Blog Tour+Review: Broken Pieces by Toni Aleo (Patchwork, #1.5)

Here's a little about Broken Pieces

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Out January 24, 2017

Book 1.5 of the Patchwork series

The rules of The Works have remained unchanged for centuries. There is to be no romantic mixing between any of the five supernatural clans. 

But from the moment Oceanus von Stein, second-in-command to the Patchwork family, caught sight of Taegan Conner, daughter of the leader of the Wolves, he knew he would never love anyone else. 

Only now, Taegan has been promised in marriage to another, an arrangement to strengthen her family’s alliances—and she gets no say in the matter. 

Neither does Oceanus. 

While they both know they have their places and responsibilities in their clans, their love is too strong. How can they let go of what they have? Though it is forbidden, Oceanus and Taegan won’t stop until they can have each other. The only problem is that the world is against them, and Oceanus has a threat to his sister’s life to vanquish. 

Can they find a way to be together, or will they both always be two Broken Pieces?

*Can be found in the Once upon midnight anthology
**Take place during Pieces.

Where to Pre-order it:

* [Amazon Global] ** [Amazon AU] ** [iBooks] ** [Kobo] ** [Nook] *

Read from: January 19 to January 21, 2017

Read on: eARC

Review:

So this novella is from Oceanus's point of view and is set in the time period of the book Pieces, the first book of the series. If you haven't read Pieces, stop this now. I feel like reading this novella without reading the first book would be "spoilerish" to some level.

I was happy that we got to have this novella. When you read in Pieces that the girl he loves is marrying another, you only get to see what Rebekah feels, what she believes her brother is feeling and we could only witness his behavior to what he wanted her to see, but here, you actually go behind the scene and you get swoop in a whirl of emotions.

He is really family oriented and there's nothing he wouldn't do for his family, but he's also in love with a werewolf and because of his father's laws, he can never be married to her. He inspires to finally become King of the Patchwork and change the rules so anyone could marry for love instead of being coerced into loveless marriages.

Of course, nothing is easy and he learns that quite quickly when Teagan is promised to another werewolf and his father is making a point that he ought to forget her and move on.

But their love is quite strong and you can tell that they are both torn between wanting to be together and to do what is expected from their families. Throughout this novella, you can see Oceanus inner fight between what he wants and what he has to do. He is struggling to do the right thing, but the right thing for who? That is the question.

I still don't like the father. I know he feels like he's doing what's right for his children and I don't doubt he loves them, but seriously, he sounds more like a dictator than a father; forcing them to do things they don't want to do. But I will admit the ending sort of mixed up the feelings that I have for this character and I don't know yet what I feel about that.

In the end? I really enjoyed this novella and I'm hoping the author might do some for the other brothers. I'd like to go behind the surface we only see from the other people's point of view. I feel like they could be quite interesting to learn more about.

And this also got me even more excited about the next book in the series. I'm looking forward to see where it goes.

I was given a advanced copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

As I watch my father sit, he doesn’t do so smoothly. His movements are jerky before he folds his old, leathery hands together and his eyes scan the room. The scars are very prominent on his face and hands. All the experiments he did on himself are visible, along with the scar tissue that is ancient and freakish on him. While his eyes are bright, from the new pair he just obtained, he looks like death. And tired. Very tired.

Clearing his throat, he lets his gaze fall on me, and I meet it head on.

“I had a meeting with Kurt Conner.”

Kurt Conner.

The pack leader of the wolves.

My love’s father.

Clearing my throat, I sit up straighter as my forearms lay against the cool top of the old oak table. Before I can comment, though, he is going on. “He needed a loan for the wedding of Taegan.”

What?

My world stops.

I feel all eyes on me. My father is staring at me, waiting for a response, but I don’t have one.

Because what the actual fuck is going on?

Did I hear him wrong?

“A wedding?”

