Breathe

By Abbi Glines

Just when you thought Abbi Glines couldn't get any hotter… Get ready to fall in love with the gorgeous Jax in this new edition of BREATHE, the first title in the SeaBreeze series, now including chapters from Jax's point-of-view and extra-steamy never-before-seen scenes!

Set in the steamy coastal Alabama town of Sea Breeze, an interconnected group of older teens hook up, break up . . . and much, much more.

Sadie White's summer job isn't going to be on the beach life-guarding or working at rental booths like most kids her age. With her single mother's increasing pregnancy and refusal to work, Sadie has to take over her mother's job as a domestic servant for one of the wealthy summer families on a nearby island.

When the family arrives at their summer getaway, Sadie is surprised to learn that the owner of the house is Jax Stone, one of the hottest teen rockers in the world. If Sadie hadn't spent her life raising her mother and taking care of the house she might have been normal enough to be excited about working for a rock star.

Even though Sadie isn't impressed by Jax's fame, he is drawn to her. Everything about Sadie fascinates Jax but he fights his attraction. Relationship's never work in his world and as badly as he wants Sadie, he believes she deserves more. By the end of the summer, Jax discovers he can't breathe without Sadie.

But can their love overcome the disparity in their lifestyles? Or will they have to learn how to without each other breathe again?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: May 21, 2013
• ISBN: 9781471117435

Abbi Glines

Abbi Glines is the bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach, Sea Breeze, Vincent Boys, and Existence series. She drinks afternoon tea because she wants to be British, but, alas, being born in Alabama, her life in New England is as close as she will get. When asked how many books she's written, she has to stop and count on her fingers. When she’s not locked away writing, she's reading or watching Netflix like the introvert she is.

Reviews for Breathe

[lara9it · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

my rate is inbetween 2 and 3 stars

don't get me wrong, I liked it but there were things that didn't sit well for me. Mostly I found quite unbelievable such a love/devotion after 2 brief encounters and then I really didn't like how Sadie's mom acted or how her depression was resolved:
" Jessica is getting help. She is sick, Sadie. It is called postpartum depression, and she has a very bad case. She is at the best clinic money can buy, and when she comes back to you, she will be just like new. I swear it."
really?!?! Are you serious ?!???

Marcus was my favorite character, it's a pity Sadie didn't choose him ... Well I hope he gets an even better girl in his book ;)

[iris0boekenplank · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Originally Reviewed at Witchmag's BoekenplankThis is not the first book I’ve read about a famous something (actor, musician, heir, prince, etc.) who falls in love with the girl next door. However this is the first time I’ve read a book that deals with the downside of fame. The madness of hardcore fans or the jealous women who have been tossed aside. Cause not always can there be a fairy tale ending once two people have declared their love to each-other And that was what made this book special: there were real and not far-fetched obstacles on the way to a happy ending. Not ridiculous misunderstandings that wouldn’t have been there if somebody would have opened their mouth. No, heartbreaking problems that couldn’t be solved with just talk…I also loved Sadie. It was great to see her come out of her shell, to hang around with other people, to not have to worry about money, for once, and to not have to worry about her mother and her fiasco’s. She really deserved this. Her life is so hard. Compared to her I’m living a very luxurious one! The thing I liked most about her is her absolute honesty. She tells it like it is and doesn’t omit anything because she is afraid of the consequences. Wish every heroine could be like her!Sadie was obviously a real, fleshed-out character. Jax, on the other was not. He didn’t give me the idea that he was more than two-dimensional. Especially when talking about feelings, he tended to do and act the same. Nevertheless I loved the way he acts towards Sadie, how he tries to protect her and get her out in the world. He obviously has a big heart. And thankfully he wasn’t made to be the perfect prince charming, but a human being. Hence the faults and mistakes he sometimes made. But that made him even more endearing ;)Conclusion3 HEARTS. An amusing book about a rock star who is finally able to open his heart, for that one special girl. About a girl who slowly, but surely is able to come out of her shell, to see the world, to make friends. I really liked watching Sadie grow throughout the book. Only letdown was that Jax didn’t feel as developed as Sadie was. Nevertheless a great début. I’m looking forward to the next book from this author!

[Hiba Mohamed · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was short that's the only downside

[breakingbooks-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I'm between 1 and 2 stars on this one. I felt like I really didn't know the main characters well enough. The book is over 300 pages, but I don't feel like anything really happened with the character development. All you know is that Jax doesn't want Sadie to be in the spot light, but the reader doesn't get a clear picture of why. And why does Jax feel he so undeserving? I'm left with a lot of questions and not many explanations for the characters actions or reactions... I anticipate the next book to have more character development since it's from one of the supporting characters' point of views from "Breathe." Also, I don't feel like the physical romance part of this book made sense. Sadie was supposed to be inexperienced and had her mother as a perfect role model for more than enough reasons to be more cautious. I thought that issue was glossed over a bit.

[kate.good · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Abbi Glines is definitely one of the best YA authors around. She nails it every time.
I enjoyed this book a lot. The characters were well conceived and you could feel the struggles they were going through.
Where I feel it fell a bit short was in the insta-love, there was no real reason for it. I felt like there were parts missing that would have shown why they were in love. I also felt the ending was rushed and kind of just ended suddenly. Maybe that was just me wanting more of their story!

[pahel-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very sweet romance story! I reely love how the author has potrayed the personalities of both Jax and Sadie! The story wont let us readers be bored at all! Itz a perfect story showing us that such fairytale romances exist! :D <3

[kissedbyink · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this book very quickly and I would totally recommend it as a beach read. The story line is very similar to many romance novels, so I wasn't surprised by anything--hot rock star looks to get away from his fans, meanwhile he falls for the poor girl who cleans his house. They all live happily ever after. Still live Abbi's books and her writing, just wasn't a huge fan of Breathe.

[englisherna · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

IT WAS TOO MUSHY. THE DIALOGUES, THE GESTURES, ETC.

The story was okay but it was predictable and a little too sappy.

[vanyadrum · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Breathe was a very quick, interesting read. It got me breezing through the pages, following the story of teenage girl Sadie (who is the grown-up in the family) and Jax (who is a teen rock star). I loved the reality of the story, even though there were some parts that sounded way too fixed to be real.

The way Sadie and Jax's relationship developed was really nice, though at times Jax sounded so bossy I wanted to smack him in the face. And by the end of the book, the relationship between the two had gotten so much like an addiction, neither one could live without the other. I don't know if that's actually healthy, to tell you the truth. There must be passion and love and all that, but not being able to live without the other... seriously?

Yet, I loved how they told each other that they were one another's air. It was so romantic, it made me gag of all the sugar LOL

It's definitely a good story though. It's a story of growth and maturity (or pre-maturity in Sadie's case). It's a story of family problems and the fear to grow up (in Jessica, Sadie's mom's case). It's a story where everyone learns that life isn't easy if you shell up and try to live it by yourself. Friends and family are the people who make life interesting, who help in difficult situations, who will never give up on you no matter what.

I recommend the book to any reader age teen or above.

[mattidw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It took me less than 24 hours to read this book. From the first page I was hooked and couldn't get enough of the characters and the authors writing. I loved the characters and I found that imagined what I was reading like I was their with them. I was truly sad when this book ended because I really feel in love with the characters and I can't wait to read more books by this author.

