Like the rest of the reading world, I have been a huge fan of Katie McGarry ever since she came out with her first book, Pushing the Limits. That one, and Crash Into You has never been able to be topped as my favorite books from her. Then, out of nowhere she comes out with Only A Breath Apart, which not only is my new favorite McGarry book, but also one of my favorite books ever.

I loved everything about this story. The setting, the characters, and the magic were all written in such a beautiful way. My favorite part had to be all the characters, not just the two main ones, Savannah and Jesse, but all the secondary characters, as well as the character of the land. Yes, I believe the land was a character in it’s own right.

It’s hard to say anything about this story without giving anything anyway. I believe it is better to go into this story blind and just be blown away by it!

I definitely recommend reading this story. I don’t think you will regret one second of it!

This book was really good. Not your typical YA romance, but a real-life lesson on youth and growth and even love & relationships. Two people should not need each other to complete themselves. The best relationships come from two complete people merging their lives through their love. Teenagers and young adults are far too often swept up in the fantasy of the power of their love sustaining them for the long haul when they need to give themselves the time and space to mature, become complete on their own and then embark on facing forever together. This story gives a different approach to making it to forever and shows the outcomes you can face if you don’t take that time and give each other the space to learn to spread your wings before diving headfirst into a relationship. A relationship you cherish needs to be nurtured and that begins with knowing and loving yourself completely in order to love someone else completely. I loved that this book still had the dreams and a lot of happy endings and new beginnings, but wasn’t mundane and typical in how to get to happily ever after. It was really a good book.

Scarlett is from a seemingly perfect family, with a dark secret. Jesse is her childhood best friend who suddenly stopped speaking to her freshman year. This book as a whole is intriguing and sad, but ultimately full of hope. The supernatural aspect is odd, but not all-together bad. Glory made me smile, as did the mysticism surrounding “the land”. I would have loved to learn more fully what that was. The storyline is incredibly suspenseful, and I found myself constantly waiting for the tragedy I knew would come. I was genuinely afraid for Scarlett and Isabelle. I felt the panic and hopelessness of the situation. I feel like the abuse storyline is handled fairly realistically (speaking as someone who has zero experience with abuse). I think the story is a little long, and was very slow in the middle. I loved Jesse a lot. He was such a GOOD guy, even with his faults and demons. I love the resolution (and lack there-of in some cases) in the end. I would have loved to cut out a few chapters in the middle that were repetitive and add a few more at the end about Scarlett learning her independence. I wished there’d been more about Jesse and Scarlett as pre-teens as well, right before he cut her out. I think knowing their friendship at that pivotal age would have helped me care for them more as teens. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy to review!

"Only a Breathe Apart" was a masterpiece. It contained tearjerkers, laughs, and so much more. There are no words to describe it. But I'm sure as heck going to try.

There should be a trigger warning, though. Domestic Abuse is a situation in this book.

Besides that I loved it. This book was so profound and deep that I got a little scared I would hear the earth breathe beneath me the next time I left my house. The settings were picturesque. The characters grew and expanded. The ties were all tied up. Everything was great.

Jesse is what I hope my future husband is like. Stubborn as all get out with a heart of absolute gold. He was a bit of an ass in the beginning but he explains it. He doesn't explain it away. That never happens. There is not one instance in this book where people that are in their right mind and not brainwashed ever excuse being a jerk or an abuser. But the great thing about this is that Katie McGarry doesn't just give us this situation from one viewpoint. She gives it to us in multiple ways. Jesse is "poor". He has land but no money to develop the land, and without that money he's stuck. He could sell the land, but that would defeat the purpose. And Scarlett is rich and her father is influential in their small town, so she's stuck as well.

The thing about Jesse and Scarlett is that they used to be best friends. One was nowhere without the other. As times changed and they grew up, they left that friendship behind. Not by choice nor by an intelligent choice. But they help themselves get out of the terrible situations that they find themselves in.