“Yeah, she is marrying some other pack leader’s son—you know how those wolves are. Wanting to unite families with arranged marriage and all that wolfish nonsense, I don’t know. But I didn’t give him the money until—”

“Until?” I gasp, my heart in my throat, my stomach on the ground, and every piece of me feeling as if I am falling into the fiery depths of hell because surely I am hearing my father wrong.

Taegan is to marry me.

“He offered up some information on Frank Kelley—”

“He hasn’t died yet?” Jonas asks, and I know it’s to give me time. To let me think, to let me process, but I can’t. Taegan is to marry someone else? She didn’t even tell me. We were together last night! Had she known? Was she playing me? Damn it, what the hell? How could she allow me to find out this way? I mean, I knew my time was running out, but hell, did she keep this from me? I’ve never experienced heartache or true heartbreak, but I’m pretty sure this feeling of my chest caving in and blowing up is just that.

She’s marrying someone else?

She isn’t waiting for me?

Gasping for breath as I try to push the bile back down my throat, I watch as my father shakes his head. “Not yet. And apparently, they are wanting to attack us in one more attempt to get the formula for him. They think they can kidnap Rebekah and use her as leverage.”

I feel Rebekah move as she squeaks. “Me?”

“You. So we are on high alert. Keep your eyes open, and, Rebekah, I don’t want you working at the bar until this is taken care of. I have a meeting with Frank Kelley on Friday.”

“Father, I’m fine at the bar. It’s owned by our family, most of our family is there, along with JJ. The Kelleys don’t even come that much.”

“Yes, but other families come to the bar, and that makes me uncomfortable.”

“I’m fine, I can take care of myself.”

He leans on his desk, and I don’t care about their melodrama. I can’t. Even though I know I should intervene, calm both sides—because my father is right, we need to keep Rebekah underground while this goes on—I can’t help but think of the fact that my love is marrying another. Someone other than me. How in the world is this fair? Why didn’t she fight them? She told me she was mine, and I was hers. Why didn’t she wait for me?

And then it’s like I’m being slapped back into reality.

She didn’t wait for me because we can’t.

We can’t be selfish and love each other because we have commitments to our families. Yes, we love each other. Yes, she is my world, and I’ll love only her. But just like I have to, she has to protect her family. I’m sure there is something more to this, and while I wish she had told me, I know I can’t be upset. I have to respect the process of our families.

Being the eldest, we have no choice.

We don’t get to be greedy.

Wow, I don’t even believe I’m trying to convince myself.

How could she?

About Toni Aleo

[website][goodreads][twitter][facebook][amazon][pinterest]

My name is Toni Aleo and I’m a total dork.

I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic.

I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!

When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.

I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle.

… and did I mention I love hockey?

Chapter Reveal: Broken Pieces by Toni Aleo (Patchwork, #1.5)

Here's a little about Broken Pieces

Add on [goodreads]

Out January 24, 2017

Book 1.5 of the Patchwork series

The rules of The Works have remained unchanged for centuries. There is to be no romantic mixing between any of the five supernatural clans. 

But from the moment Oceanus von Stein, second-in-command to the Patchwork family, caught sight of Taegan Conner, daughter of the leader of the Wolves, he knew he would never love anyone else. 

Only now, Taegan has been promised in marriage to another, an arrangement to strengthen her family’s alliances—and she gets no say in the matter. 

Neither does Oceanus. 

While they both know they have their places and responsibilities in their clans, their love is too strong. How can they let go of what they have? Though it is forbidden, Oceanus and Taegan won’t stop until they can have each other. The only problem is that the world is against them, and Oceanus has a threat to his sister’s life to vanquish. 

Can they find a way to be together, or will they both always be two Broken Pieces?

*Can be found in the Once upon midnight anthology
**Take place during Pieces.

Where to Pre-order it:

* [Amazon Global] ** [Amazon AU] ** [iBooks] ** [Kobo] ** [Nook] *

Chapter One

Being the oldest isn’t always easy.

Everyone depends on you.

Looks up to you.

You are the poster child for the family.

Plus, you worry about everything.

Well, at least, I do.

