I really enjoyed this novel. Katie McGarry is such a master of YA romance and I ate this one up. I loved the characters of Jesse & Scarlett. They were well fleshed out and felt like real people. The romance was so heart-warming and I just loved every second of it. I absolutely loved the side character of V, and I am hoping she is getting her own book next. The only problems I had with this book was that I was a little worried that Scarlett was depending on Jesse a little too much, but that feeling was resolved as the book went on. I also felt Scarlett's paranormal abilities weren't fleshed out enough and I felt like she either needed to have full abilities that played a bigger role in the story or taken out completely. Jesse really killed me in the end with that curveball he threw Scarlett, but I am glad it all worked out. If you've never tried a Katie McGarry book before, I think this one is a perfect place to start.

Title: Only a Breath Apart
Author: Katie McGarry
Pg:365
Genre: Teen Contemporary
Rating: 4.5
Only a Breath Apart is the newest book by Katie McGarry. And each of her books just keep getting better. I have to say that this book is my favorite of hers so far. Like all of Katie’s previous books this one is set in Kentucky. This one is set in small town Kentucky.

Jess Lachlin believes that he is cursed either that or his family’s land is cursed. Scarlett Copeland wants to just get out of town and go to the University of Kentucky to get the degree that she wants. Not the life that everyone else wants her to live. These two teens were friends as children but drifted apart at the start of high school. The book is told from the point of view of both Jess and Scarlet told in alternating chapters.


Both Jess and Scarlett have a lot to learn and growing to do. As they are going to need each in order for both their dreams to succeed. Growing up in Kentucky and spending summer on my great-grandparents farm I understand how important Jess’s farm and land is to him. As land is still important to Kentucky farmers to this day. And how a lot of them her land rich but cash poor, but they don’t want to sale because the land has been in the family for generations.

This book wrapped up nicely but did leave room for a possibly sequel or even a series and I enjoyed that.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Man, I <b>felt</b> this story and the characters. It's sweet and funny, but man, it gets raw and heartbreaking at times. McGarry does such a great job with it.

I absolutely loved!!! This book.

Which I mean.... surprise surprise haha

I have loved every book by Katie I have read to date.

And this one just has a little of it all.
Especially with how relatable and dynamic her charters were. She always writes so you just find at least that one small thing that can make you sympathize or empathize with them. And the. Once that happens. Your just done for. You cant help but want them to accomplish their goals and see that chemistry there between them. And this book did exactly that for me.

It made me get a bit misty eyed, it made me smile, it made me swoon. It just did it all for me and left me constantly wondering what was going to happen next. And not able to put the book down.

Its such a. Beautiful stpry.
And I suggest anyone pick up a copy of it so they can be sucked right in.

I give ONLY A BREATH APART
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There were times throughout the book where I felt the intenseness if the main characters and the enormous life decisions they've had to make, this book touched me. Sometimes in life there are situations you can't about but what matters most is what you do in those situations, how you handle those situations, and what you learn from those situations. Again this book was very intense but there was such a strong and beautiful bond between Jesse and Scarlett that you couldn't help but watch them carefully and read each word carefully just to see what they were going to do it what was going to happen to them next. I hope there is a fire too explore some of the other characters in the book, like I'd love to know more about Veronica and the rest of Jesse's friends, but even if there isn't I'm glad I was able to meet them. Everyone has a place in the world and when you find issue who are broken or as hurt as you are and you form this bond, it's just amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading every word on this book.

This is an emotional and beautifully crafted story young adult of the ravages of physical abuse of the ones you love and of the salvation of true friendship, of the building of trust and of learning to navigate new territory.

<strong>Katie McGarry</strong> writes really emotional YA books that I have had no trouble falling into in the past. Her Pushing the Limits series is one of my favorite YA series and so I'm always on the lookout for more stuff from her. When this book made it onto my radar, I knew that I wanted it. I also knew that it was probably going to be an emotional read because McGarry does emotion well and I was right. This book made me cry and when I put it down, I was completely satisfied with the story as a whole and loved both Jesse and Scarlett so much.

This book follows two childhood best friends who were ripped apart by betrayal as they come together, years later and realize that their friendship was always meant to be more than friendship.

Jesse Lachlin had a pretty rocky childhood. His mother went from one bad relationship to the next and Jesse was always shipped from wherever his Mom was when things were going good for her to the more stable home at his grandmother's house when things weren't good for his Mom. He was no stranger to domestic abuse and he hated that his Mom never found the peace she craved while she was alive. Jesse was a witness to his mother's murder and carries a lot of trauma and guilt over it. One of the things he remembers most from his Mom was her telling him that their family was cursed and as long as they stayed on their family land in Kentucky, they'd be okay because otherwise, everyone close to them will die.

