Review: Just Read!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 10, 2013
Just Breathe was sexy, fun and a nice quick escape read for me. Savannah seems like your average Aussie girl WHo has come to the states for a new job but behind her fun and flirty "hit it and quit it" attitude was a girl struggling to overcome a tragic loss she still can't forgive herself for. Going into this book I assumed the story would revolve heavily around the suicide of Savannah's boyfriend and while there were a few scenes that featured it what I found was mainly Savannah trying to find love again and heal from the scars her past has left her with. She's a young, beautiful single girl who enjoys casual flings with whoever tickles her fancy but when she meets Tate Connors he challenges her way of existing through the painful memories and actually gives her something to hope for. But the story between them isn't so cut and dry because they both fight tooth and nail to stay away from each other for so long.I was surprised by how much these two fought against being together because they obviously had electric chemistry from the beginning of the story when they first met. We know Savannah's reasons for being aloof but there is more to Tate than first assumed and slowly throughout the book we learn exactly what makes him the man he is. I really like Sav and Tate together through the first 3/4 of the book. When they finally gave in to their feelings and stopped pushing the other person away their romance was very sweet. With Sav being Aussie it was really fun to see how she interacted with the American gang. Her friendship with Tate's sister Tanzi was fun to experience and I loved Tanzi's boyfriend Jack. Together they reminded me of the Friends gang the way they just naturally felt like they belonged in a group hanging out.There were a few parts of the book that lagged a little bit, mainly closer to the end when everything between Sav and Tate gets complicated and turns their world upside down. I loved Tate through most of the story even though at first he came across as a jerk but towards the end he was losing me. I understood why he became detached and the circumstances around the couple weren't ideal but I guess I didn't buy his freak out. Savannah was equal parts annoying and adorable at times. I loved watching her finally come to terms with everything in her past but at one point I wanted to shake her because she seemed to just accept Tate's crazy behavior. I'm not that understanding towards men so I think that was my overall issue with her character. I think she should have been a little more firm with him during their ordeal but ultimately she impressed me with her attitude and resolve to do what was best for herself in the end.I'm not a big fan of cliffhangers especially when the story gets incredibly juicy and leaves you hanging pretty badly BUT because there will be a sequel it's understandable in this case. I'm looking forward to how Tate and Sav handle the crazy that was dropped into their laps at the last minute. Overall I enjoyed Just Breathe. The characters were fun and complex, the story was sad at times but romantic and beautiful others. The supporting characters were just as involved in the story and brought more depth of character to the story and made it that much more interesting.