as the supporting characters.

Carmen Schober continues to be a breath of fresh air in her writing. In her sophomore novel, Pretty Little Pieces, I was reminded once again why Carmen is quickly climbing the lists of my favorites. I love her realistic approach to her characters. They are fully human, quirky, and totally relatable. In this book, Georgina is trying to redefine her life and hold herself together after a series of “failures.” I love her honest search for how God fits into her life as all the shattered pieces no longer fit comfortably together. Cassidy is the type of hero my heart relates to. He’s broken, he knows it, and he doesn’t try to hide it. He doesn’t force or coax Georgina, but rather lets her talk, ask questions, and he asks questions in turn. I love how God’s pursuit of broken people is clearly presented in a captivating way. I love that there is palpable chemistry, but they take the time to build a genuine friendship. The last quarter of the book had me literally crying, laughing, cheering, and sighing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and absolutely look forward to more by this author.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

A huge thanks to Bethany House Publishing and Carmen Schober for my complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own,

I absolutely ate this book because I am fan of renovating shows and Joanna Gaines because who isn't . I love Carmen Schober now and there is nothing anyone can see. Pretty little pieces is a clean contemporary romance that follows Georgina Havoc who faces tragic in the form of a miscarriage and a 'pause' from her boyfriend Lance. In order to find her bearing she moves to Tarragon where she falls in love with the community , a former sniper Cassidy and rebuilds her relationship with her sister. It's a heartwarming story about how God will never stop chasing us, how he loves us and how his love is healing. Everyone should read it!

This book has a very complex plot and very complex characters. Havic, the heroine seems to have it all as a TV personality home flipper, but truly her life is a mess. She has been rejected by her boyfriend and her family is estranged. She is given a chance to reunite with her best friend/former costar to do a special house flipping that will be televised. Havic is not a Christian and has never seen the need to be. Then enters the hero who is a strong Christian and there is an immediate attraction between the two. Interesting to read how it all plays out with the former boyfriend wanting another chance and his sorrow seems genuine. Will they get back together? I was gifted an e-copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this review is in my own words.

First, a content warning: Pretty Little Pieces starts with a woman having a miscarriage. If that’s going to bother you, perhaps don’t read this one (or start reading at Chapter Two).

Second, Pretty Little Pieces is written in third person, present tense, which I found to be an odd combination. Most novels are third person, past tense. Some are first person, present tense, a combination which is especially popular in Young Adult fiction, or rom-coms. Third person, past tense isn’t unheard of, but it is unusual. It took me a while to get used to this combination – while I didn’t mind the present tense, the character voices were similar and mixed up Georgina and Cassidy a few times.

There was one other thing I should mention: I thought women were supposed to see a healthcare professional after having a miscarriage to ensure they hadn’t had a partial miscarriage (which can lead to some very nasty things). Joanna didn’t, and that bothered me.

Enough commentary. Let's talk about the novel. Georgina Havoc (great last name!) and her fiancé, Lance Broussard, are being touted as the next Chip and Joanna Gaines as they prepare to host (yet another) design/house flipping TV show. But their relationship – and partnership – evaporate when Lance ghosts her after she shares that she was pregnant but has miscarried.

Georgina’s agent and publicist come up with a new proposal to pitch to the network, featuring Georgina and her previous show partner, best friend Poppy. The network agree to Georgina Rebuilds, and Georgina is off to tiny Tarragon, Tennessee, to restore two neglected cottages.

Cassidy Stokes is a Tarragon local, currently working on the Harp House estate, where Georgina is staying. He’s ex-military and planning to go to El Salvador as a private security contractor … mostly to escape Tarragon and the memories of his first wife.

Georgina and Cassidy are attracted, but their developing relationship is complicated by the fact Georgina is still technically with Lance because she has a non-disclosure agreement saying she can’t announce any change in her relationship status until they agree a breakup – something that’s difficult to impossible when he’s ghosted her.

Pretty Little Pieces is part romance and part women’s fiction. Georgina and Cassidy are both point of view characters (which gives the story the romance feel), but the start is heavy on the women’s fiction side, and it’s definitely Georgina’s story.

I liked Georgina. She was a sympathetic character in a difficult situation who didn’t magically bounce back (as some characters do). She worked through her troubles, and it was good to see. (Although I did wonder why Lance acted how he did. I think there’s a story there as well.)

Cassidy is a strong Christian, and I liked the way he held firm to his faith and used his own experiences to help bring Georgina back to faith. I also liked Georgina’s twin sister – another character with issues that could be explored in a sequel.

I’m not a fan of house flipping shows and have never watched the Gaines’s show, yet I still enjoyed Pretty Little Pieces. I’m sure Gaines fans will love it even more.

Recommended for fans of fixer-upper reality shows or contemporary Christian romance that gets into the gritty side of life and faith.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

I heard the buzz about this book before I decided to read it. I figured with all the good things that were being said about it would make it a great read. I was sadly disappointed. I’m in the minority, I guess. The writing was good, but I could not connect with the characters. I consider that the main point in reading a book if the characters are well fleshed out and believable. This did not ring true to me. I was also disappointed at the beginning when the two characters were living together and the female one drank so much alcohol that she didn’t even remember falling asleep one night. This was a Christian fiction story but that bothered me. I know God redeems and the book ends differently, but it was just a deal breaker for me. As was the swearing and steamy scenes later. I want something different, I guess, from a Christian story. Sadly, this wasn’t it.
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book. The opinion is my own.
7 likes

✨Review - ‘Pretty Little Pieces’ by Carmen Schober
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This book gives off total HGTV vibes. Interior designer Georgina’s life is falling apart. So she and her publicity team decide to capitalize on her difficult circumstances by filming a pilot episode of a new series called Georgina Rebuilds. Moving from Nashville to a small town in Tennessee, Georgina and her friend Poppy begin the task of renovating a small cabin while navigating a host of family drama and dodging potentially damaging publicity.
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Along the way, they make new friends in town, including a cute local boy named Cassidy, and sparks fly between he and Georgina. He also encourages Georgina to lean into her relationship with God.
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This book was a well written contemporary romance, and I loved the small town vibes and the fun backdrop of a home reno show. It is unashamedly Christian, so just be prepared going in. The book also begins with a miscarriage, so you may want to proceed with caution if that is going to be a trigger for you.
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Thanks to @bethanyhousefiction for a complimentary copy of this in exchange for an honest review. This one came out yesterday and is now available.