I'm super excited to be participating in the Blog Tour for Only a Breath Apart! I actually participated in the Blog Tour back in January when it released, and I'll be sharing my review again now! And make sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post!
Title: Only a Breath Apart
Author: Katie McGarryPublisher: Tor Teen
Release: January 22, 2019
Pages: 368
Pages: 368
Review: 4.5 Stars
Synopsis:
Bestselling author Katie McGarry’s trademark wrong-side-of-the-tracks romance is given a new twist in the gritty YA contemporary novel, Only a Breath Apart.
Jesse Lachlin is cursed.
So the town folklore says, but while Jesse’s had his fair share of tragedy, the only curse he believes is in his grandmother’s will: in order to inherit his family farm he must win the approval of his childhood best friend, the girl he froze out his freshman year, Scarlett Copeland.
Scarlett Copeland is psychic.
Glory Gardner tells Scarlett she has hidden psychic abilities, but Scarlett thinks Glory is delusional. What is real is Scarlett’s father’s irrational fears, controlling attitude, and the dark secrets at home. Scarlett may have a way to escape, but there’s a hitch: she’ll have to rely on the one person she used to trust, the same boy who broke her heart, Jesse Lachlin.
Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings for each other. But as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head…
You Can Find it At:
Synopsis:
Bestselling author Katie McGarry’s trademark wrong-side-of-the-tracks romance is given a new twist in the gritty YA contemporary novel, Only a Breath Apart.
Jesse Lachlin is cursed.
So the town folklore says, but while Jesse’s had his fair share of tragedy, the only curse he believes is in his grandmother’s will: in order to inherit his family farm he must win the approval of his childhood best friend, the girl he froze out his freshman year, Scarlett Copeland.
Scarlett Copeland is psychic.
Glory Gardner tells Scarlett she has hidden psychic abilities, but Scarlett thinks Glory is delusional. What is real is Scarlett’s father’s irrational fears, controlling attitude, and the dark secrets at home. Scarlett may have a way to escape, but there’s a hitch: she’ll have to rely on the one person she used to trust, the same boy who broke her heart, Jesse Lachlin.
Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings for each other. But as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head…
You Can Find it At:
Review:
First off, I will read anything that Katie McGarry writes. No matter the premise, I will read it. There are a couple novellas I haven't read yet, but otherwise I've read all of her stuff. I was excited about Only a Breath Apart as soon as I discovered it. A new Katie McGarry release is always a gift. I was super excited when I got approved for the blog tour and got an advanced copy to read. As soon as I had some time, I dug in!
Characters
As far as characters go, Jesse and Scarlet weren't my favorite Katie McGarry creations, but I still liked them. Just so you know, my favorite couples are Echo & Noah and Rachel & Isaiah. Relationship goals right there. But I digress.
I really liked Scarlett. I sympathized with her, and just wanted her to get the best the world had to offer. I also felt that she and Echo would get along well. Scarlett has created the persona of 'Ice Queen' in order to handle life with a controlling/abusive father. She never knows when he might go off, so she and her family cater to his every need and whim. This makes real relationships hard. Scarlett acknowledges that, and that she is often the backup friend. She states that she's okay with that, but the reader can tell that it weighs on her. For a lot of the book, I just wanted to give Scarlett a hug. No one knew what she was going through, and so she often had to deal with issues on her own.
I wasn't a big fan of Jesse for a good bit of the book. While he was raised poor compared to Scarlett, he had a loving family behind him. That's not to say his life was easy, but by the time we meet him and Scarlett in present day, he's had a support system for a while. The only reason he doesn't have a stronger one is because he pushes people away. Jesse also has some friends, and while I find them interesting, I also found the quite rude. They routinely make fun of other kids at school, including Scarlett.
The romance between Jesse and Scarlett took some time to grow on me. I told a friend while reading that I was ready to ship it, but Jesse needed to make up a heck of a lot of stuff to Scarlett. Personally, I don't think I would have been able to forgive Jesse for everything, but Scarlett's a better person than I am. That said, the characters did grow over the course of the book, and by the end I was 100% behind their relationship.
World Building
One thing that was a big part of the world was religion/faith. It was vague, but present. I'm not a big fan of religion in books, but it stayed mostly on the supportive side and I know some teens really value that in books. So while it didn't land well with me, it wasn't necessarily a detracting factor.
Only a Breath Apart is a standalone novel. Some of Katie McGarry's books feature characters from previous ones. While there aren't any characters we already know, it seems to take place in the same general world. It would be fun to see Scarlett and Jesse run into some of our previous main characters in a side novella/extra.
