Breathe into Me

( 40 )

Overview

Author Sara Fawkes had fans clamoring for more with her New York Times bestselling e-serial erotic romance, Anything He Wants. Now, she’s giving readers exactly what they want with her  New Adult debut and first full length novel, Breathe into Me, a sexy, deeply emotional romance that brings Fawkes’ signature heat to a highly popular new genre.

How did my life get so broken?  It’s a question Lacey St. James asks herself every day.  Stuck raising her little brother...

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More About This Book

Overview

Author Sara Fawkes had fans clamoring for more with her New York Times bestselling e-serial erotic romance, Anything He Wants. Now, she’s giving readers exactly what they want with her  New Adult debut and first full length novel, Breathe into Me, a sexy, deeply emotional romance that brings Fawkes’ signature heat to a highly popular new genre.

How did my life get so broken?  It’s a question Lacey St. James asks herself every day.  Stuck raising her little brother in a trailer park while she works a dead end job at a grocery store, she has a stalker exboyfriend, a bad reputation, and no way out.  

And then she meets Everett, who changes her entire existence.

Everett is an outsider who’s housesitting his family’s mansion off the coast, and for reasons Lacey can’t understand, he’s completely captivated by her. He seems determined to show her that life can offer more than she’d ever hoped for, if only she believes in herself.  She desperately yearns to trust him, but what happens when she finds out that everything he’s told her is a lie?

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
★ 06/02/2014
On the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, Lacey St. James is just scraping by, staying with her abusive boyfriend, Macon, to escape her drunk mother and critical grandmother, who live off the earnings from her two jobs. Lacey’s gotten used to being insulted, manhandled, and taken advantage of by thoughtless friends and family members, so she’s surprised when clean-cut college student Everett Ward, who’s in town to house-sit a mansion, saves her from Macon and offers friendship with no strings attached. Fawkes’s characterization of these two “new adults” learning to trust each other and building a mature relationship is emotionally charged and underscores that turning attraction into lasting love must include understanding and forgiveness for mistakes. Everett also needs to overcome his own family issues and summon the courage to share his entire life with Lacey, not just the parts he thinks she wants to see. Everett and Lacey’s love and longing leap off the page and should not be missed. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Breathe into Me

"Fawkes’s characterization of these two "new adults" is emotionally charged and underscores that turning attraction into lasting love must include understanding and forgiveness for mistakes. Everett and Lacey’s love and longing leap off the page and should not be missed."—Publisher's Weekly, starred review

"Heart breaking… an amazing story. Breathe into Me makes you look at your own life and truly be thankful for what you have. To value the mistakes that you have made because they have made you into the what you are today." –Bits of Books

"Compelling and engrossing. The romance was fabulous, and I loved the sweet, slow burn feel. An enjoyable New Adult romance which had real emotional depth and grittiness." –The Book Pushers

"Intriguing, Gripping, Romantic, Suspense-Filled! Breathe into Me is a fast read, and it never has a dull moment!" – A Bookish Escape

"Sweet and adorable with vulnerable characters and an amazing message. I honestly would recommend this book to people who are enjoying the New Adult Genre and have enjoyed Wait for Me by J.Lynn."—Reese’s Reviews

"Fawkes totally has a new fan girl in me!"—Paperrdolls Book Blog

"Breathe into Me is an intriguing story full of secrets, heartbreak, drama, passion, learning to forgive, and believing in yourself. A beautiful, emotional story that will warm your heart and leave you with a crush on Everett." –Book Crush

"A story filled to the brim with emotional situations and a romance. With a heart wrenching story, fans of NA will be sure to enjoy this gem from Sara Fawkes." –The Book Cellar

"Wow. This story was captivating and enthralling and had me on edge throughout the entire thing. Sara Fawkes’ writing style blew me away and kept me intrigued until the very end with mystery, drama, heartbreak, and an HEA all in one book. I will definitely be re-reading this book soon. It is one that will stay with you for day after you finish reading it." –Bout-A-Book Blog

Kirkus Reviews
2014-06-15
Lacey St. James has hit rock bottom; just as she decides she needs to make changes, she meets Everett, an intriguing stranger who helps her make more empowering choices.Lacey has an abusive boyfriend, an abusive family and abusive friends—and a much younger brother. In the past, she was the victim of a tragic incident that gave her a terrible reputation; she reacted by dropping out of school, working at dead-end jobs, partying with so-called friends who treated her badly and hooking up with awful men. On the night her boyfriend, Macon, practically rapes her, she goes out with Ashley, a “friend” who obviously doesn’t care about her at all. Macon shows up at the bar and tries to force her to have sex with some friends of his behind the building. Lacey escapes and comes to the conclusion that maybe she shouldn’t move in with him (you think?), and maybe her friends aren’t really quality people (really?). She meets Everett, a Very Sexy Guy, in the bar that night, and for some inexplicable reason he is wildly attracted to her. They become friends, then more, as Lacey tries to clean up her life. Everett is the moon and stars, until she (thinks she) finds out his Horrible Secret and, without asking any questions, drops him like a cement balloon. Until his dying sister (yes, really) comes out of nowhere and confesses The Truth to her, and she begs his forgiveness. Meanwhile, after years of poorly explained estrangement, Lacey picks up the phone and contacts people she should have called five years ago, who take steps to solve the dilemma of her abusive family and help protect her younger brother.Annoying forced drama and a heroine who will call her abusive ex-boyfriend on the cellphone she bought to avoid him when she needs a little help: Skip it.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781250048516
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Press
  • Publication date: 7/29/2014
  • Pages: 304
  • Sales rank: 106946
  • Product dimensions: 5.50 (w) x 8.20 (h) x 0.80 (d)

Meet the Author

SARA FAWKES is the USA Today bestselling author of the erotic e-serial novel Anything He Wants. She lives in California with her menagerie of pets and, when not writing, loves to rebuild old motorcycles and practice her fiddle.

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Read an Excerpt

chapter one

A handsome boy was lying in bed behind me, but the condescending leer on his face made me want to run away.

Too bad he was my boyfriend.

“Why are you getting all dressed up? It’s barely eight o’clock.”

I ignored him and hooked the bra behind my back, picking up my clothes from the floor before ducking into the bathroom. I wanted to lock the door, but Macon hated that. I didn’t want him to get mad or break down the door, not tonight. I should have been out the door half an hour ago but I had to clean up after sex with him—he liked it dirty and rough. Nothing a washcloth and some foundation couldn’t fix, but the memory was an oily stain on my mind.

I played with my blond hair, contemplating what quick style would work for going out, then grabbed a hair tie and put it back into a ponytail. As I looked through my makeup, the door slid open and Macon squeezed into the small bathroom behind me. I braced myself against the sink when his hands grabbed my hips, his flaccid groin thrusting against my backside. One hand crept up to my neck, pulling me back against him and squeezing enough to restrict the blood flow. “What’s your rush, Lacey?” he murmured in my ear.

“I promised Ashley I’d drive tonight.”

The hand around my throat squeezed harder, and I started to tremble as my airway was blocked. Macon thought playing rough like this was somehow sexy—that women liked a man who took control—but I had a feeling he just got off on my fear.

I swallowed, or at least tried to, around the tight grip on my windpipe. “Ashley needs a designated driver,” I rasped, putting my hand on his in what I hoped he’d see as an appeasing gesture. “I don’t want her to get hurt.”

My evident altruism finally won a smile from him. “You’re a good girl,” he said, letting go of my neck and patting my cheek. “You promise to think on what we talked about?”

Angry words at his condescending manner rose like bile, but all I felt was relief when he stepped away. I nodded silently, not trusting myself to speak. Coughing would only make him angry, so I held my breath until he closed the bathroom door behind him. Only then did I sit down on the toilet, trying to take slow breaths through my bruised throat.

At times like this, I had to tell myself over and over that being with him was better than being at home, but it no longer felt like the truth. The way he acted sometimes sickened me, made me afraid, but I stayed silent. At least with him I had some measure of respect, and people didn’t bother me.

Much.

My makeup was mostly done, but I put an extra layer on my neck in case the skin showed signs of bruising. I’d grown very adept at hiding the bruises and scratches; he’d certainly given me more than enough practice. Macon was lying on the couch as I hunted around for my shoes. Outside, someone honked, and, peeking out the blinds, I saw Ashley’s car.

Shit. She wasn’t going to be happy about having to pick me up.

“Looking for these?”

Macon held up my heels with one hand, and I forced myself not to snatch them from him. Trying to put them on while walking, I opened the door and was barely through the entryway when hands grabbed me and pulled me back inside. Slamming me back against the wall beside the door, Macon lowered his head and kissed me brutally. He was all tongue and teeth, his hands grabbing my breasts and twisting painfully.

