Book Review: Breathe Into Me by Sara Fawkes

Add to Goodreads

Breathe Into Me
By:  Sara Fawkes
Published:  April 8, 2014
By:  St. Martin's Press
Source:  Publisher
Mature Content:  18 & Up

GR's Summary:

How did my life get so broken?  It’s a question Lacey St. James asks herself every day.  Stuck raising her little brother in a trailer park while she works a dead end job at a grocery store, she has a stalker exboyfriend, a bad reputation, and no way out.  

And then, she meets Everett, who changes her entire existence.

Everett is an outsider who’s housesitting his family’s mansion off the coast, and for reasons Lacey can’t understand, he’s completely transfixed by her. He seems determined to show her that life can offer more than she’d ever hoped for, if only she believes in herself.  She desperately yearns to trust him, but what happens when she finds out that everything he’s told her is a lie? 

 My Thoughts:

Breathe Into Me, by Sara Fawkes, was a fast-paced, enjoyable read.  This is the first full length story that I have read of Ms. Fawkes' and I am a fan!  She knows how to hold her readers interest, and I was engaged in this story the whole way through.  Breathe Into Me is about Lacey St. James, and the story is told mostly from her perspective.  The only father that she's ever know, died, and her life got turned upside down.  Her stepfather adopted Lacey when she was 3, and she had been taught that he was her father.  When he dies, her mother moves them in with her maternal grandmother.  Lacey's life falls apart, as her mother becomes an alcoholic, and her grandmother abuses her.  Lacey tries to protect her little brother, Davvy, and works two jobs to contribute to the household.  

Unfortunately, Lacey is involved in an abusive relationship with, Macon, a man who thrives off Lacey's fear and pain.  One night at bar, Lacey is rescued by Everett, a good-looking and quiet guy that keeps to himself.  Lacey and Everett start to forge a friendship, and begin to develop an emotional connection.  However, both Lacey and Everett hide dark secrets from their past.  Macon is stalking Lacey, and her grandmother is determined to ruin her life.  Everett become her safe haven, but when she learns about his past, she wonders if she really ever knew him at all.

I loved how the relationship between Lacey and Everett developed slowly.  They became friends first, and really developed an emotional connection.  The attract,  and sexual tension was there, but there was also so much more.  They shared their secrets, memories, and dreams for the future with one another.  Their relationship was definitely a slow burn.  The more time they spent together, the more I wanted them to find happiness together.  Everett was just as broken as Lqcey, but he hid his pain.  He was such a stand up person, and I loved how he bent over backwards to help Lacey, and showed her how to empower herself, so that she could change her life.

Along the way, we met various secondary character, but two really stood out to me.  Cherisce was an older bartender who had experienced a tough life.  She related to Lacey, and became a good friend and mentor.  I loved Cherisce!  She was tough as nails, ballsy, and loyal.  She took Lacey under her wing, and gave her advice.  She had dealt with men like Macon in her past, and I loved a scene that involved her shotgun and a few choice words for the scumbag!  Cherisce is the kind of friend you want in your corner, and she was a "what you see is what you get" kind of gal!  Clare was also a great character.  She was quiet, reserved, and very sweet.  She was always there to talk to, and stood up for Lacey in her own way.  I enjoyed the secondary love story between Clare, and her boss Andrew, and would like to see them get their own story.

The pacing of the story was fast and steady, and the plot never got dull!  The story mainly revolved around Lacey's character growth.  She had to learn her worth, stand up for herself, and learn to create her own destiny.  We also got a great love story and romance between her and Everett.  The plot dealt with the excitement and beauty of real love, secrets revealed, and the malicious intent of Lacey's ex-boyfriend, her grandmother, and a fair weather friend.

My Rating:

I give, Breathe Into Me, by Sara Fawkes, 3.5 Intriguing, Gripping, Romantic, Suspense-Filled Stars!  This is a super fast read, and it never has a dull moment!

Purchase At:

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | BARNES AND 

NOBLE/NOOK | iTUNES | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

About Sara Fawkes:

Sara Fawkes has always loved spinning tales, but her romantic roots come from sneaking her mother's old Johanna Lindsay books from the dresser drawer. She's been writing stories since she was a little girl (and has the home made books from preschool to prove it), and loves creating stories and characters and interesting messes for them to get into. An avid traveler and adventure motorcyclist, her dream job includes selling everything off and leaving civilization to see the world on two wheels, writing in cafes in each country she visits, and living off her writing. In the meantime however, she lives in California with her menagerie of pets and, when not writing, loves to rebuild old motorcycles/cars with her Dude and plays with the characters in her head. You can find her online talking about whatever strikes her fancy at: 

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest