Breathe, Annie, Breathe

Written by Miranda Kenneally

From the bestselling author of Catching Jordan comes a contemporary YA you won't forget.

The finish line is only the beginning.…

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.

"Breathe, Annie, Breathe is an emotional, heartfelt, and beautiful story about finding yourself after loss and learning to love. It gave me so many feels. Her best book yet." —Jennifer L. Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jul 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491526354

Miranda Kenneally

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. Visit www.mirandakenneally.com.

Reviews for Breathe, Annie, Breathe

[Jewelry Bonney · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely love this book, I love the plot and everything about this!! I highly recommend it. I want you to know, there is a competition right now until the end of May with a theme Werewolf on the NovelStar app. You can also publish your stories there. just email our editors [e-mail], [e-mail], or [e-mail].

[justacatandabook · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I picked it up on a total whim (having received an ARC) and really enjoyed it. First, I have to state that apparently this is part of Kenneally's "Hundred Oaks" YA series, which I didn't know. It definitely can stand alone, however.

Annie is finishing up high school and training for a marathon. She's never been a runner - in fact, she hates it. However, Annie is running in honor of her late boyfriend Kyle, who never had a chance to run the marathon for which he was training.

Annie is a very mature kid, which took a bit of getting used to. She was definitely in a very developed relationship early in life and she came across older than her years. However, we learn that she's been on her own a bit - her dad was never around and her Mom has been busy working multiple jobs to keep the family afloat. So her maturity works, overall.

Annie is struggling with guilt over Kyle's death. She starts to find relief in her marathon training. She also starts to find relief in Jeremiah, the brother of her training coach. Jeremiah is unlike anyone Annie has ever known.

This was a simple, YA love story. You pretty much know where it's going to go. But it was surprisingly sweet and touching and well-done. Annie is an extremely likable character. Her maturity lends her some credence not always found in YA characters. I also found myself quite swept up in Jeremiah (not unlike Annie), who was also different from the typical YA beau.

Finally, the running element was a fun add to the book. As someone training for a 5K (nowhere near a marathon, but I like to pretend, ha), it was enjoyable to watch Annie progress toward her goal.

Overall, this is probably really a 3.5 star novel, but I just enjoyed the story so much, I bumped it up to 4.

(Note: I received an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Annie Winters, 18 and formerly a total non-runner, is now training to participate in the Country Music Marathon in Nashville to honor her former boyfriend, Kyle, who died six months previously. They had dated for three years, and both thought eventually they would marry. Running a marathon was Kyle’s dream, and Annie blames herself that Kyle couldn't finish it.She hired a marathon trainer, Matt Brown, and he drives Annie relentlessly. Matt is assisted by his younger brother Jeremiah (“Jere”), 20, who seems to have fallen into InstaLove with Annie. Annie is attracted to Jere, but Jere is into extreme sports, and Annie is terrified to get attached to him; what if something happens to him too? The risk of caring is too high, she thinks, and insists they just be friends.As it happens, Jere attends the same nearby college - Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), where Annie is starting in the fall. So it seems like the stars are aligning in their favor. But then something does happen to Matt, and Annie has to come to a realization about her life and how she should live it.Discussion: Kenneally is an appealing writer, using just the right mix of teenage patois to make her characters sound authentic. I also enjoyed the way the format of the book resembled a runner’s journal. The details of training for the marathon were made interesting enough, and integrated well enough into the story, to add a lot of interest (as well as to make me feel guilty for sitting on the couch to read about it).There were some issues left dangling: possible eating disorders of her roommates? the not-totally-resolved tension between Annie and her BFF Kelsey? the cause of and/or resolution to Jere’s addiction to extreme sports? Evaluation: There is a lot good about this book. I really liked the relationships portrayed between Annie and her family, and especially, between Jere and his family. I loved the ending too; it seemed just perfect. I would have liked the book overall a lot more had it not been for the curious case of Jere’s InstaLove.