Which means being selfish isn’t possible. Maybe not selfish—that word is harsh and I’ve never really liked it, but something along those lines. What I mean is that my needs, my wants are not important when I have three younger siblings and a father to worry for. 

You see, I’m a very busy man. I have many jobs. The first and most important being to protect and love my family. With everything inside of me. It is my job to guide my brothers and sister in the right direction to be future leaders of our community. The community my family runs. A community that is unseen to the human eye, which is fine by me. Dealing with witches, wolves, shifters, and vampires, along with the Patchwork citizens is enough in my opinion. They cause enough drama for one man, yet I love them. I want to protect them. 

They are my extended family.

Even if a faction of our Works—the shifters—wants to overthrow my family and take over, I still care for their well-being. I have to. It’s my job as a future leader of the Works. When my father decides to step down, which could be at any moment, it will be my job to step up and be the king this community needs. Not that my father isn’t doing his job; he is. It’s just…he’s old-school. Very old-school, and while all his parts are working at their full capacity, he isn’t the man he used to be. So much has changed. This isn’t the 1800s anymore, but my father apparently missed that memo. He’s budged a bit, adapted some, but he still has the same notions he had back then, and they drive me absolutely mad. 

Beyond furious, actually. 

But what do I expect? He lived in a time where a man was always right and you followed your father, your leader. After he lost his father to the plague, he became the leader and led his family. I don’t think my father meant for his life to go where it did, but it all changed when he found his grandfather’s old lab books.

That grandfather was Dr. Frankenstein.

The guy who made Frankenstein’s monster himself. Yes, the stories are true. But what the stories don’t tell you is that he had a son, who had four more sons, my father being one of them. With Father’s grandfather gone, and then his own father dying, I doubt anyone expected for Dr. Frankenstein’s work ever to surface again. But my father was and may be smarter than his ancestors. For when he found the books, he became obsessed with them, and soon he developed a formula that granted a man immortality.

True immortality.

He soon administrated the formula to his brother, Samuel. But after their mother and two other brothers died when the formula didn’t work on them, Samuel and Father were discovered. So, of course, they fled. They had no choice. But they did have a choice when they decided to come to America and make their own clan.

A clan full of immortal people who would follow and bow down to them. Or, really, to my father. I doubt Samuel had much say in it, but my father, yeah, he was drunk with the power he had. He knew he was the best, a god in his mind, and people flocked to him. They begged for the formula, needed it, and soon my father had his clan.

His Patchwork.

You would think that would be enough, but it wasn’t. Soon he reached out to the other supernatural groups. The vampires were first. The main reason was the simple fact that my uncle loved to sleep with them. The vampires didn’t need anything from my father, but he offered them an alliance, a way to get them constant blood since he had turned the owner of the local hospital immortal. As long as the vampires followed my father, he would be there to help them. As creatures of the night, and being killed off almost every other night by hunters and humans, they signed on quickly.

Next were the witches. My father promised to export and import anything they needed or wanted on his fleet of ships. In return, he would use their spells and rituals for things he was unable to fix.

The wolves signed on for the money. My father needed lots of guards and security support, and he paid very heavily for them. At first, it was just employment. But somewhere in there, my father worked out some kind of alliance. It’s beyond me, but he did it, and now they are basically eating out of his hand.

No pun intended.

The shifters are a whole other story. The resisted us, only coming to us with offers for the formula itself. Father denied them, of course, but he did ask them to join us. He offered that we would protect them and even employ some of them. He wanted to make our community complete with the five strongest clans of supernatural beings. But the shifters didn’t want any part; they were independent. That was, until people started dying and they needed the protection my father offered since no one could catch who was killing off their clan. I believe my father had a part in it, that he hired people to kill them, but he denies it.

Either way, my father got his underground clan, and soon, the rules were in place. Do what your clan is expected to do. All of us have a particular job to keep the Works running. The guard support the wolves offer—along with their construction work. The spells and treatments the witches provide. The political connections the vampires play a part in. And we can’t forget the connections on Wall Street that the shifters give us. It’s simple, really. Everyone plays their part and reports back to Father. Well, the clan leaders do, at least.