Scarlett Copeland is planning an escape from her life. She has plans for her future and they do not include staying close to the home that she's always known where her father is like a ticking bomb, waiting to go off and she vows to be long gone when that finally happens. When her parents informed her that she was not going to college at the University of Kentucky like she wanted but was going to attend the business school in town so that she can stay home instead of live in the dorms on campus, Scarlett knew she was on her own...and that meant letting the boy she called her best friend when she was a kid back into her life because whether she wanted it or not, she needed his help...and he needed hers.

Their journeys were not easy ones and throughout this entire book, both Jesse and Scarlett are put through the wringer. My heart hurt for both of them and all that they went through but boy did I love how they came together in the end. They were stronger together and seeing them want to be strong for each other after their history was just so satisfying. Katie McGarry did her thing with this book. It was packed with compelling characters and an emotional roller coaster that readers will not soon forget. I will say that it took me a little bit to get into the story because the beginning was a little slow but once I got a feel for who the characters were, what they were about, it was so easy for me to fall into the story and I ended up really enjoying it. It's a good one, guys. I recommend.

<strong>Grade: 4.25 out of 5</strong>

Only a Breath Apart was my first Katie McGarry story and I don't know what I was waiting for. I really enjoyed this book and the main characters of Jesse & Scarlett. From the start I was questioning what this curse is. I was pulled in and I wanted to know how everything would turn out. I was saddened by what was going on in Scarlett's family and it was tough to read. It might trigger some, so I hope others reading/wanting to read it know that.

Katie McGarry just has this magical way of writing that sucks me into her words, and Only a Breath Apart is no exception. This is a very emotional gripping novel that depicts social issues in such a realistic way. You can’t help but feel for and route for these characters and what they’re going through.

Only a Breath Apart follows Jesse and Scarlett, who are both not strangers to pain – especially because of their families, as they’re trying to deal with and overcomes their pasts. You watch them trying to deal with the most heartbreaking situations – Jesse trying to keep his family’s land and Scarlett trying to break apart from her family and come into her own. I seriously loved Jesse and Scarlett – both separately and together. To be honest, I think I found a new favorite male character of Katie’s (sorry Isaiah). I just felt so much for Jesse, especially when you get more of his backstory and what happened. His pain was my pain, Scarlett’s pain was my pain and I just wanted these two to be happy. I am such a sucker for two broken people who come together and help each other heal.

Of course, there were times when I was frustrated with both Scarlett and Jesse but I loved that? Because they’re teenagers and they’re going to do frustrating things and make bad decisions; and that makes them that much more real and authentic. As for the side characters, they were fine but truthfully, Scarlett’s friends and Jesse’s friends didn’t really add too too much to the story so I didn’t care too much about them. Although, their interactions were still fun to see. My favorite side character though has to be Glory – she’s just this fun, little hippie psychic who just happens to be Jesse’s distant cousin or something (who is the reason Scarlett and Jesse start talking again.) and every time she was on the page, she just made me smile.

Truthfully, this is probably the darkest book Katie has written (in terms of heavy topics) and the way she deals with abuse in this book feels so authentic and real. Not only does she show one way it can affect the abusee; she also shows how it can affect those around them (especially in a small family). It’s a very hard topic to talk about or even write about and I applaud Katie for deciding to tackle it in this novel.

Overall, it was a fun reading experience. I went in with high expectations considering I’ve loved all her past books and this was on my highly anticipated releases lists. And boy were they met. I’m so glad I got to experience Scarlett and Jesse’s story and now that I have the finished copy, I can’t wait to read it and see what’s different from the arc. This book was a blast and I can’t wait to see what Katie does in the future.

this book wasn't for me. I didn't like the characters and I didn't connect with them at all. I feel that the relationship between the characters were forced and it didn't make me want to read. I think that the book is quite slow and boring.

Only a Breath Apart reminded me exactly why I love reading while at the same time making me curse my decision in reading for fun. I read because I love the feeling of being absolutely immersed in a story, and Only a Breath Apart definitely had me immersed. But reading it wasn’t fun, because it’s a painful and important story to hear. It broke my heart so many times throughout, but also mended it. I’m a sensitive person, and easily cry over books, and I can honestly say I’ve never cried this much reading a book before.

I really loved the characters. As I’ve come to expect from McGarry’s books, they were relatable and felt real, which is why this book hurt so much to read. It’s impossible to not feel what the characters felt, to not hurt for them, to not feel invested in them. And since I love friends-to-lovers, I loved the romance, too. For me, the characters have always been the highlights of any McGarry book. Layered, relatable characters made this book beautiful and heart-breaking.

