Review: Ten TIny Breaths by KA Tucker

Title: Ten Tiny Breaths 
Author: KA Tucker
Series: Tiny Breaths, Book 1
Release Date: December 11th, 2012
Publisher: Papoti Books
Genre: New Adult Romance
Rating: DNF/ 4 Hoots
Reviewer: Karia/Lenore
Buy From:  Amazon/ Barnes and Noble

Sum It Up! 
Dual Review

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. (Goodreads).

Dual Review:

Sadly, I must be one of the very few that didn’t love this book from the get go.  I tried to get into the story, but not being a reader of young or emergent adult (YA/EA) I found it very trying.  I was frustrated that Kacey felt the only way out was to run and hide.  Yes, their lives were crap.  Yes, their aunt and uncle were brutal.  But their situation was just a bit too farfetched for me to buy-- Religious aunt,” gambling-pedo” uncle???

So I kept going and I enjoyed their brief moments together, but still I found myself dwelling on the fact that these girls were a bit too whiny for my liking.  I love my girls gritty and tough.  I love when they pull up their big girl panties and fight.  I don’t enjoy when they expect or hope for Prince Charming to save them.  So when Kacey falls for the guy down the hall and vows not to be a bad girl again, I felt myself staring at the new paint in my kitchen. 

Right then, I knew this was not the book for me.  I stopped and went on to read another book…which by the way, was a 5 hoot from me (Diamond Girl, check out my review).  Again, sadly, I didn’t make to the “great parts” that my many fellow book friends found awesome, but my  time is best spent with a book I love.  Note, after posting my DNF (means did not finish) in Goodreads, many of my friends told me how they loved this book.  Enjoy!

Karia

Unlike Karia, I did enjoy this book. She makes some excellent points that I had not considered. I agree that points of the story such as Kacey's reaction and their troubles were a bit far fetched. While Kacey can come off whiny, I tried to think of what I would feel like in her shoes, and I would be very whiny too. 

I continued reading and finished the book. It became better as time went on, and Tucker fleshed out the relationships between characters. Storm and her daughter are a great addition to the story, and the girls relationships really help readers understand the characters.

This book was a contemporary/ new adult romance, but it had a lot to do with people too. Hardships and how some will react and the relationships and bonds that can form from tragedy. The romance almost took a backseat to the rest of the story, and I did not mind that at all in this case. 

I would recommend giving this book a try if you are a fan of new adult romance. 

Lenore