Book Review: Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Ten Tiny Breaths (Ten Tiny Breaths #1) by K.A. Tucker

 

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

 

“Just breathe. Ten tiny breaths … Seize them. Feel them. Love them.”

 

Meet one of my new favorite books. This book is amazing. And powerful. And moving.

And a must read.

And if you've not picked it up yet, trust me on this, give it a chance. It delivers an impacting read that will definitely make you feel, think, laugh, hurt -- and yes -- breathe.

The Plot.
This book is fast paced. The chapters are broken down into different sections, like: numb, acceptance, or denial. And it was an amazing to slowly journey through each of these categories with the main character, Kasey.

Kacey is suffering from some major PTSD, but she blocks out all of her issues, and tries to focus on caring for her sister, Livie. She's numb and callous, but also as tough as nails. Now enter Trent -- the one person that is able to see the real Kasey and break through her outer shell. And together, they slowly start finding happiness. But Trent is dealing with some serious issues of his own.

The Romance.
Trent is an awesome male lead. He is strong, sweet, and has a hot bike. And even though he comes off a little overbearing at times, I still really liked him. I love that kickboxing, say what she is thinking, Kasey can't think straight around Trent. It is realistic and relatable -- I know I turn into a blubber fool around the guy I like. Plus, I could see myself asking my date if he was going to feed me to the crocodiles at the marsh. I'm just quirky like that and apparently so is Kasey, and it cracked me up.

The Characters.
The characters in this book break stereotypes. And I love how the author shows a character and describes them pretty honestly, but then zooms in on their actual personality. This changes the way you see them. It is actually pretty phenomenal and leaves a cast of memorable characters.

Favorite?
I couldn't decide. So many stood out to me and I loved almost all of them. Storm. Kacey. Livie. Trent. Dan. Such an outstanding group of characters.

Seriously, I went on vacation for a week to the beach (and since this is a kindle book and I didn't want to get my reader full of sand and ocean water) and didn't get to read very much. It was like I was missing my friends -- cliche, I know -- but I kept thinking back to the book and wondering what was held next for the characters.

The Last Half Crushed Me.
The whole book is emotional. Heck, even the blurb on goodreads is emotional. But something about the last few chapters really, really gutted me. (I blame the full moon). Tucker has a way of describing anger and pain and regret and guilt. It captured me and moved me.


Summary

Ten Tiny Breaths is a quick read that will restore your faith in the power of love, and maybe even leave you speechless.

Need more? Recommend For?

Fan of Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry or Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles will love Ten Tiny Breaths. They are not exactly a like, but feature from similar aspects.

 

Also, the cover is fabulous.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the chance to review this book.

 

Posted with Blogsy