“Should I tell her to leave without you?”

I shook my head, trying to keep the sudden panic off my face. “I’m her DD, remember? I’d feel terrible if she got hurt driving home.”

The darkening of his gorgeous blue eyes made me tense in preparation for his answer, but he finally let me go. “I’ll see you later, then,” he said, the words more a dark promise than a farewell.

My legs were shaking as I got into the small car. Ashley had the music blaring, a sure sign that she was pissed, but she gave me a cheerful smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Looks like the boy toy can’t keep his hands off you.”

“Yeah. Look, Ashley, I’m sorry I didn’t get to your house. Macon wouldn’t let me leave and ripped my other top when he—”

“Meh. Bored now.”

I knew Ashley was a fair-weather friend, the kind you went clubbing with but didn’t talk to much besides that, but her casual brush-off of my problems hurt. I’d been there for her when her last boyfriend beat her enough to draw blood, but she couldn’t be bothered to do the same for me. She started chatting about one of her other friends who’d gotten pregnant without knowing who the daddy was, and I kept my mouth shut, letting her ramble and pretending interest.

“Ready for a night of fun?”

I shrugged, not caring either way. Lately, barhopping and clubbing had ceased being fun and turned into an excuse to get out of whichever house I was staying in at the time. I didn’t answer and Ashley didn’t seem to care, continuing to prattle on as we headed toward the bar.

*   *   *

I couldn’t remember ever being sober at this bar before, which was probably on account of how lame it was without the haze of alcohol.

Ashley had worked up a buzz right out of the gate, hitting on a few of the older gentlemen and getting shots for both of us. She’d taken four, including the two bought for me, saying I was the designated driver for the night. One of the men, a forty-something with a gold band on his left hand, had tried to pull me down onto his lap. I’d deftly maneuvered my way out of it, laughing and patting his cheek while giving him an easy view down my shirt. That had seemed to be enough for him, and thankfully he’d let me go.

The hotel bar was packed. Summer had hit, and people had returned from college or come to take advantage of the area’s beaches. The romantic prospects were much more abundant, but I couldn’t make myself care. The thought of any more relationships didn’t interest me in the slightest.

“Ooh, who’s that delicious piece of ass over there?”

I looked over at Ashley, who was fiddling with her beer bottle label, and then followed her gaze across the room. I zeroed in on the blond boy at the table. “Is that Trent Maverick?”

“Who?”

I’d forgotten that Ashley had gone to a different high school than me. It was easy to forget our age difference. At twenty-two, the brunette was three years older than me, but with her petite frame she looked fresh out of high school. “I went to high school with him,” I said over the band’s music.

“Did he play any sports?”

He hadn’t been on my radar in school. I shrugged. “Probably.”

“I’d fuck him in a heartbeat.”

The crude way she said it made me wince. Ashley’s brain-to-mouth filter was always MIA, but it grew worse when she was drunk. She’d gotten us into trouble more than once by saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. The girl had been constantly moving since we’d arrived at the bar, and I felt like a babysitter trying to keep her out of trouble.

A predatory smile crossed Ashley’s lips. “Oh yeah, he’s so mine.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I was too tired to argue or play games tonight. I hadn’t had anything to drink, and I just wanted to find somewhere to lie down. I needed sleep; my two jobs had me running ragged lately, but Ashley had insisted I come with her tonight.

Ashley grabbed my arm, tugging me around the dance floor toward the occupied table. I went along willingly enough but wasn’t in the mood to do anything more than sit.

“Quit being such a spoilsport, just take the other one.”

Other one?

I hadn’t seen the other boy from across the room, but as I drew closer I realized Trent may not have been who Ashley was talking about. Whereas the blond boy I knew was leaning forward, eagerly watching two girls dancing nearby, the dark-haired boy beside him was lounging back in his seat. The tabletop was filled with beer bottles, but it was impossible to tell who had drunk what.

“Hi,” Ashley said loudly, still managing to sound sultry even when nearly yelling. “Is this seat taken?”

Trent looked at her, and he seemed to appreciate what he saw, but Ashley only had eyes for the boy beside him. She did what I called her power pose, arching her back to better display her assets. The dark-haired boy ignored her, however, his gaze instead moving to me. Something sparked in his eyes, and I felt goose bumps break out over my skin.

