Review: Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Ten Tiny Breaths (Ten Tiny Breaths, #1) by K.A. Tucker
Series: Ten Tiny Breaths Series #1
Published by Atria Books on February 12th 2013
Pages: 330
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult


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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 unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

Ten Tiny Breaths is a beautifully written story about loss, love and forgiveness.

Kacey survives a gruesome drunk driving accident. This is a new adult novel so I was pleasantly surprised by the author’s frank exploration of living with PTSD. It was refreshing to find a young heroine so strong, both mentally and physically.

There’s good chemistry between Kacey and Trent, and their romance is well-paced. We know that Trent is hiding something, and I guessed his secret early on. However, the history is fully explained, and the ramifications are thoroughly dealt with so the plot doesn’t feel contrived. The last 50 pages are heart wrenching but stick with it. The ending is extremely satisfying!

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