Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: Already Released!
Number of Pages: 306 (Hardcover)
Description from Goodreads:
Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.
But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.
"Breathe, Annie, Breathe is an emotional, heartfelt, and beautiful story about finding yourself after loss and learning to love. It gave me so many feels. Her best book yet." — Jennifer Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You
Read an excerpt: http://mirandakenneally.com/writing/e...
MY REVIEW
This was my initial reaction when I finished Breathe, Annie, Breathe that I posted on Goodreads:AHHHHH! :D I ABSOLUTELY LOVED BREATHE, ANNIE, BREATHE!!! :D EEEK!!!!
Okay, now that I've gotten that fangirling bit out of the way, I loved this one! So much! :D BREATHE, ANNIE, BREATHE is definitely my favourite in the Hundred Oaks series so far. I swear with each book I grow to love this series more and more! Annie was fantastic! She was feisty, funny, and really easy to relate to. She's normal, kinda unsure of her future, and she's dealing not dealing with her grief very well, but I loved that she pushed herself, and that she was open to trying new things and taking risks again. I really loved her, and I loved Jeremiah, too!!! He's definitely grown since we last saw him in Things I Can't Forget. He was pretty sexy, and rugged. ;) haha Well, that's my gush-fest for now!
And here are my thoughts now that I've managed to compose myself a teensy bit better:
I've said it before, and I will say it again, I love Miranda Kenneally's Hundred Oaks Series, and Breathe, Annie, Breathe was no exception! In fact, it's my favourite one yet...I really do grow to love this series more and more! :D
One of the best parts about the Hundred Oaks series is that we get to see past characters again, and again! I love that these books are companion novels, so we get to see our favourites happy, we get to see them grow, and see what they're up to! I also love that Miranda Kenneally's characters are all incredibly unique, and they all have qualities that make it impossible not to admire them. In Breathe, Annie, Breathe, Annie trains for a marathon to honour the memory of her boyfriend who passed away. What I loved most was the fact that Annie was so normal...she wasn't a runner or jogger to begin with, and she definitely wasn't athletic. It made her so incredibly easy to relate to, and it even made me realize that maybe one day I really could put on my own pair of jogging shoes instead of just saying that I could or might start jogging. :P
What set Breathe, Annie, Breathe apart from the other Hundred Oaks books for me though was the fact that Annie had been in love before. In all of the other books, the characters may be experienced with romance a bit, but they're all pretty much newbies when it comes to being in love. Annie, on the other hand, had been in love before; she'd lost her love, and she was learning to deal with it. I felt that her past made her very mature in the way that she handled her feelings towards Jeremiah. I also just loved her personality in general! She really was an amazing protagonist, and I admired her for her dedication to running the marathon, and for the way that she matured throughout the book!
I also loved Jeremiah and Annie's relationship! I loved that they started as friends, and that it grew into something more. I loved that they challenged each other, and made each other better people. But, most of all, I loved that they supported one another, and while they spoke their minds, they ultimately respected the decisions that they each made. Their relationship may have seemed to revolve mostly around their attraction, but I loved that it became something super strong that provided stability in both of their lives. Seriously...these two have a YA relationship that's done right!!! There was no insta-love, but there was definitely attraction, which grew in something more as the characters actually got to know each other...in short, it was perfect! :)
Overall, I loved everything about Breathe, Annie, Breathe! I loved the characters, the story, and as always, I loved Miranda Kenneally's writing! I think that fans of the Hundred Oaks series will definitely love this one, but I also think that if you're just starting the series, you'll love it, too. Breathe, Annie, Breathe is more than just a romance; it's a story about learning to move on from the past, about finding something to strive towards, and about re-connecting with those you love and the world around you in the wake of losing someone you love.
What do you think?
Does Breathe, Annie, Breathe sound like something you'd want to read?
And who else is a mega Miranda Kenneally fan?
Also, check out the Q&A I posted for the Canadian Blog Tour of Breathe, Annie, Breathe!
I love that this series just seems to get better and better. Plus, I love that the characters all seem to have hobbies. I think it's so important to YA girls to have hobbies and interests beyond boys!
ReplyDeleteI do, too! I feel like I honestly just grow to love it more and more...every single time, and I hope that feeling stays! :D That is a great part of the series! It sure is nice to see the characters focused on more than just boys. :P
DeleteI loved this one. I'd say it's right up there with Racing Savannah as my favourite! Plus, I like what I read in another review, that Annie wasn't an athlete before she started running. She was doing it to honor her boyfriend and pretty much jumped in head first! It definitely inspired me to take up running. I even want to read it again to keep up the momentum. :) Great review, Ambur!
ReplyDeleteI did, too! :D Racing Savannah and this one are definitely close for me!! I think this one is up there for first just because I read it more recently. ;) haha YES!!! I love that, too! It makes her even easier to relate to, and I love that she has a reason to do it. It's really awesome to see characters like Annie with drive, and I loved that she was doing it for Kyle, too. :) Nice! I'm thinking about it. I have to get better shoes first though...Annie definitely taught me that! haha That's a good idea! I know this one will be one that I'll be rereading, too! :D Thanks, Kristilyn! :D
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