DNF Series Review: Breathe by Rachel Brookes

DNF December Review Blitz — Day 3: I’m sharing my thoughts on some book series that I have marked as incomplete as I have never finished the first novel in the series. Find out why these weren’t for me:

Synopsis for Just Breathe (from Goodreads):

For Savannah Rae, living life without her parents was unimaginable. But being blamed for her first love’s suicide? That destroyed every part of who she was.

Gone were the days of innocence, happiness, and dreams. Now her days simply meant attempting to survive. In her mind, her only means for that was replacing her grief with men, booze and the fast life. And for five years, it worked.

When an opportunity to leave the nightmares of her past in Australia opens up, she takes it. Los Angeles beckons – with hopes of late nights, new beginnings, and the promise of a string of endless men to distract her, she can’t wait to dive in.

One thing she didn’t count on was meeting her match.

In the eyes of outsiders, Tate Connors has it all; the ultimate LA bachelor who is content with his lifestyle of wild nights, women and one night stands. He’s Mr. Unpredictable with looks that could destroy any woman with one glance.

The craziness of Los Angeles throws them into the chaotic path of each other. Savannah becomes the perfect game, and Tate becomes the ultimate prey. Lines are crossed, emotions are smashed, and the idea of who they truly are begins to be tangled.

However, one thing will become clear.

They are more alike than either one could ever have imagined.

Series: Breathe Duology
Author: Rachel Brookes
# of Books: 2 (Just Breathe, Breathe Again)

There is a #1.5 companion novella called Breathless.

Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: Yes
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Heat Rating: really warm
Point of View: First Person, Single
Publication Dates: July 2013 – March 2014
Source & Format: Own–eBook

Disclaimer: I stopped reading Just Breathe at 36%. Find out why below…

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

As per my usual routine, I’m not sure how I found out about this series but I bought Just Breathe in December 2014 so I’m assuming I grabbed it during a holiday sale. I will say that the suicide plotline with Savannah’s ex-boyfriend is what drew me in. I was curious to learn why she felt it was her fault as well as to see the impact it had on her moving forward.

What I Liked:

–Savannah’s Situation–

Like I said above, Savannah’s past relationship was refreshing to me in the sense that it was something I had never encountered before. I’ve read stories about leads with deceased girl/boyfriends but not through suicide. It was interesting for me to see how it altered her relationships going forward and how she lives with the burden of guilt she feels for her “role” in it.

What I Didn’t Like:

–Hard to Like the Leads–

I can get over jaded leads–Savannah is a great example of one–but I found Savannah to be rather dull. She didn’t inspire any emotions from me (if that makes sense). I just didn’t get that bond with her as a character.

Tate also seemed like a walking cliché. I ~~think~~ hope there was supposed to be depth to his character but I don’t think I was going to learn about it anytime soon.

–Blah Romance–

Savannah and Tate are two characters that are extremely set in their ways. They’ve lived the “one-and-done” lifestyle for years and it’s ingrained in them.

So why is it that eyes meeting across the room and one bout of really great sex 5 days later has them completely upending their entire life philosophy?

Sorry, that just doesn’t work for me. I think I just wanted more resistance. I wanted this story to be about them slowly breaking down those walls and realizing that when you meet the right person, it just works. I wanted to peel back those layers.

But since I wasn’t interested in their characters, this quick romance simply flopped for me.

Will I Finish It?

No. When I saw that the sequel novel dealt with these two directly (and not another set of leads), I quickly bowed out. I don’t want to invest myself in a series I’m just not feeling.