[mvthebookbabe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.I'm going to come right out and say that I expected more from Glines - I read and loved her Vincent Brothers, and I put all of that expectation into Breathe. Let's just say that it didn't exactly turn out the way I had planned. Don't get me wrong, I liked it. Breathe was a plenty sweet read, but I felt like the romance was very... cliched.I felt like Sadie and Jax really didn't have time to get to know each other. They fell in love really quickly, and suddenly they're just saying and doing cheesy things all the time. I'm not a fan of the cheese, to tell you the truth. Something like "you're my air" being repeated over and over just makes me roll my eyes, and I can't help it!It was super hard for me to connect with Sadie. I don't feel like she ever just let herself go, or that she ever just acted like a teenager. So I just can't relate to her - she's too stiff. Jax was okay, I guess, but he only got about 1/3 book time, compared to Sadie.I felt like the "choice" between Marcus and Jax was ridiculously understated. I'm really, really glad that she only loved one of them (and I'm not sure she's actually in love), but that part of the story passed so quickly that it was just kind of like a speed bump. And I really felt bad for Marcus. Nitzan pointed out that everything he did was for himself, but I really thought that he was a sweet guy. I'm definitely interested to see his story in Because of Low!There were a few fluttery moments in this one, but I feel like they were ruled by a bunch of drama (one particular instance towards the end had me rolling my eyes), and they mean less like that to me. I think it's ridiculous when characters push each other away, even if there's a good reason - and in this case, there really wasn't. I didn't particularly care for the ending.All in all, Breathe was a cute read, but it's definitely not one of my favorite Glines books.

[yabreviews_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Even though Sadie is supposed to be the child in the relationship with Jessica, she found herself acting like the parent more often than not. That is what got her into the predicament at the Stone resident. Jessica, her mother, is pregnant and couldn’t go to work, so she puts is on Sadie to go for her. Sadie isn’t sure that they are going to let her work in her mother’s place. When she arrives at the Stone residence, she has to prove to Ms. Mary that she is not going to be some crazy teenager when the owner and rock star heartthrob, Jax Stone, show up. While working at the Stone mansion, Sadie makes friends and catches the eye of Jax. She and Jax start spending as much time together as they can given their schedules. She knows as soon as she starts things with Jax that it is not going to have a happy ending. He will go back to his world and she will only have memories of the time she spent with him. What will happen between Sadie and Jax? How will Jessica deal with their relationship? I have read a lot of books by Glines recently and really like her writing style. Even though Sadie is “beautiful” and is told that multiple times throughout the book, she still doesn’t believe it. Not that she necessarily has self-esteem issues, but I don’t think she has had a lot of time to think about it. She just thinks that she is not as pretty as her mother and that is the ending of her thinking on the matter. I liked that she is not stuck on her beauty like some of the girls her age that you read about. Sadie has some other qualities that are admirable. She takes care of her pregnant mother. This doesn’t end after her mom gives birth. Why should it? Sadie has been doing it for a long time. She is a hard worker and doesn’t let her teenage curiosities get the better of her. She needs this job to support her family – a thing she shouldn’t have to think about at her age. I don’t need to reiterate that Sadie is responsible.Jax is a rock star; a teenage rock star that has oodles of girls fawning over him. That is the reason that he doesn’t want any teenage girls to work at his summer home, his one place where he can go and be “normal” for a while. When he first sees Sadie, he thinks that she snuck into his house to get his autograph or just get close to him. It baffles him that she doesn’t act all fangirl on him and actually is concerned about her job. I like Jax in this story. Even though he is this big star, you learn how grounded he is. He doesn’t think that he is on a level up in the stratosphere while Sadie belongs in the dirt. This book was a fun read. Who doesn’t want the rock star to fall in love with you? It seems like a fairy tale, like a modern-day The Prince and the Pauper. I like the way Sadie learns to rely on other people. If Jax had been in a “boy band,” I probably wouldn’t have I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the story as much. Just saying…