Another rule is paying your taxes. For obvious reasons, if my father is protecting your group, curing diseases, providing good housing, and everything else he does, the least you can do is pay the monthly tax.

Lastly, don’t mix clans. Father wants to keep the purest of bloodlines, to make the future children of the Works the strongest and best—my father’s words, not mine. Now, that is the rule that gets broken the most. Mostly by my uncle Samuel and his obsession with vampires. But even with his lust for the creatures, he has never fathered a child, mostly because vampires can’t have children. That isn’t the case for other clans, though. And when it happens, I mean, when a mixed-clan child is conceived, it isn’t long after birth that the child is killed. 

That sickens me and will be one of the first things I change when I am the leader of the Works.

I just have to get there.

“You’re thinking way too hard for someone who just woke up.”

I smile, my heart filling with such unadulterated tenderness for the wide blue eyes that soon trap me in their gaze. A grin pulls at my sweetheart’s lips, her long, flowing strawberry blond hair falling every so delicately along her jaw and onto my chest as she traces the scar on my stomach.

“I thought you were sleeping,” I whisper, my lips pressing against hers as my hands grasp the thick globes of her ass. Holding her tight against my side, I kiss her. Softly, ever so slowly, memorizing every single thing about her lips and the way they make me feel. 

Perfection. Pure perfection. 

When she pulls back, her eyes darken a bit as she throws her leg across me, straddling me as her nails bite into my chest. “I’m not sleeping,” she says, her cheeks dusting with color as I drink in the gorgeous freckles along her body. She is covered head to toe in them, and I swear, I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my days tracing each of them with my tongue, my fingers, anything. As long as I’m touching her. 

My love. 

As she moves her hot center against my growing erection, I smile. “I can see that.” My hand comes up to cup her full breast. “Whatever are you doing up there?” 

She scoffs, her wet core making every single thought from before disappear within seconds. “If you have to ask, I worry for ya,” she jokes, and I smile, my eyes falling shut a bit. Her voice, her thick Scottish brogue, does the dirtiest things to my body. Turns me on to the point of no return.

“I thought you had to leave?”

“I think I have a wee bit of time. Maybe we can spend it?”

Bringing her down by a hand at the back of her neck, I kiss her jaw as her breasts press into my chest. “I know we can,” I say before rolling her over, my body pressing into hers as I push her legs back into her chest and enter her quickly. She is hot, accepting me and squeezing me, making me breathless as I stare down into her beautiful, flushed face.

She stuns me, and I just look at her, my lips curving as my cock throbs inside of her, begging for release. But I can’t move. Not when she is looking at me like that. She reaches up, a grin pulling at her lips as she runs her thumb down my jaw.

“Gonna stare at me, my love? Or fuck me?”

“Stare,” I say simply, my body heavy against her legs. “I swear I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you.”

Her grin grows, her body flushing even more, and my heart explodes in my chest. Cupping my face with her other hand, she threads her fingers through my hair. My body breaks out in gooseflesh as she holds my gaze. When she looks at me, I know she doesn’t see the scars or the wounded flesh, the cut marks or the gunshot wounds. She sees me, her lover.

Because that’s all I can ever be.  

“I love you, Oceanus,” she whispers, her eyes so dark, so full of lust, and of course, love.

Fuck, I love it when she says those words. Those three words that are ever so beautiful—but more tragic than one could think. Well, that is until I take over the Works. The moment that happens, which pray God is soon, I will marry my love. I will make her mine, I will put my child in her, and together we will lead the Works. 

She will be my queen. 

I don’t care that she is Taegan Conner, the princess of the wolves, because I don’t see her faction or even her family name.

I see her heart. 

And it’s mine. 

All mine.

Moving her hair out of her eyes, I kiss her nose before sliding mine against it. “I love you too, my love.”

