Missing Pieces by Michael Golvach is a contemporary romance about two opposite characters who grow to love one another. Mandi suffered terrible abuse as a child and carries those emotional scars as an adult, too. She doesn't know how to let anything good into her life. Michael is from a military family and doesn't know how to settle down or place roots. But when he meets Mandi, he is immediately drawn to her. The more Michael tries to get to know Mandi, the more Mandi feels safe around him, even though she promised herself she would never let herself be vulnerable around men again. Mandi has many deep, personal demons that Michael has to coax out of her, but for him it is a job that is worth all of the effort. Because in the end he could get the ultimate reward. Mandi's love.

Missing Pieces is a tender romance about letting go and getting second chances. I really enjoyed Golvach’s characters and the intensity that built between Michael and Mandi. I thought their slow burning love affair was really well written. I wanted Michael and Mandi to figure out a way to get together quickly, but having it take time (due to Mandi’s insecurities) helped build the tension in the story. I was really invested in their relationship’s outcome, and I thought that was a very smart way to build the tension. I also liked the fact that this romance talked about some darker topics not usually associated with contemporary romances. I felt Golvach brought an awareness that I, for one, really appreciated.

Missing Pieces by Michael Golvach revolves around Mandi Wexler who has suffered a lot of abuse and that reflects in her behavior and perspective on people and life in general. Growing up in a dysfunctional family, the memories of her abuse follow her into adulthood, making her miserable and robbing her of being joyful and lively as she would have wanted to be. Michael Skyler came from a different kind of background, but that doesn't stop him from falling madly in love with Mandi. The more Mandi tries to ward him off, the more he is attracted to her. Will Michael help her heal from her past? Will his love be able to help her get rid of past demons?

Many questions will come into readers' minds while reading this story and that keeps them hooked till the very end. The author brings out the contrasting backgrounds and psyches of the main characters of Michael Skyler and Mandi Wexler effectively, and the rest of the characters complement the plot beautifully. The plot is fast paced and the detailed and vivid descriptions make the scenes, characters, and the events come alive. The story is sad, it's tragic; it's palpable and touches the hearts of readers. The story shows love beautifully and how everyone would like to have someone so caring, so loving, and so protective like Michael in their lives.

I found Missing Pieces by Michael Golvach to be a very heartbreaking and emotional roller coaster ride, but also very complex and moving. The book follows Mandi Wexler, a poor girl who grew up in a dysfunctional and abusive household. As Mandi grows up, she continues to lose herself because of the abuse and has many deep and heartbreaking emotional issues. She doesn't feel like she can love or be loved or be a worthwhile person. Enter Michael Skyler, a carefree loner type. For reasons he can't explain, he feels drawn to Mandi, much to her dislike. Can Mandi learn to love again, and can Michael settle down and repair Mandi's broken spirit?

Any time a book deals with trauma and abuse, it's guaranteed to be a difficult read, but I think Golvach does an excellent job telling the story and describing the abuse in a very non-offensive way. The story is very emotional and raw, and it was heart wrenching to read about what Mandi grew up in and how it affected her life, even into later years. It's a very sobering thing to realize that how we are treated when we are young has such a direct impact on our lives, all the way to adulthood. Mandi could have turned out so different if she had been loved and treated with respect in her childhood. The choices we and others make have lasting consequences.

I really liked the relationship between Mandi and Michael. They each had inner demons that only the other could tame. It was endearing to see how their relationship blossomed and grew as the story progressed. I would recommend Missing Pieces by Michael Golvach to all fans of romance and drama genres.

Michael Golvach’s Missing Pieces is a romance story about two characters who must get out of their own way in order to learn to let go and love again. Michael grew up in a military family and isn’t interested in settling in one place. He isn’t sure he wants to settle for one girl, either, until he meets Mandi. Mandi is everything he thinks he wants in a woman, but Mandi has a dark secret. Mandi grew up in a horrible family that was abusive and neglectful. She hasn’t gotten over that hurt and isn’t about to open herself up to anyone, especially a man who might hurt her tender heart. But Michael is determined to get to know Mandi, and the more he tries the more Mandi finds herself falling for him. But is it enough to get her to lower her guard completely? And will Michael still love Mandi when he sees her for the scared, emotional mess that she truly is?

I really enjoyed Missing Pieces. It is an endearing romance about two completely different people who end up falling in love, and I loved that message. I also really liked that it touched on some darker issues, like Mandi’s childhood and the abuse that she suffered. You don’t always see that kind of intensity in romantic stories, but I thought Golvach handled it well in this novel. The darker parts of the story were woven in well and weren’t too dark, and there was always Michael’s character nearby to lighten up the intensity and give Mandi and the reader hope that the story would brighten up and take on a happier ending. Balancing the darkness and lightheartedness was a really smart way for Golvach to handle the story.