[janersm · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Once upon a time, I decided that I was never going to read another book by Abbi Glines again after reading books in The Rosemary Beach Series. They were books that degraded women and promoted sexist ideas, stigmatized mental illness, and suggested adoption meant that your adoptive parents weren't your parents. Her books also tended to lack things like plot and proper grammar. Well, I changed my mind when I found the Sea Breeze books in my local public library's catalog. I figured that if I didn't have to buy the book that I wouldn't feel quite as disappointed if it sucked. I was right.Of course, I went in with the expectation that the book would be pretty bad, so I shouldn't have been disappointed at all. But there were still some slight feelings of disappointment. I think they were mainly due to the fact that I felt that a book like this one should not have been published in the first place.As you have probably figured out by now, I was not a fan of the book. As with other books by Glines, there were serious issues with her writing style. The dialogue never flowed right. Conversations were wooden; they felt forced. There was only one continuity issue that I found, which is better than some authors do. There were some grammar issues, of course. I was a bit taken aback by the capitalization issues with directions. It seemed like no one had been taught that regions get capitalized. I even wondered if maybe I wasn't remembering my English classes properly. I wasn't. It was just that the writer and/or the editor failed to recognize it.There was a lot of repetition going on. One example is the introduction of Dewayne. Over the course of two pages, his name was mentioned six times, including one time where it was misspelled. You would think with that many mentions of him that he was an important character. He wasn't. I'm not even sure if he showed up at any other point in the book, but I digress. Another example of repetition, in the first twenty pages of the book, Sadie, the seventeen-year old lead female character, complained about the cost of the condoms she bought for her mother. She would go on to complain about that through the book, as well as her mom's sex life. Speaking of things Sadie did that were annoying, she was extremely whiny and judgmental. She viewed herself as being superior to her mom because she had never been interested in dating. She was a "good girl" and her mom was treated like some sort of evil, unintelligent, lazy, slutty monster. It was clear fairly early in the book that her mom needed some therapeutic help, but Sadie just wrote her off as being spoiled and selfish.There was a dependence upon tropes and stereotypes. Marcus, who is four years older than Sadie, was described as a "nice guy" and he behaved in a way consistent being a Nice Guy™. He befriended Sadie when she first started working with him. He was her first friend and she didn't feel attracted to him, but he was extremely attracted to her--or attracted to what she represented. He would tell her how she wasn't like other girls, which Jax also told her. (Writers, can you stop using that line in books? No one is 100% like any other person.) As Sadie expressed her body image issues, Marcus told her that he hoped that she stayed "this way. Sweet and innocent." He basically was telling her that her self-esteem issues made he attractive. No. No. No.Marcus also had a tendency to follow her around and always seemed to show up whenever she was crying about something--this was particularly disturbing because the crying typically happened after he shared some gossip about Jax. (He even had his sister stalk her for him.) He was actively working to end her relationship with Jax, which he knew hurt her, so that he could be with her. This is not acceptable. This is not what a nice person does, but it is what a Nice Guy™ would do. And his badness didn't end there. Sadie told Marcus that she wasn't interested in him as anything other than a friend. She told him that she wass in love with Jax. She actually rejected him a few times. And what did he do? He waits until Jax is out of town and Sadie is alone and he kisses her. This was after yet another time where she told him that she wasn't interested. This is a type of assault. If she hadn't run away, I wonder if he would have tried to rape her.You might think that with all this Marcus talk that he was one of the leads. Nope. He was a secondary character. Jax was one of the leads, but Jax was a poorly developed character. As a teen pop star, he had a life that he led in front of the cameras and a different life he led in private. It doesn't get much more descriptive than that. There was talk of the "old him", but it was mainly just little mentions of how he had changed at some point in his career. One of the frustrations that I felt towards his character was after the Marcus kiss attack, he flew all the way across the country to rescue Sadie. That felt like he was underestimating Sadie's ability to take care of herself. In the whole time that they were together, the brooding pop star began making her more and more dependent upon him.And here's where I get to another thing that really bugged me about this book. This book felt like Glines took different parts of all four Twilight books and mixed them up, then wrote a story. The love triangle between Marcus, Sadie, and Jax was so similar to Jacob, Bella, and Edward. The annoying behaviors, beliefs, and actions of each character, as well as the levels of character development for each were consistent with those three Twilight characters. I know that the Twilight books are not considered to be particularly high quality writing, but they were so much better than this book's regurgitation of them.There were, of course, other little things that made me want to scream. The speech patterns of the various servants who worked at the mansion seemed to be modeled after the slaves from Gone with the Wind. There were regular comments about most girls being materialistic and slutty. There was this association of sexual behavior of women being linked to a lack of self-control, self-esteem, and morals. Sexual women were either super-dumb or super-devious; they were deserving of whatever plight might befall them. Every time Sadie had any sort of sexual experience, something bad happened. Sexist men were treated like they were the perfect specimen of masculinity. It was all very disturbing and infuriating.If you like past works by Glines, then it's possible that you will like this one. If you don't, then you probably won't.

[ninadangelo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've been meaning to read this for a while. I devoured the Vincent Boys and Brothers in one sitting and have the feeling I'll be doing the same with the Sea Breeze series.

Jax Stone is a rock star of maximum proportions. He can't go anywhere without being hounded by teenage girls screaming his name or wanting his attention.

Sadie White is your not-so-average 17-year-old, dealing with a pregnant mother who acts more like an adolescent than she does. When she should be spending her summer hanging out at the beach, she's instead juggling a full-time job and taking on the role of the adult in her relationship with her mother.

Working for Jax, she didn't plan on falling in love with him but when they meet, there's an instant chemistry - one they don't try very hard to fight. That's where their troubles start.

In between the press painting Jax as a teen heart-throb with girlfriends on rotation and Sadie being constantly told what she has with Jax will never last, you know something's got to give.

Jax has to decide whether Sadie is really the girl he can't live without or whether to let her go and let her live a normal life. And Sadie has to decide whether she wants to be the invisible girl forever or whether she can find a way to fit into his world. Either way, it's going to be a lot of work for both of them. The question is, is their love really worth it?

This is a really cute novel. I wasn't enthused with the whole, let's fall in love immediately but that didn't stop me from getting sucked into the storyline anyway.

Breathe is well written, enjoyable and a great YA read for anyone who is looking for a light read.

It's clear to me that Abbi Glines is becoming one of my favorite new writers. She has the talent to create characters that you can't help but fall in love with and Jax is another one of them.

If you've read this novel and you want to read more, I'm going to have to suggest The Vincent Boys, because Beau is still on my top ten of favourite male characters to read about.

[ktu35114 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have decided I am another one of Abbi Gline’s biggest fans. Breathe is another awesome read by Ms Glines and it certainly is an addictive one as well. The writing style is fantastic and so easy to read that you don’t even notice how fast you’re turning the pages. Being book one in the series, it was a great introduction to all the characters, but of Sadie and Jax in particular.Sadie has had a tough life, being a teenager of a woman that doesn’t want to grow up or take responsibility for her own life or her daughter is never easy. They moved to Alabama for a fresh start and got more than they bargained for. Sadie has had to be the adult and now that her Mother is pregnant to some low life man, it is even worse. Sadie doesn’t make friends and just wants to be invisible. Her Mother is beautiful and always tells Sadie how plain she appears, but that is only because she doesn’t want to become like her Mother.Sadie was to help her Mother work over the summer, but her Mother just couldn’t be bothered. Sadie at the last minute had to rush to her Mother’s work and try to be hired as her replacement (otherwise they were in trouble). Sadie rocks up to her Mother’s workplace, an enormous mansion on the island. She is allowed entrance and talks her way in to being put on trial. Of course Sadie is a hard worker and everything goes smoothly until she finds out that family returns to the summer house and it is the infamous rock star Jax Stone. Sadie not being the typical teenage girl takes it all in her stride; she just tries to ignore the fact that she is working for the most famous teenage rock star in America. Jax on the other hand is confused why a teenage girl has been allowed to work in his residence. Usually they’re not allowed because of the fact all his groupies try to attack him. Right from the get go, Jax is attracted to Sadie. She has a beauty that is untouched and seems mature for her age. As time progresses, Jax and Sadie see each other around the estate and Jax seems to be protective of her. They both know that nothing can ever happen between them because they are from different worlds. The deal was they would hang together over the summer and then go their separate ways. But things get more serious as time goes on.Can Jax and Sadie be together forever or is it just a summer fling? How will Sadie and her Mother cope with a new baby? What about all the Hollywood photos of Jax with famous women, can Sadie overcome her jealousy?This is such an emotional rollercoaster for Sadie and you can’t help but feel for her and despise her Mother. I was in tears near the end; it was such an in-depth read and I had to grab Because Of Low straight after. It’s ready to go and hopefully I can read it next week. This is an awesome series and another great hit from Ms Glines.

