Well gee… *kicks dirt*…I don’t know…I know everyone loved this book, but, um…I really struggled with it.
It starts off with so much potential. How do you not jump into a story about a man who loses his beloved wife in a car accident and then falls for the man that was the driver of the other car? Oh the possibilities. And yes, a lot of the grief and the guilt and the struggle for everyone involved to move on were here in this story. And throw in a gay-sex virgin and a host of peripheral storylines that felt the promise of being emotionally pulling, and you have the recipe for a winner. Right? Well, for a lot of readers, yes. For me? …….
I wanted to punch this book in the face.
I was just so TIRED of the repetitive “this can never happen again” *fuck like rabbits* “this can never happen again” *fuck like rabbits* “too bad this can never happen again”…and on and on and on.
I think Lincoln was a sympathetic enough character. I liked how the author didn’t take the easy way out with his life and the accident and his guilt over it all. Bouncing back and learning to LIVE again after a tragic loss at your hands must be difficult and this felt very REAL the way the author put Lincoln’s life on page.
I wanted to feel this same genuine emotion for Jay, the one who lost the love of his life in this accident. But, gosh…Jay…drove me nuts. I get that he’s torn and there’s overwhelming guilt and his family was crazy. It just got really old after awhile and I started to not believe this character anymore.
I think if this book merely focused on the odd relationship between the two and explored their attraction and growing feelings more, I’d have been ok with it. But the story took a weird turn into some vigilante justice/revenge plotline that I was so aggravated with…I was pretty much fuming by the end. I almost couldn’t stand to finish it, the details THAT outrageous and unbelievable.
This book just didn’t work for me…even writing this review a few days later, I’m starting to get angry. HA! Sorry…I think more than anything, I’m upset about the wasted potential of what could’ve been a much better book.
Title: Breathe
Author: Sloan Parker
Publisher: Self-pub
Pages: 277
Release Date: November 23, 2014 (2nd edition)
Purchase Links: Amazon, ARe