A good read that kept my interest throughout. I found it an easy read and different to what I’d normally read.

This book started strong and I was so into it! I was sure this was going to be either a four or even five star read. I was all about the idea of the main characters uprooting their lives and moving abroad to a country they didn't know for a few months and following them along on this journey. I just didn't feel that the book finished as strong as it started. I lost interest about halfway through, it got to where it seemed way too long. And I just wasn't as into it as I was at the beginning.

An unexpected trip to Ecuador, rather than planning for a child, opens Kirsty's eyes to the world in a way she didn't expect when Harry suggested they go. This is a good read in well depicted setting. I rooted for Kirsty and was quite annoyed with Harry (but that's the point, isn't it? )

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

Review: This is a lovely story. It is a true women's fiction piece one that tells Kirty's personal journey. It is very well written and as the plot unfolds it keeps you turning those pages to find out what happens. This is a perfect holiday read in the sun. Ecuador is a steamy setting for this story and you feel like you are right there. I enjoyed this and can't wait for more by Rachel.

I was completely enthralled with this story right from the start. Pieces of My Life is Rachel Dann’s debut novel and it completely ticked all the boxes for me. Characters that were written with such warmth and relatable, exotic location that the author transported you to with the words on the page, intrigue and curiosity of the world and people around you and also about the person you have lived with for five years. A journey dredging up memories from the past that at the time were very emotive but now you have time to re-evaluate them and see them in a different life. Thought provoking issues that made you think that first impressions are not the whole picture. Political changes that could inevitably make the difference in someone’s life to give them hope and belief of a better tomorrow.

Kirsty and Harry have been together for five years since meeting at University. Kirsty was so surprised that this well-travelled, handsomely rugged young man was interested in her, the shy studious student. Kirsty was charmed by Harry from the start and when they graduated she happily accepted that they’d live closer to his place of work and Kirsty would commute each day to hers. Kirsty was also keen to start a family and was feeling that the time was right in their lives however, Harry had other plans for their future. Harry wanted them to go travelling to Ecuador and take a 3 month sabbatical from work. He was so excited about this trip that the eagerness grew on Kirsty and she was soon planning trips and sights of interest to visit.

Once the couple arrive in the heat and bustle of this new world and culture Kirsty is captivated by it’s beauty but Harry’s enthusiasm has definitely ebbed and he is displaying unusual body languages. They soon build up a friendship with owners of a local eatery and when Kirsty hears that the wife Gabi helps out in the local women’s prison Kirsty’s interest is peaked. Whilst Harry continues to have mood swings and display unusual behaviour Kirsty decides to seek more information regarding helping out with the charity that visit the women prisoners. Once Kirsty gains more information a spark from her dreams in the past slowly becomes alive and she aims to help the women, especially the British women held in a foreign cell.

We follow Kirsty’s new affirmative journey gaining the courage to go into a scenario she has never been before, understanding the lives of these women and finding out what she can do to help them. We also follow Kirsty slowly unravelling Harry’s unusual attitude. This three month visit to Ecuador will change Kirsty’s life in more ways than one as it opens up new wounds, old heartbreak, invigorates the dream in her professional life and also her personal life. An uplifting, life affirming story set in a stunning location. A family saga of sorts and a beautiful tale of new beginnings.

A superb read, lovely characters and wonderful setting. A wonderful change of story with the volunteer work.

What a wonderfully fabulous book that is perfect for some relaxing time by the poolside. The characters are all very likeable and I did find myself really warming to Kirsty's character. Right from the start this story was so intriguing - I couldn't wait to find out what Harry was hiding! I won't give anything away though!

I do find that main character Kirsty was very brave throughout the story - she wanted a change and she made it her number one priority for that to happen. This book is beautifully written and all the characters flow perfectly together - there's no parts of the book that seem unbelievable and it's a very enjoyable read.

The location and the characters are all described really well - which makes it so easy to imagine a scene and a person - and the more you read the more you got addicted to the story. There is drama, humour, romance and a few twists that makes the story so gripping - you want to constantly find out more!

I found it very difficult to put down. Overall, a really intriguing read and I really enjoyed it.

Pieces of my Life is the début novel from Rachel Dann taking both the reader and it's main protagonist Kirsty on a journey they will never forget. Set in the South American country of Ecuador the cover although lovely belies the depth of the issues explored throughout the story. There is a lot more to this read than one might initially bargain for and I mean that in a good way. If one were to judge the cover and take a quick read through the blurb you would be forgiven for thinking this is just another of your average women's fiction reads.

