Orla inherits her grandmothers house. Old and dilapidated it’s going to take time and money she doesn’t have to fix it up. Luke needs a place to live and a job, Orla offers him both to help get her house fixed. Livvie’s roommates have made her living situation unbearable but a room at Orla’s could be her salvation. Beatrice has come to the London to learn about her past, and her searching has lead her to Orla as well. Four broken people in a broken house trying to figure out their next steps.
I did enjoy this book until maybe around the halfway mark. It felt like it dragged out parts of the story too long and I don’t feel like the ending had a payoff that made it worth it. I don’t know if this is intending to be a series, I can’t see any information on if it will be. But as is it feels like an incomplete story, and even if there was a second I don’t know if I am attached enough to the characters to seek it out.
Thank you to @netgalley and @stormbooks_co for letting me have an advanced copy of #allourmissingpieces for review.
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I really enjoyed All Our Missing Pieces by Sophie Ranald! The story of four strangers living together and the secrets that are held between them was so well done!

this book was everything i needed and more. it hit every spot of what you wish for in books like this. i adored it. i was there or wanted to be there under that roof. the themes, the plot and the pacing were all perfect. i cherished this book so much and didnt want to stop reading until the very last page. there is so much you can get from this book. and this is exactly why we love books!
the books gives us Orla who inherits a falling down house from her Gran. Orla doesnt want to let this place go and is determined to give it its grandeur back.
to do so she knows she needs money and people in the house with her seems to answer more than one of her current problems. and that is how a group of people all come to be living together.
we have Beatrice who was adopted in Ireland and has lived a privileged and rich upbringing where everything she wanted was handed to her. but she has managed to get her family to let her go to London for A "job". but what she didnt tell them is she is moving to try and find her birth mother.
Livvie needs to be out of her current place. their has become something toxic every time she walks into a room and she needs a new place fast.
Luke is a handyman and is needed by Orla to help with the house fixing. to do so she has agreed for him to do the work and then live in at a reduced rate.
and this is how we come to have these four living under one roof. and how what comes next is a whole series of emotions and secrets. of finding family and searching for others.
the emotional baggage they all bring is something to you can fully get on board with and feel compassion for. you learn from each of them in their own right but also through living together.
i brilliant book for me. i love books like this so it hit all the right points.
the title and front cover deserve another mention because it really fit well and made picking up the book right from the off just what i wanted.

Thank you to storm publishing and the author for this arc copy of All the missing pieces.
Although I enjoyed this book I did find it a little confusing as to whose viewpoint was whose at times which made the flow of the book a bit stilted.

I loved the premise, the characters and the reveal of the storyline but it was difficult in places to work out whose perspective I was reading, which meant a bit of flicking backwards to try and pick up the thread, spoiling the flow a bit.

Sophie Ranald blew me away with this one. I've read every one of her books and actually own quite a few physical copies but none of the other ones are like this. This one is a story of four individuals living within the same house and each one has their own secret. Each secret is revealed and all of them were a surprise to me. However what was not a surprise is how wonderful a storyteller Sophie is.

I need this to be clearer with which character is talking but the story is excellent, the characters and the settings vivid. The main story is about adoption and believable.

I rarely rate a book so poorly. I know authors put their heart and soul into them. However, this book felt somewhat erratic in its presentation. I was never sure which of the three female characters was narrating. There are four main characters, Orla, Beatrice, Livvie and Luke. The story of Beatrice, who is searching for her birth mother, is the only one we really see a conclusion for. Luke gets close to the end of the book, and is forgotten about. Orla has a juicy twist in her tale and has an abrupt finish. I can only assume there will be a follow-up to this book.

I enjoyed parts of this book, but overall, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. With multiple points of view, I often found it difficult to keep track of who was speaking—I think having character names at the beginning of each chapter would have helped. I also felt like we didn’t get the full story for each character, which left things feeling a bit unfinished. It’s not a bad book by any means, maybe just not the right fit for me.

Thank you to Storm Publishing via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review was posted (Instagram, Goodreads, bookishlytara blog, Storygraph) on May 16, 2025. An additional post (with a reposted review) will be posted on Instagram on the publication day as well as an Amazon Canada review. (links below)

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

3.5 stars
A contemporary fiction tale, about four strangers who end up living in one house, and the unravelling of the secrets that change their lives. Told through dual-timeline and from multiple perspectives.

This story gently explores the silence, secrecy and shame that leads to life-changing choices, as well as the hope for forgiveness and second chances. The characters felt realistic, particularly Beatrice's search for belonging, and Orla's search for self-acceptance.

The final chapter offered an unexpected twist.

With thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy, in exchange for an honest review.

