Review: The Last Piece of my Heart by Paige Toon
***Firstly, massive thanks to Simon and Schuster and Books and the City for surprising me with a proof of this novel - and for the adorable jigsaw that accompanied it!***
Meet Bridget, a successful travel journalist with ambitions to turn her quirky relationship blog into a novel. But, after numerous rejections from publishers, she accepts an alternative proposition: Nicole Dupre died leaving behind a bestselling novel and an incomplete sequel, and the family need someone to finish it. Bridget is just thankful to have her foot in the publishing door. But as she gets to know Nicole’s grieving family, and the woman behind the writing, Bridget’s priorities begin to change …
As a rule, I don't like chick-lit and I don't much like children. Imagine my surprise then when I really loved this book! Maybe my tastes are changing now that I've hit my mid-twenties...
The premise is simple - if every person you've ever loved has taken a piece of your heart, can you ever love someone wholeheartedly? Travel writer Bridget aims to find out. She's visiting her exes one by one and compiling a popular blog from her experiences. As a result of her success, she is drafted in to ghostwrite the sequel to The Secret Life of Us, a bestselling novel written by Nicole 'Nicki' Dupre, an author who died tragically young. Six weeks living in a caravan in Cornwall whilst working from Nicki's home is no mean feat, especially when you take into account the grieving family Nicki left behind - her widow, Charlie, and their baby daughter April.
I was so, SO in love with Charlie by the end of this book. Not only was he gorgeous both inside and out, but he was also the most adorable dad. The pain he was going through was clear to see, and it broke my heart in places. Bridget herself was a lovely character too. She wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted, to chase her dreams and risk her heart in the process. It has to be said that April stole the show though. She was so sweet and such an integral part of the story.
The plot is fairly predictable, but this is by no means a bad thing - knowing vaguely what's going to happen takes the stress out of reading so you can just sit back and enjoy. The settings are beautiful and make you long for a holiday yourself; Cornwall and Thailand are like characters in themselves. I'm so grateful that we got an epilogue too - so many writers forgo them and I hate unfinished business - and the last few sentences in particular were just the perfect way to end it all.
Another thing I loved about this book was Paige's use of music. I love novels that have a soundtrack to them, and Bridget's eclectic taste in songs and artists is great! Including a tracklist at the end of the novel was a brilliant touch; I had actually intended to flip back through the pages to make a note of some of the unfamiliar songs anyway so I'll definitely be checking them out!
My one criticism would be that the cover really doesn't do this novel justice! I almost certainly would have passed this by in a library or bookshop - even though I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
This is my first book by Paige Toon, but it certainly won't be my last. The Last Piece of My Heart is a heartwarming novel of love and loss that will leave you with a big smile on your face.
Meet Bridget, a successful travel journalist with ambitions to turn her quirky relationship blog into a novel. But, after numerous rejections from publishers, she accepts an alternative proposition: Nicole Dupre died leaving behind a bestselling novel and an incomplete sequel, and the family need someone to finish it. Bridget is just thankful to have her foot in the publishing door. But as she gets to know Nicole’s grieving family, and the woman behind the writing, Bridget’s priorities begin to change …As a rule, I don't like chick-lit and I don't much like children. Imagine my surprise then when I really loved this book! Maybe my tastes are changing now that I've hit my mid-twenties...
The premise is simple - if every person you've ever loved has taken a piece of your heart, can you ever love someone wholeheartedly? Travel writer Bridget aims to find out. She's visiting her exes one by one and compiling a popular blog from her experiences. As a result of her success, she is drafted in to ghostwrite the sequel to The Secret Life of Us, a bestselling novel written by Nicole 'Nicki' Dupre, an author who died tragically young. Six weeks living in a caravan in Cornwall whilst working from Nicki's home is no mean feat, especially when you take into account the grieving family Nicki left behind - her widow, Charlie, and their baby daughter April.
I was so, SO in love with Charlie by the end of this book. Not only was he gorgeous both inside and out, but he was also the most adorable dad. The pain he was going through was clear to see, and it broke my heart in places. Bridget herself was a lovely character too. She wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted, to chase her dreams and risk her heart in the process. It has to be said that April stole the show though. She was so sweet and such an integral part of the story.
The plot is fairly predictable, but this is by no means a bad thing - knowing vaguely what's going to happen takes the stress out of reading so you can just sit back and enjoy. The settings are beautiful and make you long for a holiday yourself; Cornwall and Thailand are like characters in themselves. I'm so grateful that we got an epilogue too - so many writers forgo them and I hate unfinished business - and the last few sentences in particular were just the perfect way to end it all.
Another thing I loved about this book was Paige's use of music. I love novels that have a soundtrack to them, and Bridget's eclectic taste in songs and artists is great! Including a tracklist at the end of the novel was a brilliant touch; I had actually intended to flip back through the pages to make a note of some of the unfamiliar songs anyway so I'll definitely be checking them out!
My one criticism would be that the cover really doesn't do this novel justice! I almost certainly would have passed this by in a library or bookshop - even though I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
This is my first book by Paige Toon, but it certainly won't be my last. The Last Piece of My Heart is a heartwarming novel of love and loss that will leave you with a big smile on your face.
Comments
Post a Comment