A book in which the main character escapes from it all to find themselves once again after dealing with some issues. Instead I was pleasantly surprised as the story unfolded as there were so many strands to it with the author tackling issues I would have given scant thought to before. I also loved the fact the story was set in a country that I had never read about before and in doing this Rachel Dann brought Ecuador and its capital city Quito to life and made me feel like I was alongside Kirsty as she came to grips with her time away. I read in the author notes that Rachel lives in Ecuador and her love for this country radiated from the pages. She brought to life all aspects of the country, from the tourist element and to the more harsh side which many people do not get to see.

When we first meet Kirsty she is on her way home after another day of the same stifling routine at work. She works for a local housing charity having studied law but has never completed the last stage in order to become a lawyer. Kirsty has been with Harry for several years and there relationship has descended into cosy domesticity. They have the house and mortgage but two essential things for Kirsty are missing – marriage and a baby. But Harry has made his stance clear on these two life changing events and he will not be shifted. He views marriage as something which is there to control and suppress and he is happy with their arrangement. As time has gone by Kirsty longs for a baby and when she arrives home one day and Harry has news she hopes with all her heart that he has changed his mind and they can start trying for a baby. The news he imparts couldn't be further from what she expected to hear. He wants to take time out from everything and go travelling for 3 months in South America. One last big trip before they really settle down and embrace what the future holds or she Kirsty is led to believe. It's almost like she has to strike a bargain with him. Harry had spent his gap years travelling and maybe the travel bug hasn't quite left him yet.

From the start I didn't like Harry at all. I felt he was very dominating over Kirsty and she never stood up to him but seemed to meekly go along with his plans. Even her boss could see she was made for better things, both professionally and personally. I thought she put her own needs, hopes and desires firmly on the back burner in order to let Harry indulge his own wishes. Surely a relationship in which you feel valued and loved works on an even playing field? I didn't feel a huge connection between the pair and it seemed to me Kirsty was running after Harry doing what he wanted in order just to keep him as she was so desperate to have that much longed for baby. It was almost like she was placating him, always trying to please him and never upset him as he wielded the power in terms of her long term dream.

Before she knows it Kirsty has arrived in Ecuador. She couldn't fail to be excited and pushes her misgivings aside. She has great plans for their time away visiting various tourist spots and countries but it soon becomes apparent Harry's mind is elsewhere and once again he dictates the terms of what goes on. It's not that Harry was cruel or abusive it's just Kirsty seemed so easily led by him because she was fearful of not having him and being back to square one in terms of relationships and love. Harry for the remainder of the novel seemed distant, distracted and just very bothered by everything. He gets a job in a language school. Why did Kirsty let him go along with this when they had cemented firm plans for their time away even before they left England? This is just another case in point where I felt she was meek and gave in far too easily.

I had my suspicions as to what was going on with Harry fairly early on and I was proven correct but if this had never happened Kirsty would never have been given the chance to find herself and take the opportunities presented to her in Quito. Having thought Kirsty was weak in some ways the story started to turn on its head as she begins to realise the opportunities presented to her and the trip awakens her adventurous spirit. She let Harry off doing his own thing even though she knew something wasn't quite right and she embarked on her own personal voyage. Thanks to Liz and Roberto whose apartment they rent Kirsty is exposed to a side of the city which allows her passion for law and equal rights to come to the fore but at the same time her own relationship with her father is explored.

When I first picked up this book I never would have imagined it would feature the prisons of Ecuador and in having this element present in the book it exposed a very different side to the country Kirsty imagined she was visiting. As Liz and Roberto run the charity which organises volunteers visiting the female prisoners Kirsty can't help but fail to become involved and it was brilliant to see her doing something under her own steam rather than being influenced by Harry. The reader started to see a different side to Kirsty emerge one where she can do things for herself, follow her own instincts and embrace what life was throwing at her. She became stronger and more passionate for what she believed in.

In the prison. whilst on a visit with volunteer Maria, she meets Naomi from England but she had been a drugs mule and was caught. This all felt very familiar given in recent years the two women which hit the headlines. We all have judgements and opinions on this but I felt the author really provided a balanced view and showed the reader a different side to the situation and that all things are not all as clear cut as the media would have people believe. The scenes in the prison were vivid, realistic and not once did the shy away from the harsh brutal facts. They were certainly in stark contrast to the sun soaked streets of Quito full of vibrancy and life. The author created two very different pictures of life in Quito and I could see why Kirsty became so involved in Naomi's situation because maybe she saw a little bit of herself within her when she hears her back story.