Butterflies fluttered in my belly. Suddenly nervous, I looked away to the dance floor, hoping he would stop staring. My own reaction bothered me; I didn’t like how the other boy made me feel. Ashley slanted me a dark look but kept her smile in place to keep up appearances. Without waiting for an answer, she took the seat next to her target. She had no qualms moving in for the kill and leaving me to fend for myself. Reining in my annoyance, I pulled up a chair across the table beside the familiar blond boy, who finally seemed to notice me.

“Didn’t I go to high school with you?”

I nodded mutely. Trent was staring at me, a slightly confused look on his face as he tried to place me, then he snapped his fingers. “You’re Lacey, right? What happened to you? I know you didn’t graduate with us.”

“I dropped out before Christmas.”

I kept waiting for him to recall me, my body tense and waiting for his reaction, but he just cocked his head to one side. “You dropped out in the middle of senior year?”

“It wasn’t the greatest decision in the world,” I hedged, uncomfortable at being called out. Even two years later, the decision still haunted me. So close, and I’d just given up.

“Well, it’s cool to see you again.”

I blinked several times as he turned his attention toward Ashley. His words seemed sincere enough, and I looked away, surprised by how that fact shocked me. Our school had been small, but apparently he really didn’t remember much about me except my name. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

Across from me, Ashley was trying to entice the other boy into dancing, with no luck. I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn’t look back at him, hoping he would eventually ignore me. I didn’t miss Ashley’s glare, however. She didn’t seem to like the fact that I’d managed to attract the attention of both guys, and as usual it was all my fault.

Typical.

Abandoning the dark-haired boy, she pasted a big smile on her face and held her hand out to Trent. “Wanna dance?” It was obvious she was trying to steal him away from me, make me jealous maybe, but I didn’t care and Trent didn’t seem to mind. He jumped up, eager to get close to the perky brunette, and followed her out on the dance floor.

Once they left, silence reigned at the table. I felt rude ignoring the other boy, but for some reason he made me jittery. The band continued to loudly butcher Johnny Cash, and conversation throughout the room only added to the raucous din.

“Are the bands always this bad?”

I bit my lip at his question. He had a deep voice that sent shivers through me, and I didn’t like my reaction to him. “Only if we’re lucky.” I glanced at him and then looked away again. He was leaning toward me, obviously interested. I’d tried to ignore him, not wanting to rile Ashley, but he really was handsome. There was a ruggedness about him that was totally unlike Macon’s pretty-boy good looks, and I could feel my attraction building. That only made ignoring him more imperative, but I hated being rude. “At least this time the singer isn’t completely tone deaf. The keyboardist can’t keep the tempo to save his life, though.”

“Do you play?”

I nodded. “Piano.”

“Really.” The news perked his interest. “What kind of music do you play?”

“Classical.” It had been a handful of years since my fingers had touched ivory, but, despite my tension, I smiled at the memory. “I was really good at it, too.”

“Was? You don’t play anymore?”

The smile slipped from my lips, and I gave a jerky shake of my head. Eager to change the subject, I continued hastily, “You’re not from around here, are you?”

He shook his head. “I’m house-sitting down here with Trent for the summer,” he said, and then held out his hand. “I’m Everett Ward.”

His hand was soft but thick and heavy; the touch made the butterflies in my stomach dance faster. “Lacey St. James.” I cleared my throat, trying to act like his proximity wasn’t getting to me. “What house are y’all watching?”

“It’s down by the ocean. Really big, too, there’s a guesthouse and boat storage behind the house.”

“Are y’all staying in the Pass? The Cove?” At his blank look, I added, “You know, Oyster Cove, or Bay St. Louis, or Pass Christian, or…?”

Understanding entered his eyes as I named the area’s coastal towns. “Oyster Cove. Trent is friends with the family. It’s a big white mansion off the coast highway.”

I blinked. “You talking about the Plymouth plantation house?” I asked.

“Didn’t know it was named.”

“Do you know y’all are house-sitting for one of the richest families in the county?”

He shrugged, looking back to the dance floor. “Far as I can tell, they haven’t lived there for a while.”

I might not have originally been from this little corner of southern Mississippi, but I’d learned a thing or two over the last few years. I’d only ever seen the large white antebellum house from the highway, nestled back on the massive property amid regal trees far older than me. I looked back out over the dance floor, a little amazed. “Nice place.” An understatement.

