3.5 stars. I wouldn't say this one was absolutely gripping but it was decent. Paige finds out through a genetic test that her father wasn't actually her biological father. She pokes around on the internet and speaks with her mother and aunt to learn bits and pieces of the true story. I thought that the mother's refusal to talk to Paige about what really happened was immature and unlikely. I can understand being upset about it but it felt ridiculous that a 60 year old woman would act so childish about something that happened 40 years ago. But I thought the other characters were decent and I liked reading the backstory of how Andy (the biological father) and Betsy (Paige's mom) came to meet.

On another note, the football references should be edited. The offensive line doesn't score touchdowns (usually) and fieldgoals are not kicked after touchdowns.

I’m not crying, you’re crying. That’s how I feel after reading this beautiful novel.
Paige questions and scrutinizes pieces of herself and her life after the revealing of a shocking DNA test result—a timely story in today’s environment.

Told in dual timelines between two different characters (mother and daughter), the emotional story about identity and self-discovery unfolds.

The prominent relationships in this story are complex and relatable, and I was drawn into their drama. I couldn’t stop turning the pages to find out their secrets.

Heartbreaking and heartwarming—this family saga is thought-provoking and powerfully crafted, and I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this gifted Advanced Readers Copy.

I enjoyed this book about family secrets and what modern technology has done to bring them to light. Paige Meyer is contacted by an online genealogy site that tells her her DNA has matched with a man who is not her father, sending her life spiraling.

Hopping between timelines, Paige's present and her mother's past, we see how this secret came to be and its ripple effects. The author does a great job of making all of the modern day interactions seem real and not overblown or overdramatic. There is not a huge soap opera reunion where everyone is completely happy. There were some areas and relationships I wish had been explored more instead of some of the ones that got more pages.

The character development was done so well. I felt like o really connected the characters and they were very relatable. This is definitely a new spin on a DNA test surprise. I loved that Andy and Paige immediately had a connection. I do wish that it didn’t take 75% of the book to get you to the relationship of bio dad and daughter but all in all it was a great read. Very quick read for me.

📚 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 / 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝗪 📚⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Title: #LittlePiecesOfMe
Author: @thishammer
Publisher: @williammorrowbooks⁣
Pub Date: 4/13/21⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Type: #Paperback #ARC⁣⁣
Genre: #Fiction #ContemporaryFiction #WomensFiction
Must Read Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⁣⭐💫⁣

My thoughts:

-Alison Hammer KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE PARK AGAIN! Just when I thought I couldn't love another book as much as YOU and ME and Us, this one warmed its way into my heart and wont let go for a long time. I couldn't put this one down!

-From start to finish, this book is an absolute delight. Ironically, I have many books on my TBR lately that deal with DNA testing and discovering long lost family secrets. This one took a completely unique twist on it though and I am bursting at the seams to talk with someone about it.

-This is a highly character driven story, which I absolutely adored. I would love to have friends like Maks and Margaux and fathers like both Mark and Andy. The only person I wasn't a huge fan of was Betsy (during the "present" day chapters). Things gelled for her character by the end of the story though, which made the "past" chapters completely click.

-This story is told in dual timelines and sometimes I struggle with which timeline I like better. In this book, I loved both equally and felt they were super important to the storyline. I am always a fan of books that take place in college, but also give a sneak peek into how your actions stay with you forever.

If you're looking for a special book about love, forgiveness and learning from mistakes, you'll love Little Pieces of Me. I think this is a book that everyone should read - regardless of your genre preferences.

This one brought back a lot of nostalgia for me as a portion took place at my alma mater, the University of Kansas. RCJH!

The story itself was very engrossing and one I’m seeing play out among people I know in real life. The DNA test that shows the life you’ve always believed to be yours - isn’t exactly what you thought. A parent isn’t really your parent.

Super relevant premise - I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for that hit you in the feels family drama with a splash of coming of age (of an adult!)

What a beautifully written story about love and loss and moving on, but always keeping the pieces of you close. Paige is missing her Dad, with whom she had a very close relationship. Her and her Mom, have a different story. One little email changes her life and has her questioning everything she thought she knew. Paige needs to comes to turn with her new normal and find answer to so many questions she has.