I’ve always admired McGarry for writing such important subjects in her books. Only a Breath Apart is utterly honest, and yes, it hurts to read, but it’s such an important story. And it’s so incredibly well-written. Several times throughout the book, I’ll admit I wasn’t sure if I could actually get through the book, because it hurts to read, but at the same time, it was utterly captivating, making it impossible to put down.

I have to admit I was a bit hesitant toward the whole psychic part, I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy it in a contemporary, but I was proven wrong. Glory and her psychic abilities provided some much needed relief from the serious parts. And I loved Glory, okay? She’s freaking awesome.

Only a Breath Apart is a beautifully written, poignant story that about forgiveness and finding yourself in the midst of tragedy, and in spite of everything, there’s a note of hope present throughout. It is heart-breaking and heart-mending at the same time, and it’ll leave no reader untouched.

Review will be posted on 2/15/19
Jesse Lachlin grew up believing that his family is cursed. His mother told him that he would be ok as long as he never leaves the Lachlin land and she made him promise to always stay. Jessie grew up spending his days with Scarlett, a young girl whose property abuts his land, and although they are drastically different, he has always remained best friends with her. That is until high school and their big falling out. Things have changed since they were spending their days in the woods and playing among the trees. Scarlett has become an "ice queen" and part of the affluent group of high school students whereas Jessie is the polar opposite and struggles to get by. They haven't spoken in years and their paths definitely don't cross. Then Jesse's grandmother dies and leaves the family land to him but there's one catch. He must win over the approval and trust of various people including Scarlett whom he hasn't spoken to in years. Scarlett's life isn't what you would expect though. Her father is a complete control freak and keeps a tight leash on her. She wants to go away to college, but he won't let; plus, he is not a nice guy and is downright abusive. Things aren't aways as they seem and Jesse realizes this as he starts to reconnect with her. Katie McGarry's gritty YA novel, Only a Breath Apart, is a quick read that truly captures the beauty in opposites attract and also it's a story about forgiveness.

Scarlett, at first glance, seems to have it all in Only a Breath Apart. A gorgeous house, perfect parents, and an adorable little sister, but as you dig deeper you see that she is truly held prisoner in her own life. Her dad is extremely overbearing and his mother allows various forms of abuse in the house. Her mother makes excuses for her father, which I find it be infuriating. It's not just the physical abuse that he inflicts on Scarlett's mother, but there's also emotional abuse to the rest of the family members. His tight leash on Scarlett, his guilt trips, and his overbearing nature made me feel like I was suffocating as I read her parts of the novel. I can't imagine living with someone like that day in and day out. The depictions of this kind of abuse truly broke my heart and I think it's a good reminder of how we truly don't know what people are hiding. They may appear to have it all from the outside, but that isn't always the case deep down.

Jesse is another character I immediately liked in Only a Breath Apart. His back story will also break your heart, but I loved his strong relationship with his grandmother and his ability to stay focused on his goals. His small group of friends and his cousin, despite their reputations, always have his back and that was nice to see.

I loved Jesse and Scarlett's relationship, which was obviously rooted in friendship since they have been friends since they were children. I loved to watch it blossom despite their being in two separate groups in school and I also adored how they helped each other overcome various obstacles in their lives.

Be forewarned though. Only a Breath Apart is a gritty YA read that isn't for the faint of heart or the younger YA readers. As I mentioned, there's various forms of abuse, so you must be ready for it. In fact, the scenes with Scarlett and her father gave me some anxiety, but if you can get past that, there's much more to this story than a Southern romance. I liked how it focused on forgiveness (both towards others and yourself) as well as doing what is best for oneself.

If you like your YA novels on the darker side, definitely check out Katie McGarry's. Have you read any of her novels? Let me know which one is your favorite.

Wow! Only a Breath Apart was an intense YA novel that covers some serious topics!

Scarlett and Jesse grew up as neighbors and childhood friends. Scarlett used to sneak out of her house at night to play with Jesse and they would spend their days and nights roaming Jesse's family's land. Prior to high school starting Jesse and Scarlett stop being friends...years later when Jesse's guardian (his grandma) dies, circumstances throw Jesse and Scarlett back together. Scarlett and Jesse were both keeping some serious family secrets and they eventually learn how to trust each other again.

This book was very unique. It covered some serious issues that are hard to talk about while including a unique cast of characters. Jesse's cousin Glory and his group of friends were really outstanding. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who like YA.