Everett shrugged again, but I saw a smile play at the corners of his mouth. For some reason, that made me warm up inside. I got the feeling he didn’t smile much, and the lopsided tilt of his lips made him even more handsome. A lock of dark hair fell across his forehead, and I had to resist the insane urge to push it back so I could see his face. He had on a black button-up, long-sleeved shirt with expensive-looking jeans. While he didn’t really look out of place in the bar, something still managed to set him apart.

“Unfortunately,” he continued, “they don’t have a piano, or I’d ask you to come play.”

I’m sure you would. Reality crashed in, and I flushed. Boys had been inviting me over for years now with similar lines, and some that weren’t as subtle. A bitter gall worked its way up my throat and I swallowed it back. Regardless of what my heart wanted to believe, experience told me I couldn’t trust him.

My mood soured by my own thoughts, I stood up. “I need to use the bathroom,” I mumbled. Not caring if he heard me, I walked away into the crowd. My view of him was immediately swallowed up and I let out a relieved sigh, ignoring my disappointment. The boy made me nervous, and I couldn’t quite explain why. Maybe it was because part of me wanted to trust him, which was a ridiculous idea. I didn’t know the boy at all, other than that he was a friend of Trent’s.

The bathroom was just inside the corridor leading to the back, but as I reached the end of the hallway an arm snapped into view, blocking my path. “Where’ve you been all my life, beautiful?”

I whirled to see Macon standing beside me. He was wearing slacks and a tight blue shirt that showed off his muscles. His golden hair was slicked back, and the grin he gave me had a decidedly wicked gleam. Suddenly jittery, I tried to hide my anxiety as he stepped close. If he’d seen me sitting with the other boy …

“You look good enough to eat tonight,” he murmured, running my ponytail through his fingers. I fought back a flinch, but he didn’t grab my hair like I thought he would. His hand slid down my shoulder and around my forearm. “Why don’t we go talk outside?”

“Macon, I gotta pee.” Sometimes being blunt disarmed him enough that I could get away, but the tactic didn’t work tonight.

“Come on, I need your help.”

Briefly, I thought about fighting myself free—I was in public, there wasn’t much he could do to me here—but ultimately decided against making a scene. In my experience, it was easier to just get things over with quickly and go back inside. When our path took us past the storage areas toward the back entrance, however, I started getting nervous again. There was no breaking his hold now; as he drew me farther away from the crowds, his grip on my arm tightened painfully.

It’s hard to dig in your heels when you’re wearing three-inch stilettos, but I tried anyway. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew for sure I wasn’t going to like it.

Whistles and catcalls preceded us as we stepped outside into the Mississippi night. The back of the bar let out into a dark area that housed the bar’s Dumpsters and sat adjacent to the connecting hotel. A single light beside the rear door lit the scene enough for me to recognize three men standing nearby. Two of them were familiar, Macon’s friends, although I didn’t know their names. They were passing around a small glass pipe, but the third boy pocketed it when Macon closed the heavy door behind us.

“Damn man, she’s even hotter in person!”

Macon just laughed, a nasty sound in the darkness. “I only keep the very best.”

“I watched what you did to them other boys.” The shortest of the bunch stepped forward, his smile crooked from the chew wedged beneath his lower lip. I tried to pull away but Macon held me firm. “Been wantin’ to meet you ever since.”

“These are my good friends,” Macon murmured as I began to tremble. “Won’t you at least say hello?”

Panic welled up and I pried at his fingers on my arm, but he only dug in deeper. The pain increased my feeling of helplessness as the short boy reached down and blatantly rubbed himself through his low-slung pants. His clothes seemed less a fashion statement and more a consequence of how thin he was, but his eyes gleamed eagerly in the dim light. “How’s she with givin’ head?” he asked.

“Pretty good, actually.” Macon jerked my arm down and, unbalanced, I stumbled to my knees with a cry. “Now, baby,” he all but crooned, “I’d hate for you to prove me wrong. What do you say we show them how good you really are?”

Sobbing, I tried to get up but was pushed back down by Macon. This time, he did grab my hair, holding me in place while the short guy fumbled with his pants. “She ain’t gonna bite me, is she?”

This isn’t happening, tell me this isn’t happening. I moaned, panic-stricken, and grabbed at Macon’s wrist. He just jerked my head back, throwing me off balance again, as the other boy positioned himself in front of me. “God, I wanna come all over her ti—”

The door beside us burst open, and someone came stumbling out. Startled, everyone froze as the stranger staggered drunkenly to the wall and pulled down his zipper. There was the sizzling sound of urine splashing against the hotel stucco, and only then did he seem to notice us. “Hey,” he slurred, giving us a small wave. “Don’t mind me.”

