It was quick and easy read. But it was very insta-lovey and the chemistry was alright, but i wish it wasn`t so quick and all. But it was an interesting read.

I didn't expect this story to be so emotional, but I really felt for Ryan's pain and heartbreak. The romance was slow-building but satisfying and built up just right.

This book is a beautiful exploration of love and loss.

Ryan's boyfriend, Chris, died just before they were meant to go to college and Ryan blames himself. To deal with the grief and guilt, Ryan has turned to alcohol. Liam comes into Ryan's life after he sees someone slip something into his drink one night.

The narrative follows the blossoming of Ryan and Liam's friendship as Ryan slowly learns to live with his grief.

A fantastic book dealing with a multitude of issues that do not get enough representation in novels. Well worth a read!

After Ryan loses his boyfriend in a tragic accident, he can't seem to pull himself out of the hole he's in. Then, he meets Liam and things slowly start to seem a little better. Ryan's character was well-rounded and I felt like I really got to know him. Liam was not as well characterized, and I learned very little about his backstory. It was also pretty unclear why he wanted to help Ryan or have a relationship with him. The timeline was also confusing, because it jumps back and forth through time, but not in a way that I could make a lot of sense out of.

My first reaction when I finished Breathe Out Slow: Stay tuned for my full review as soon as my heart "unbreaks" - *sigh*

I recently read a string of books full of heartbreak and Breathe Out Slow was one of the books that started that streak. It was most definitely not an easy read, but it’s also one of those books that I’m glad I took a chance on.

Teenage love is hard, being “in the closet” and in love is harder, loosing that love tragically is almost too much and that’s exactly what happened to Ryan. He survived, but barely. All but a handful of his friends gave up on him and even though they tried to help and Ryan put up a good front, he was crushed and more than a little broken.

Liam was amazing. It took him a while to break through Ryan’s defenses and Ryan spent a lot of time feeling guilty for what he was feeling for Liam. Liam was so patient with him though and he was just what Ryan needed.

There was so much to love about this book and one of the things that really worked for me was that it slipped from past to present. I know some readers don’t like books that use that format, but it really worked for me in Breathe Out Slow. I don’t think it would have had the same impact if the events would have been written in a normal timeline. There were some really great supporting characters and there were some really awful, hateful characters and there were also characters that redeemed themselves in the end. Basically, it was a great story that dealt with some really tough issues. This is my first book by A.D. Lawless, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be my last.

breathe out slow is full of grief, of loss, of hope for what comes after the pain of losing someone you love. ryan fell in love with his best friend and imagined they'd have a future together and then it was just gone. and it was senseless and devastating.

a year later ryan is still picking up the pieces after chris's death. he hasn't moved on. and he's just going through the motions. his weekend m.o. of getting blind drunk in his dorm room every weekend is his way of coping. it's not working.

one night he goes out and gets wasted. and roofied. enter liam doyle. he saves ryan from a potential assault and takes him to the hospital. and then he gives ryan his number and tells him to call for any reason. there's something about ryan that speaks to liam. he's just so lost. and liam worries.

and then one night, ryan needs saving again. and liam shows up. and then he keeps showing up. and slowly ryan starts to realize that life hasn't stopped. that his heart is not immune to love. and while the guilt of that is crushing, there's still hope for him. his life didn't end with chris's death. and liam opens up a world of possibilities.

i loved this story so, so much. this is the kind of second-chance story i love.

**breathe out slow will publish on september 9, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/ninestar press in exchange for my honest review.

This was okay. It seemed a little slow-moving in places, and I felt like (realistic or not) Ryan spent way too much time blaming himself (and it annoyed me to no end that Chris's mom also blamed him -- also could be realistic, but it just irritated me). I also felt like the opening scene was (although possibly realistic) almost a cliche regarding lack of communication. *insert eye roll here*

Still, I thought Liam was a saint, and I appreciated how Ryan eventually worked through his sorrow. Ironically, when I felt he *could* have blamed himself a bit, by then he had let it go (which he should have)...but it felt like his initial reaction was over the top and the latter wasn't quite insightful enough, if that makes sense.

All in all, okay but not outstanding for me.

This was a way more emotional read than I was expecting, but that also made it a perfect hurt-comfort read. Because of that, I just loved Liam so much! It's a pretty sad book though, as it mainly focuses on losing someone you love and how life goes on without them and you have to learn to keep living too.

Rep: m/m romance

CWs: death of a side character, car accident, cheating, grief, sex, violence, alcohol consumption, involuntary drugging, hospital, homophobia

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Breathe Out Slow had SUCH potential. There were so many areas where the book could have dove deeper into the topic, elaborated more.. added more.. and it would have been that much better.