This story had me wrapped up from the beginning to the perfect ending. It makes you feel all the feels of a daughter at a crossroads in her life, trying to do the right thing for herself without harming too many people. Along the way, she just may end up more than she could have dreamed of. The story line goes goes back and forth between present day and and the late 70s, two completely different times. I loved how the author wove the beauty of Jewish traditions throughout this story. I am a believer that books should be rated with how the stories make you feel, this story gave me all the feels, left me teary eyed and quite satisfied. A family drama at its best.

Thanks to Ms. Hammer, William Morrow, and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Paige Meyer is 43 years old and is planning her wedding. She has a difficult relationship with her mother Elizabeth. She is still mourning the loss of her father, who she was very close with. After taking a DNA test, she learns that her beloved dad is not her biological father. Her non-communicative mother refuses to shed any light on this discovery. Paige loses all sense of herself and with the help of her close friends, she looks for answers. Her journey is not only a search for the man who is her birth father but a chance to understand her mother, who gave birth to Paige when she was seventeen and still in college.

Little Pieces of Me is told in the present and in the past when Paige’s mother (who was called Betsy) had her whole life ahead of her. And her biological father Andy, grappling with what path he should take in life. The characters in this memorable book come across very real. You’ll feel for each of them as their stories explain why they made the choices they did and as Paige tries to put the pieces of her life together. My heart was heavy after reading this book.

Rated 4.25 stars.

Something that seems to be a "new" issue facing people today are secrets uncovered from dna/ancestry sites. So, Alison Hammer's "Little Pieces of Me," is quite the timely novel. While affairs, adoptions, and hiding family lineage is not a new phenomenon, it's becoming more likely to be uncovered in our world.

This novel follows Paige. She's had a lot going on in her life in the past few years. Her father, a man she had an amazing relationship with, passes away. She gets engaged. She's laid off from her advertising work. And in a totally unexpected curveball, she gets an email from genetic/dna website letting her know she's got a new leaf, her father! Wait, what? Paige has a father and he's no longer around to tell her bad puns and support her and be her teammate in their family.

Little Pieces of Me also follows Betsey, Paige's mom, in the year Paige was conceived. She's a sophomore at college and she's desperately trying to live the cookie cutter life she envisioned. The life that's a total opposite from the mother who raised her. Betsey wants stability and security, passion and fun can't give you support and a partner sitting next to you through the highs and lows of life. Or maybe, she does kind of want a little bit of passion. She can't quite make up her mind and she's in pieces over the emotional confusion.

The alternating between Then and Now makes for a fast-paced read. Far from a thriller or a romance , this drama still unfolds quickly. You're eager to figure out the events that led to Paige's new parental findings in Betsey's past, and then remedy these findings with Paige's observations of her own lifetime and understanding of her parent's marriage. Paige looks at her parents marriage as being a loving marriage, her mother and father totally devoted to each other. This development makes her question not just her own life and personality, but also her observation of her parents.

It was unique to get to hear from Betsey and the "DNA Dad," Andy in the past and not hear their side of things in the present. I loved how the two timelines came together to tie all these "little pieces" up in the end. If you're a fan of fiction about family and reality and relationships, this may just be the book for you.

I received a complimentary copy of LITTLE PIECES OF ME by Alison Hammer from William Morrow Books! I also joined in on the Let’s Talk Books promotional tour for this novel!

LITTLE PIECES OF ME follows two story lines. In the modern day Paige is a forty something woman still grieving the death of her father when she gets an alert from a DNA test telling her that her father wasn’t actually biologically related to her. Her actual father is named Andy. Her mother refuses to discuss this shocking surprise, but Paige can’t help but want to learn more.

The second story line is that of Paige’s mother Betsy in the time frame of Paige’s conception and birth. The mystery of how Paige wound up meeting Andy and conceiving a child with him is slowly revealed as the reader’s questions of who knew what and when are answered.

This book was so easy to settle into and I really enjoyed the read, especially Paige’s journey throughout. Paige had a strained relationship with her mother and a special bond with her father for her entire life and I could absolutely feel the grief she has both in the death of her father and in the sudden shock of learning that she isn’t her father’s daughter. I loved the people who surrounded Paige, from her supportive fiancee to her her best friends who both support and also push her to consider the possibility of expanding her family.