“Get the fuck out of here,” Macon hollered, releasing my hair and pointing at the door.

I took the only chance I knew I’d get and stumbled across the uneven ground, half-crawling to the door. Barely managing to evade Macon’s grab for me again, I hurried inside the corridor, rushing as fast as I could for the safety of the bar. I heard him call out my name, and then the swell of music surrounded me.

Copyright © 2014 by Sara Fawkes

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 40 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(14)

4 Star

(18)

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(5)

2 Star

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 40 Customer Reviews

  • Posted Tue Apr 08 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Great Book!! Sometimes a book has the power to overtake your wo

    Great Book!!

    Sometimes a book has the power to overtake your world and as a result, make you realize how precious life really is. Breathe Into Me by Sara Fawkes had that affect on me.

    Lacey St. James's lived a pleasant life with her mom, step-dad and four-year-old brother in Oregon. Then her step-dad died, and her mother moved them across the country to Mississippi. Their new home was a trailer in a trailer-park, with Lacey's gossipy wench of a grandmother.

    Lacey's new life is a horror. She got involved with the wrong kind of men, never finished high school and received verbal beatings daily from her grandmother. Her life was scary and she was drowning. Under her grandmother's dictatorship, Lacey's mother slowly deteriorates and becomes a drunk, while bruises begin to appear on her brother.

    Meeting Everett takes away some of the pain. He genuinely likes Lacey and wants to be her friend without any strings attached. With his encouragement and a little help from two new friends, her life begins to turn around. However, her past continues to wreck havoc on her future. In addition, Everett has his own demons that he must deal with before he and Lacey can be together.

    From the very first chapter I was captivated by Lacey's broken and sad life. I connected with her plight immediately, because she, as well as the plot, are so well defined and described. When Lacey cried, my heart was breaking and when Everett became emotional, I felt his despair. This story is replete with raw emotions from both main characters.

    From time to time an author is able to create a story that you fall in love with, and touches you in such a way that even when you have finished reading, the plot seems to live on in your soul. Breathe Into Me is one of those kind of books. It held my heart in a vise from beginning to end. Don't pass up the opportunity to read this emotional, new adult romance.

    6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Tue Apr 08 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    more from this reviewer

    LOVED how intense this was! Sara Fawkes is another new to me aut

    LOVED how intense this was! Sara Fawkes is another new to me author and she really has my attention now. BREATHE INTO ME is the story of a small town girl who once had a normal happy life with parents and family who loved and encouraged her. But at fifteen, when the stepfather who adopted her and raised her as his own since she was a baby dies, everything changes. Her mother falls apart and moves their little family across the country from Oregon to a rural town in Mississippi to live with Lacey's abusive grandmother Diana. Everyone she should have been able to trust and rely on to keep her safe is either gone or refuses to do so. She is caught in a spiral of poverty, despair and victimization with seemingly no safe place to turn. Her situation broke my heart. I couldn't help but want to be her champion and was thrilled when she meets Everett, a college boy in town for the summer to work for his friend's dad's construction company. The very first time he meets her he saves her from a dangerous situation and offers her friendship. Not having met anyone she could trust in a long time Lacey doesn't know what to think of Everett. She isn't used to having anyone, especially boys, be kind to her without expecting something in return. Everett doesn't push her, yet always makes sure she knows he's there if she needs anything. He patiently earns her trust and affection even though he fell for her right from the start.

    My emotions pretty much ran the gamut with this book. One of the many things I loved about this book is that I never got comfortable in the story, meaning from one minute to the next I couldn't predict what was going to happen. I'm trying not to give anything away, but I was continually surprised by twists I never saw coming and honestly that doesn't happen all that often to me. I am impressed by Ms. Fawkes storytelling skills. I was completely enthralled with this book and could not put it down. There are a lot of sweet touching scenes in BREATHE INTO ME, and scenes where Lacey is verbally, emotionally, and sometimes physically brutalized that will piss you off and make you wish your could reach out and hug her tight, and later in the book when Everett finally wins her heart there are some hot sexy scenes! Aside from Lacey and Everett, there are some excellently written secondary characters. Villains, sidekicks, and those who show themselves as true friends to Lacey and Everett. Cherise wins my vote for best friend ever in the scene where she catches that a**hole Mason on her property and teaches him to do a little dance, lol. All I'm saying is girls, we could all use a friend like her. And we could all be so lucky as to have a man like Everett fall in love with us. Don't miss out on this book, it's a 5 star read!!