The character growth alone is enough to make someone want to read it. Scarlett goes from having friends she keeps at a distance and being more locked up than Fort Knox to having several friends who knew almost everything about her and being as free as the sky. Jesse goes from not letting anyone else in because they treated him badly in the past, to trying. Just trying, which is enough. And Katie McGarry definitely delivers on the in-depth views of the abuse. She goes through the whole mental state. Not of the abuser but of the abusee. And It was kind of eye-opening. One thinks that they know about things like that but honestly I had no idea.

All in all, A MAJOR read for 2019 and something that should be on everyone's TBR.

I completely fell in love with this book! It was such a sweet and intriguing read. Each of the characters story were so incredibly heart breaking. I loved how in-depth their stories were and they grew so much. It was such a beautiful and moving story.

*ARC kindly given for my honest opinion.

Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry is a young adult romance. Jesse Lachlin believes he is cursed, and must stay on his family's land. Jesse is 17 and on his own since his grandma died,trying to figure how to keep the land. Scarlett Copeland is keeping secrets about her father, who is very controlling. Jesse and Scarlett grew up together, and use to be best friends, but stopped talking their freshman year. Can this couple find their way back to each other? I love this genre, there is something so innocent about first loves. I love the quirky people and situations in this book, and watching the characters grow. This book is not all happy, happy, joy, so be ready for the emotional ups and downs. I found this book to be a quick read, and recommend it to all readers who enjoy a YA coming of age and romance.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book was a story full of both heart and heartache. It is not for people searching for a light romance. It tackles very heartbreaking family issues. I loved
Jesse. I felt for both Jesse and Scarlett and the challenges they faced.

I love Katie McGarry's writing. There has not been a time where I have read a book of hers and not liked it. Only a Breath Apart has become one of my absolute favorites by her. I finished it in one day because I lacked the strength and heart to put it down. Her characters are emotional, complex, relatable, and so many other things. You can't help but fall in love with her characters. You feel everything they feel, you cheer for them and you cry with them. Scarlett and Jesse are no exceptions. Their story was beautiful and heartbreaking. Both of them know pain, physical and emotional. They have their secrets and live with them and the guilt that sometimes breaks them. But, there is only hope. Scarlett and Jesse were best friends as children, until their freshmen year in high school, Jesse shuts her out. This breaks both their hearts. Jesse has his reasons, believing that the curse on his family and him, will one day hurt the one person he was born to love. Their senior year brings them back together.

Jesse is desperate to save the land his family has owned because to him it is home and he loves it more than anything. Scarlett is living with a father who abuses her mother. She struggles with her fear for her mother and sister and the anger she has toward her father for doing this to them. But she feels that she cannot tell anyone. That no one will believe her and help, especially when her mother tells her she will deny that anything is wrong. Her father is a control freak who's obsessed with tracking Scarlett''s every move. To save his land, Jesse needs to win approval of 3 people his Gran selected, before she passed, that will hold the future of his land. Scarlett is one of those people. Scarlett meanwhile is trying to find a way to break out of her father's grip. Soon Jesse and Scarlett find a way to help one another and in doing so they repair the broken friendship and trust that Jesse caused a few years earlier. And in doing so, they fall deeper in love, because both have been in love with one another their entire lives.

The story is written beautifully. You feel their pain and struggles. You feel their love and hopes. Their journey isn't easy. And even once past the pain and hardships, they still need to find a way to grow independently. This part of this story was also so nice to read, because it was real. Jesse and Scarlett love one another deeply and know they are meant for forever, but that doesn't mean that they don't want to find themselves first and learn to stand on their own two feet. Like I said, this story has become a favorite of mine. If you love her previous books, this one will not disappoint.

I received an ARC for an honest review.

Here are the links to where i posted the books online:

https://myfuture-mybooks-mylife.blogspot.com/2019/01/only-breath-apart-by-katie-mcgarry.html

https://myfuture-mybooks-mylife.tumblr.com/post/181836296033/only-a-breath-apart-by-katie-mcgarry-bestselling

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2287900187
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2IGB8Y4XLZMNI/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

What can I say, I’m a sucker for Katie McGarry. This was very similar to all her other books (especially pushing the limits series). Despite the familiar format and plot I couldn’t help but love it. McGarry has a way of convincing you to hope for change where you know it’s impossible. You become so attached to the characters that you wish you could give them some of your own strength just to survive.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I never tire of Katie McGarry books, and she is back with something that is both classic Katie and a little bit different for her.