Kirsty's eyes became open to a whole new world she never knew existed. It was great to see her becoming more independent and sticking up for what she believed in. She almost started to led a separate life from Harry and I was happy to see this as I never felt he was the ultimate man for her. Sebastian – the British Consul in Quito was a welcome addition to the story and a complete contrast to Harry. I felt he brought light to the story and was always there at just the right time to pick up the pieces from various incidents that occur. He was so helpful and always went beyond the call of duty but I felt it was all genuine with him with never an ulterior motive. I enjoyed seeing the working relationship develop between himself and Kirsty as they both work for the one common goal. They were on a unique and bonding journey together.

There were lots of other little sub plots ongoing within the overall storyline and that would be my one criticism of this book, that there was just that little bit too much going on. We had Kirsty's father appearing and a few other things which at times I felt led to the story spreading itself a little too thinly. Ray and Gabi who run the hotel where Kirsty and Harry spend the first night in were great characters but then they seemed to disappear for most of the story and reappear towards the end. I would liked to have read more of them. Perhaps also the book was slightly too long but that's just my own opinion others may find the length was ok for them.

Pieces of My Life was a very impressive début from Rachel Dann. Clearly she is an author with lots of promise. I enjoyed this story and became deeply invested in a positive outcome for Kirsty but I feel the author has only scratched the surface in terms of her writing capabilities. I'll definitely read whatever she writes in the future and hope once again it will be set in another wonderful, exotic country with an equally as good storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ Digital and the author Rachel for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book didn’t really draw me in. I thought the storyline was promising, however I would have liked the twists and turns to be grittier and I was hoping to be held in suspense and have some real cliff hangers in parts…... but sadly not so.

I thought the subject matter had been researched very well but I also felt the ending let the book down.

a nice read for by the pool. The story leaves what I thought it was going to be about, and focuses more on Kirsty rather than Harry and his secret, but a nice read all the same

I was drawn to this book because of its cover...its beautiful, but once i started it I was hooked. It is so beautifully written and the descriptions of Ecuador are breathtaking. The story follows Kirsty, who dreams of starting a family, and her long term boyfriend Harry, who doesn't. He wants to drop everything and go travelling; devastated but i love Kirsty follows him. When they reach Ecuador, the story really picks up, Harry has a secret, and Kirsty has to learn to adjust.

Even though it can be light and funny, the author also touches on more serious issues regarding woman in South American prisons, and the result is a journey of self discovery and realising your potential

A few weeks ago, on a long car ride, I had a good discussion with a friend about the reputation of the romance genre and books that are classified as “Chick Lit.” Many people feel that these genres have nothing important to say. I argued that it depends on the author and not the genre to give a book meaning. Pieces of My Life is the perfect example to support that argument.

Before I read Pieces of my Life only 45 books out of my 696 read books on Goodreads hadbadge5v5 5 star ratings. After reading this brilliantly designed story, there are 46. Rachel Dann weaves together a story that speaks about social justice issues for women in Ecuador, South America, reconnecting with a distant father, a young woman’s journey to find herself, and intrigue of a great love story.

In most books, I would argue that these are too many themes for one book, but Dann has the magic ability to make them flow together flawlessly. She creates rich and deep characters that come alive in a reader’s mind. When the book ended, I immediately began to miss them.

Amazingly, this is Dann’s first book which leads me to wonder where she has been all this time. If this is her first try, I can’t wait to see what’s next. We might have to add higher numbers to our rating system.

Kirsty has been dreaming of having a baby for ages and is convinced that the time is right so when her boyfriend Harry announces that he wants to take a sabbatical and travel to Ecuador and South America she agrees to go along although she is not happy!

As she starts to look into things though her excitement rises and she starts planning all of the places that she wants to visit - Harry however seems to be less enthusiastic about her plans which seems odd as it was all his idea!

When they arrive in Quito Harry takes a job which doesn't fit in with her plans at all and so through she friends that she has made she goes to visit an English girl in prison and suddenly her life is caught up with the drugs scene and helping this girl to get her sentence reduced......with the help of the rather nice British Consul!

A great story - I really enjoyed reading about Quito - and the voyage of discovery that Kirsty made and how she grew into herself and realised what life is about and what she was missing

5☆ Beautifully Written a Journey of Discovery

Pieces of my Life is such a beautiful, well written story.
It's a Journey of self discovery, relationships, intrigue and friendships.

Kirsty and Harry have been together for many years.
Kirsty and Harry have a beautiful new home, great jobs and the perfect relationship.

Except Kirsty desperately wants to start a family.
So when Harry rings her saying he has some exciting news she hurries home expecting him to devour her and make babies!

However Harry is so far off from being on the same page as Kirsty. ... he wants to go travelling!
He wants to stop the mortgage and the new jobs and up and leave!
Kirsty is devastated!

However slowly she warms to the idea as Harry promises as soon as they get back they will start to try for a baby!