The storyline was fantastic. ... the ideas were fantastic... it was just missing a little bit more. ;/

This book was extremely heartfelt and I enjoyed it. However, I felt that the main character, Ryan didn't really address the issues that he had. It's like he found a new friend and POOF! All his trouble disappeared. I read this in one sitting and it was a decent read to wind down for the day, but It had so much potential to be truly deep and soulful. This one was just ok for me.

Breathe out slow is far more than just a romance. It is the story of Ryan, a young boy who lost the love of his life in a terrible accident. It is a story of grief, love, guilt, and hope.

Through his relationship with Chris and through his relationship with Liam, as a reader we experience so much. This book is packed with pure emotions. I have been crying, I have been laughing, I have been drawned in the conflicted mind and heart of Ryan.

Is loving again cheating? does Ryan deserve happiness? what Chris would have wanted?

Ryan is such a true sensible character easily to identify to. I couldn't but understand his dilemma, his pain, his love. And Liam is the nicest guy to be around, he is sweet, charming, and patient.

Even though Ryan can't see the light, it is here right at the corner and I could feel it. The atmosphere always remains as soft as a blanket throughout the pages and brings so much hope for the characters.

Wow! Breathe Out Slow is an extraordinary novel by AD Lawless. I would give it 10 stars if I could.

It's a tough read from the start, as Ryan deals with betrayal, loss, and despair. He's been secretly dating his boyfriend Chris, and when he loses said boyfriend, he hits rock bottom.

Ryan's experiences left me gutted; my heart absolutely broke for the man. And then it got worse. In college, despite his friend Josh trying to help him, he remains broken and numb.

Then comes Liam, who not only physically saves Ryan, but also emotionally saves him. What follows is a beautiful story of recovery and healing, all through the power of friendship and love. It's an absolutely amazing story, full of emotion, pain, and despair.

Ahhh, Liam. Liam is one of the most thoughtful, caring, compassionate, and loving men ever. He is truly a gift for Ryan.

Through the use of flashbacks, the reader is gifted a look back at the good times for Ryan and his ex, Chris. Ryan's story includes a whole lot of hurt, confusion, loneliness, guilt, and regret.

I absolutely love Breathe Out Slow and can't recommend this AD Lawless book enough. Just wow! I will be re-reading this often. It is more of the most powerful books I've read this year.

Breathe Out Slow was my first book by A.D. Lawless and it was so good. It's a heart wrenching story about love and loss. I really liked the story and the writing.

This was very sweet, if a bit overly angsty.
Ryan is struggling through grief, no one has really reached out to him until Liam. Liam is just an all round nice guy.

I do wish that we saw their relationship develop more, I sort of felt like it was overshadowed by all the memories with Chris (which were heartbreakingly sweet and I definitely would read a full length novel on that).

I really wish that it could have been longer so we could have seen the characters/relationships depths a bit more.
Overall very sweet.

ARC provided by NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book! I was hooked right away. The characters felt so genuine and my heart broke for Ryan through his journey of healing.

This was a m/m romance about Moving on from grief and falling in love again. It was on the short side to me and didn’t delve as much into things as the author could have. Thank you to netgalley for the Arc.

This is a great book, definitely the genre that I most gravitate to. I felt the pain of the MC and understood his need to drown his feelings in alcohol. I also felt the way the author brought him out of his depression was believable. Overall, a solid 4 stars.

-- Grief is messy, real and all-encompassing. Sometimes, someone comes along to help you find your way out of the darkness --

This story is centered on a tragedy that no one would want to live through. Ryan and Chris were involved… best friends to the world around them but lovers when alone. Ryan was okay with that…he thought they had all the time in the world to work things out. Everything changes one night when Ryan stumbles on Chris with a girl in his arms. They fight. It’s ugly and hurtful. Ryan heads home needing time alone.

Chris gets drunk and when he’s trying to drive to Ryan’s house to talk to him… he’s killed in a tragic accident.

Losing that first love is almost unbearable. Lawless has captured the way a young soul can drown in grief. It feels as though you will never emerge from under it, and even when you manage a brief glimpse of happiness…. it feels wrong. Ryan is hurt and broken and he tries to just keep putting one foot in front of the other and playing along with life.

Liam intervenes one night when Ryan is too drunk to realize that he’s been drugged by some asshole in a bar. Liam drives Ryan to the hospital and stays in the waiting room… not even sure why.

Lawless digs pretty deep into Ryan’s grief in the short span of this novella. I wish that it was longer. There were some things missing for me! I feel as though I didn’t know much about Chris in the end… why did he make the decisions he did? What was his family like?

I would read more by this author so this is 3-stars from me!