This was a story about friendship, family, love, survival, destiny, growth, and I loved the way all these parts added up to one fantastic tale.

• Friendship: Scarlett and Jesse's renewed friendship took center stage, and it really was a beautiful history they shared. They spent their childhood together and shared an unknown bond as victims of domestic abuse. They understood each other in a way many others could not, and I was so happy they found their way back to each other. Jesse also had a great group of friends, or rather, found family, who were not only really interesting, but fiercely loyal and protective of him. Jesse was often referred to as Peter Pan, and at one point he compares his friends to the lost boys. I would agree, that they shared some similarities, when it came to standing by each other.

• Social Issues: McGarry always touches upon some social issues in her books, and here, she tackles domestic abuse and the farming industry. I thought she did a great job showing us how the system can help, but also fail those in an abusive situation. I really appreciated the way she explored all sides of it, and did so with a lot of honesty.

• Family: There was a lot of family drama. The storyline concerning the abuse was difficult. it was really painful, but it was a big part of what shaped Jesse and Scarlett, and it also had a big influence on the futures they thought they could or couldn't have. The characters struggled with their love for their families, but also their distaste for the way they were and the things they let happen. Those conflicted emotions came across as quite authentic, and I couldn't help but share their heartache. However, not all the family interactions were bad though. Jesse's cousin, Glory, and his uncle showed that they were firmly on his side, and they were also champions of Scarlett's. They ended up being two great people to have on their side, and I was so happy with the way McGarry incorporated them into the story.

• Romance: It was so important for me, that these two let their walls fall, because I needed them to be together. Their connection was beyond amazing, and they just belonged to one another. At one point, Jesse talks about how he was born to love Scarlett, and I could only nod in agreement. They supported each other, and gave each other space when necessary. They were willing to sacrifice for each other, as well, and that was a real testament to their love.

• Magic: This was what really surprised me. This book had some magical elements woven into the plot. There was a curse, a connection to the land, and psychics. I actually enjoyed the psychic elements, especially the palm reading. I never knew much about it before, and there were some really interesting bits included pertaining to palmistry. Though it was not as magical, I liked the whole idea of Jesse being connected to the land as a farmer. I may be a city girl, but I still root for and want to see family farms flourish.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster. It made me happy and sad. It broke my heart, but also filled it with joy. It was classic Katie with a twist, and I enjoyed it immensely!

Very heavy. Intense and difficult scenes at times.

This has the sweet romance we’ve come to know and love from Katie, but some of the scenes were hard to read. Scarlett’s family dynamic is filled with so much pain and cringe worthy scenes. I had to read some parts very quickly.

While I did enjoy this story, there was a LOT of focus on tarot readings and that’s not my thing at all. So for me, I felt it took away from my enjoyment a little. Sad but true.

This was a cute read, an incredibly heavy story at times yet sweet and heartwarming at others. Katie McGarry's tumultuous YA romance is a story of a childhood friendship that's destined to be so much more. I enjoyed it, never wanted to put it down. It's well layered and sends a powerful message about forgiveness, about acceptance, about carving your own path in life. It was definitely original and unlike anything else ive read, which I appreciated.

I am going to admit that I am a fan of YA - I'm not sure what it is about the genre that I enjoy so much. It could be the happy endings, the romance, the grittiness of the characters, escapism. Or it could be that sometimes I just really enjoy getting lost in a story and inhaling the words in one go. Whatever it is this book ticked my YA boxes and then some. 

The main female character is an example of the fragile but strong young girl, torn between doing the right thing and not upsetting the family that she loves. The main male character is a misunderstood, troubled boy who mostly makes poor choices for the benefit of the women that he loves. Old childhood friends who had a huge falling out but still live across from each other. It's kinda like a fairytale for modern ages (which references are made throughout to Peter Pan).

I raced through this book, loved every minute and (surprisingly for me and romance) definitely did more laughing than eye-rolling. An accolade indeed. 

I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. 

