Alison Hammer writes with such warmth and understanding for her characters that it's hard not to find yourself pulling for them and even feeling like you've made new friends. Here, the "little piece of me" isn's so little--it's a blood test that reveals Paige's father isn't who he thought she was. This book explores what that feels in slo-mo, from discovery to denial to reconciliation with the people closest to her, and it's done so with masterful shifts in time and perspective.

It turns out that understanding the secrets of the past can reveal how and why tensions have played out, and the overall feeling I got after reading it is that some secrets are best revealed, even if through the miracle of technology, and even when it's awkward and uncomfortable. This book was perfect for my wintery, covid-anxious mind. I'll read anything Alison Hammer writes! I highly recommend Little Pieces of Me.

What a great book!! Knew I would love it and I did. I was deeply invested in the characters. I enjoyed the two points of view: a mother and her teenage daughter. It felt like women’s fiction meets coming of age mixed with family drama. All genres I adore reading! Already miss spending time with this family. The author, Alison Hammer, is one of my writing pals and it’s been so wonderful being a part of her writing journey and seeing this book come to life. And I was thrilled and honored to see my name in the acknowledgments. Can’t wait for Alison’s next week!

This was tough for me to read at times and even tougher to rate how I felt at the end. It's told from two perspectives. There's Alexis Gold who spends most of her time at the advertising agency she founded while her partner Tommy handles their home life. Their daughter Cece is the other perspective and she has aspirations of becoming an actress, harbors a ton of resentment towards her mom, and considers her dad to be one of her best friends. Their world falls apart when Tommy tells them he has terminal cancer. Instead of doing treatment, he'd rather spend what time he has left at their beach house for one last summer and that's exactly what they do. It was easy and quick to see why Tommy was the center of their lives. He's a loving partner, doting father and just a good man and reading about how he slowly weakened made me emotional. It was actually Alexis and Cece I struggled with, especially the latter. I sympathized with Alexis because she was honest, flawed, driven and when push came to shove, she put her family first. With Cece, I found her to be really bratty? Maybe I'm just getting old but I couldn't connect with her and I really thought I would since I've been in her position. Regardless of how I felt about them, everybody handles their pain and grief differently, which is what I believe the author was trying to convey with such two different women. Ultimately it was their mutual love for Tommy and his journey is that moved me the most.

Do I recommend? I do think you really have to be in the right mood or mindset to pick this one up. And if you are, it's another "borrow from the library" type of book.

An emotional and very sad story where the characters not only suffer from the diagnosis of one of them which will affect everyone's lives but the characters also go through a series of domestic situations that have affected the union and affection between them. The relationship between mother and daughter is affected by the routine life of both and the little time shared, both delegate great love to the father figure the only person with whom both have and works as a link for both and this will no longer be in their lives. Moving and sad with a lot of teaching of love, forgiveness and patience for the loved ones. For me it was very strong because I have a close relative with cancer and it touched me very deeply.

What a beautiful book about family relationships.  When Alexis finds out her partner Tommy has a terminal cancer, she realizes that what she thought was important isn't.  He has been her support and carried the family load as she has worked on starting her own business. Now she will be his support.  Add in a teenage daughter and a spoiled ex and family will need to be the priority.  This was such a sweet book.

Fair warning... keep a box of Kleenex near you when you get toward the end. There's a heart-wrenching scene that is written so well that I felt I was in the room with them experiencing the pain and love.

We know parents like Alexis who could be described as workaholics. She loves her only child, CeCe, but finds herself more comfortable at the job she worked so hard to build from the ground up. And her near-perfect partner, CeCe's dad, Tommy, makes it easy for Alexis to spend more time and energy on her job than on parenting. He's one of those dads's that every child wants: doting, funny, a good listener, and hey, he's CeCe's dad, which is usually the parent a teen girl doesn't clash with (compared to the volatile mother-daughter relationship during those teen years!)

But this story is about more than family dynamics. It tackles cancer, dying, regrets, hopes, friendship, and what we all hope for out of life - whether we are a teen stumbling like CeCe is, or a parent stumbling, as Alexis does.
It is a quick read that will take you to the gorgeous beaches of Destin Florida (love that area!) and into the heart of what is important in life.

