My review:

Adults are awful!
Well not all of them, just those ones who have forgotten what is to be a child, those who don’t know the real meaning of love and those who lost theirs inside Peter Pan.
That wasn’t the way I wanted to start my review, but it’s one of the things that hooked me deeply into the story, the importance of keeping the innocence and the adventure in our heart in order to live the life the best what we can.

Now, after saying this, let talk about the book, Only Breathe Apart is a whole complex, sensitive, heartfelt plot. It tells the story of Jessie and Scarlet, and their journey to rediscover their friendship and love that one was lost. More than that, it’s their journey to find the real meaning of what is Love, to find themselves, who they are and who they want to be, and how to fight prejudice and discrimination.

“Is it possible to love someone who hurts you? Is it possible for the person who hurts you to love you?"

There is more, the author brings to the story a sensitive topic about family abuse, physically, mentally and emotionally, as the terrible reality of how some people living under this situation can possibly think that is normal and they don’t know how or don’t want to break the vicious cycle.

“A different type of pain. Your body may not be cut or bruised, but your soul is ripped apart all the same.”

There’s friendship too, the real one when friends don’t look like friends, but they really are, and the fake one, those friends that they are something else but friends.

I found this book different from others written by Katie. It’s deeper, more powerful, it shows how “the real-world works.”

Another thing I like, are new elements incorporated into the story, magic, mystery, and a mystique aura, definitely the author nailed it.

About the writing, Katie’ style is magnificent, her dialogues, and descriptions are so effective that readers don’t realize how deep involve they are into the story.

The characters, each one of them are unique, especially main characters:
Jesse is a warrior, and a broken wing, he desperately wants to believe in himself and in the people he loves.
Scarlet is another broken wing but for a different reason, she’s strong, sweet and innocent at the same time. She wants to success despite the world tell her she will fail.

“Jesse was freedom, when so much of my life meant confinement. He was laughter during dark nights, he was the warrior who scared the monster under my bed away.

Finally, what I like the most besides the reference to my favorite classic, Peter Pan is the beautiful prose, Katie has a gift to squeeze our hearts with every word, to make us cry, sigh, laugh, smile. Readers can feel every character’s emotions and, in this case, readers can feel every breath.

“ ‘Where exactly are we going?’
‘Same place as always.’
I’m dumbfounded as he walks towards his land. ‘And where is that?’
‘Second star on the right then straight on the till.’

There is just one question that I didn’t know why it wasn’t answered and I think I didn’t understand one of Jesse’s choices, but in that case, it wasn’t the writing or the character or the author, I think it was more about me and what I would had done.

“My heart beats, his heart beats and beneath us the land breathes in.”

This book is perfect, not justs for young adult but for everybody like I said adults need to keep the innocence in their heart and this book can help with that.
100% recommended.

Note: I received an ARC from Inkslinger PR through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. And I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Omg, the emotion, the feels this book pulls.

'I loved him once— the way a six-year-old loves with abandon. I loved him how I once loved myself. Jesse was freedom when so much of my life meant confinement. He was laughter during dark nights, he was the warrior who scared the monsters under my bed away . . . he was my friend.'

Until he wasn't. But now he needs Scarlett (and really she needs him) and we need to know what the heck happened and how this will all pan out.

This was a good read, although was hard to read in some places due to the content.
I loved the spirituality presented in this book, I loved Jesse and my heart belongs to Scarlett.

I have to admit that I picked up this book based on its cover and the author. I've loved many of McGarry's other titles so I figured this would be another good one to read. I wasn't disappointed. The topics and themes covered in this book are not light and are definitely of a sensitive nature. At times, it felt way heavy and depressing. That being said, McGarry's writing was on point and enjoyable.

Jesse and Scarlett are two characters that go through so much pain and heartache you wouldn't feel is possible at such a young age. The slow brew of chemistry, rebonding and relationship between the two is very emotional. There's so much growing being done through the book, the progression is expressed really well. I definitely recommend this read...with a box of tissues and a good chunk of time as you will want to read on!

***I received an ebook copy at no cost from the author***

This is a wonderful story about friendship, love, and family ties.

McGarry did a fantastic job of weaving new age elements into this story. I loved that it wasn't just a run-of-the-mill young adult story. The addition of a psychic made this book even more enjoyable to read. It added some fun to the story line and kept me as the reader guessing whether we'd find out if Aunt Glory's abilities were in fact true or all just a farce.

This story is almost a combination of second-chance romance and friends-to-lovers. Scarlett and Jesse have a history, one that didn't end very well. Even though they were good friends, Jesse took what he had with Scarlett for granted and she hasn't forgotten that. These characters are deep and each comes with a backstory that accounts for why they've turned out the way they are. The struggles that each one faces were very real to me, which only made the characters easier to identify with.

It was nice to see how each of the characters have changed since they were younger. Even though Jesse didn't handle things well with Scarlett, he's grown and he's a guy who has good intentions buried down inside. This shows through in the way he is to Scarlett and how their relationship evolves over the course of the book.

I liked that McGarry explored family relationships in this story as well. It's a romance novel first and foremost, but the inner workings of Scarlett's family play a big role in everything. She doesn't have a good relationship with her father and he's an abusive man. McGarry didn't sugarcoat this, nor did she over dramatize this. I think that she did a good job of depicting both the abuse cycle and the struggles a victim faces in a realistic manner.

Katie McGarry always does a great job of getting me to connect and fall in love with her characters. She's also amazing at crafting YA stories! If you're looking for a good book to cozy up with, Only a Breath Apart is a wonderful option!

Four stars to this novel!

Oh, how I love Katie McGarry. In anyone else's hands, I think this book would have been overdramatic and overwrought, but McGarry draws me in to her characters and makes me relate to them in such intimate ways. She makes sure that the pain in these two lives feels real, and doesn't just feel like drama.

What Fed My Addiction:

Abuse depicted realistically.
The relationship between Scarlett and her father is complicated. While Scarlett hates her father's actions and she fears him, she also has good memories of him, and those sometimes cloud her thinking. Plus, everyone else in her family seems to forgive him, so she wonders why she can't seem to do the same--and if she should do the same. The issue of blame comes up a lot. If Scarlett provokes her father, is his response her fault? Her father has something tragic in his past that explains his controlling behavior, so does he get a free pass? Can people change? And if they do, does that mean all is forgiven? These questions all felt very real to me, along with the excuses that are made for Scarlett's father. I think that there are unfortunately quite a few teens out there that will be able to relate to Scarlett's story in one way or another.

The mystical aspect.
This book had a mystical aspect to it that surprised me. Jesse's aunt Glory is a psychic, and that plays into the storyline in some pretty major ways. Even though this book is definitely a contemporary romance, fans of paranormal books will love how the mystical aspects are woven into the story. And skeptics will be satisfied too, because there's a healthy dose of skepticism expressed throughout the book. Is Glory's gift real or is she just really intuitive? You'll have to decide for yourself.

Christianity depicted in a positive light (without making the book feel "religious").
We rarely see religion depicted in YA books at all these days unless the book is published by a Christian imprint, and often when we do see it, it's to show how judgmental and bigoted Christians can be. That's why I always breathe a little sigh of happiness when I see a book where religion is handled positively without being a focus of the story. Neither of the MCs in the book is religious, but Scarlett ends up seeing a pastor for counseling, and he talks to her about the nature of forgiveness (what it is and what it isn't). He even uses a Bible story to illustrate his point. And he is the one who encourages Scarlett to talk about what's happening in her family and actually do something about it. The book shows Christian principles in a positive light, something I always appreciate.

Jesse and Scarlett.
This is a romance, so I suppose I should mention that I loved Jesse and Scarlett together. The book starts out with Scarlett pretty much hating Jesse because of the way he ended their friendship years ago, but she still remembers their friendship growing up, so she can never hate him fully (this parallels her relationship with her dad in some ways, but we see the other side of the coin here). Jesse has a horrible reputation, and he's broken in a lot of ways. So, he could certainly be seen as the stereotypical "bad boy with a heart of gold." But, like I said, McGarry never lets you see her characters as stereotypes because we understand them too well. We see their flaws, but we also see the why in them. So, I was rooting for these two with my whole heart, and I wanted them to find happiness with each other.

What Left Me Hungry for More:

Not much.
Okay, so the wrap-up at the end of the book felt a teensy bit long to me, and there were moments when you could argue that the messages are heavy-handed. But I can't remember the last time I was so wrapped up in a contemporary story, so none of that truly bothered me.

Contemporary romance with a bit of grit and a whole lot of heart--Only a Breath Apart gives hope to those in crisis and shows that you can take hold of your own destiny, even when life feels out of control.

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley and Inkslinger PR in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

Thanks for the opportunity to read this one, I was definitely excited for this book as I just adore Katie McGarry's work.