I struggled a bit more with connecting to Betsy, though I was still hooked during her portions of the narrative. Betsy made some very poor choices that I couldn’t agree with, but I think the author did a great job of showing how those choices impacted her life and her attitudes throughout. She too has a fantastic supportive friend who I really loved, continuing the strong theme of friendship.

This book dealt with a lot of issues of identity, family, friendship and love, and it is one I absolutely recommend. I will be looking to read more from Alison Hammer in the future!

Little Pieces of Me is a story told in dual timelines - one set in the present day and one in 1975. The current day timeline features forty-three-year-old Paige Meyer and the 1975 timeline features her mother Elizabeth (Betsy) Kaplan. It’s an interesting twist on a mother-daughter tale and one that, for the most part, works well.

Paige is engaged to a lovely man, supported by two best friends, and grieving her father who died two years earlier. Her relationship with her dad was wonderful but her relationship with her mother has always been strained.

I may have been my dad’s greatest gift, but I was my mom’s nightmare come to life. They were in college when she got pregnant, and thanks for my impending arrival, she had to drop out of school and her sorority. They got married, then had me.

Paige has always felt that her mom must resent her and that is why they’ve never clicked. The upcoming wedding seems like an excellent chance for the two of them to connect more. But then Paige gets a message from DNA website “Family Tree” that she joined a few years ago. There is a new match for her - a parent-child connection - and it’s not her parents. Suddenly Paige is confronted with the idea that her dad may not have been her biological dad.

Betsy Kaplan has a wonderful college boyfriend (Mark), except he’s not the most thrilling in bed and their dating has gotten a little stale. When Mark gets her a birthday present that seems to show Betsy that he doesn’t get her, she takes the opportunity to break up with him and has a one-night stand with her crush, Andy Abrams. But Andy is struggling with his sexual identity and cannot be Betsy’s new boyfriend. When Betsy finds out she’s pregnant, she makes the decision to get back with Mark and give her child the best chance at happiness.

Forty-three years later, when Paige confronts her mom with the DNA results, Betsy denies that Mark is not Paige’s father and Paige is left with only one course of action. She seeks out Andy Abrams and the truth.

Telling this story in dual timelines made for a very interesting read. Seeing Betsy today through Paige’s lens and then seeing her as a college student was enlightening, and made a character who was hard to understand much clearer and easier to feel sympathy for. It also shows how time and our different roles through our lifetimes shape how we interact with others and how they view us.

There are many characters in Little Pieces of Me to support the two timelines but I think the most interesting is Andy. His struggle with his sexual identity (especially in 1975) is well done and his interactions with Paige are some of my favorite scenes. Paige’s discovery about her dad(s) brings up some interesting moral dilemmas - should Betsy have confessed to Mark and Andy? To Paige? If everyone is happier, what’s the harm of a secret? These are the issues Betsy, Paige, and Andy have to deal with and come to peace with. Little Pieces of Me does a good job handling all of these questions and while it doesn’t give a final answer it does present all sides of the story so the reader can decide.

I had a few issues with the novel though. If I had read this through, with no reference to Paige’s age, I would have put her in her early thirties - she just doesn’t have the maturity of a forty-three-year-old. A few characters seem as though they’ve been dropped in to create a little conflict (such as Paige’s fiancé’s co-worker and one of her sisters) but then nothing develops. I would have rather not had them in the story at all. I did, however, love Paige’s fiancé – he’s perfectly kind and supportive (although I would like to have seen more of their romance). But  even with these issues, I still found the story to be engaging and often funny.

Little Pieces of Me is a pleasing and thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of contemporary women’s fiction.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent retailer
Visit our Amazon Storefront

Little Pieces of Me is a family drama story with a strong focus on the mother/daughter relationship and self-identity.

When your whole life is turned upside down, through a DNA site, you find out your father (who passed away 2 years ago) is not your biological dad and you have a “DNA Dad”.