“I cycle through the list of things that should make me smile, just thinking about them. If I can fill my head with enough happy thoughts, maybe the sad ones will go away.”
― Alison Hammer, You and Me and Us
“I feel like I don't want to take a single second for granted, I want to make the most of the time I have left.
...It's like I want to live as many moments as I can, like I'm filling my heart and my mind with all the memories I can get, so I can take them with me.”
“All those years ago, you told me to stay, to stop running away. You said life is going to be tough no matter where I went, and that some things were worth sticking around for. And that's you, You're worth sticking around for, and I want to spend the rest of the time we have together as your wife.”
“Life is too damn short to stay mad at the people you love.”
So, truth be told this was a tear jerker that will keep you up long after you finish reading.
It was emotionally riveting with characters like the daughter Ce-Ce that made you want to scream and holler but then Tommy's story was told and the tears began until Alexis entered the scene and you knew this was a real winner because of the entire situation that is at hand.
Tommy has stage 4 lung cancer (non smoker) and it's noted that 20% of people who don't smoke have this dreadful illness.
His past life with Monica comes into play as she's the ex-wife of Cece.
We are told that Tommy simply wants to spend the last of his time at his beach house in Destin Florida as he doesn't want to fight the illness any longer.
As his condition worsens we see the powerful dynamic from being the one being taken care of to being the caretaker for Alexis, while dealing with the resentment from the daughter, while also dealing with the daughter's issues, and the medical problems of Tommy all at once.
I lost my niece at 12 yo June 21st 2016 so this will be our 4th yr anniversary without her and these emotions are still raw as she was the only child who passed in a 7 car accident in Clermont, Florida from an alleged drag racer on I4 the main highway that Tuesday morning.
I cannot begin to tell you the pain of losing someone especially in this manner as the truck the individual was driving landed on top of her car after going airborn.
Please don't take one day for granted.
A great read that I highly recommend from a new author for me.
Thank you to Allison Hammer, the pub, NetGalley, and Amazon Kindle for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Alison Hammer has written a beautiful, meaningful love story.  You and Me and Us will make you cry while you cheer on Tommy, Alexis, and CeCe.

I truly enjoyed this story. 

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this ARC. It was heartbreaking, tear jerking, and absolutely soul warming. 

Alexis is a workaholic mother who, despite her attempts, can’t seem to connect with her daughter teenage daughter, Cece. Cece feels abandoned by her mom due to her obsession with her work. She feels like she’s given her mom all the chances in the world and it’s just not worth it anymore. She and her dad, Tommy, have the best relationship and Tommy always has the right things to say to them both to keep the waters calm. 

Alexis and Cece both need to try a little harder to understand each other because a big change is coming to their lives, whether they like it or not. 

With a special trip to where Alexis and Tommy’s story began, a bucket list creates new memories, an ex causes some tension, and romance thrives in this hard-hitting, beautiful story

This book was deceptively easy to read in that I had expected a tear jerker of a story but I hadn't expect to have it cause to lay away thinking about the choices I've made and have I wisely used the time I've had with people I love.

A  realistic portrayal of what life can look like in the aftermath of a much-loved man's fatal diagnosis and how his final months play out in both his immediate family and those who love them. Hammer writes well and doesn't rush things as she tells their story.

Alexis is Living her dream life working long hours at the business that she co-created with her best friend. Her partner, a psychiatrist works from home and is more hands-on with their teenage daughter. Alexis and her daughter don't have the greatest relationship but Alexis reasons with herself that since Tommy is better with the household stuff and they have a great partnership then things will turn out fine eventually. 

Everything seems to be on-track until the family is dealt a devastating blow and learn that they have one final summer to live as a family. The trio packs up and heads back to Tommy's home town where he met Alexis back when they were teenagers. 

During their final summer, the family comes to grips with what makes a family a family and what the most important things in life really are.

This book is beautiful and heartbreaking and all the things. Amazing. Pretty sure this book gutted me—in a good, cathartic way. 