She becomes excited as she missed out on travelling at Uni, so this is a really big deal for her.
She is fully prepared to immerse herself as much as possible planning trips etc.. .

Kirsty and her parents have a very strained relationship.
She has no bond with her Dad and her Mum is a nervous wreck! Both parents separated, she finds it very difficult.

Harry's parents are the complete opposite, A real family unit which Kirsty admires!

The story really begins once they start their travels to South America - Ecuador.

There is something not quiet right about Harry! What is he hiding?
All will be revealed once you read the story. I don't want to give anything away!

With Harry and Kirsty deciding to do some volunteer work, the reader gets to see the real nightmares of womens prison abroad.
Harry volunteers in a school, where Kirsty volunteers in a womens prison.

Kirsty never gave up and her dedication to help the prisoners was so commendable and heartwarming.

Rachel raises some sensitive issues regarding women's prisons but she writes with passion and sensitivity.

Overall I loved Kirsty she is somewhat vulnerable and endearing.
Harry I wasn't always so sure about.. my feelings towards him changed so much throughout the story. But one thing that really sticks out is the selfishness he portrayed. He very rarely thinks how Kirsty might be feeling.

I thoroughly loved reading this beautiful book. I was hooked from the very first pages.
The perfect amount of twists and intrigue, beautiful descriptive scenery and culture, a compelling and captivating read.

Would I recommend this book.... 100% Yes!!

Exquisite Summer read.
Perfect for readers who love Women's Literature, Intrigue and Suspense, books that feature adventure and travel.

Perfect poolside reading, or in your armchair while dreaming of far off places, either way this is one fantastic book!

What do you think of if I mention Ecuador? Is your mind partially as blank as mine was, I knew very little about this South American country, until I read Pieces of My Life, and now I have a much better picture of the capital Quito.

After Kirsty's disappointment at Harry not suggesting they should be making babies, and that instead the announcement was that he wanted them to go on a 3 month trip to South America, Kirsty starts to get excited about seeing far off places and even comes up with a huge list of things she would like to do once they get there.

However once they arrive in Quito, Harry starts to act strangely, and although I had an inkling what the reason behind it was, their trip doesn't exactly go as planned. Harry starts working in a local school and Kirsty decides to volunteer at the local women's prison.

It was the prison storyline that I really loved, it opened my eyes to not only what the conditions on a foreign prison could be like, but also the differences in drug law between the UK and Ecuador. I became fully involved in what Kirsty was trying to do for one specific prisoner, whose story was incredibly moving.

New friends are made, Ecuadorian specialities are devoured, some sights are seen, and you generally get a colourful sense of Quito and its surrounding area.

There are many different threads of story, which combined leads to one incredibly enjoyable story of intrigue, secrets, emotion, new friends and family relationships. I found the book very hard to put down, and just wanted to keep on reading the whole time. This is one seriously impressive debut novel, that was addictive to read plus it's always nice to learn things from fiction, which shows just well researched elements of it must have been.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Excellent story line about people who think that they know each other after 5 years but they don't and are in for some surprises.
Makes us think of the decisions thst we make in our lives and are blinded by other things in our lives.It is a story that keeps you guessing till the end and you can not put the book down
The characters are slowly introduced and developed as the story progresses snd we learn to grow with them.
A very pleasant and relaxing read but still kerps you in suspence and the characters grow on you.
A good summer read.

Kirsty Morgan doesn't even seem to realize she is preventing herself from achieving her dreams. Then she reluctantly agrees to a lengthy trip overseas with long-time boyfriend, Harry, and as her enthusiasm for the trip begins to grow so does her ability to really look at what is happening in her life. Author Rachel Dann's style allows Kirsty and Harry to come alive as their story unfolds. The exploration of relationships, the affects of death and divorce on individuals, and the consequences of choices made are strong themes deftly interwoven in a believable tale of a young woman realizing that fear stops life but only if she allows it to do so.

I do love a good self discovery/personal growth book and this one really does deliver. What I really loved about this book was that it does not just focus on Kirsty and Harry's relationship, but focuses on her relationship with her parents as well, I felt that this really helped develop Kristy's character as well as add some great side stories within the novel. The 'secret' that Harry is hiding is relatively easy to guess at the beginning of the book but I do like that it is not actually revealed to early. My favourite aspect of the book was that it was able to challenge my beliefs regarding the prisoners. It was great to see varying points of views and people's reasons behind decisions and mistakes they may of made. Sometimes I feel personally I am too quick to judge so it's always good to have something that makes you stop and think. Overall a great read.

A well written book. I enjoyed the plot and well developed characters as well as the author's style of writing.