This is the story of Paige. A 40ish Jewish woman. She’s engaged, unemployed, has 2 supportive and funny friends, twin sisters, “Aunt Sissy” who is like a mom to her. Then there’s Paige’s mom, Betsy, who doesn’t want to talk about her past and the secrets she has kept. So Paige seeks out her “DNA Dad”, Andy, for answers. Told in dual timelines from Then & Now from Betsy’s life in college to Paige in the present. Being Jewish myself, I really liked the Jewish references in the book.

This was an overall solid read for me and I did enjoy the story. Thank you William Morrow, Custom House, and NetGalley for the complimentary digital advance copy. All opinions are my own. #LittlePiecesofMe #NetGalley

Little Pieces of Me is the story of Paige Meyer who discovers, 2 years after the passing of her dad, that her dad is not her biological father. As she digs deeper into her mother's past, she begins questioning everything about her identity, her past, and whether her dad knew that he was not her biological father. The story oscillates between Paige's and her mom's struggle.

There were quite a few things about the story that differentiates Little Pieces of Me from other books I've read. Firstly, the story is very modern and doesn't necessarily abide by social norms. For example, Paige is a 40-something Jewish woman who is about to get married.  Secondly, the story dives into identity from several angles. There's of course, Paige, who doesn't quite know who she is anymore; there's is also Andy, a gay man, who is not ready to come out of the closet; there's Betsy (Paige's mom), who vows to keep a secret and to play the role of a loving wife to a man she is not fully "in-love" with; and finally, there's Paige's twin sister who is just beginning to discover her own identity as separate as her twin. I also really enjoyed the fact that the characters are Jewish. Though the story, per se, is not Jewish, it was fun to read about some Jewish holidays and traditions.

I would have liked to see a bit more depth in the characters and more originality. Paige's friends were the perfect friends who knew what was best for her. Paige's mom was cold and Paige's husband-to-be was the perfect supportive fiance. While interesting, the book wasn't a major page-turner for me.

Overall, I did enjoy the story and it made me think more deeply about identity. What makes us who we are? Is it our family, our DNA, or is there more to it? I'll let you ponder over those questions!

Thanks to @williammorrowbooks for the complimentary arc of this book. All opinions are strictly my own.

One sentence review: I highly recommend this fantastic, character driven book about a woman who suddenly finds out that her biological dad is someone she has never met.

I really loved this book. The basic plot is outlined above. The story itself is told from two points of view in two different timelines. I was completely riveted as the story unfolded.

This is definitely a character driven novel but the pace is pretty quick within the dual timelines. Not all of the characters in the book are entirely likeable but honestly I think that is part of what I loved about this book. It all felt real to me. Life is messy and people make imperfect decisions all the time. Especially in stress filled situations.

So if you are a fan of character driven novels I highly recommend this book. The combination of friends, family and conflict are just so well done.

I also highly recommend it for people looking for Jewish representation where people are just living their everyday lives. Jewish fraternities and sororities also play a role in the book which I really enjoyed learning more about.

A DNA test throws Paige's life into upheaval. The father she thought was hers...isn't. Told through the viewpoint of Paige now and her mother back in the 70's this is a great read about decisions made and the consequences that may come with them.

I absolutely LOVED this story! This was my first book I’ve read by Alison, and it won’t be my last.
I enjoyed reading the two different story lines of the past and present and all of the characters were relatable and fun.
It was definitely a book I didn’t want to put down so I finished it pretty quickly! The ending was absolutely perfect. I highly recommend this book 😊

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the ARC of this fascinating story. It begins with Paige Meyer getting an email from an ancestry DNA company that she has a “new leaf” in her family tree. Paige assumes it is a mistake however, decides to dig a little further. Upon her investigation, she finds that is a parent-child match. When Paige confronts her mother, she denies that anyone except her husband, Mark Meyer, could be the father. Paige eventually contacts her biological father and she discovers why she always felt as though she didn’t quite fit into the Meyer family even though her Dad loved her very much and they had a great relationship. The story goes back and forth between the time when Paige was conceived and present day. I found myself very engaged in Paige’s story and rooting for her and her biological Dad. It was a story that hasn’t been told hundreds of time so it was a fresh, interesting, quick, heartwarming read. I would recommend this book when it is published on 4/13/21.