See, when I was ten I lost my dad to cancer. Like the father in You and Me and Us, my dad’s name was Thomas. So, this one was a hard one for me. I legit started crying writing that sentence.

All the stars. All the tears. All the feels.

First of all, bring out the box of tissues  because you will need a bunch by the time you've absorbed the last word and closed the book.

I did experience some irritations, but they had nothing to do with the writing style.  For one of them, Alexis drove me nuts!  She was so wrapped up in her job that she couldn't eke out enough moments in her work-focused life to be active in her daughter's life.  And irritation number two was Cece's snarky attitude.  Granted, she is a teenager and that's who they tend to be.  But it was still irritating to see how little respect she had for her mother.

All of that was balanced out by Tommy.  His love for, and patience with, Alexis and Cece were beyond amazing.  I fell in love with him and his commitment, emotional strength, and down to earth personality.  Is there really a man like him out there?  If so, I want to meet him!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.  This book is one you will not be able to put down once you've read the first word.  The story is a beautiful portrait of love, anger, loss, relationships, growth, insecurity, and healing.  Put this on your to-be-read list so you can enjoy the myriad of emotions you will experience as you flip through the pages as fast as you can.

The description pulled me in. I was curious how the author was going to develop the mother/daughter reconnection amidst such heartbreak. I felt for the mom, left out of the family gang and not understanding how to get herself back into it. When tragedy strikes and she realizes she has no choice anymore, she has to find a way to connect with her daughter because their family unit is going to be shattered.
the mom seems to fixate on strange things, the ex-ewife for instance. Why does she hate her so much when she doesn't even know her. You can sense her insecurity at not being the only love in her husbands life but her extreme reaction to Monica seems over dramatic for a woman who is fairly practical in her thinking.
The scenes between the husband and wife are very sweet and reading about his general decline over the course of the summer is tense and heart breaking. The conflict between mom and daughter was also very well written. I have been on the end of a tennagers disdain and disappointment and this was very similar.
A little more description of the scenery and town in Florida would have been good. Something to help us place them. Beyond the front porch and a short piece about the beach there isn't much more available. Apart from the lack of description of place, I really enjoyed this. I started it Sunday morning and read all day. There were tears and some wry chuckles and a wonderful sense of family at the end. I went and hugged my daughter. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

YOU AND ME AND US has it all. Laughter and tear--and a thousand human emotions in between--it has young love and long-time love, deep friendships, new friends, superstars and exes. I dare you not to cry reading this story that grapples with motherhood and marriage, forgiveness and faith, and learning to face the hard stuff.

#You And Me And Us #Bet Galley
This book will be hard to put down. Alexis the mom is a workaholic and gives her partner Tommy the largest part of raising their daughter CeCe.  Tommy has wanted to marry Alexis for many years but she has turned him down not because she doesn't love him but because of her own fears.
Tommy is diagnosed with terminal cancer and chooses to live life as best he can for as long as he has.  Tommy wants to go to Destin,Florida as they have many memories there.
Secrets that were hidden are found out.  FaCe is at a loss and filled with fear as she watches her father get worse.  She falls in love for the first time, and gets angry and rebellious with her mom.
It's a story with many kinds of love and heartbreak and new chances for mother and daughter to be closer.
My first read by this author but it will not be my last.

4 1/2  "xx" Stars...

It's hard to know exactly how to review You and Me and Us.  Quite simply, it's a beautiful book about the parts of life that can be downright ugly.  Ms. Hammer wrote a love story with multiple facets.  It deals with not only the romantic love between a man and woman, but also the love between a father and his daughter, a mother and her daughter and the love present between close friends.  It's loving someone else so much that you prioritize what is best for them ahead of what you want or need.  Even in the midst of everything though, people are human and selfishness creeps in no matter how much we try to battle it.  Sometimes, it blinds us to what the best options truly are in a certain situation because a person just can't see past their own personal desires.  

"You'll always be his daughter, he'll always be your dad."