    ~Complimentary copy received in exchange for an honest review.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Fri Mar 07 00:00:00 EST 2014

    more from this reviewer

    Explosive

    4 Stars
    New Adult Romance
    Release: April 8, 2014

    ABOUT THE BOOK:

    How did my life get so broken? It’s a question Lacey St. James asks herself every day. Stuck raising her little brother in a trailer park while she works a dead end job at a grocery store, she has a stalker exboyfriend, a bad reputation, and no way out.

    And then, she meets Everett, who changes her entire existence.

    Everett is an outsider who’s housesitting his family’s mansion off the coast, and for reasons Lacey can’t understand, he’s completely transfixed by her. He seems determined to show her that life can offer more than she’d ever hoped for, if only she believes in herself. She desperately yearns to trust him, but what happens when she finds out that everything he’s told her is a lie?

    MY REVIEW:

    This was very unusual from a typical romance or NA book out right now. And now, unusual is a strong word, but in this case it’s good. I say that because I don’t think you’ll find another NA book on the market like this one. The characters are intriguing in the sense that the author creates very raw and real issues with them. Some could say that they don’t like the heroine, but I have a feeling that if they really understand what the author is trying to communicate—which she did very well—then many would see the astounding effect it could have on how characters are portrayed.

    The overall story was very complex and highly engaging. You have this girl who has this really horrible life and still tries to keep her head up no matter what comes her way. She has no one to escape to, no family, no friends, and her boyfriend is an absolute hellion. Then Everett comes in the picture, and he sees right through everything. But see, even he has some secrets and our heroine has trust issues.

    Explosive. That’s the word I’d use to describe this story. It’s good and will have you staying up long into the night reading it. Still, after you’re done, you’ll keeping of the characters. It’s all that, and then some. Get your copy today.

    3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Apr 14 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Loved this book

    Couldnt put this book down. I can so relate to the termole of laceys life. Her n everett can both finally change their lives n be happy. So much to overcome, but the outcome is so worth it. Sonetimes we do things in our lives to finally be truely happy n they finally get theirs. I hope there is more coming with updates including them, but casey n andrewsstory would be good to. Finished this book in 2 days.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Jun 18 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Bbbbv

    Hfyc

    1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    yaaaaaasssss!

    I love it . My favorite book .

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri Apr 11 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Could not put it down!!!

    215 pages....I smiled & cried through out the book. Some steamy scenes also. I wanted more from the epilogue, but glad I bought the book.

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Tue Apr 08 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Love this story!   This is one my new favorite authors.  I'm so

    Love this story!  

    This is one my new favorite authors.  I'm so tickled to have discovered her.  I'm a huge fan of Sophie Jordon's Foreplay and all of Samantha Young's books, and I find Sara Fawkes books to be right up there.  She knows how to grab your attention right out of the gate.  Plus, her use of the setting in the Gulf Coast of Mississippi is brilliant.  If you're looking for a new author to try, I'd recommend  Ms. Fawkes.  She has a great voice and is an excellent story teller.  Her descriptions of the desperate circumstances for the heroine, Lacey St. James and hero, Everett Ward are realistic to life.  I plan on buying more of this author's books.  Hope you enjoy this read as much as I did. 

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Love love this but would love to have a part 2 to it

    Love love this but would love to have a part 2 to it

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  • Posted Sun Jun 29 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    This story is a little on the dark side.  Not as dark as some, b

    This story is a little on the dark side.  Not as dark as some, but the characters’ pasts/present are pretty sad and depressing.  They’ve both been through some really harsh stuff.  It was a tough read, but worth it.  It was all very dramatic and the resolutions are great because they felt very realistic.

    I will say that while the story was good, the writing could be better.  There were two instances where I noticed it.  The fake ID and the condom are both mentioned so late in their respective scenes that they’re more of an afterthought; it looks to me like the author realized during editing that the obvious need for a fake ID and the very important need for a condom at their age were missing so she threw a line in to make it better.

    That being said, it was a compelling read that I enjoyed with an ending that I really appreciated for its justice and reality.

    Breathe into Me is an emotionally charged story about growing up, gaining independence and responsibility, and has a little romance tossed in for good measure.  Definitely worth the time and emotional effort to read!

