Also by this author: After She Falls
Published by Bethany House on December 6, 2022
Genres: Fiction, Christian, Romance
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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?
Pretty Little Pieces is another splendid romance by Carmen Schober. Relatable characters, an entertaining plot, and strong messages of faith and second chances make for a novel that readers will not want to put down. Schober is no doubt a talented author, and one who does not shy away hard topics. What I appreciate most about her is her no-nonsense style of writing. Romance novels often bother me for the fluffy, boilerplate, feel-good language. Carmen Schober is honest and sometimes blunt. A sharp jawline, stunning eyes, and a muscular physique may make Cassidy a cliché male character in the physical sense, but he has his demons. So does Georgina. But they help each other fight their individual battles, while also fighting together for a promising future.
For me, there is a difference between “won’t want to put down” and “can’t.” The can’t novels are thrilling, edge-of-your-seat, the-character-might-die-if-you-don’t-keep-reading stories. They are the ones that keep you up at night, the ones you contemplate while you are at the grocery store. Pretty Little Pieces by Carmen Schober is not that. It is not suspenseful, nor does it have life-in-the-balance high stakes. Instead, the book focuses on more normal things. To a certain extent, anyway. I do not know about you, but my life involves no questions about television shows or cookbooks! However, I must contemplate where my future might lead—and with whom I might share it. I did not want to stop reading Pretty Little Pieces because I bit my nails; I read it because I genuinely grew attached to Georgina and Cassidy. You can read it at night and not worry about losing sleep!
The only things I did not like about the novel: First, Georgina’s twin sister. I will not go into details in light of spoilers, but I could have gone without her presence in the story. She is…very much a problem child, and she definitely makes things “extra messy,” as the book back cover notes. Her entire demeanor felt very juvenile to me. If I had not known she and Georgina were twins, I would have thought her much younger—in her teenage years. She really got on my nerves.
Second, the romance got a little too heated for me with this being a Christian romance. There’s no funny business. No veiled allusions to bedroom scenes. But the novel does talk of intimacy in manners I typically only come across in secular works. This, perhaps, goes back to Schober’s blunt honesty, as I mentioned in my first paragraph. Christians are not immune to lust or attraction; Pretty Little Pieces definitely demonstrates that.
Overall, Pretty Little Pieces by Carmen Schober is a very good addition to the Christian romance genre. I did not enjoy it as much as After She Falls, but I still recommend it and would read it again!