You and Me and Us deals with saying goodbye to the man who is the glue in the family.  Tommy holds everything together.  Alexis has relied on him for as long as she's known him because he always had her back.  How will she move on without Tommy to smooth everything over for her and to keep things running well at home.  Alexis and her daughter, Cece have anything but an ideal relationship.  Cece has always been closer to Tommy.  As Alexis and Cece prepare to say goodbye to Tommy and learn to live without him, they also have to learn to rely on and trust one another.

"I remember he told me that some things in life were worth sticking around for, and that things would be hard wherever I went.  So he told me I should stay and work through the tough parts to get to the good ones."

You and Me and Us was a well-written women's fiction that chronicled the long goodbye to a loved one with cancer while helping the soon to be survivors figure out how to relate to one another again.  There weren't any surprise twists and nothing catchy, it was just straight forward beautiful words that pulled you into this family's story.  I was so engrossed that I really felt their anguish.  Their time with Tommy was a blessing but at times it was also tortuous because they knew what was coming.  The only mystery was when.

"I put the paper down - I don't need any help remembering the rest; it's the story of us."

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alison Hammer’s new novel You and Me and Us is the heartbreaking story of what happens to a family when a diagnosis of terminal cancer turns their lives upside down.  Alexis and her teen daughter, CeCe, haven’t been close in years.  The ad agency Alexis founded keeps her so busy that she’s rarely ever around and has missed many of her daughter’s important milestones.  While Alexis and CeCe aren’t close, the opposite is true for CeCe and her dad, Tommy.  Tommy is CeCe’s rock and has been there for everything her mom has missed and then some.  Tommy is devoted to both Alexis and CeCe, and neither of them know what they would do without him.  When Tommy, who has been nursing a nagging cough for months, finally confesses to his girls that he has cancer and only has a few months to live, they are understandably devastated but are determined to make the most of every moment they have left with him.

Oh my gosh, guys, this book is such an emotional journey!  I loved that the author presents the story to us from the perspectives of both CeCe and Alexis.  I thought it gave a very full picture of what each of them was feeling at every step along the way – the sadness, the anger and frustration at the situation, CeCe’s resentment of her mother, Alexis’ sorrow at having missed out on so much of her daughter’s life (and Tommy’s for that matter).  The author also beautifully captured how fearful both Alexis and CeCe were of what life was going to be like once Tommy was gone.  Would Alexis finally make CeCe a priority?  Would CeCe actually let her mom back into her life?  I felt like the range of emotions they were experiencing were portrayed very realistically, which made the story all the more heartbreaking and engrossing.

As sad as the story is, it also has some beautiful and uplifting moments that really help to balance and round out the story.  I really did love watching Tommy interact with both CeCe and Alexis. He’s just such a wonderful guy and his bond with each of them was so special.  I also loved the secondary cast of characters – friends who are there for both CeCe and Alexis as they get closer and closer to the end of Tommy’s life.  I was also a huge fan of the ending, which although it had me in tears, it also left me with a smile on my face and hope in my heart. If books that pack an emotional punch are your thing, I highly recommend You and Me and Us.  4.5 STARS

Gah!!! Where to begin??

This would have been a brilliant story about a dysfunctional mother – daughter relationship all on its own, but in the face of a timer and loss of a loved one every emotion was elevated.

The strained relationship was so hard to read but I could feel both sides. You could feel the tension and you could feel the unspoken words.

And talking about things doesn’t always solve them, which was a huge factor in this story between Alexis and CeCe.

photo of book
Alongside the grief, CeCe is trying to find some normalcy, trying to dream about her future, navigate growing up, making friends, having dreams and boys. While she was frustrating at times she was a good kid and there was no lack of trying on her side either. Her perspective was interesting, it was a different love story to Alexis’, with her relationship with Tommy.

I truly empathized with Alexis as well. She was struggling with a lifetime of reflection, and bitterness to her future and her loss. Her relationship with Tommy was beautiful and oh how I cried on the couch.

Grief is such a tricky thing. There is no wrong or right way to experience it, and there was a range of coping strategies between the characters that clashed, but that was real for me. Things do not fit perfectly in life. I think Hammer did a fantastic job of handling this theme, and even though tears were shed, it was hard to put down this book.