[rubewrites · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very cutesy. Sometimes we all need a little cheese in our lives

[saders18 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jax Stone is a young rock star and Sadie White is working for him this summer in place of her pregnant dead beat mom. They never should have fallen in love, that was clear from the beginning, Sadie has to time or room in her life for love, and Jax knows his life style and who he is will destroy Sadie. I feel like Sadie carries the weight of her world on her shoulders and feels the need to take care of her mother seeing as her mother isn't taking care of her. When she first starts working at Jax Stone's house she meets Marcus and dangit, you're immediately drawn to him and completely fall in love with him, he's the perfect best friend to Sadie and is always there for her, unfortunately he want's more from Sadie than Sadie wants from him. Jax's life isn't as perfect as it looks from the outside, and he himself didn't even realize something was missing until Sadie walked into his kitchen. Jax is instantly drawn to Sadie and wants to know her more... only problem is he's not the only one. They find themselves falling for one another but knowing before they got into it that they could never work and they're relationship is strictly a summer fling and when summer ends they both know what must be done, but as summer approaches they both realize they're never going to be able to let one another go. “Sadie, when you smile at me it makes my heart do crazy things.” -Marcus“If hearts could shatter, mine just did.” -Sadie“He seems like a man who knows what he wants, and the problem is he wants what I wants. If it were anything or anyone else, I could stand back and let him take it, But I can't let him have you.” -Jax“I might never breathe again once he walked away from me.” -Sadie“He doesn't deserve it. he can have any girl in the world's love and he took yours. someone who deserves so much more than a summer fling” -Marcus“I want whatever part of you I can have.” -Jax“You're with me, Sadie. When you're off the clock, you're not my employee. You're my.. Air." -Jax“Don't frown beautiful, you fascinate me.” -Jax“That's okay. You an be selfish with me all you want. I'm yours.” -Jax“If you were mine, I would never let you go.” -Marcus“You're my present and my future Sadie, I will use whatever power I have to make you happy.” -Jax“No matter where I am, I will always be there when you need me.” -Jax"I swear, Sadie, if you ever scare me like that again, I'm not sure I can live through it." -Marcus"You're everything I write about in songs, but can never have." -Jax"You're ever song I have ever sung. I'll never let anything hurt you again. For the first time in my life, my dreams aren't about me. They're about you." -Jax"I'm here because the reason I get up each morning, needs me as much as I need her." -Jax"I never stood a chance. He stole your heart first." -Marcus"Just to make your eyes sparkle, I'd do anything. I could give it all up to know you were my girl. Just being with you and listening to your laugh is what makes up my other half. I was lost and cold inside when your heart called out to mine. Now I know you're the only thing that keeps me hanging on, when the rest of the world seems to come crashing down." -Jax"He stole my breathe away the moment we first spoke. He's my air." -Sadie