*Set to post on publication date*

There's something seriously magical about Katie McGarry's writing. I don't know how to describe it other than she makes me feel everything she writes. Only a Breath Apart is probably the heaviest book she's written to date. The characters have to fight hard for themselves. It wasn't an easy read. I felt every minute of Jesse and Scarlett's pain, fear, and angst. All the negative emotions I felt didn't make me love this book any less. It actually made me love it more because, once I got past those hard emotions, there were some other really beautiful ones like love, forgiveness, and determination. Jesse and Scarlet didn't have it easy, but they had each other to weather the storm with.

Only a Breath Apart is one of those books I want to save and have my daughter read when she's older. It had some messages that I believe are extremely important for young adults (and adults!) to learn regarding relationships and life in general. I am so happy I got the opportunity to read this book. It is one I will think about for a long time to come.

As all of Katie McGarry's books, Only a Breath Apart was an engaging read that was hard to put down. McGarry's books are a punch right to the feels. Jesse lost his grandmother and is struggling to maintain the land he wants so bad. Scarlett's dad is beyond controlling and she is struggling to find a place for herself that is her own.

I liked Jesse, but I was more drawn to Scarlett and her story. Her dad is a grade A abusive asshole and her mom is (unfortunately) a classic abused wife. Her dad is powerful so her mom pushes the "no one can help us" mantra. There are some instances of physical abuse in the book, but most the abuse towards Scarlett is emotional and mental.

Jesse is battling old wounds, including that of hurting Scarlett freshman year. As is typical of McGarry's books both individuals have harrowing backgrounds and are trying to recover. After the passing of his grandmother and the pushing of Glory he vows to mend things with Scarlett.

I thought Jesse and Scarlett were a good pair, helping each other out and wanting whats best for each other. They both work together and apart to put themselves in a better situation.

While I enjoyed Only a Breath Apart I did feel it was lacking in some of the more swoony moments that McGarry has had in her previous books.

Thank you for the opportunity to review Only a Breath Apart.

While not my normal genre of reading, this novel kept me enthralled from the first violent chapter to its final tender kiss. Full of well fleshed out and diverse characters, this novel was an emotional rollercoaster through its entirity. Main characters Jesse and Scarlett are on journeys of self discovery, colliding with each other in the process. Previosuly childhood friends, they were forced apart by Jesse's poor decisions and Scarlett's overbearing and overprotective parents.

In its raw form, this novel could be seen as about two teenagers mending their friendship and falling in love but its actually not. Its actually a novel about community, what it means to be family and discovering that blood doesn’t always denote loyalty. While Jesse's grnadmother, Suzanne, is frequently mentioned and the farm/Lachlin land seems to have a mind of its own, acting as a character within the story, I loved (yes LOVED) Glory Gardner. She is older than Jesse and Scarlett, living in a cabin on the opposite side of the property to Jesse’s trailer, having been gifted the right to stay by Suzanne when the kids were young. She makes a living as a psychic, reading tarot and palms for the unsuspecting public. Jesse thinks she is full of it while Scarlett is unsure. Yet throughout the novel, she is full of sage advice and guidance, attempting to steer the pair towards happiness regardless of their lack of belief in her craft. She’s cryptic and stubborn but I love her all the more for it.

Now, just as a warning, this book is heavy and emotionally tolling, especially if you have seen or been subjected to domestic violence. Both Jesse and Scarlett have endured abuse, be it physical or psychological, with violence even taking the life of one of their loved ones. However, instead of the violence taking a predominant part in the pairs initial interactions, it is a constant background force, steering their stories in part but not driving them together (mostly). In fact, for the majority of the novel, each is relatively unaware of the others history. Basically, violence is a force in both their lives, but it isn’t what makes them who they are. Kudos to McGarry for including such heavy subject matter in a way that while confronting, does not overtake the entire narrative.

The plot, while including violence but not being based around it, takes place in the 8-9 months between which Suzanne passes and the date of Jesse’s 18th birthday when the fate of the farm will be decided. One would think there would be a lot of school scenes and heading out with friends, all typical locations which are Young Adult Novel 101. Instead these are rarely mentioned with the majority of the action taking place on the farm, in Scarlett’s house or Glory’s cabin. With only three major locales, one would think it would be a fairly monotonous novel however the character of Lachlin land (yes, it’s a character itself. This is the second time I’ve said it!) and vast expanse of different terrain makes it feel like there are so many more settings for Jesse and Scarlett’s tale to occur.