[ginger_reader22 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Breathe, Annie, Breathe" Is the story of Annie Winters, Annie hates running, she gets bored easily, her legs get wobbly, her breathing becomes uneven. She doesn't find passion in it like most runners, nor does she appreciate the silence that accompanies running. However Annie isn't running for herself, she's running for Kyle. But no matter how fast she runs Annie cant outrun the guilt that weights her down. The little voice in the back of her head that whispers to her, if only she and Kyle hadn't broken up he would still be alive. While training Annie meets Jere, a self proclaimed dare devil, always on the hunt for his next adrenaline rush. They are instantly attracted to one another and sparks fly both on and off the trails. Yet Annie can't seem to let her guard down. She knows what it's like to lose someone and with Jeremiahs crazy stunts she's afraid she'll lose him like she lost Kyle. In "Breathe, Annie, Breathe" Annie pushes her body and heart to the extreme and in the end learns that while crossing the finish line is important, it's just as important whose waiting for you once you do. Do you ever finish a book, read the last page, slowly close it and then spend the next twenty minutes staring at the wall? I have a love/hate relationship with these kinds of books. On the one hand, they are amazing, I could read them over and over again and never tire of the characters, the story, the quotes. I instantly want two copies. One to keep pretty on my bookshelf, displayed for everyone to see. One to keep in the bottom of my purse, the edges frayed, the pages highlighted. On the other hand they give me the worst book hangover. Any book I pick up for the next couple of weeks just can't hold a candle to it and thus I get in a reading slump. I end up comparing every book to the one I've put on a pedestal. I have to force myself to put it aside and simply pray that the author is currently drafting another masterpiece. (Someone please tell me Miranda Kenneally has a new book coming out sometime soon!)"Breathe, Annie, Breathe" is most definitely one of my favorite books that I've read this year. It had everything I could possibly hope for. Love, love lost and love found. Heart, determination and adventure. Challenges, family, friends, emotions, feelings and conflicts. All intertwined together with just the right amount. It left me breathless, as if I was the one running 20+ miles, I kept forcing myself to put it down so I could draw out the story, yet I couldn't stay away for long. Ten minutes later my nose was back in the book. This book gave me one of thee worst book hangovers I have ever had. I desperately want to throw my to-be-read pile out the window and just re-read Annie's story over and over again. The only downside to this book and is that it makes me want to run. The entire time I was reading it I kept looking over at my running shoes giving them the evil eye and shaking my head no- hell no. After finishing it though and reading the acknowledgments I've decided if Annie and Miranda can do it then so can I. Time to lace up those shoes, pull my hair back and silently remind myself to breathe, just breathe. And while I'm running you should run too, run over to Barnes and Noble or better yet your local bookstore and grab yourself a copy of this book! You won't regret it! Until next time, Ginger

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For more reviews, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.Miranda Kenneally has completely outdone herself. I’ve enjoyed all of her books. Loved them, in fact. They’re feelsy and shippy and funny and real and sex-positive and basically everything I want. Breathe, Annie, Breathe strikes that perfect balance between fluffiness and delving into powerful issues. When I finished Breathe, Annie, Breathe, I was pretty damn close to happy crying, because the book is so moving and the ending was just perfect. If you’re a Miranda Kenneally fan, you know what you’re in for and you will not be disappointed.Something you should know about me: I loathe running. I one hundred percent do not understand why people put themselves through this pain. Breathe, Annie, Breathe centers on running and Kenneally puts the same amount of detail in that she always does. I learned all about the training process to run a marathon and basically this reinforced my desire to never go running ever. Despite all of that, I was fascinated and I cared about Annie’s attempt to run the marathon. I was never bored by the details and I love how much Kenneally focuses on Annie’s struggle. Running the marathon is not going to be easy, even with months of preparation. I never knew how many health problems were inherent in running these distances. Seriously, why do people do this?The reason Annie’s doing this, since she’s not a runner by nature either, is to complete a marathon in honor of her boyfriend who died. Annie and Kyle were really in love, even during the brief time they were broken up. They’d gotten back together just before his death and she blames herself, since he was over at her house the night it happened. As is the case with many who lose someone, Annie feels guilty and punishes herself. Running the marathon is both tribute and punishment.In Kenneally fashion, there’s an adorable romance obviously. However, the evolution of the romance is really different than in any of her previous novels. Annie’s been in love before for one thing and isn’t looking for any sort of romance. She feels really conflicted from the moment she meets Jeremiah, because she’s really attracted to him but doesn’t think she should be. Wanting someone else feels disloyal to Kyle’s memory. What’s so interesting is that Jeremiah and Annie develop the physical side of their relationship before the emotional initially. The path they take to romance is a very unique one and I love every bit of it.Though not as much time is spent on the secondary characters, I marvel again at how good Kenneally is at building out a cast and their interpersonal relationships. Annie’s progress in her relationships with her mother and her former friend Kelsey is touching. She learns a lot about herself over the course of these many months and finally stops shutting people out. Annie really opens up and it’s wonderful getting to see her realize that, though Kyle is gone, she has her life still to live.Also, for Kenneally fans, this book is a treat. There are SO MANY CAMEOS. Pretty much everybody from Racing Savannah is here, like the aforementioned Kelsey. Seriously, all of them. Matt from Things I Can’t Forget is Annie’s running coach, and Kate makes a brief appearance as well. Jordan and Sam from Catching Jordan also make an appearance. Will Whitfield is missing, but otherwise the gang is all here and it’s marvelous.Breathe, Annie, Breathe is my new favorite Kenneally book. For contemporary YA fans who haven’t read Kenneally yet, what are you doing? She has both the fluffy and the feels-crushing, depending on what you’re into. Also, if you’re a reader who wants ships that make you squee and flail (and that will actually have much kissing and sex), KENNEALLY. I’m telling you. Trust me. Now may I have the next one, please?

