Synopsis
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.
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My Review
Twenty year old Kelsey has been through some hardships in her life. After being the sole survivor of an horrendous car crash which tore her apart from the people she loved and having her uncle almost molest her younger sister Livie, Kelsey decides enough is enough and acting as Livie’s guardian, they run away to Miami to start over again. But since everything changed in her life, Kelsey is bitter, angry, and full of pain. She’s a different person from the old Kelsey and because of this; she doesn’t let anyone in and makes them keep their distance. But that is until she meets her new neighbour. He’s good looking, charming, knows how to push Kelsey’s buttons and pushes her to be more open, not just with him but with her other neighbour, Storm.
Trent is just what you’d love in a guy. He’s charming, playful, protective and attractive in every way. I felt drawn to him from the moment he appeared in the page. But he does have his own issues and secrets that he’s kept from Kelsey and of course, when they are out in the open, everything drastically changes for the both of them.
From the synopsis, if seems like one of those stories where you know what is going to happen, but alas, that is not so. I was so surprised by it all that it kept me on my toes and kept me turning page after page to find out more.
I loved how Kelsey on every page seemed to come out of her shell bit by bit. She started off closed off even though her neighbours were trying to get to know her, but her anger and hard exterior didn’t want anything to do with them. But breaking down the barriers and you read about an amazing friendship between her and her neighbour 23 year old Storm and her five year old daughter Mia. I absolutely loved Storm and Mia – they also brought the story to life and you see into their past and their life too, as they all spend a lot of time with each other, especially as Mia and Livie spend a lot of time together.
The one thing that stuck out to me was in fact how emotionally damaged (?) and exhausted with everything Kelsey was. She had been through so much and Trent just wanted to make her happy and smile every time they were together. He was the one she turned to the most, until everything fell apart near the end.
The last 20% of the book is such a shocker. I actually kinda guessed a part of the story a couple of chapters before everything happens due to something someone said in the book, but I didn’t want it to be true at all! Ten Tiny Breaths made me react the same way The Edge of Never did right at the end. The last 20% had me crying my eyes out and gasping and feeling every single emotion Kelsey and Trent were. I love it when you feel a connection to the characters, and that’s exactly how I felt reading about their ‘relationship’ at the end.
Ten Tiny Breaths is a definite read and be kind to yourself, buy this book as a Christmas present because it is such a great read about love, friendship, forgiveness , letting others into your life and second chances.
I literally cannot wait for the second book, which will be about Livie and her life. I really do hope that Kelsey and Trent get a cameo as I’d love to see what they are up to since this book.
Z. Elizabeth 