Sadly, I am feeling heartbroken, I stranded on 27% after several days of trying trying and trying to read. The problem was two things, one the magical element which felt kind of off. Is it real or is it not and that made it hard to read as the story threaded more to the no, but then later on would lean back on yes. Then there is Jesse. I don't like judgemental Jesse, plus I didn't like how he only really started caring for Scarlett because she was one of the judges. Maybe not the thing that truly happened, but that is how it came across. All the time he was avoiding Scarlett for probably some dumb poop, and now he needs her he wants her back... Um. No. Just no.

I loved Scarlett though, and her POV, even though they were filled with pain and sadness was the better one. I wanted to know more about her home situation, what happened to her dad that he is now suddenly acting all possessive, manipulative and harsh?

And yes, I do agree with other reviewers, this was quite depressing. Which isn't working that well on my current mood (I am filled to the brim with stress due to things coming in the next month, and my mood goes up and down a lot).

I don't really want to give it a rating, but NG wants one badly, so a 1 star it is.

And hopefully I will like the next Katie McGarry again, she has such a wonderful writing style.

Holy moly, this book! Only a Breath Apart was a test in emotion and angst that I did have a hard time finishing but ultimately enjoyed!

Trigger Warning: there is physical, verbal, emotional, and mental abuse in this book.
Only a Breath Apart was everything I expected and Katie McGarry did not disappoint! This book touched me in all the right places despite the hard subject matter and tone of the book. I expected angst but I got even more!

Jesse and Scarlett were childhood best friends but had a falling out in freshman year. They are also neighbors but both come from very different backgrounds. Scarlett comes from a rich and affluent family, while Jesse comes from a family known to be cursed, rich in land but poor otherwise. I am all for enemies to lovers and initially, Jesse and Scarlett were not really friends. I loved how Katie McGarry fleshed out the story of each main character through their alternating POV, and it made me understand both on a deeper level.

However, as much as I liked this book, I had a hard time dealing with the triggers in this book and I was definitely triggered. While I never suffered any of the situations featured in this book, but I was just disturbed. It was quite obvious that despite the glittery and rich facade, Scarlett lived a lie and tried her best to hide it from the public. Her situation was really what made it hard for me to read and I really wanted to skip a few pages at times.

While it was hard for me to read Only a Breath Apart, I am glad that I soldiered on and finished it. Ultimately, this book spoke to me.

Only a Breath Apart also has a mystical aspect to the book and this theme is seen throughout the book. I also felt that the atmosphere was a little bit Peter Pan-like, most especially because Jesse calls Scarlett as Tink. Not only that, I just felt that this book had a touch of magic.

Katie McGarry writes books about real life situations and I love that about her. She handles it really well. I understood Scarlett's fear and really felt so much for Jesse and the cards that were handed to him. He was really broken at the start and had a really bad reputation surrounding himself and his family.

I highly recommend Only a Breath Apart, but please note that there are triggers, so please proceed cautiously.

Katie's books are always full of drama, reality, feelings, but they also bring a taste of hope to the reader. And this one is no different.

It begins in the childhood of Jesse and Scarlett.
He is the son of a single mother who believes the family has a curse because of the wrong things done in the past. The family's land is the only way to keep the family together and healthy, which is why Jesse grows believing he must do everything he can to make land prosper.

Scarlett was raised by loving parents. Maybe loving too much.
Being raised with very strict rules as to who and where she can relate, Scarlett always had Jesse as her best friend, until at age ten when he breaks up with her, and she never knew why.

The years go by and they live apart, studying in the same school.
When Jesse's grandmother dies, Scarlett goes to the funeral, and it is from this episode that much of their lives will change.
The past of each family is reviewed and secrets are revealed.

Each one has dilemmas to live; decisions to be taken.
We learn that Grief and Love can be felt with equal intensity.
Learning to deal with those we love most, and how to break the vicious circle that binds us to certain "curses."
Amazing book.
5 stars

Only a Breath Apart was a beautifully, emotional story. It held my heart in the palm of its hand and I kept finding moments here and there that stole my breath away. This book was filled with heartfelt characters and friendship, love, forgiveness, bravery and finding oneself was a huge part of this story. If you've never picked up a Katie McGarry book, know that one of my favorite things about her stories are the characters she creates. They always feel so real, it's like I could reach into the pages and touch them. So yes, I definitely recommend this book! It's one I will cherish for a long time to come.