Little Pieces of Me by Alison Hammer is an interesting look at the effects of DNA test results on a woman and her family, told in a warm way with a good story line and exposition.
The book, set in present day Chicago, presents a strong beginning in which most of the main characters are introduced. Paige, age 43, is a recently laid off ad designer who is engaged to Jeff, a “genuinely good guy,” up and coming in a firm in the city. Her past romantic relationships have been short and not committed, so planning a wedding with Jeff is a significant life step for Paige. Her best friends Max and Margaux are very supportive; they provide some levity, but also strong support and advice. Paige is still grieving the loss of her father, Mark, 2 years before, with whom she enjoyed a close loving relationship. Currently, her mother Elizabeth still lives in the family home in St. Louis and her relationship with Paige is characterized as strained and remote for as long as Paige can remember. The family is rounded out by her twin sisters, 13 years younger, and “Aunt Sissy,” her mother’s best friend whom Paige has looked to for support and advice all her life.
Then Paige receives an email regarding a DNA test she had taken several years before and she suddenly finds herself questioning her whole life thus far, her upbringing and her very nature (vs. nurture). From this point on, the story is told in two timelines: The “now” is Paige and her emotional jarring as she delves into her history and family relationships. The “then” is actually more interesting as the reader follows Elizabeth, known as “Betsy,” and Mark as they date while attending college in the Midwest, and complications arise involving a college buddy, Andy. I could relate to many of these college experiences in the 70s, and the social issues involved. While there have been improvements in this era of inclusiveness and tolerance of individual differences, unfortunately many of the issues raised are still problematic today.
This book is definitely character-driven. While Paige seemed pretty immature for a 43 year-old in the early chapters, following her thoughts and musings kept me interested and I appreciated the growth and maturity her character showed by the story’s conclusion. Her mother’s complicated nature is nicely revealed. The rest of the family and friends are written with a warm humanity, as they deal with real life and all the secrets and dysfunction it holds. The DNA part of this storyline is one many people today can relate to, also!
The writing is solid and insightful, with some memorable lines, as Betsy thinks, “he tasted like whisky and bad decisions,” and Paige becomes “focused on where we are going. That matters more than where we are coming from.”
This is a down to earth story about family relationships and personal growth, with a bit of humor and sentimentality that adds to its charm. It is an enjoyable novel worth reading for its warm insight into the human condition.

Thank you to William Morrow/HarperCollliins and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my unbiased review.

"That's what secrets are. Lies we tell ourselves. I don't want to lie anymore."

This book! I laughed, I cried, I couldn't put it down but didn't want it to end. It's SO good.

Paige Meyer has recently lost her job and lost her dad, a man she worshipped. So when she opens an email from a DNA testing website telling her that her biological father is a man she never met, she thinks it must be a mistake. But when her mother refuses to discuss it, Paige gets suspicious and decides to find the truth herself from the only other person who may know what it is - the man who may be her father.

Told through dual timelines - "Now" as Paige tries to figure out who she really is and "Then" back in 1975 where we follow Paige's mother, the father she thought was hers and the one who is through sophomore year at the University of Kansas - the story has a lot of twists I didn't see coming. Hammer writes beautifully complex characters who you can't help but feel for even if you disagree with their choices. I love that Paige is 43 and not desperate to get married and the Jewish representation in the book is genuine and organic. The secondary characters are great too (Paige's besties Maks and Margaux, her supportive fiancé Jeff and her wild child aunt Sissy were faves of mine) and help Paige navigate a very difficult situation. Hammer leaves some open-ended questions and the last page packs a doozy of a punch that you'll either love or hate (I'm still debating!) making this a great book to discuss.

If you're looking for a heartfelt family drama that will give you all the feels, this is it.

Thanks to William Morrow, Custom House and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

A timely novel on the impact that at-home DNA tests have had on long-held family secrets.

After the death of her beloved father, Paige learns that he wasn't actually her "DNA dad" afterall. This discovery leads her on her own journey of self discovery.

Told in two viewpoints during two time periods, the minor characters are as likeable as the main ones. The relationships develop smoothly without a lot of drama. The biggest challenge being the main character's unwillingness to talk to her mom to find out what actually happened until the end of the novel.

A solid read with a fast-moving plot and relevant storyline. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of the novel.