"All Our Missing Pieces" centers on Orla Clifford, who inherits her grandmother's dilapidated residence located in Damask Square. Driven by the desire to rejuvenate both the house and her own life, she opts to welcome lodgers for financial support. The narrative introduces three unique characters who move in: Luke, a handyman with artistic ambitions; Livvie, a nurturing individual seeking a new beginning; and Beatrice, an affluent American on a quest to locate her biological mother. Each character carries emotional burdens, weaving a rich tapestry of interconnected lives and experiences.
As the plot develops, Orla delves into her renovation endeavors while chronicling her reflections in a morning journal. Concurrently, Beatrice investigates the house's concealed spaces, gradually approaching the revelation of a long-buried secret that Orla has suppressed for two decades. The theme of secrecy is pivotal, prompting inquiries about the influence of the past on the present and the evolution of relationships in light of hidden truths. The dynamic between Orla and Beatrice is particularly compelling, notwithstanding some interactions that may seem predictable.
The book’s pacing can be inconsistent, and I found the middle part to drag a little bit. However, I really enjoyed the character development that was assisted by the alternating perspectives. The book picked up when the characters’ histories and motivations are revealed. The themes explored in this novel included: adoption, healing, friendship, and the quest to belong. Some of the story was unresolved by the ending and I would have liked more exploration and knowledge, but overall, this was a good, emotional, inspiring read. This novel is a gentle, introspective novel that examines the intricacies of love, loss, and personal development.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my review.

took a bit to connect and a bit to actually set up. definitely well written and intriguing, would recommend. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

This was a good book. It had a good cast of characters that all added something to the story.

That said, the story felt a little off in places. The characters all had their own idiosyncrasies, to be sure, but the way they lived together never made sense to me.

Orla and Beatrice had the most interesting interactions, that led to the most expected "surprise" of all. Not.

I'm torn on if I'd recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

All Our Missing Pieces follows the intertwined lives of four strangers brought together by chance and circumstance. Orla, who has inherited her grandmother’s house in London, is trying to renovate it while also rebuilding her own life after personal upheaval. She decides to rent out rooms in the house to three tenants: Luke, Beatrice, and Livvie.

Luke is a handyman with aspirations of becoming an artist, and he begins helping Orla with the renovation work. Beatrice is an American woman who was adopted from Ireland. While working as a nanny for a wealthy family, she is also on a personal mission to find her birth mother. Livvie, meanwhile, is recovering from a difficult living situation and is simply looking for a place to start fresh. Each of these characters carries emotional baggage, and the novel unfolds through the alternating perspectives of the three women: Orla, Beatrice, and Livvie. As they navigate their personal struggles and slowly form connections.

The beginning of the book felt a bit confusing. I didn’t immediately realize that the point of view changes with each chapter, which made it hard to follow at first. After rereading the book’s description, things started to make more sense, and the story flowed better from that point on.

While the novel offers a heartwarming narrative with thoughtful moments about healing, friendship, and starting over, I didn’t feel fully engaged. The characters had potential, but I found it difficult to connect with them deeply. That said, the premise is compelling, and I appreciated the focus on how strangers can become a kind of chosen family when given the space and time to open up.

It’s not a bad book by any means, it’s gentle and reflective in tone, but I expected a bit more emotional depth or complexity. Still, for readers who enjoy character-driven stories about rebuilding life and finding connection in unexpected places, this could be a comforting read.

Sophie Ranald has only gone and done it again. The perfect blend of humour and a gripping storyline. The book will keep you going until the very last part.

I enjoyed this book but I’m going to be really honest and say I did not like the ending. Overall the book is written really well and the characters are convincing, likeable and you really do want the best for them but I just felt the ending left so many questions - maybe there’ll be a sequel! Would still recommend reading it.

this is a poignant and layered novel that delves into the intricacies of love, loss, and personal growth. Set against the backdrop of a crumbling house in Damask Square, the story introduces us to four distinct characters—Orla, Luke, Livvie, and Beatrice—each carrying emotional baggage and seeking a sense of belonging.

Told through alternating perspectives and timelines, the novel skillfully explores how the past shapes the present. It brings warmth and emotional resonance to the narrative, particularly through Orla’s journey of healing and Beatrice’s quest for identity. The character dynamics are compelling, with tensions and tenderness emerging naturally. The themes of forgiveness, secrets, and second chances are thoughtfully portrayed.

While the ending might feel slightly open-ended, it reflects the messiness of real life, where not all wounds heal cleanly and closure isn’t always complete. A touching, emotionally honest read that lingers after the final page.

Orla inherits her grandmothers house and needs to renovate, but leases rooms within. Beatrice one of the girls is a nanny and is going on her journey to find her birth mother. It’s an exciting read, but didn’t like Beatrice’s attitude towards her birth mother when she found her. I found her rude. Woman needed to adopt children in Ireland for various reasons and her birth was one of them. Did like the ending though. A good 3.5 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

3.75 out of 5 stars – A Quiet, Thoughtful Read with Moments of Emotional Impact

All Our Missing Pieces is a gentle, introspective novel that explores found family, long-buried secrets, and the slow, fragile process of healing. The premise—four strangers under one roof, each carrying their own weight of grief, guilt, or longing—is compelling and offers a rich canvas for emotional storytelling.

That said, the pacing can feel uneven at times, especially in the middle sections where the emotional stakes waver slightly and the mystery surrounding Orla's past takes a little too long to fully unravel. Some plot points feel a bit too neat or predictable, and the conclusion, while touching, doesn't hit with quite the emotional resonance it promises.

Still, the writing is lyrical, the themes are heartfelt, and there’s a cozy, melancholic charm to the whole book. If you enjoy character-driven stories with a focus on healing and human connection, this is a quiet but rewarding read.