Us, in Pieces

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Pub Date 23 Jul 2019 | Archive Date 28 Apr 2020
Shadelandhouse Modern Press, LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles

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Description

"A very reasonable self-aware romantic comedy about love in the time of neurosis and regret."
—Pete's Candy Store, Brooklyn New York (Book Launch Party Event Flyer)

Us, in Pieces is a contemporary epistolary novel with a modern spin. It is written in emails, instant messages, text messages, present day narratives, and flashbacks.

Can Lilly and Adin bridge a lost decade to rekindle a life-long love and share a future they’ve only dreamed of…or will be a couple for forty-eight-hours, and then go back to their own separate lives—no strings attached.

In college, Lilly Jameson and Adin Driscoll were as close as friends could get, until Lilly leaves unexpectedly and without explanation at the end of their sophomore year. Nearly ten years pass without contact until a sudden invitation from her parents brings them back into each other’s lives. Old, unspoken feelings resurface, and they take a gamble on their limited time together: they will be a couple for forty-eight-hours, and then go back to their own separate lives—no strings attached.

But when Adin returns to his life in Columbus, Ohio, and Lilly to Denver, Colorado, they find themselves unable to move on. They soon discover that who the other person was and who they’ve each become is as unclear as the sort of life they could build together.

Told in sparkling prose in the alternating voices of Adin and Lilly, this beautifully crafted, tightly woven, debut novel is an exhilarating roller-coaster ride. Us, in Pieces is an enduring love story across generations.


Author Insights

Tasha Cotter shares an insight about her debut novel, Us, in Pieces:

"Adin said best – 'I’ve loved you enough to crumble under the weight of it.' Us, in Pieces is about trying to reclaim the past and fit it into the present, about how that rarely works. This book explores that space—it’s romantic. It’s complicated. It’s emotionally dangerous…

This week, I can't help thinking about how Valentine's Day (and the days leading up to it) marked a turning point in Adin's and Lilly's relationship."

In her podcast interview linked below, Tasha shares the origin story of Us, in Pieces and discusses her collaboration with co-author Christopher Green to write a modern love story using a unique form that reflects the way we communicate today (emails, texts, instant messaging) 

"A very reasonable self-aware romantic comedy about love in the time of neurosis and regret."
—Pete's Candy Store, Brooklyn New York (Book Launch Party Event Flyer)

Us, in Pieces is a contemporary...


Advance Praise

"Us, in Pieces is a daring and wildly imaginative novel, a coming-of-age story that is both timely and timeless."
—Hannah Pittard, author of Visible Empire and Listen to Me

"Us, in Pieces is a daring and wildly imaginative novel, a coming-of-age story that is both timely and timeless."
—Hannah Pittard, author of Visible Empire and Listen to Me


Marketing Plan

The Us, in Pieces Marketing Plan includes author appearances at book signings, readings, panel discussions, book fairs, submission of book to be displayed at trade fairs and conference exhibits, and publisher-sponsored authors showcases and book launch; print ads (IBPA Collective Ad in Publishers Weekly, 2019 Holiday Edition Independent Press Listing Ad in the New York Review of Books, 1/2 page ad in the Kentucky Humanities Magazine, 1/2 page ad in the ASC program guide), digital ads, social media content, avid readers "street warriors," an author created Spotify playlist related to the novel developed during the writing of the book; distribution of flyers and postcards, direct mail outreach, blogposts, submission to media outlets. See for a sampling of author appearances and events. The marketing plan is continuing to evolve.

The Us, in Pieces Marketing Plan includes author appearances at book signings, readings, panel discussions, book fairs, submission of book to be displayed at trade fairs and conference exhibits, and...



Average rating from 82 members


Featured Reviews

I love that this book is a romance with substance. It really draws you into the characters and you become emotionally invested. The past lovers to current lovers theme is done so well and you just want to keep reading and rooting for them to have their happy ending. This is a wonderfully written book!

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This was a great read in part due to the writing style the authors chose to use. I think alternating between Adin and Lily really helped the reader feel invested in both characters vs rooting for just one of them to be happy. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

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I will admit that everytime I read the the title us, in pieces I burst into a rendition of Snow Patrols You're all I have! Sorry if you are now singing it too!

I really enjoyed this story and both the characters. I liked that we got the story from both points of view both of which is wonderfully written.

Would love to read more from these authors.

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Let me start with: i love, love, loved this book. Every once and a while i find a cute love story that i enjoy the whole story from start to finish and this was one of them. It was so realistic or maybe so dreamy that i enjoyed it.

Adin loves Lilly. He has since they were in college and he was just her bestfriend. Finding out she is newly divorced gives him courage to pursue a relationship he never tried before. In every attempt he made i could feel his love, his determination and his fear. For some reason i was always on his side.

