Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Love the look, love the size and scale, and the fireplace heats well. But... I’ve put together countless pieces of furniture like this, from simple to complex. I did the two side shelves first, and they went together easily and without any problems. The fireplace was a different matter. The sides and front pieces kept coming apart, so that it looked like a comedy sketch as I worked. I got hubby to help me with this part, but even with both of us trying to hold the pieces together, it would still fall apart as we worked. It got to the point where hubby was ready to throw it in the trash but I didn’t want to give up and kept extending the length of my patience (more than I knew that I had, actually...). Anyway, the instructions have only pictures, NO words. That wasn’t the problem but it didn’t help. the problem was the locking pieces that the screws fit into. They kept pulling out of the particle board, and the pegs were loose they really didn’t help hold it together for assembly. So, after the utter frustration we decided to put the bottom on and try to build it from there. After we got top & bottom on enough to stabilize it, then we could put in the front piece and go from there. I don’t cuss. But I seriously considered it and probably thought of a few choice words during the whole thing. Once assembled, we both love it. It’s kind of like giving birth to a baby: a real pain but then you forget about that part because you’re so happy to have the little dear. As a Prime member, I buy a LOT of stuff from amazon. Living out in a rural area far from a city, amazon is my go-to source for many of my purchases. I must rely heavily on your product reviews to help me decide which item is best for me -- especially when I can't actually see, touch or hold the product. I take my personal product reviews seriously, and if something proves to be a piece of junk, I'll tell you - and if it's great or mediocre, I'll tell you that, too. My policy is to try to write the kind of reviews I want to read and to update my reviews if for some reason the product fails to perform as advertised during the period it's warrantied for. I do ask that if you found this review helpful in making your decision, that you please click on the "yes" button below.