[psteinke1122_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It’s the first day of Summer break for Sadie White. And just as she suspected her Mom, Jessica, has sucked her into working for her. Jessica is 7 months pregnant and uses that as an excuse not to work, but Sadie, being the actual adult in the equation, knows they need the money to keep a roof over their head…so off she goes.Sadie arrives at the house where her Mom is working. Reluctantly Sadie is given the opportunity to prove herself…and she does, taking over for her Mom. What Sadie doesn’t know is that the house is the summer getaway of Jax Stone, 19 year old, Rock Star. Sadie doesn’t have time for the like of Jax Stone…she’s too busy trying to raise her Mom and keep a roof over their head. Sadie’s lack of interest is what draws Jax to her. He needs to know what makes her tick. But anything that happens between them will be limited to the Summer while he is on vacation and before he has to rejoin his world tour.OK…after reading 2 Abbi Glines books, I needed a third to get me through work on Saturday and I couldn’t put this one down either. What can I say, I am a sucker for Abbi Glines!Loved Sadie! She is so down to earth. Her life has been hard and she is a little resentful, but does a good job of hiding it. She is not likely to accept help from anyone. I think she is afraid of relying on anyone because all her life she’s only had herself to rely on. And Sadie could have, so easily, abandoned her Mom but didn’t. I wanted to slap Jessica, but remembered it was a work of fiction and calmed myself down.Jax was a great guy. And a total work of Fiction…Somehow I just can’t imagine a 19 year old rock star being that easy going and romantic. All the best romance writers are women…have you noticed that? Guys, for the most part, just don’t get it. And Glines, can write romance. This particular romance didn’t progress past the kiss, but man did it massage the brain…lots of sweet nothings which all women fantasize about their significant other saying to them. Yep, I’m sure I will be reading this one many more times in the future!

[bookwhisperer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sadie is young girl with a rotten life. At seventeen years old she seems to know more about life than most adults. With a mother that is neglecting and border line verbally abuse it is tragic to watch her desperately trying to make ends meet. This dives straight into a love story that will touch readers hearts. My heart poured out to this young woman as she takes the role of the parent. Sadie is not your typical girl, and very refreshing to follow through this story. With a crummy life it would be easy to see a person with so many wall; I loved how this she was so genuine that life had not left its ugly marks are her character. Innocence allows her to lead with her heart, but still a grounded individual. Some parts of this story run on a slower pace, but overall the story steadily moves along. Glines gives you a story that will satisfy the craving for a happily ever after.

[breereads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

More at theawesomemagicattic.blogspot.comWhere to begin? I'm not exactly sure how I felt about this book. I laughed; I cried; I winced; I felt all kinds of emotions while reading, which makes this book extremely hard to review.Sadie lives with her single mom. When her mom's pregnancy symptoms prevent her from being able to go to work, Sadie takes over for her. She never knew her mother worked for Jax Stone, the famous teenage rockstar. Though they try to fight their attraction at first, the two are drawn to each other. But when the publicity that comes with being a teenage heart throb tries to tear them apart, they have to decide whether what they have is worth the fight, and if they can bear living without their 'air.'My favorite character by far was Marcus. He was kind, caring, and understanding, and totally swoon worthy. I liked that he wasn't perfect - he had his awesome points, then he had those flaws to his character that made him seem all the more real. I think that was the problem with Sadie and Jax - they didn't feel as real. Sadie was sweet, and we were told that she was pretty, but I had a hard time believing she could be so sweet and... perfect. Aside from her family's financial issues, she had almost no flaws at all, which seemed a little strange. And Jax, though sweet, had hardly any flaws to his character either. He was sweet and kind - the perfect crush and the stereotypical rockstar.I can admit that I cried at the end. Sadie's heartbreak was vividly written, and it felt so real. *sniffle* I smiled at the HEA ending though, which made up for all the tears. The author captured a teenager's life almost perfectly, and you have to give her that.It did explore some darker topics like family and money problems, but for the most part, it was a 'fluffy' read, and very enjoyable. Contemporary romance fans would definitely find this very entertaining, and it's highly recommended.