I loved him once—the way a six-year-old loves with abandon. I loved him how I once loved myself. Jesse was freedom when so much of my life meant confinement. He was laughter during dark nights, he was the warrior who scared the monsters under my bed away . . . he was my friend.


Stepping into this story, I was already gutted within those first two chapters. We jumped back in time and got to see Jesse Lachlan and Scarlett Copeland as children. While they were both from extremely broken homes, as children they always had each other. Jesse and Scarlett were not only neighbors, but best friends too. It hurt to watch them both witness abuse and I could feel their fear pouring off the pages. I was heartbroken with how hard their lives already were. But years later, we caught up with them when they were 17. And while they were both still in a world of pain, they were no longer friends with one another.

Jesse has done this a handful of times since our freshman year. Glance at me as if I’m someone worth looking at, someone worth laughing with a little too loud and smiling with a little too much. Then he remembers who I am and snaps his gaze to someone else.

But he’s not looking away now.


From one event, Scarlett bridged the gap between them and set them on a path. One that was filled with hope, redemption, heartache, friendship and even the possibility of love. Hold on though, because it was definitely not an easy path. Not only do they have their own personal struggles, but there was distance between them. Even with that distance, when Scarlett and Jesse had the tiniest amount of interaction, I was smiling and sighing out loud. I just wanted them both to find happiness, and I knew they could find it in each other.

Scarlett lifts her head and smiles . . . at me. It’s a gentle smile, and one that causes a spike of excitement in my blood . It’s as if the sun has melted off her outer shell and has revealed the girl I once knew, and a woman I want to get to know.


Scarlett was a girl who made me feel every single emotion she did. I felt suffocated by the way her father treated her and in other moments her fear consumed me. Chills ran down my back and the hair stood up on my arm. I found myself terrified for Scarlett and the life she was stuck in. Thankfully, she started to find her voice and I was so proud of her. Scarlett was strong, resilient, loving and I kept hoping her life would change. That every moment could feel like when she was with Jesse. Because when Scarlett was with Jesse, it felt like she could be breathe.

The breeze plays with the ends of her hair, and I capture that moment. A snapshot of something I want to remember. Scarlett’s back on my land. My friend. My foe. The person who used to push me, compete with me and made me alive. My Tink.


Jesse captured my heart by listening, helping and always caring for Scarlett when she came back into his life. While I had my guess for why he shut her out his freshman year, I was still upset with him. That didn't affect that I loved him with my whole heart and soul. I quickly connected with Jesse, just like Scarlett. They both struggled and saw more in their lifetime than anyone should. But Jesse had a family curse and he was fighting to keep what belonged to him. His land. As the story unfolded it became evident that if Scarlett and Jesse both wanted what they desperately needed, they'd have to work together.

“Scarlett, there are two times that I can breathe in deeply without wincing in pain, and being with you is one of them. If I could, I’d keep you here forever.”


My third favorite person in this story was Glory Gardner. She was a distant cousin to Jesse and played such an important role in Scarlett and Jesse's life. I don't want to say what role she played, but Glory fascinated me with her tarot cards and being able to converse with the spirits. So I kept hoping that she would lead Jesse and Scarlet into happier times. Because they more than deserved it!

His fingers trail up and down my arm and the sensation tickles, causing pleasing goose bumps along my skin. There’s a safety that radiates from his touch. A safety I wish I could take with me wherever I go.


Only a Breath Apart was so easy to devour, even with the story constantly pulling on my heart. So many times I'd go from smiles, to having my heart in my throat and then to having tears pour down my face. It was such an emotional book. So when I finished that last page, I was so thankful that I stepped into Jesse and Scarlett's lives. Now I can't wait to devour whatever Katie McGarry writes next!

Here are a few more of my favorite quotes:

Each time I think it’s impossible for my heart to hurt any more than it already does, it finds another painfully imaginative way to twist. - Scarlett


Second star on the right. I haven’t been Tink to his Peter Pan for a long time. But watching Jesse head off to the land the two of us conquered in battles that belonged in our heads creates a sense of nostalgia I can’t ignore. I start for the land that calls to Jesse, the land that used to call to me. It’s definitely time for an adventure.


I hate myself because I wish I could feel. I wish I were normal. I wish I wasn’t me.- Scarlett


I will always risk everything to save her. She didn’t know it then. She doesn’t know it now. Scarlett once said she was empty. I’ve never been empty. I’ve been loved, and I’ve loved in return, but I don’t do it with many. She was one of the few. Still is. Always will be.