Praise:
“Katie McGarry knows what YA is, how it works, and what it can do better than anyone, but she always takes it one step further.” ―Hypable
"Fair warning: Picture-perfect Scarlett and misunderstood Jesse will have you in your feels." ―Girls' Life Magazine
“Beyond a haunted teen romance is a beautiful, moving exploration of domestic violence, forgiveness, and self-love. ...Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming.” ―Kirkus, starred review
“McGarry ably captures the feeling of desperately wanting to come home to a friendship that has radically changed. The novel manages to tackle domestic violence in a way that never feels clichéd, and the romance is sure to win over even the most cynical reader. This is a story you’ll want to read slowly, just to be able to stay with the characters for a moment longer.” ―Booklist
“A gorgeous, heartfelt journey of redemption and love.” ―Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author
“Powerful, emotional, and ultimately hopeful. An unforgettable story that will leave its mark on your heart.” ―C.J. Redwine, New York Times bestselling author
“Gritty and real, Only a Breath Apart is a story of hope conjured from pain, strength drawn from innocence, and love earned from self-respect. Beautiful, poignant, and fierce.” ―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series
“Meticulously weaves a fragile love story through a minefield of loss, broken trust, and familial curses both real and imagined. Haunting, authentic, and ultimately hopeful.” ―Tammara Webber, New York Times bestselling author
“A painful, beautiful, and utterly magical story about the family you’re born into versus the family you choose.” ―Trish Doller, author of In a Perfect World
“A touching tale of love and fate straight from the heartland.” ―Mindy McGinnis, author of The Female of the Species
“Scarlett and Jesse’s story will stay in your heart long after you finish the book.” ―Simone Elkeles, New York Times bestselling author
“Southern Gothic at its finest, this is Katie McGarry’s best book to date!” ―Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan and Breathe, Annie, Breathe
Katie is the author of the PUSHING THE LIMITS series, THUNDER ROAD series, SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME, and the upcoming YA novel, ONLY A BREATH APART. Her novels have received starred reviews, critical acclaim and have won multiple awards including being a multiple Goodreads Choice Award Finalist for YA Fiction, multiple RT Magazine's Reviewer's Choice Award Finalist for Best YA Fiction, including a win in the category, and she was a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick.
“Katie McGarry knows what YA is, how it works, and what it can do better than anyone, but she always takes it one step further.” ―Hypable
"Fair warning: Picture-perfect Scarlett and misunderstood Jesse will have you in your feels." ―Girls' Life Magazine
“Beyond a haunted teen romance is a beautiful, moving exploration of domestic violence, forgiveness, and self-love. ...Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming.” ―Kirkus, starred review
“McGarry ably captures the feeling of desperately wanting to come home to a friendship that has radically changed. The novel manages to tackle domestic violence in a way that never feels clichéd, and the romance is sure to win over even the most cynical reader. This is a story you’ll want to read slowly, just to be able to stay with the characters for a moment longer.” ―Booklist
“A gorgeous, heartfelt journey of redemption and love.” ―Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author
“Powerful, emotional, and ultimately hopeful. An unforgettable story that will leave its mark on your heart.” ―C.J. Redwine, New York Times bestselling author
“Gritty and real, Only a Breath Apart is a story of hope conjured from pain, strength drawn from innocence, and love earned from self-respect. Beautiful, poignant, and fierce.” ―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series
“Meticulously weaves a fragile love story through a minefield of loss, broken trust, and familial curses both real and imagined. Haunting, authentic, and ultimately hopeful.” ―Tammara Webber, New York Times bestselling author
“A painful, beautiful, and utterly magical story about the family you’re born into versus the family you choose.” ―Trish Doller, author of In a Perfect World
“A touching tale of love and fate straight from the heartland.” ―Mindy McGinnis, author of The Female of the Species
“Scarlett and Jesse’s story will stay in your heart long after you finish the book.” ―Simone Elkeles, New York Times bestselling author
“Southern Gothic at its finest, this is Katie McGarry’s best book to date!” ―Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan and Breathe, Annie, Breathe
Author Bio:
You Can Find Her At:
Website
Website
Tour:
Week One
Week One
June 13th Thursday JeanBookNerd Interview
June 14th Friday A Court of Coffee and Books Review
June 14th Friday A Bella Fairy Tale Review
June 15th Saturday Movies, Shows, & Books Excerpt
June 15th Saturday Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews Review
June 16th Sunday Lauren's Bookshelf Review
June 16th Sunday TTC Books and More Excerpt
June 17th Monday Bookish Kali Review
June 17th Monday Postcards for Ariel Excerpt
June 14th Friday A Court of Coffee and Books Review
June 14th Friday A Bella Fairy Tale Review
June 15th Saturday Movies, Shows, & Books Excerpt
June 15th Saturday Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews Review
June 16th Sunday Lauren's Bookshelf Review
June 16th Sunday TTC Books and More Excerpt
June 17th Monday Bookish Kali Review
June 17th Monday Postcards for Ariel Excerpt
Week Two
JUNE 20th Thursday BookHounds YA Review and Excerpt
JUNE 20th Thursday Booklovers For Life Review
JUNE 21st Friday Wishful Endings Interview
JUNE 22nd Saturday A Dream Within A Dream Review
JUNE 22nd Saturday Sabrina's Paranormal Palace Review
JUNE 23rd Sunday A Bookish Dream Review
JUNE 23rd Sunday Crossroad Reviews Review
JUNE 24th Monday Nay's Pink Bookshelf Review
JUNE 24th Monday Sophie Reads YA Review
JUNE 20th Thursday BookHounds YA Review and Excerpt
JUNE 20th Thursday Booklovers For Life Review
JUNE 21st Friday Wishful Endings Interview
JUNE 22nd Saturday A Dream Within A Dream Review
JUNE 22nd Saturday Sabrina's Paranormal Palace Review
JUNE 23rd Sunday A Bookish Dream Review
JUNE 23rd Sunday Crossroad Reviews Review
JUNE 24th Monday Nay's Pink Bookshelf Review
JUNE 24th Monday Sophie Reads YA Review
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