Review: In Review: Before You Break (Between Breaths #2) by Christina Lee
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 18, 2014
I was expecting lots of feels when I began reading Before You Break, simply because I know the emotional roller coaster Christina Lee put me through in All of You. But oh boy, this had double the feels. Before You Break was sweet and sexy, realistic and romantic.As a result of her brother's suicide, Ella feels guilt and despair and wants to save others from feeling the same. Because of this, she volunteers at a suicide hotline as Gabriella. She's taken something dark from her past and turned it to something hopeful. One night, she receives a call from a broken young man named Daniel. They bond in a very special way and she becomes a great source of comfort for him in time. At the same time this is happening, she discovers her boyfriend's true colors and starts to grow closer to his frat brother Quinn.If you've read the blurb above, you know Daniel and Quinn are one and the same. Neither Ella nor Quinn realize this at first, however. The book is told through both Ella and Quinn's perspectives though, so the reader knows and truly gets to know both characters very well.Ella and Quinn had something real together. It was wonderful to watch their relationship develop both in real life and over the phone. Both had been through so much in their pasts, both harbored guilt for things that were truly out of their control. Their relationship developed slowly and felt believable and realistic. The feelings they were developing for each other were obvious through their actions, dialogue and thoughts. It wasn't insta-love and it wasn't built on lust alone. They had intense chemistry, that's for sure, but it was more than that.I loved both of these characters. Ella was strong and smart and sweet. Quinn was something else. He was sexy and swoony and cared about others. The two of them were powerful together. It was easy to connect with both of them and feel the things they were feeling. There were secrets a'plenty between the two of them and I just hoped throughout the book that their relationship would be strong enough to withstand them when they were revealed.This book truly left me breathless. It was powerful. It dealt with the very serious issue of suicide in a way that, while painful and emotional, was still hopeful. The writing was fantastic, just as I've come to expect from Christina Lee. The characters were likable and relatable and I found myself falling for both of them. This was a wonderful follow-up to All of You and I can't wait to see where Christina takes me with Whisper to Me, her next book.I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.