As a whole I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. While I found there were a few chapters where I skimmed over the events, for most of the book I was enthralled. The characters while potentially single dimensional had many facets, making a reader who adores action really take notice of the expert weaving of this tale. It’s a 4.5 of 5 stars from me.

This was a very good book. Yes there is books like this but I really liked the message in the end about changing who you are and being better then your circumstances. That's makes it different then all the other ya books.

Only a Breath Apart is a powerful YA romance that deals with some heavy topics, including domestic abuse. Jesse and Scarlett are neighbors and best friends until high school when Jesse inexplicably ends their friendship. When Jesse's grandmother and guardian dies, he and Scarlett slowly begin to reconnect. Jesse is fighting to hold on to the land his grandmother left him, and Scarlett is struggling to escape her abusive father's controlling plans. I absolutely loved the rural, Kentucky setting, and I couldn't stop reading until I learned what would happen to Jesse and Scarlett. Thanks to Netgalley and to Tor for the preview copy!

Jesse and Scarlett are both scarred by their family history, but it is in their broken places that they may find a path to true happiness.

Jesse’s family has been cursed and each generation has had their share of tragedy. Jesse’s mom insisted that he could overcome the curse by staying on his family’s land and never leaving the state. Jesse plans to keep this promise to he dead mother and when his ailing grandmother passes, he will take the reins of landownership and develop the best farm. However, when his grandmother does pass, Jesse learns that he must impress a tribunal with his growth and responsibility. One of the people on the tribunal is Jesse’s ex best friend Scarlett. He will need to get back into her good graces, to keep his land.

Scarlett is a picture of perfection, which is the expectation from her controlling father and downtrodden mother. Scarlett is unable to get close to anyone, especially since her last great friendship with Jesse, went down in flames. She is tired of her father’s abuse and is desperate to get out, but she is going to need help getting around her father. Jesse steps back into Scarlett’s life and gives her a path to freedom. However, this road is going to have its share of rough spots.

This book felt like a second in a series, it felt like it was missing pieces of the back story. However, once you get a fourth of the way in, it doesn’t matter anymore, because the characters stand on their own. This book was high drama, which I always find myself sucked into. I thought the layer of the psychic cousin was interesting, I just wish it was integrated better because it feels unnecessary. I thought it was a great unique twist, I just wish it fit better. I truly enjoyed this novel.

I gotta say, this new story by Katie McGarry completely surprised me. I have read and loved pretty much every single book and short story written by her but I generally know what to expect with gritty characters that struggle, fail, and hurt, and relationships that are are far from perfect (with lots of steaminess) with hope and love seeping throughout. Only a Breath Apart did not disappoint, it broke my heart, made me angry and terrified for the characters, brought a new perspective to forgiveness, and, of course, made me swoon. What it also did was surprise me with the way the spiritual and supernatural elements were subtly woven throughout. No spoilers, but I truly enjoyed the way the curse is perceived and how that perception changed through the story as well as Glory's whole characterization. It's impossible to pick, but I think my favorite parts of Katie's stories are often the side characters. The aren't just there for show or to move plot ahead but they are often deep characters on their own. I loved the side characters in this story and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some more from Leo, Nazareth and V!

Overall, another wonderful, broken but hopeful contemporary story from McGarry. As I said above, Katie's stories are gritty and real and heart breaking. There are scenes of abuse, physical, verbal and emotional, as well as real talk about how difficult it is to break out of a cycle of abuse and how impossibly broken the justice system can seem to be. So please be cautious if any of this is triggering to you. However, even with the pain present throughout the book, there is still that underlying theme of hope and finding the loving, supportive, people you can trust. And the ending hit that perfect spot where not everything is answered or known but it's not needed, because we understand the characters and know they can conquer anything their future may bring.

My rating is 4 out of 5 stars. This review is based off an arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for honest reviews.