BLOG TOUR eARC REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: BREATHE, ANNIE, BREATHE by Miranda Kenneally

Title: Breathe, Annie, Breathe

Series: Hundred Oaks, #5

Author: Miranda Kenneally

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: July 15, 2014

Genres: YA, Contemporary

Reviewed by: Angie Edwards

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

My rating: 5/5

SUMMARY

Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

REVIEW

This is the fifth book of Miranda Kenneally which I’ve read in the past eighteen months, and I still can’t get enough of this author’s writing! Her books are like comfort food to me. Every time I finish another addition to the Hundred Oaks series, I’m so disappointed that I’ll have to wait months for the release of the next novel by her. With Breathe, Annie, Breathe, Kenneally outdid herself!

I loved everything about this story. Annie is a great character, and the way she described her relationship with Kyle, I easily empathized with her loss. Kyle seemed like such a great person, so I understood why she missed him so much. I think what she did in memory of her deceased ex-boyfriend, participating in the Music City Marathon, was really special, particularly because she hates running and she’s going through so much emotional turmoil knowing how badly Kyle had wanted to run this marathon. What made me enjoy this book so much more was because she had to put a ton of work and self-discipline into preparing for the marathon, so things didn’t come easy for her. Also, we get to see the ups and downs, the sweat and tears that go into this sort of strenuous physical and mental training. All of this lent the story a sense of realism which made it relatable.

The slow-burn romance between Annie and adrenaline-junkie Jeremiah was heartfelt and sweet. They’re both such pragmatic individuals, I almost doubted whether they’d be able to overcome their mutual mistrust and fear of falling in love again. Jeremiah was a bit of a mystery, but it was great peeling away the layers of his character to discover what makes him tick. I was happy with how things worked out for him and Annie in the end.

Keep in mind that it’s not necessary to have read the previous four books in this series. As with the others, this one is also a stand-alone, even though some of the characters we met in the previous novels make cameo appearances. Breathe, Annie, Breathe does justice to the Hundred Oaks series and is a must for fans of contemporary fiction.

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ABOUT the AUTHOR

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

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Frustratingly, Blogger has been giving me loads of problems the past two weeks, and won’t allow me to share the rafflecopter giveaway here. To access the giveaway, please click HERE. My apologies for the inconvenience, folks!

Prizes up for grabs:

2 x $50 Barnes & Noble gift cards

3 x signed copies of Breathe, Annie, Breathe