5Stars!!! The sobbing…the ugly, ugly sobbing. The hope…the heartwarming, tingling hope. The joy…the sigh-inducing, soul-deep joy. Yes, this book had it all. And, really, that’s all you need to know. This was a beautiful, emotional story that had me exhausted from all the feels.

This book, with it’s difficult subject matter and angst, had me on edge…but it also had me riveted. The tragedies that Scarlett and Jesse had to endure left me raw. The decisions they had to make were ones that would be difficult even for adults and their struggles, as they tried to move forward, had my heart trying to beat itself free of my chest. This is a story of how secrets affect relationships and about the legacy that parents can leave their children with…both the good and the bad. And, because of that, there were parts that were difficult to read, parts where I wanted the characters to do something different, and parts that showed me that I knew very little about these types of situations. It’s easy to sit back and pass judgement on what should be done in the face of abuse but what this book taught me most is that the mixed emotions that come with these events make every journey different and make it impossible to determine what the right decisions are for someone else. Scarlett and Jesse needed to follow their paths exactly as they did. All I know is that I lived through the decisions that they made and, in the end, I was very happy that as they followed their own hearts.

I loved Scarlett and Jesse and I adored their connection, one that started in childhood and continued throughout their lives. I loved their bravery and their ability to be there for each other even after having been apart. Like all of Ms. McGarry’s characters they felt real and, even though their situations were difficult, they were able to face life one day at a time. This story will ask you to believe, to dig deep for your faith that all things happen for a reason, and to trust that these characters, and Ms. McGarry, will take you safely to the other side.

I have to start off by saying only a breath apart is heart-wrenching and thought provoking. It reminds you that you never know what goes on behind closed doors and some behaviours should never be tolerated or excused. Only a breath apart is so much more than just a fictional young adult book. It faces the real-life problems people face everyday and aren’t spoken about enough. Yes, there are triggers for some people who have gone through events in this book. But for those who haven’t or those who can handle them I highly recommend reading this story. I also recommend older teens to read it because of the messages it of self worth Scarlett faces through out.

Secrets that lie behind closed doors are often missed by the outside world. For Jesse – the curse that he believes haunts his family keeps love at bay. After losing his mother, Jesse torments himself reliving the moments that brought his mother to that day that forever changed his life. Now the perils of trying to keep the family farm standing weigh on Jesse’s shoulders each and every day.



For Scarlett – control and fear are the driving forces in her life. Every factor in Scarlett’s life revolves around the fear that hovers in her home where her father is concerned. The unpredictability leaves Scarlett and her family walking on egg shells each day. Then there is the over protective and invasive nature that her father interjects into Scarlett’s life. Nothing is off limits for Scarlett’s father. From invading her privacy to having a hand in every personal relationship that exists in Scarlett’s life, her dad just can’t stop trying to have the upper hand in all situations.



Jesse and Scarlett grew up together knowing that their lives were not perfect. Both relied on their friendship to overshadow any despair they may face in life. As they matured, so did the problems they faced in life. Then came the day they no longer were friends. This absence of friendship would be revisited once Jesse’s grandmother passed away. A pivotal time in life that would set the course for an old friendship to rekindle once more.



Time has a way of mending fractured hearts, and Jesse and Scarlett know this pain all too well. Now they find their futures intertwined in a way they would have never predicted. The only question that remains is just how far the two are willing to go to remain in the other’s life now that their friendship has given each of them the strength to face the demons that haunts their lives.



Only A Breath Apart is the journey of two tattered hearts who have lived through a lifetime of hardships. Jesse and Scarlett are childhood friends that find a way back to one another after tragedy once again intervenes in their lives. It’s a story that will hit home for many readers as you follow the journey, but at the same time will give you hope they can work through the hardships and learn to hope once more.



The pain and struggles that Jesse and Scarlett endure will grab you by your heartstrings. What trabspires to lead them through life will captivate you and leave you wondering what will happen next. It’s a story that is relatable to many that will delve into their struggles. While I enjoyed this book, I did find the ending a bit more rushed than I would have liked to encountered. There was so much about the struggles these two endured to make it to the ending in that last third of the book. I just wasn’t satisfied with the summarizing. All in all the book is interesting and relatable. Judge for yourself just how endearing Jesse and Scarlett are in one another’s life.

Only a Breath Apart was, to me, a little bit of a departure from your typical Katie McGarry novel. It will never be said that Ms. McGarry doesn't deliver an amazing YA story, and for someone who has never read any of her previous books, they won't even notice, but while I was entertained, I felt there was a bit of something missing.



