An intense, beautiful, raw, poignant and touching story full of growth, dealing with trauma, overcoming loss, trying new things, and such a tremendous showcase of love.
From the blurb:
All he’d ever wanted was to go home.
Ryan Davis has lived in hell for the last fifteen years. Kidnapped at age eight, then beaten, broken, and forced into silence, Rye managed to exist, to survive. When a chance phone call gives him an opportunity to escape, he takes it. But escape doesn’t mean safety, and freedom doesn’t mean happiness. And even if he can manage to find home, the pieces of what used to be may never fit back together.
Jacob Wright has adapted. In fact, Jake would probably say he loves his life—living in a beautiful home on a secluded beach on the Northern California coast. It wasn’t the life he’d planned. But accidents happen. And an accident was what stole his livelihood and limited his mobility six years ago. He’s happy now, if not still living carefully, avoiding things that used to make him happier.
When Rye shows up on Jake’s beach, lost, fearful, and on the verge of death, Jake has to become a caretaker for a man who can’t seem to speak, and Rye has to put his trust in a stranger to survive. An unexpected and tenuous friendship grows, forming a deep bond full of possibilities that neither of them had imagined.
But even as they start to recognize what’s in their hearts, the past seems intent on reminding them both how truly broken they are . . .
Pieces of Home is a slow burn, hurt/comfort MM romance that focuses on the growth of a deep friendship and how two broken men find each other, help each other, and heal each other. It’s a story of strangers to friends to lovers, featuring a small town setting, forced proximity, PTSD/cPTSD trauma and healing, demi rep, and a hard-fought happily-ever-after.
Content warnings: kidnapping (of a minor); verbal and physical abuse (off page but referenced), including that of a minor; cPTSD; PTSD; trauma-induced selective mutism; trauma-induced dissociative amnesia; life-threatening injury (off page but referenced) resulting in chronic pain (shown on page); death of a side character (off page); death of a parent (in the past, referenced); references to drinking and smoking. See inside preview for additional content warnings.
Angel's review:
Wow.... Just... Wow. Jake and Rye (Ryan's) story is heartbreakingly beautiful.
Ryan was taken as a child and was held and abused for years. He didn't know how long he had been gone for, he didn't know why no one had saved him, all he knew was pain and the face of the despicable Man who did it all to him. When he sees his opportunity to escape he takes it and that day changes his life. He ends up on a beach that belongs to a kindhearted man who not only saves his life, but who also becomes his best friend and one of his biggest supporters.
After a horrific boating incident left Jake's leg messed up, he moved into his beach side house and has lived there on his own for the past few years. His thrives in the tranquility of his home, of watching the ocean and seeing the various animals making appearances. When he finds an unconscious man on his beach during a storm, despite the pain in his leg he pushes through it to save the young man.... And that's where the story of Jake and Rye begins.
I want to preface this by saying make sure you read the trigger warnings before starting this. There are very heavy topics that are talked about and discussed throughout the entirety of this book, and while those matters are handled delicately and realistically, they are also very prominent to the story itself. So please read with caution if those topics matters bother you or are triggering.
"""Maybe he’d found enough pieces of home, enough of what used to be, and maybe . . . maybe the rest of his broken self could be “fixed” with moments just like this."""
While this is a very heavy and emotional story, it's also very, very, beautiful. My heart broke into a million little pieces reading about all of what Rye went through at the hands of The Man who took him, and who took so much from him. Reading about how scared he was and is, how certain things are more triggering than others, how he'll be having a good day but then a bad memory surfaces and he'll have a setback, all of those things were just so sad, but also so realistic. The topic matter in general is sad, but I got attached to Rye's character and that made me more sad for him on his behalf. Especially when the chapters were in Jake's POV.
Becca Neil is a new-to-me author and this book is such a fantastic display of their talent when it comes to writing. These characters have so much personality, so much depth and backstory, so many emotions and dimensions. I loved witnessing the interactions between Jake and Rye. Even when they first met each other their interactions were always so pure and full of support and that continued and evolved the longer they knew each other. Jake's consideration and thoughtfulness when it comes to Rye is heartwarming and very endearing, he listens and watches Rye and pays attention to what Rye says even when he can't verbalize what he wants or needs.
Being able to see Rye grow throughout the course of this story was absolutely beautiful! When he was able to see his mom I almost cried with him, and when he slowly started talking more I cheered him on. As he began growing more comfortable with himself and his surroundings and finding more things that bring him joy, I just became so happy for him. He went through something awful but he found his own way to take his life back and make it his own with the help of his family and with Jake.
As far as the romance aspect of this goes it's a very good slow burn, if it wasn't a slow burn it wouldn't have felt right or have worked as successfully as it did with it being written the way it was. If you don't like slow burns stories this might not be your cup of tea, and this book doesn't have a lot of spice either. That's not the focus of this story, which I personally love. That being said there are some spicy scenes that are handled so carefully and were so beautiful to read about.
( “You make me feel whole in a way I haven’t in years. Like I’m who I’m supposed to be when I’m with you.")
I love and appreciate how spice didn't dictate their relationship, they kept showing each other how much they loved one another in different ways without spice being involved. Yes, they eventually did have some spicy moments together, but honestly those moments were sweet and pure and just added another layer of trust and depth to the relationship that they cultivated. I really enjoyed reading this story, from start to finish I was completely captivated by these two men and I never wanted to stop reading. And the epilogues were absolutely fantastic! My favorite part of the epilogue was when they took a road trip to visit a Coral Reef in Florida. That scene was monumental in so many ways and was just a joy to read.
(“You just need help turning on the light sometimes")
Overall a very fantastic and fabulously beautiful book!
Pieces of Home is currently available as an e-book and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription
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