Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker
Series: Ten Tiny Breaths #1
Published by Atria on February 12, 2013
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 256
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley, Publisher
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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.

I’ve seen a lot of hype for the Ten Tiny Breaths series.  That usually turns me off from a book pretty quick but some friends kept recommending this one to me so I decided to give it a shot.  I am so glad I did.  Ten Tiny Breaths is one of my favorite new adult books!

Kacey and Livie are on the run from their pasts.  They are the only two people left in their family and they are determined to protect each other.  A drunk driver killed their parents as well as Kacey’s best friend and boyfriend.  The accident left Kacey with a lot of scars, both physical and mental.  She suffers from PTSD and she refuses to get help for it.  She thinks she can makes things better on her own and for a while that seems to be working.  Then she meets Trent and he brings out both the best in her and the worst.

Kacey and Livie have a wonderful relationship.  They are open with each other and it’s made clear how much they love each other.  However, sometimes that just isn’t enough.  Neither of them can fix what is wrong with the other.  Kacey tries her best to protect Livie from anything that could possibly hurt her but that tends to keep her from living her life.  Livie, on the other hand, doesn’t push Kacey hard enough and even though she knows that Kacey needs more help than she can give, she doesn’t make her seek it out.  When they move to Florida, Trent, Storm, and Storm’s daughter (whose name I can’t remember) enter their lives and completely change things for them.  Storm helps Kacey get a job that will actually help her save money so Livie can go to college.  Storm’s daughter is adorable and Livie babysits her a lot, giving her something to do with her time while Kacey works.  Then there is Trent.  He comes off as too good to be true at the beginning but he’s hiding some dark secrets that completely threw me for a loop.  I still loved him though.  He was sweet, sexy, confident, funny, and perfect for Kacey.

The story is really fast-paced.  There isn’t always a lot going on but it still manages never to be dull.  There is just enough mystery to keep readers hooked until the very end.

Overall, Ten Tiny Breaths is a wonderful new adult story that I highly recommend.  I can’t wait to continue on with this series.  I have high hopes for the following books.

What others are saying about Ten Tiny Breaths:

Respiring Thoughts’ review: “This is my new favorite book.”

Readers in Wonderland’s review: “Overall, I think this one is almost a guilty pleasure, it’s a fun read if you don’t look too much into it.”

Caffeinated Book Reviewer’s review: “Fans of character driven contemporary romances will adore Ten Tiny Breaths.”