Scarlett and Jesse are great characters and their friendship/relationship is a great back and forth friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers type thing. Even though there are plenty of other characters in the book, Scarlett and Jesse feel very isolated. I missed the sense of family/community that I'm used to getting in McGarry's stories. Her secondary characters usually hold more prominent roles and it has dramatically changed the feel of this story. Jesse and Scarlett both have friends that could've been excellent characters, but it felt a bit like their lives were cut short.



This book tackled some heavy themes and McGarry handled them in a great way. Never once did I think, "A teenager would never act that way." McGarry always seems to write as if she is still a teenager herself. She captures teen angst and heartache so completely.



Like I said, this story has some incredibly heavy and serious scenes that can sometimes be hard to read. However, there is also a lightness at times that lifted my heart and brought a smile to my face. I loved the mental picture of Jesse as Peter Pan. I am a preschool teacher and have 3 boys of my own. I totally understand the power of a boy's impish grin. I don't blame Scarlett one bit for sneaking out and following Jesse wherever he would lead.



It may not be my favorite Katie McGarry book, but I know that it will resonate with a lot of people. Readers will be entertained, crushed with heartache, and sewn back together with a hopeful future. What more could you ask for?

I was expecting something less heavy with the cover and blurb. I didn’t really mind but I had to say that story was pretty darker, about kids who suffered from abuse and the ones who witnessed it, behind closed doors.

Jesse and Scarlett were best friends until they became strangers. The boy who was cursed and the girl who seemed to have the perfect and pristine life. There was a high level of tension and angst, where scars run deep.

Jesse has always felt like cursed. At seventeen, without parents, alone and his actions to protect Scarlett from it would tear them apart. And when his grandma dies, the girl next door and his former best friend made the first step to support him, in spite of their past. The only thing that when him some balance was his family land, the place where he felt like he belonged, at peace.

Scarlett might be seen like a popular girl, with a perfect family but being closed doors, all was so much darker and a bit twisted. For a young girl she had so much on her plate, almost sheltered by her overprotective father, a mother avoiding any confrontation.

This wasn’t a light-hearted story for sure. Scarlett and Jess had to confront their secrets and fears, but would they be enough strong to face all the truths, to fight back together. Learning that loving someone was to trust the other, showing flaws and all, partners in the good and bad times. After all they went through, leading to heartbreak and families secrets that destroyed their innocence, kids that should have been taken care of and not the way around.

The author managed to provide a beautiful emotional story with a good premise but some things about Jesse’s land and the connections that this place held was really emphasized and I felt hanging for more. I wished to read more about Jesse and Scarlett before they stopped talking to each other. To see how they fell in love in the first place. 

The story was kinda well written but I felt like sometimes some hesitation about the outcome, like how to decide between magical realism and realistic fiction. It felt like very blurry in the end.

Katie McGarry has been a YA go-to author for me ever since I read Pushing the Limits. Since then I’ve read and adored everything she’s written, and Only a Breath Apart is no different.

Scarlett and Jesse’s story was beautiful, heart-wrenching, and emotional. I absolutely adored these two characters, they are both broken in their own way and I completely felt for both of them. I loved hearing their backstory, and them reconciling again as friends and then as their feelings for each other start to change.

Only a Breath Apart really tugged at the heartstrings. Fans of Katie McGarry will devour this novel! I think it’s her best book to date.

So, so good!

Honestly, at first I wasn't 100% sold on the story--it took so long to find out why Scarlett and Jesse stopped being friends when they started high school, and that made their relationship in those early chapters feel a bit melodramatic, and the overall vibes were very anti-adult. As their story continued to unfold, though, it steadily sucked me in until OMG I needed to keep going as much as I needed to keep breathing. (And in the end, Scarlett and Jesse found some trustworthy adults to be on their sides, which I appreciated.)

It's not light reading by any means--there's some very heavy duty issues in both main characters' pasts and presents, and both not-quite-adults are required to make some very adult decisions and take some grown-up actions that as a parent I hope my children never will. There's also a touch of the mystical--a curse that's (probably) not real and a secondary character who is (often) a psychic (which has me really interested in palmistry now. Were any of the books Scarlett gets from Glory based on real books? And if so--titles, please, Ms. McGarry!) There's a romance here, but it very much takes a back seat to Scarlett and Jesse's re-emerging friendship and the choices that the two of them have to make about their lives going forward. Still, there's a very optimistic HFN at the end with a real possibility of an HEA that made my heart very happy.

Some content warnings: there's quite a bit of physical and psychological/mental abuse, both in their pasts and in Scarlett's present, and I was disappointed that the material at the end of the book didn't include any resources for help with domestic abuse situations--but maybe that will be changed in the actual published version? (Just in case, here's some information here.)

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.