[fueledbycoffee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Miranda Kenneally is a great writer. I thought the first in the series was okay but I think it takes an author a bit to find his/her flow of things. She has it here in spades and has really developed her own voice and style. Im hooked!Annie was such an inspiration to get after my own couch to 5k. Her personal development was compelling. She learns about herself by training to run a marathon including how to let go through an altruistic goal. I love her inner determination, grit, example of second chances, and how to live bigger and brighter than her own demons and guilt.It takes a lot for me to laugh out loud at a book and this had me doing it repeatedly. I have to read Miranda's other books now. Ill also be reacquainting myself with my own running shoes.

[edgoldberg · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was recommended as a great summer romance book. Well, it was an OK summer romance book.Annie is practicing for a full marathon in memory/honor of her boyfriend, Kyle, who died in a car accident. She has a trainer, Matt, who is taking her from no running to a marathon in about 6 months...rigorous training. Of course, though, Matt has a cute brother, Jeremiah, who likes Annie. The book goes through the guilt Annie feels in reciprocating Jeremiah's feelings.Breathe, Annie, Breathe also recounts how Annie and her best friend Kelsey became estranged when Annie and Kyle started to date. The interesting thing about the book is that it periodically shows Annie's training schedule. The first time we see it, it's pristine. As the book progresses, it gets dirty and creased and there are comments about each of her weekend runs.Breathe, Annie, Breathe is a cute book. It won't knock your socks off, but on the other hand, you won't necessarily want to put it down. A good beach read.

[jeracafite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a free eARC in exchange for my honest review. Not surprisingly, I loved this book! But that is probably a big part because I used to be a runner in high school. However, I never ran more than 7 miles at a time, so I am very impressed and in awe of Annie. For a girl who hates running and to be able to run 26.2 miles? I am very envious of her dedication and hard work. I also really like the reason she started training for this marathon. I don't think it was her fault for Kyle's death, but she wanted to honor him by running the marathon he never ran. That alone showed how much she loved and cared for him. Plus she never gave up, even though her knee wasn't cut out for distance running and she had a very weak stomache. During this entire book, all I wanted to do was go out and start running. Good thing I didn't since I'm horribly out of shape, but this book definitely got me in the mood to start taking care of myself and doing something good for my body. And Jeremiah. Oh, Jeremiah the adrenaline junkie. I completely understand Annie's hesitation to be anything more than a friend to Jere. After just losing a very close person, who would want to risk their heart if they cared for another person who liked to do dangerous things?I was so happy to read about Jeremiah's story! And I love how Miranda Kenneally doesn't keep this in the same time frame - Jordan Woods is now a coach and a teacher! She moves the novels at the right pace and we see how each character has a small part into the next books characters. So happy I got this early! And it was by far my favorite novel in the series (yes, being biased because of the sport topic. Oh well.)The only negative thing I have about this book is the cover... Really? Keep it with the other 4 novels, please? I like the previous covers and they FIT together! This cover just doesn't do it for me. And if the only thing I complain about is the cover...? Well I would call that a very successful novel! If you haven't read this series you should. It will get you hyped up on sports and wanting to join a team to get all of that energy released!