Scarlett and Jesse used to be great friends. Until freshman year. So when Jesse’s Gran puts conditions on his inheriting the farm and breaking the family curse, Jesse tries to right the wrongs he has done to Scarlett. This forces the two of them to come face to face with the damage that has been done them by their fathers.

I thought this was a sweet story. I liked how much emphasis was placed on individual healing. I liked that they characters learn that forgiveness doesn’t mean acting like it never happened. I’d class this in the healthy relationship category of YA romance.

This book had me on the struggle bus. It took me way longer to finish than it should have. Mostly because I didn't really like it. I have read many books by this author and normally I like them. I just hated the plot of this book so much. I could have liked some of the characters, but there was just not enough substance to them. The book was pretty depressing as well, like one step forward, two steps back.

The author writes well, just didn't like the story.

TW: Domestic abuse.

2/5 stars

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review**

Jesse is born into a family curse-anyone who leaves the family land is met with a violent death. Growing up he is back and forth between his mom's house and his grandmother's house. But that all changes after he sees his mom murdered. When his grandmother dies, he must figure out his future and if he can break the curse.

Scarlett has lived with abuse for years. She can't tell anyone because they would never believe that her rich family with a stellar reputation would ever be involved with such things.

Once best friends, can Jesse and Scarlett mend their friendship and rewrite their future or will they be cursed to continue living in fear.

Review and blog tour can be found on *Milky Way of Books*

*trigger warning for both body and verbal abuse*

While this book didn't give me the strong feels I have connected with every other book by Katie McGarry, I really enjoyed Jesse's and Scarlett's stories despite the small hint of a 'curse' and all the emotional trials both had to recover from. I did like Jesse's friends a lot and I hope they'll get their own stories.

Despite that, the book should have a trigger warning, because this was a hard and too emotional read for me. Overall you do get the beautiful writing by Katie McGarry who manages to craft a story of love, loss the power to overcome your fears.

Katie McGarry always leaves me speechless with her books. I am literally out of words with this book. It’s pure perfection. Yes, it was hard for me to read, very very hard, but still, Only A Breath Apert is one of those books that will stay with me forever. Thanks to the audiobook, I could continue reading while my eyes were wide open, my heart barely stopping and bleeding for these characters. And there were other moments when I couldn’t stop crying and I just closed my eyes and listened to the narrators bring these amazing characters to life. But there were also moments when I just couldn’t stop smiling and my heart was almost out of my chest with all the love I had for Jesse and Scarlett. This story is just everything. I always expect the best of Katie, and I’m happy to say she overpassed herself with this book.

So… Only a Breath Apart is the story of two best friends/soul mates who’ve been connected since they were kids but fell apart when they were fifteen years old. During those years, Scarlett and Jesse had to face the intensity and drama of their lives, family problems, financial problems, loneliness and more. But right after Jesse’s grandmother died, all hell broke loose for both of them. But one good thing happened among all the bad: They became friends again. But it wasn’t something they wanted. Glory, Jesse’s aunt, who also was a psychic, told them both they needed to work together to get what they wanted: Jesse wanted his land and Scarlett wanted her freedom.

And this is when their adventures re-started. Trusting again in each other, telling each other secrets and fears and understanding that together they would succeed was what Glory—and Jesse’s grandmother—wanted for them and they did. It was beautiful to read how that happened, but it was also painful. Their secrets and fears were heartbreaking but they gave each other strength to face them and move forward and finally find their HEA that they both needed and deserved.

Like I said before, the audiobook was my lifesaver with this story. I cried and cried and cried. My heart was aching half of the time and thanks to the audio, I didn’t stop. In fact, I stayed up until 3 am listening to the audiobook because I needed to know what was going to happen next. Brittany Pressley & Graham Halstead did an exceptional job in their performances. Their voices matched perfectly the characters, main and secondary. I particularly loved the voice they made for Glory, they sounded all mysterious, making the story better.

I recommend Only a Breath Apart to everyone, even to a person who doesn’t read YA, because this story is simply perfection.

Both book and audiobook are flawless, perfect companion. 500% recommended.

Only A Breath Apart

**received an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Katie McGarry once again tells a story that will grip you from page one till the end. You will be rooting for the two main characters to figure out a way to make it together and for their lives to finally make a turn for the better. Katie touches on some tough subjects in this book and will have your emotions pulled in different directions. Jesse and Scarlett’s road will not be easy but they will do what they can to make it till the end.

