But now, with added financial pressures and Justin's ongoing medical needs, Dallas isn't sure how much longer he can be the strong one.
As missing pieces of Justin's memory return, Justin realises the physical side of their relationship is another piece of the puzzle he desperately wants to put back together. And as he gets to know Dallas all over again, he realises what his mind can't remember, his heart can't forget.
Reviewer: Annika
Pieces of Me takes up right where we left Dallas and Justin in the first book. Like many (all?) of Walker’s trilogies it does not stand on its own, each book is a part of a whole story. In this book we follow Justin’s recovery at home, we see him start to emerge from the mist, little by little. In theory this should all be well and good, but I felt like nothing really happened in this book, it felt like filler and could easily have been shortened to half without us having missed anything.
For me this book didn’t pack the same emotional punch as the first book and it was far less angsty. I think I also want to go as far as to say it also was far less interesting. We followed their daily routine, and I do mean daily routine. They did the same thing day in and day out without many variations. It’s obvious that Walker did extensive research on TBIs and amnesia because Justin’s recovery felt real. How conversations tired him out, how things didn’t really exist for Justin until they suddenly did. It was all very credible and, at the same time I I’m also questioning if we had to be there for every minute progress and detail? As an example, did we really need to know about every single time Justin had to go to the bathroom? Then there were moments like this where I just melted:
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I'm gonna put a reminder," he said. "Every hour, think about sex. If I need to retrain my brain, I should start tonight."
I do feel like Dallas is just a liittle bit to perfect and too good to be true. He always there every second of every day whenever Justin needed him. Knowing just by a glance exactly what he needed. He was there for everyone no questions asked, never asking anyone for help. At the same time I never felt like anyone were really there for him. His life was upended just as much as Justin’s was, in a different way for sure, but irrevocably changed all the same.
Still, no one really asked him how he felt, how he was coping with it all. Sure it was like the doctor said in the first book, during Justin’s recovery everything needed to revolve around him. But that doesn’t mean Dallas ceases to exist completely. Sure the guys took care of the shop the best they could, but what about emotional support? Even mountains need someone to stay strong. So while Justin couldn’t think much beyond himself, others could and should have seen Dallas.
There were some minor conflicts in this book, but they were solved quite easily. Like the money problem. Sure we know things were tight, really tight. Yet at the same time we didn’t feel Dallas’ frustration or desperation. It was a cloud hanging over for sure, but it never grew into something more. It almost felt like it was added as a break from all the naps and cuddles.
The love between the guys were there, no question about it and I loved rediscovering it alongside Justin. Knowing it wasn’t all gone. Their progression felt natural and real, their love genuine and strong, different but just as fierce as before the accident.
I'm not sure what the third and last book will bring, but I hope it's not more of the same - or unnecessary drama, because that would be such a let-down for a series that started out so strong.
A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
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