When her mouth captures mine, I lift her up, holding her ass in my hands as I fall back on my haunches, thrusting up into her. Her breath is harsh against my mouth, her breasts heavy against my chest, and as I drive into her, I don’t care about anything but her and me. 

I’m being selfish.

I’m taking what I want. 

And I don’t care one bit. 

It doesn’t happen enough in my opinion, but I guess, being me, I don’t get that luxury.

Truth be told, being Oceanus von Stein isn’t easy.

But it’s who I am. And while I lose myself inside of this beautiful woman, I don’t think of anything but her, and that’s okay for now.

Eventually, I’ll be able to do it for the rest of my days.

I just have to be patient.

Because my time is coming. 

About Toni Aleo

[website][goodreads][twitter][facebook][amazon][pinterest]

My name is Toni Aleo and I’m a total dork.

I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic.

I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!

When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.

I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle.

… and did I mention I love hockey?

Release Day: Pieces by T. Aleo (Patchworks, #1)

Introducing Toni Aleo's highly anticipated debut Paranormal Romance novel, PIECES. This radiant, powerful + magical love story takes you into a new world where anything is possible; where an underground society in NYC will make you question everything you thought you ever knew.

Dare to venture into... THE WORKS.

NOW AVAILABLE

* [Amazon] * * [iTunes] * 

* [Barnes & Noble] * * [Kobo] *

Out NOW!!!!

Summary

Add on [goodreads]

In New York City, an underground society of supernatural beings exists, hidden among everyday humans. They don't know of our activities or any of our secrets.

The districts of the Works are made up of vampires, wolves, shifters, witches, and I'm in the fifth and arguably most important district, the Patchwork. My father is the leader of our group, and he oversees all of the other factions.

As his only daughter, that makes me the princess of it all. Cool, right? Actually...no. Sure, I live in a mansion and money isn't an object, but that doesn't matter because I can't leave. I have a guard who follows me around 24/7. My father and three older brothers treat me like I'm a fragile piece of glass, never allowed to take an independent step or make any decisions on my own. It's beyond frustrating--especially since my father essentially runs my life. He says what I do, when I do it, how I do it, and all that jazz. He tests his formulas and new techniques on me. I'm a walking science experiment. I hate it. I hate my life here.

But then he comes along: Killian. He's just some vampire...or so I thought.

But you'll have to read my story to find out what I mean. To know my secrets. Until then, though, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rebekah von Stein. And I'm a descendant of Dr. Frankenstein.

Welcome to the Works.

BOOK COVER PHOTOGRAPHY + DESIGN || REGINA WAMBA

EDITING || LISA A. HOLLETT

MARKETING + DESIGN + SOCIAL MEDIA || KELLIE GUNDERMAN

** SEE MY REVIEW HERE **

Reviews

"Wow! Toni Aleo is the queen of hockey romance but now she writes paranormal flawlessly. Is there anything she can’t write? I think not. She weaved this new world of witches, wolves, vampires and Dr. Frankenstein’s descendants, that had me hooked from the very first page. It was a fresh new story that I devoured in one sitting. This story was filled with suspense, mystery and romance. It had me on edge wanting, no, needing to know what would happen next." - GoodReads Review \\ Jill M \\ Embrace The Romance

"Okay, so what the hell? I didn't see that coming. I mean, really, the queen of hockey writing about vampires, werewolves and Dr. Frankenstein's descendants? Let me be a little sceptical. And after I read it, let me apologize for it. This book was a fresh wave. I devoured it. It took me only one night to finish it because this story didn't let me go. I'm sitting here trying to put together the pieces - not funny - but I can't. I want to read more books like this one. Just keep it up, Toni!" - GoodReads Review \\ Becca

"I loved this book it was phenomenal.I could not put it down for anything. I help my breath for most of it and still didn't fully exhale when it was over! The end was left with a bit of a cliffhanger and it has me wanted so much more!" - GoodReads Review \\ Ash \\ Morning Books and Coffee

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