Another great Katie McGarry book. Was pulled in right from the start. Loved the story between Jesse and Scarlett. Would have liked Scarlett and her mother to be more aggressive in finding help when dealing with her dad. Especially when the children were involved. I think this would have been a stronger message to the young adults out there had her mother been able to stand up to him and protect her children.

I am a big fan of Katie McGarry's books and ONLY A BREATH APART features many of the elements I've come to expect (and love) in her stories. (But thankfully we are done with the biker gang, because that wasn't my favorite setting). This book features a wealthy, seemingly straight-laced girl who is hiding a messy, difficult home life, who falls in love with the misunderstood, but big-hearted bad boy from the opposite side of the tracks. Surprisingly, and despite the difficult hand this boy has been dealt, he has a better support system than the girl does. These two semi-broken people find each other and work their way forward and out of miserable situations together, fighting to stay upright while getting knocked down along the way. Like usual, I was rooting for them the whole time.

More specifically, this book features Scarlett and Jesse, former childhood best friends, who are no longer speaking. But when Jesse's grandmother dies, Scarlett goes to the funeral and slowly, and very tentatively a new friendship begins to rekindle between them. I really enjoyed Jesse and Scarlett as a pair, and would definitely say they're one of my favorites of McGarry's couples. I fell for each of them and just wanted better things for them both.

Scarlett's home life, and and all she's been facing with her family was particularly hard to read about (be prepared for (view spoiler)), and I wanted nothing more than a magical cure to her situation. But what I always appreciate about McGarry's books is that she paints a realistic picture of the issues that her teens face and what it takes to get out of them. As hard it is to read, there are no cutting corners in this story. But what I loved was seeing Scarlett and Jesse find support and love in their lives, sometimes in places that they didn't expect, and then put in the work to love themselves and move forward from their current situations.

Also I enjoyed many of the secondary characters in this book, especially, Jesse's cousin and psychic Glory. I wasn't sure how the supernatural elements - Jesse's family is under a curse - would play into the story, especially with McGarry's books being so realistic about life, but I liked the way they were woven into the tale.

I'm a forever fan of Katie McGarry and I'll definitely be reading whatever she writes next.

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone. McGarry often does companion series, and Jesse has 3 friends with some information teased about them but not fleshed out, and I could potentially see stories for each of them. But I haven't heard anything confirmed.

*the review will also go on my blog this week*

This book had such an ethereal and dreamlike quality to it. It was such a beautifully written story that transported you to another place. I loved the author wove in the story of Peter Pan and it often felt like a modern-day fairytale with a touch of magical realism through in.

Of course, Only a Breath Apart is full of emotion and grit that pulls at your heartstrings and makes you shed a tear for two children of having suffered way too much and were slowly losing themselves to the sins of their parents.

Scarlet was such a relatable character. She had the perfect life to the outside world, but her family life was anything but ideal and it was slowly choking the life out of her. I think every person has to figure out what who they and can often time feel pressured to be who others think you should be. What I loved about Scarlet is she never quit trying. no matter how hard it got, or the abuse she suffered, she is a fighter and refused to be a shell of a person.

Jesse was truly a lost boy. Someone who lost everything when he was young and felt bound by the mistakes of his family. His life was stunted by the belief in a curse that he only lived his life for that cruse instead of himself. He was really a good guy, but so tied in knots over what others spoke in him he almost missed out on real life, one lived on his own terms.

Jesse and Scarlet are two broken people adrift in a world that wish to not see them rise beyond what it expects. As they come together to build what was once lost, they are able to see beyond the chains that keep them bound and begin to want things they never thought possible. As these two claw for freedom, they will have to make some tough decisions in order to finally be able to breathe.

*****received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley******

I was excited about the attempt at an almost magical element to the plot but it didn't take off as much as I'd like. Still a decent contemporary read but not as strong as her other series.

This was my first book by the author and absolutely will not be the last. She’s definitely been on my to read list for awhile though. I thought I knew what I was getting into with this one, but it was much more emotional than I was prepared for. The beginning drew me in and I was a little terrified for how heavy this book would be. McGarry’s descriptions are on another level. I felt like I was there. She describes abuse, but doesn’t outright say it; she shows you. The two main characters were dealt some pretty awful hands, and my heart broke for both of them. Personally, I had a little trouble with everything related to the curse, just because I thought it was a little weird but that’s just me. And the ending was good, but didn’t give me the closure I so badly wanted. I’d recommend this one, especially if you’re looking for an emotional young adult story.

* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!