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.
Wow, this book was an emotional roller coaster. I had no idea what to expect, but what I got, I highly enjoyed. Ten Tiny Breaths is a book about loss, grief, depression, but most of all, forgiveness and love. It’s about how even in the darkest times of your life, you can still find yourself worthy of love, and you can find things worth living for.
“Just breathe. Ten tiny breaths … Seize them. Feel them. Love them.”
Kacey, despite being a very aggressive and anti-social person, was still a likable character. I admired her strength and her love for her sister. She went through such pain after the accident that killed her parents, best friend, and boyfriend that my heart broke her. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the heartache, pain, suffering, and scars that came along with losing almost every single person Kacey loved. It was horrifying and heartbreaking to feel alongside Kacey her despair and desolation. Her flashback to the accident was one of the most heart-wrenching scenes of the book. But of course there had to be even more heart-wrenching scenes later in the book! It’s not enough that Kacey’s whole world is ripped in half, it had to be ripped apart again. And can I just say, K.A. Tucker does an incredible job of conveying all of Kacey’s emotional turmoil.
After the life-altering accident, Kacey hardens her heart. She cares for no one but her little sister Livie, and she makes it so that everything good she does, she does for Livie. But then a friendly neighbor, her adorable daughter, and a special boy come along to make her rethink about her life, and make her believe that it’s okay to care for herself again. To love herself again.
“I want to make you smile. For real. Always. We’re going to go for dinners, and see movies, and walk on the beach. We’ll go hang-gliding, or bungee jumping, or whatever you want to do. Whatever makes you smile and laugh more. Let me make you smile.”
Trent is one of the sweetest book boys I’ve ever read. He cares so much for Kacey, and he sees the pain beneath the tough exterior she puts on. He wants to make her feel happy again, to feel cherished and loved. I fell a little bit in love with this boy, with his charm, sweetness, and sexiness. Because oh my goodness, Trent can be very sexy when he wants to be (which is pretty much all time time with Kacey ;)). Kacey slowly falls in love with him, and it gives her hope for a brighter future, one that includes Trent in it. And so she goes through the stages of grief, with Trent helping her heal along the way.
Throughout the book, I got the feeling that something HUGE was going to happen. Because life seemed to turn out too well for Kacey, and well, I was basically waiting for the other shoe to drop. And holy shit, does it drop. I won’t put any spoilers, but K.A. Tucker gives us little hints and clues that relate to the insane plot twist, and I had figured out some of it, but damn. It was so shocking and unbelievable and crazy that I had no idea how to feel about it. This is mostly why I can’t give the full 5 hearts rating, because the twist just completely threw me off.
Nonetheless, Ten Tiny Breaths is such an emotional, heartfelt book. You are swooning one moment over Trent, and the next, you’re shocked and dreading what devastating thing will happen next for Kacey. It’s not an easy book to read, but for those who like books that make their emotions go all over the place, Ten Tiny Breaths is the perfect read.
Reading Order: Ten Tiny Breaths series
#0.5 ~ In Her Wake: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1 ~ Ten Tiny Breaths: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ One Tiny Lie: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Four Seconds to Lose: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Five Ways to Fall: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.
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