Pieces of Olivia(Charleston Haven #1)
by Melissa West
July 15, 2014
210 pages
Goodreads Summary:
Olivia Warren used to be a normal girl with a bright future.
But on one fated night, everything changed.
Hiding the scars of her past up her sleeves, Olivia transfers her enrollment from Columbia University to The College of Charleston, determined to pursue her own dreams for the first time in her life.
She intends to allow herself a bit of alone time to heal... that is, until she meets Preston.
Preston is best friends with her roommate, completely hot, and off-limits. But the chemistry between them is instantaneous—and as the pair begins to spend more time with one another, their feelings for each other build into something undeniable, something powerful enough to heal Olivia’s deepest scars.
Olivia tries to put her own past behind her and trust Preston, but she discovers that his past might be more present than she ever bargained for…
But on one fated night, everything changed.
Hiding the scars of her past up her sleeves, Olivia transfers her enrollment from Columbia University to The College of Charleston, determined to pursue her own dreams for the first time in her life.
She intends to allow herself a bit of alone time to heal... that is, until she meets Preston.
Preston is best friends with her roommate, completely hot, and off-limits. But the chemistry between them is instantaneous—and as the pair begins to spend more time with one another, their feelings for each other build into something undeniable, something powerful enough to heal Olivia’s deepest scars.
Olivia tries to put her own past behind her and trust Preston, but she discovers that his past might be more present than she ever bargained for…
Review
When I picked up this book, I didn't really expect anything. Even though the blurb interested me, I was just looking for a quick, fun NA read. A certain part of the story frustrated me otherwise, surprisingly, this book was good.
Olivia went through something horrible. What happened to her was definitely unique. I haven't read a NA book that had this premise. Her friends, including her bff and bf, died in a house fire. She was the only survivor. I'm not quite sure exactly how therapy works but her sessions with Rose seemed very rational. I like that what happened to her was revealed slowly. Rose paced Olivia so that she showed her raw emotions as she accepted the reality.
This was a romance-centered book but for the life of me I didn't understand the attraction between Olivia and Preston. It kind of just seemed like she was available and he was around so why not. Though I will give them credit for sharing some steamy moments.
I also have a huge problem with Preston's secret. Mainly because it's so OBVIOUS. How does anyone miss it when it's staring at you right in the face? Just whatttttt!!! The whole time I was waiting for Olivia to figure it out I wanted to chuck fruits at her. There were hints literally everywhere!
Despite the glaringly obvious secret, I still for the most part enjoyed this book. It reminds me of two other NA books. A combination of the two but I won't say which two in case it gets spoilery ;) The premise for the next book was clearly set up and I think I'm curious enough to want to continue.
Olivia went through something horrible. What happened to her was definitely unique. I haven't read a NA book that had this premise. Her friends, including her bff and bf, died in a house fire. She was the only survivor. I'm not quite sure exactly how therapy works but her sessions with Rose seemed very rational. I like that what happened to her was revealed slowly. Rose paced Olivia so that she showed her raw emotions as she accepted the reality.
This was a romance-centered book but for the life of me I didn't understand the attraction between Olivia and Preston. It kind of just seemed like she was available and he was around so why not. Though I will give them credit for sharing some steamy moments.
I also have a huge problem with Preston's secret. Mainly because it's so OBVIOUS. How does anyone miss it when it's staring at you right in the face? Just whatttttt!!! The whole time I was waiting for Olivia to figure it out I wanted to chuck fruits at her. There were hints literally everywhere!
Despite the glaringly obvious secret, I still for the most part enjoyed this book. It reminds me of two other NA books. A combination of the two but I won't say which two in case it gets spoilery ;) The premise for the next book was clearly set up and I think I'm curious enough to want to continue.
Glad you liked this enough to continue even if parts were frustrating. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI can't DNF a book so I pushed on and I'm glad cause the ending was good ;)
DeleteIf you feel like reading the sequel that means this one wasn't all that bad, even if you had some issues with it!
ReplyDeleteYep! The ending sort of made everything ok for me haha :)
DeleteI like the cover but it sounds like something I need to pass. Nice review though!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jazmen! You never really know though, you might like it :D
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