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All the Missing Pieces by Julianna Keyes

mvbookreviewer's review against another edition

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5.0

28 year old Reese Charlotte Carlisle lives a life mostly in seclusion, ever since her life had changed so drastically upon the scandal that had broken her family apart. With her father in jail, her brother no more, Reese is all alone in the world and she prefers the anonymity her current life affords her. The only voice she allows herself is the meaningless one night stands she engages in on occasion, assuming different identities that suits her when the mood strikes.

On the fateful night she comes across Chris Sherwood, Reese is Denise, a dental assistant who is divorced and loves dogs. Something about Chris shakes her up in a way she does not like, and even though she thinks that she got away scot-free, that is hardly the case.

Before Reese knows it, Chris worms his way into her life and by the time she realizes the blunder she has made, it is too late to walk away unscathed. It is then Reese is forced to face the past she put on the back burner and truly assess what her father had done, putting her at risk and at the mercy of those who may not think twice about putting her in harms way.

All the Missing Pieces is romantic suspense at its finest – the first novel of its kind by Ms. Keyes. I have enormously enjoyed Ms. Keyes’ writing in her contemporary novels such as Time Served and Going the Distance. While her Burnham College series and other young adult novels have been a hit or miss with me, this novel I tell you, hits all those spots and then some.

The brilliance of Ms. Keyes as a writer explodes unto the pages with All The Missing Pieces, and the story clawed its way into my heart from the very start. The Julianna Keyes that I fell in love with when I first stumbled upon Time Served, which resulted in me quickly catching up with her entire backlist of published works, echoes with every single word in the story. Her writing has become more refined and forceful in a way that readers will definitely take notice of in this novel.

All The Missing Pieces is entirely written in the first person from Reese’s point of view. Rather than making the reader feel as if they are losing out on essential details, it somehow adds to the lure the story presents. What I loved most about the novel is that there is no repetition, no tiresome inner monologues, no rehashing details to death in the lengthy read that this turned out to be. I loved the fact that with this novel, Ms. Keyes has let her creativity take her to places where she might never have gone otherwise. I loved the fact that she has created a character that you can root for amidst everything that was happening.

The ending when it finally came, seemed fitting. Some readers however may not like Chris for what he does, but I understood where he was coming from, and it made the connection between Reese and himself all that more meaningful given the history. A brand new start with the man who forced his way into Reese’s life and forged that connection initially based on lies and half truths, coming to her finally as who he is, with no secrets between them was poetic to me.

The most brilliant aspect to the story is how Reese’s character evolves throughout – from the spoiled rich girl to the woman who is on the run from life itself, to becoming the stronger version of who she can be, while tending to the broken girl within, who died a brutal death in the wake of the truth behind her father’s actual treachery.

Never let it be said that authors venturing into new sub genres is a bad thing. Ms. Keyes has proven her talent in weaving a story that stands out amidst everything else. Recommended for fans of romantic suspense!

Final Verdict: With All the Missing Pieces, Ms. Keyes proves her mettle as a writer and her mastery when it comes to shifting through different sub-genres in the world of romance!

Rating = 4.75/5

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downtown_kb's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Big city socialite, Reese, has been in hiding for years following a scandal involving her father and their fortune. Between her Saturday visits to prison to see her father, she keeps her loneliness at bay by going on dates with random men disguised as different women each time. The monotony of her life in interrupted by a chance encounter on the side of the road involving a flat tire and a handsome stranger.

This story take a bit of time to unfold  but was interesting once things started to happen. I also found the fmc an interesting character to follow even when things were still unfolding. The story has a variety of morally grey characters in this story and some darker themes of death an suicide ideation. I did feel the story wasn't quiet clearly told at times and the ending took a bit too long to wrap up. But overall it was entertaining. This ends with  HFN on the romance front. 

If you like mysteries/suspense with a bit of grey romance and grey characters give this one a shot.