The dedication of flying from one state to another to prove yourself. Jumping feet first into the unknown. We have all done something crazy for love and sometimes its not always reciprocated.

I loved the writing style, the plot and the characters in this book. Everything was so simple to relate to. The story didnt always portray happy times and that made it more relatable.

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Lilly and Adin met as freshman in college and they quickly became inseparable. The two would spend lazy afternoons sharing a set of headphones to listen to music, hang out for hours watching movies, take long naps and be a shoulder for the other to lean on at a moments notice. There was only one major problem...Adin was head over heels in love with Lilly who had friend-zoned Adin often coming to him when her long-term boyfriend upset her. Afraid to lose her completely Adin never opened up to Lilly about how much he cared for her. Completely out of the blue, Lilly doesn't return to school the following semester cutting off all contact with Adin and breaking his heart. Fast-forward ten years and Lilly is still the one Adin compares all women to. When his best friend Tristan lets it slip that Lilly is recently divorced, Adin decides to put it all on the line and picks up the phone. Could this possibly be his chance with Lilly he has always dreamed of? This creative co-written, dual-perspective story is told through emails, texts, letters and brief first-person narration. There are times you want to shake both of these characters and tell them to get it together but I think that's what makes them so relatable. Whether you've been friend-zoned or been the one talking your friend through confusing times there is at least one character in this book that everyone can relate to. This was such a cute love story, a perfect read right before Valentine's Day. Be sure to add this to your TBR list for a weekend binge read. Thank you to Netgalley & Shadelandhouse for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I loved Adin and Lily! This book had me wanting more from the very beginning. It was such an easy book to follow thanks to the fun way it was written. Second chance romances are one of my favorite tropes and seeing Adin and Lily navigate their relationship ten years later was lovely. Thanks for writing!

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This was a very sweet love story, and I enjoyed the fun way it was told (through texts and emails etc). My only small niggle would be that there was an awful lot of will they/won't they - but I suppose that is what makes books like this work! Still a very enjoyable read and, I felt, well observed.

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Solid 4/5 stars for me! I especially loved the way this book was written- the co-narrator format and the use of non-traditional prose, i.e. emails, texts, etc., adds a particularly lovely element to this story! Thank you to NetGalley and Shadelanhouse for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more of a crime/thriller reader however this story intrigued me. I absolutely loved it, truly one of the best books I have read. I am extremely pleased and grateful to both for opening up my mind to something totally different.

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To start with - Us, in Pieces is an epistolary novel, which some people love and some people don't. Fortunately, I'm in the category of the former and this book was VERY well done in this style. It tells the stories of not-quite college sweethearts who could never connect then and are having a pain-in-the-neck time now (10 years later) to try to sync up. There are a lot of fits and starts, all of which were very realistic. That said, I have really mixed feelings about this novel - it was engrossing and I couldn't put it down (and barely did) because I wanted to know what happened. On the other hand, i wanted to flick both Lilly and Adin in the ear because they drove me crazy and not in a good way. So in the end, I can't help but give this book a good review because it did what books are supposed to do - carry me away into another place. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Us in Pieces by Tasha Cotter and Christopher Green

I read this book back in February, right around Valentine's day. I enjoyed how the story was told from 2 different perspectives, from Adin and Lilly. Lilly was fresh out of a divorce when Adin comes back into her life. Adin and Lilly both went to college together and Adin was Lilly's best friend. But unbeknownst to her, Adin was absolutely, head over heels in love with her. So when the opportunity to come back into her life arose, he jumped at the chance. The story is told through them writing letters to each other and their own view points on how the current situation is enfolding.

"Love is needing other people. And I mean that. Needing them. Love is when the world feels like a black and white movie whenever the other person isn't around."

This quote sums up how romantic the story is and it’s a great window into the sensitivities of love, relationships and what it means to be a couple.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this awesome book.

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This book was great! I loved the way it was written. Changing perspective between the two main characters kept me wanting more. I connected with the characters and believed the story line. Un-put-down-able!

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If you're looking for a sweet rom-com, pick up "Us, In Pieces." Told from alternating points of view through emails, texts and IMs, it's the story of two college best friends, Adin and Lilly, who lost touch and reunite realizing there might be more to their connection than just friendship. I rooted for Adin and Lilly and also found the roadblocks in their way very realistic. The book is a modern twist on the chick-lit "will they or won't they" genre and if you love those kinds of stories, you'll love this one.

Thank you for NetGalley and Shadelandhouse Modern Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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This book was refreshing, stirring and winsome. I love the fluidity of the authors and the shared narrative space. We need more books like this across the modern bookshelves of our lives. Splendid : )

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This was a beautiful story about two people who were meant to be. I love stories where the characters meet, part ways and then find one another again. This story is one of those that ropes you in from the beginning and you find yourself rooting for the couple to realize they are meant to be together.

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