The End of Me

While I liked the story initially, with all the letters, videos, and extended family, I struggled to grasp the relationship with Derek and the fact Finn is also ‘pan-sexual’ suddenly? How does this scenario work anyways? I would assume a lot of jealousy but that’s not the case in this series, which I find unrealistic in our world.

What a roller coaster ride this was. I was frustrated, in tears, hopeful and kept waiting for more threads to unravel. Cannot wait for the ending of this story! My heart was beating with all three of them through the whole book.

I went into this duet thinking I knew exactly where Piper and Archer’s story would take us but I couldn’t have been more off base. Admittedly I didn’t even read the blurb for this book. It wouldn’t have made me want to read it mom or less because I feel like I’ve been waiting for this duet for forever. I don’t even have words to describe how this book made me feel. I ended it feeling both hopeful and heartbroken and needing the conclusion asap.

It’s complicated… It is complicated, angsty, and poly. This is a MMF read that ends in a cliffhanger. Piper, Finnegan and Derek…are complicated. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but this is steamy and extra angsty. Recommend. Waiting for When Forever Finds Us (cuz Deckers are nothing but complicated).

Both for Piper Cooperson and me! Talk about emotional. I felt tense the entire time I read this beautiful book. Can’t wait for the second half of this duet.

I absolutely loved The End of Me by Claudia Burgoa; the first book in her The Downfall of Us, it is an incredible love story. Claudia Burgoa continues to provide readers with incredible love stories filled with amazing characters. She continues to prove that she is an amazing storyteller. I love all the characters in The End of Me, they feel like family! The End of Me filled me with a rollercoaster of emotions, it was impossible to put it down, and I loved every moment on every page. Who does not love hot sexy men, strong females, loving families, and friends, who always support one another? I really enjoy how the book is told in the first person from the perspective of the main characters. I love getting the insight and feelings from the different characters. I love the lighter moments where I find myself smiling and laughing out loud. My favorite moments are the ones that pull at my heartstrings that cause me to sigh, as I read the heartbreaking moments. The End of Me is filled with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. It is filled with all those things that I have come to love and expect in Claudia Burgoa love story, and she did not disappoint, especially with the poignant and bittersweet moments that filled this page turner. The End of Me is a love story between Piper Cooperson, musician, therapist, publisher, her missing and presumed dead husband Archer St. James/Finnegan Gil, author and security specialist, and Dr. Derek Yates Farrow, former Navy SEAL, who holds a doctorate in physical therapy and another in occupational therapy. Piper and Archer have been together since he was four and she was three, first as friends, then dated and eventually secretly married when Archer was twenty-one. Archer was on a mission for The Organization and is missing, and eventually presumed dead. Piper believes in her heart that Archer is still alive. I love that the book shows Piper’s grieving process and belief that he is alive, even though her family, Archer’s family, and their friends believe he is dead. Finn and Derek meet when Derek gets hired as Dr. Derek Doyle by Ricardo Zamudio to help his son, Travis, recover from his recent injuries. Derek does not believe that Travis is Zamudio’s son, but since he suffers from amnesia and does not remember anything from his past. As Derek works with Travis, he regains his strength, and mobility but not his memory. Derek privately trained Travis as a sniper. Derek develops feelings for Travis while they are working together. Derek fears for his life and fakes his death, eventually returning to New York and taking a job working for Piper as the director of physical and occupational therapy at her music therapy practice. Travis also fakes his death, and is adopted by Charles Gil, a renowned archeologist. I love how Derek shares Piper’s music with Travis to help him relax. Finn and Derek reconnect once Finn moves to New York and become partners in a security firm and train together. I love how all their lives intersect with each other, without any of them knowing their connection and how Finn realizes that Piper is the girl he dreams about, because he remembers the color of her eyes, when he sees her performing in a subway station. Finn does not know what his connection to her. Piper and Finn work with one another on a series of books that Finn is writing, but neither realize the real identity of the other. Derek falls in love with Piper but realizes that there is no place in her life for him if she believes that Archer is still alive. I love how Derek shares things with Finn and Piper that he has never shared with anyone before, I love that Piper discloses her real identity, Piper Bradley Cooperson Decker and that she is the daughter of a throuple which includes Matthew Decker. I love the box that Archer left for Piper if he was ever presumed dead and everything that box contained to help Piper move on. An unanticipated plot twist occurs that causes Piper to get injured and Finn to question who she is and the role she and her family played in the injuries that he suffered and his retrograde and dissociative amnesia. My favorite part is the cliffhanger ending and how the events were connected to the events in the Covert Affair duet. I love the characters and the family dynamic in The End of Me, the characters feel like family and friends. I enjoyed all the interactions between Decker cousins and siblings, how they always have each other’s back, but especially their teasing that made me laugh. Who does not love family and friends that always have each other’s backs? I cannot wait to read When Forever Finds Us, to read the conclusion of Piper, Finn, and Derek’s love story and hopefully their happily ever after. Highly recommend this incredible love story.

Claudia is a story telling genius. She continues to rip our hearts out, make us scream and cry…but then she puts us back together at the end. TBH I’m a little nervous about the second book in this series - I really hope she puts us back together. I’ve been waiting for Piper and Finn’s story…knowing it would be a painful, emotional and frustrating (not in a bad way) read. I wasn’t prepared. The way Claudia tells this story is so incredibly moving, beautiful but also makes you think about what you would do. Should Piper give in and believe what everyone is telling her or should she trust her gut? Characters/couples from the series are linked into this story along with a new character - Derek. You can’t help but adore him and how he treats Piper but…..gah! You have to read the story to understand my lack of being able to communicate the intensity, beauty and heartbreak of this story.

I feel like I need to preface this review with my feelings for the author. Claudia Burgoa sucked me into her writing world the first time I picked up a book with her name on it. While some are very lighthearted, there are many that are filled with angst. This book is one of them. I’m not against angst. In fact, sometimes that’s exactly what I need to be reading. Other times, I need something a little lighter. So I’m thankful that I can find both from her. Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend this book be the first Claudia Burgoa book for new readers. Because there’s a lot going on. A. Lot! In fact, even though I’ve read all of the other books in the series, and probably most of the others that are referenced in this book, I have to say I wish I had taken notes. There’s a lot going on, there’s a lot of characters, and there’s a lot of “Oh so that’s what happened in that other story” moments. The other thing I did after I finished this book, was read the reviews from other readers. That’s not some thing I ever do before I write my own review. I don’t want to be influenced by what others think, but this time I felt I needed to see if I was on the same page as other people were. I am, but I’m not. This book didn’t make me cry. It did make me angry, quite a few times. At one particular character for the most part. And I know it’s not who people will assume it is. So I think I’m going to need to hold judgment on the characters themselves, until after reading, book 2. So this review is for the writing. The author has made a twisty, turns, vegetable soup of a story. And that is certainly not a bad thing. It’s not the story I want for Archer and Piper, or for their families. But it does make fabulous drama. And interesting conflict. Not to mention, that I am now dying for the next book. So we’ll see how I feel after that.