The NerdHerd Reads: Ten Tiny Breaths {by K.A. Tucker}

Title: Ten Tiny Breaths

Author: K.A. Tucker

Series: Ten Tiny Breaths, #1

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.
Kacey doesn't want to feel. She doesn't. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.
But Kacey isn't the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgivable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

All in all, I'm not exactly sure how I felt about this one. I have not really forayed into the New Adult genre, so I wasn't completely sure what to expect. And I did like it, truly, but I still have conflicting feelings about it.

Kacey has spent the last four years after her accident trying to forget it. Although she has put aside her self-destructive lifestyle for her sister, she still is cold and hard, and doesn't let anyone in, except Livie. (Until Trent, that is.) Then finally, the string snaps, and they run away to Miami, where they decide to start anew.

I did like the characters, both major and minor. In fact, one of the major reasons I think I will continue with this series is because of the characters. I especially want to read book 3 (Cain's story) and 4 (Ben's story). I feel each one was well-written and brought something to the story, no matter how small a part it was. Some of them were predictable, some of them were your stereotypical characters, nothing special about them, but I still enjoyed them.

For the most part, I enjoyed the story line as well. It wasn't anything terrible unique or different. In fact, it was quite cookie-cutter and predicable, the same plot we've seen before. The author did twist and change it, and although didn't make it completely new or unique, made it fun and exciting. It kept you interested enough to keep reading, but I felt like it wasn't supposed to be as much about the plot as it was about the characters and emotion.

Emotions. This book was full of them. Laughter, sadness, grief, despair, happiness, joy. They are there, and you will feel them. This book was about growing, changing, life, love, and hope. And it did that very well. Sure, the plot is predictable, the story line stereotypical, but the author was able to get the feeling of raw emotion through quite well, and for that I would definitely recommend it.

And as for what happens in the end? (The "plot twist" that, well, could be guessed quite early on.) That's kind of where the conflicted feelings come in. I liked it up until that point and then....I don't know. I applaud Kacey for having the strength to do what she had to, for herself and for Livie. But as for Trent...then the whole getting back together thing...I don't know how I feel about it. I just don't know.

The series: