What if one day, you woke up and realized you got everything you ever wanted…but the way you got it wasn’t something you’d wish on anyone, and none of those things were what you actually needed?
I thought my small town was a cage from which I’d give anything to break free.
But I didn’t realize what I was asking for. And I didn’t know that once I left, I’d never be able to go back.
Is there a word that means the opposite of the stars aligning? Would it still be called fate?
One person, one split-second decision, one miscalculation can alter the entire trajectory of space and time for the rest of one’s existence. Even if that person isn’t you, and those decisions aren’t your own.
And I would know. That’s what happened to me.
This prequel to The Pieces We Leave Behind is Amelia’s story. I recommend reading TPWLB prior to this one, but if you want to read them in chronological order, no one can stop you. However, it is not meant to be read as a standalone. Please check trigger warnings before reading.
- Author: Elle Mitchell
- Release Date: April 15, 2024
- Genre: Dark, Contemporary Romance
- My Rating: 5/5
Get The Pieces We Try to Forget
The Pieces We Try to Forget by Elle Mitchell is the prequel to The Pieces We Leave Behind. You could read these either way you like, but keep in mind the ending of TPWTTF takes place during The Pieces We Leave Behind. Check trigger warnings.
This story follows young Amelia (Madison’s mom), her small town of Lost Hollow, her friends, relationships and how events from Amelia’s past changed her future.
Young Amelia is recently engaged to her high school boyfriend Ty. It seems everyone is off to college getting a fresh new start, but not Amelia. She unfortunately had to use her college fund money to help her mother pay for bills, food and clothes for little Emma (if she wasn’t getting Amelia’s hand-me-downs). Amelia reminds me of myself sometimes, always ready for a fight, wanting to prove people wrong and the no fuck given attutide.
Her relationship with Ty is magical in a way. To have someone who loves you so much, you don’t know what to do and sometimes it feels too good to be true. I get it, I’m still trying to figure out how I got so lucky. He is the smalltown hunk every girl wants not just because of his looks but who he is as a person. How much he cares about Amelia and Emma and his friends. The things he says “I’m your home. And you’re mine” and “Every moment of every day, with every breath that you take, you are loved—wholly and unconditionally—by me. And there is nothing—absolutely nothing—on this fucking planet that is ever going to change that. Do you understand me?” STOP WHILE I CRY
Events accrued (this part broke me) causing Amelia to never be able to go home and a full scholarship for college–a new start. I could not imagine having to go through what she did and getting blamed for it even though it wasn’t her fault. She did everything she could to avoid it but her mother did nothing to help. We get to see how different Amelia’s childhood is compared to her younger sister (9-10 years difference) Emma.
This is a quick read I didn’t know I needed, I loved it, even the parts that are a little triggering for me. If you loved The Pieces We Leave Behind, you’ll love this book.
The Lost Hollow Series
- The Pieces We Try to Forget (Prequel)
- The Pieces We Leave Behind
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