[urbanfan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review copy provided bu author for an honest review.I read this book as part of a promotional book tour that begins August 2011. The description sounded appealing as a fan of contemporary romance and it came recommended from a writer that I respect their opinion and book taste. I'm glad I did decide to be on the tour as I really enjoyed this book!What I liked: The main character Jax is a teen heart throb that seems to have grounded roots but the lifestyle and fame have him wanting more personally. Enters Sadie; a down to Earth girl that has so much on her shoulders his stardom is the last thing that will turn her head. Sadie is someone who knows genuine from fake and finds the heart behind the heart throb. I related to Sadie because she reminded me very much of a girl I taught. She was very much the adult in her family. I remember a day she broke down crying to me because her mother was pregnant again and she knew she was going to be the one watching and taking of the baby when she wasn't at school. So, that piece of writing could very much be true because I have witnessed that kind of heartbreak and unfairness first hand with parents that really aren’t parents to their kids, treating them more like “help.” The young romance that blooms between Sadie and Jax is page turning and sweet. I liked the secondary characters that rally behind these main characters. The story flowed for me and I read it in one day.What I didn't like: The romance does happen quickly and to me, if realistic, would be more infatuation at the ages of the characters, but hey...this is fiction. Anything can happen in a work of fiction and it was entertaining. The only think about the actual writing that bothered me was the rare use of contractions. (ex. I am instead of I’m.) Due to this, the characters from Tennessee and Alabama read a bit stilted/proper at times. So, I just started reading things as if they were contractions and it flowed smoothly for me in my mind. That made the dialogue in those places more realistic. Reading it as it was took me out of the moment at times. I also would have liked to know what Jax’s parents, or at least mom, thought the romance.Overall: I really enjoyed this book and if contractions were the main thing for me to complain about, big deal. I thought this was a great YA contemporary romance and flew through the book to see where things led. I also like the circumstance Glines used in the end to bring about a resolution. It was interesting and definitely something to make you rethink your choices in life if this were to happen to you.Similar authors: Stephanie Perkins, Simone Elkeles, Jennifer Laurens, Jenny Han

[andreat78_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It’s not often that I read a young adult novel that doesn’t have a single paranormal element. Much of the time, I need that little “something extra” to hold my attention. That was SO not the case with Breathe. Author Abbi Glines has written a beautiful, emotionally charged book about falling in love for the first time.In Breathe, I found characters that were easy to love, and root for. Main character, Sadie, is a girl who has lived a hard life. Practically raising her own mother, working to provide for them, and all the other responsibility forced onto her has left no room for friendship, or love, in her life. Sadie manages to be vulnerable at moments, but never pitiful. Jax Stone, the world’s heartthrob, tries to unwind from his hectic life by spending summers incognito, in coastal Alabama. And guess what, he is a nice guy! No games, no secrets and lies. So nice to read about a great, up-front guy. Jax is charming, but never smarmy. He’s kind to the people who work for him, taking an interest in them and their lives. Not what Sadie expected from a world-famous star. The secondary characters were as easy to embrace as Jax and Sadie. They all managed to partake in the story in a meaningful way, not just space-fillers. Breath was such an easy book to get sucked into. The atmosphere is so richly described, I felt as if I were a part of the scenes. The way coastal Alabama is portrayed, the sand and surf, blazing sunsets, the sweet tea always at the ready, makes me even more excited that I’m going to actually be where the book is set, very soon. So, here’s what I LOVED about Breathe. This book managed to put my heart through an emotional wringer. By the end I felt as if my heart had been lifted up, then yanked back down to Earth, twisted up like a sponge, then stomped on. And just maybe, lifted back up. I loved every breath-stealing second of it. This book made me feel so much. I was reminded of what it felt like to be a young girl falling in love for the very first time. Breathe made me smile wistfully, cry at the poignance, tear up with the emotional pain, and laugh with relief. I went through a gamut of emotions in the few hours it took me to read this book. It only took a few hours because I could not put this book down. I think Breathe, while it is perfect to read anytime, is an ideal summer read. So if, like me, you’re headed to the beach soon, get this lovely book to read while enjoying the ocean. I think I just may have to re-read this when I head to coastal Alabama…*I received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.*