*ARC* Ten Tiny Breaths - Review

Ten Tiny Breaths (#1)

By: K.A. Tucker

Published: February 12, 2013 by Atria Books

Kindle, 263 pages

Source: Netgalley ARC from publisher

(Goodreads / Amazon)

Summary:

Just breathe, Kacey. Ten tiny breaths. Seize them. Feel them. Love them.

Four years ago Kacey Cleary’s life imploded when her car was hit by a drunk driver, killing her parents, boyfriend, and best friend. Still haunted by memories of being trapped inside, holding her boyfriend’s lifeless hand and listening to her mother take her last breath, Kacey wants to leave her past behind. Armed with two bus tickets, twenty-year-old Kacey and her fifteen-year-old sister, Livie, escape Grand Rapids, Michigan, to start over in Miami. Struggling to make ends meet, Kacey needs to figure out how to get by. But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle anything—anything but her mysterious neighbor in apartment 1D.

Trent Emerson has smoldering blue eyes, deep dimples, and he perfectly skates that irresistible line between nice guy and bad boy. Hardened by her tragic past, Kacey is determined to keep everyone at a distance, but their mutual attraction is undeniable and Trent is determined to find a way into Kacey’s guarded heart—even if it means that an explosive secret could shatter both their worlds.

MY REVIEW:
I'm a bit behind in reading this as it came out earlier this year, and I had heard lots of great things about it so I knew it was one I wanted to read.  Then it became available on Netgalley and I jumped on it.  I'm so glad I did!  Ten Tiny Breaths will take your breath away and leave you in tears over the realness of the story.

Kacey picks up and moves herself and her 15 year old sister, Livie as far away from home as possible, from Michigan to Miami to start over where no one knows their past, a past that she never wants to talk about and has built walls up around her to protect herself from feeling anything for anyone other than Livie.  But friends and relationships can happen in the most unlikely of places and circumstances.  She quickly becomes friends with her neighbor, Storm and her 5 year old daughter Mia.  One of the things I loved about the story is how it focuses on friendship, and that even though 2 people can be so different, that doesn't mean they can't be friends.

Then there's Trent.  The slightly mysterious, super hot guy that lives next door.  Kacey is drawn to him and he makes her feel things she hasn't felt in 2 years.  The problem is that she has suppressed what happened to her loved ones for so long that she is a ticking time bomb emotionally.  Trent sees this, and tries to help her. She isn't interested in help though, and the pace at which he wants to go is entirely too slow for her.  A mix for disaster?  You bet!  Add to that massive secrets Trent also hides and this is one emotionally charged book.

Favorite Quotes:
"He seems to flip-flop from Good Samaritan to Evil Tempter with each new sentence out of his mouth."

"Because forgiveness has the power to heal."

"Give me your heart, Kacey.  I'll take everything that comes with it."

"He's like ripe watermelon after a lifetime of thirst.  He's like air after years underwater.  He's like life."

I went back and forth between a 4.5 star and 5 star rating, but in the end the realness of a story of a bad decision which leads to death of many people really touched my heart.
Final Rating - 5 stars