Review: Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker (Ten Tiny Breaths # 1)

*Just breathe, Kacey. Ten Tiny Breaths. Seize them. Feel Them. Love Them."

Ten Tiny Breaths, by K.A. Tucker, is a book that I could absolutely relate to. The subject matter, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, (PTSD), and how it affects one's life if you allow it to control you, is something I've lived with since I was discharged from the Navy many, many years ago. You could also say that Ten Tiny Breaths is a commentary on what happens when one drinks and drives and the aftermath of said actions on the survivors.

Like Kacey Cleary, the lead character, it's something that absolutely ruled and nearly ruined my life until someone stood up and intervened on my behalf not unlike Kacey's sister Livie and best friend Storm. The difference between Kacey and me is that I didn't have a younger sister to worry about and take care of while putting off my own life and emotions on hold. Also like Kacey, I did, at one point, resort to falling into a funk with alcohol but not drugs nor one night stands.

Unlike Kacey however, my PTSD wasn't caused by a drunk driver killing my parents, best friend, and boyfriend while I somehow managed to survive. I also picked up all my belongings, like Kacey, and left my hometown in New York behind to hopefully find a life for myself in Florida before I destroyed everything I valued the most. Yet, PTSD pretty much caused emotional turmoil with each and every job that I found myself sleep walking through and losing a part of me each and every day. Luckily for Kacey, she found a job that she was good enough at and had a fantastic boss and co-workers to surround her self with.

I absolutely loved Livie and the fact that she didn't totally push Kacey away. She wanted Kacey to have a better life and give things a chance before she totally lost her self. I also found myself wanting to hold Storm who came into Livie and Kacey's life after they moved to Miami. Storm was such an interesting character that you really had to like her energy and drive. I even loved Storm's precocious daughter Mia who brightened up this story just with her very presence.

How should I describe Kacey? She's definitely sarcastic and a bit of a wild card. She's definitely broken but not totally down and out. She's got a darkness to her humor that rivals my own. She absolutely loves her sister and would do pretty much anything to protect her including moving 1000 miles away from Michigan to start a new life in Miami. When she allows herself to, her smile lightens up the room and she doesn't allow anyone to push her around. Oh yes, she's got a temper, and an attitude, and is a really good fighter, and nearly goes a little to far in her efforts to protect Storm.

Tuckers final piece of the puzzle, the revelation about who Trent, Kacey's love interest really is, blew my mind away and threw the entire story into a totally different ball park. You knew in the back of your mind that there was something about Trent that was going to come back and bite you in the ass. I would say to readers who find themselves invested in Trent to not get too comfortable. I would also say that this pair is perfectly matched in that they've experienced things few people can relate to.

Lastly, please don't shy away from the subject matter of this book. This book was a fun ride with interesting characters who are put into situations where they struggle to find out how much they can really take before cracking under pressure. It's a story about trying to keep your head above while and not allowing yourself to drown under intense pain and pressure of being a survivor. It's also a story about forgiveness and finding love in a very unusual place.

I am absolutely interested in reading Livie's book, One Tiny Lie, when it releases. Per Amazon, it appears it should be January 2014, with the Ebook releasing June 11, 2013.

Title - Ten Tiny Breaths (Ten Tiny Breaths #1)
Author - K.A. Tucker
Publisher - Atria Books
Released February 12, 2013
Genre: Contemporary New Adult
Received from publisher via Netgalley