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creaseinthespinebooks's review against another edition

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3.0

I felt this was more romance than thriller. The writing was good but it took awhile to get into as it was slow at first.a great book if your into romance and sex scenes but it just wadnt my type of book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review. (

ps_a22's review against another edition

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5.0

All the missing pieces Jules Keyes. Omg I loved this book. Reese was such a compelling character, with her past and secretive routines and her sheer strength to survive. But her carelessness with men, especially chris, was so refreshing because how can someone so careful to hide their identity be so foolish with people they’re getting the most intimate with?? I LOVED THEIR DYNAMIC and absolutely adoreddd how the story turned out. I loved how she wasnt greedy like her father and didn't keep the money and actually resolved everything. AND OMG HER AND CHRIS AT THE END URGHHH I wish we got a more elaborate scene of them reuniting because NOW IM LEFT WANTING MOREEE. But all in all a fantastic book loved it.

selenegracesilver's review

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5.0

Probably the biggest compliment to an author--I read this long into the night to finish it, even though I had to work in the morning. Keyes' dark and gritty romances are excellent--and this latest one did not disappoint either. Highly recommended.

creaseinthespinebooks's review

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3.0

I felt this was more romance than thriller. The writing was good but it took awhile to get into as it was slow at first.a great book if your into romance and sex scenes but it just wadnt my type of book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review. (

pageswithpayten's review

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3.0

Thank you NetGalley and Julianna Keyes for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
I am almost strictly a romance reader, but when I saw Julianna Keyes’ new book I was interested. It is, after all, spooky season and what better segue into Fall than a Romantic Thriller.
Reese has a hard a rough few years. First her father is arrested and hauled to prison for some shady business deals and then her brother dies and she is left feeling responsible. She wants a fresh start, but the company her father used to keep needs some answers first. When she meets a guy who seems to be too perfect to be true, does she follow her gut instinct or her heart?
The romance side of this book was STEAMY without being sleazy. Props to Julianna Keyes for writing a sexy scene in a way that’s actually enjoyable to read! The story started out a little slow and I was nervous I wouldn't be able to get into it, but I was proven to be very wrong!! Now I need to go back and read for Julianna Keyes ASAP!

samnreader's review

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dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

If you like morally gray, terribly flawed characters, Julianna Keyes has hopefully been on your radar. She writes crisp, tight books focused on character development. When I saw she was writing suspense, I figured she'd get it right, because she does so well threading things together. Her writing is so nice to read in that its unpretentious and lively, but her books can be difficult to take emotionally. This book is not an exception. Reese has lost everything--her family, her fortune, and her identity. She's in hiding and it's slowly revealed how she got there. In sections headed 'when, what," etc, Keyes focuses on unfolding a mystery that exists for all the characters, including who the hell each other are.

And yes, there's err...romance and sex. There's hot sex against a window, since hot stranger sex is how Reese connects to others while maintaining anonymity. Interestingly, this really felt like the The Takedown Trilogy. That's how we meet the hero, whoever he is...and I couldn't put this down. I had to-because I actually fell asleep with 12 pages left.

Hardcore romance readers be warned though--this won't unfold typically.
Anyway, read all the Keyes.


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shelleyann01's review

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3.0


3.5 Stars

Are you ready for this provocative, suspenseful read?


I don't even really know where to start with this one. I will say this...Any author that can branch out from her normal genre of romance and write something like this says tremendous things about them. The first person point of view of this book was interesting and it worked. It was beyond fascinating seeing Reese from the POV we did and written any other way I don't think this book would have been what it is and that would have been disappointing.

At times some things were predictable but the plot twists that came out of nowhere and in such a delectable way. Just sit back and be prepared for your heart to race and your mind to run with possibilities...did she do it? Bravo Ms. Keyes. I only hope we get to see more of this side of you in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Julianna Keyes for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#AlltheMissingPieces #NetGalley

mariek12's review

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4.25

I read this in one sitting. I don’t even know how to feel