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Jun 09 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Hm

    Maybe

    0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Tue Apr 29 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    (Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a re

    (Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley.)
    High school drop-out Lacey lives in her Grandmother’s trailer, and works two jobs to pay more rent than her Grandmother pays. Her mother is always drunk, and her boyfriend Macon likes to be rough with her.
    When Lacey meets Everett, she feels a spark, and she likes the way he treats her.
    Can Lacey get away from the people that like to hurt her? And what is Everett hiding?


    This was an okay contemporary romance, and the ‘love’ scenes were pretty hot!

    Lacey was an okay character, and I did feel quite sorry for her and the way she was treated. Macon was pretty awful to her, talk about a cretin, and he really deserved to be in jail for what he did to her. Unfortunately her mother and grandmother were pretty darn awful to her too, and it was so unfair the way everyone treated her like trash.

    The storyline in this was okay, but it didn’t really pull me in. The way that Lacey was treated made me feel angry, but otherwise I didn’t feel all that much for the story at all. The sex scenes were pretty hot, and saved this book for me. If it weren’t for the steamy love scenes I wouldn’t have liked this book at all.
    The revelation at the end with regards to Everett was interesting, and I was glad that we got a happy ending after all.
    Overall; okay contemporary romance with some hot love scenes,
    6.5 out of 10.

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  • Posted Fri Apr 18 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    more from this reviewer

    This was not what I expected. This was a wonderfully written sto

    This was not what I expected. This was a wonderfully written story of a young woman trying to find herself, trying to start over, and coming to terms with the life she was dealt. Lacey is broken. She meets Everett who's broken in his own way. These two are good for one another. What I thought I was getting was a romance of sorts. I was wrong. This was much more.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Apr 13 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Lacey makes no sense

    I have to agree with the rrviewer who noted that Lacey's responses to situations seemed completely opposite of what you'd expect. And then the amout of times she would call a number or be confronted and go completely mute.

    I gave this book two stars because the story itself wasn't completely unfortunate. However, the writing needed work, the Lacey character read like a total victimized moron and it was in way clear why Everett liked her.

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  • Posted Sun Apr 13 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    more from this reviewer

    I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I started out like

    I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I started out like waiting for something to happen. Then everything jumped out and away I went. Lacey has a messed up life. Her grandmother hates her. Her mom is a drunk and someone is abusing her little brother. She hangs out with an abusive boyfriend. Trouble starts when she drops him. She works at getting her GED with a new friend. Everett has a past almost as hard as Lacey. Problems pop up when secrets pop out. They need each other to survive but it is hard for them to share. It has current problems to solve. There is drinking , abuse and bullying. It was hard to see Lacey and Everett conquer their problems. Please read this book and see how they overcome everything.

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  • Posted Sat Apr 12 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    My heart broke for Lacey. She has the worst mother and grandmoth

    My heart broke for Lacey. She has the worst mother and grandmother ever. The guy she's with is the worst person on the face of the earth. What she has been through can break anyone but Lacey's still standing and trying to get through.

    This is a roller coaster ride of emotions. I laughed when Lacey lost her lunch on someone's shoes. She meets Everett on a night out with someone who is sort of a friend of hers. She's been burned by so many people she doesn't know who to trust anymore. Lacey works two jobs and helps to take care of her little brother.

    I cried for Lacey and all she went through. So many people were out to hurt her, spread lies about her. I couldn't believe her grandmother was so horrible and her was not any better. I figured out Lacey's secret but never did I even think I knew Everett's secret. He's a sweet guy and a perfect gentleman with Lacey. He helps her out when there's no one she can turn to.

    They have sizzling chemistry but she fights it because she's always been used and Lacey wants to change. She's never really had any friends. She always thinks someone wants something from her. Everrett has friends and has turned his life around. There are secrets that only his friend Trent and family know about. It's a secret that has changed him and his life. But he has someone to turn to in Trent. Lacey has no one until she meets Everett.

    This is a definite must read. I cried and I wished Lacey and Everett had had a better life. I fell in love with this book. I highly recommend it to anyone over 18.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sat Apr 12 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Good

    Really enjoyed this story. I was glad the little brother finally got help. Also was glad Lacey finally felt some self worth in her life. Really good.

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  • Posted Thu Apr 10 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Great book - really loved the emotional journey the character to

    Great book - really loved the emotional journey the character took with each other.

    ***I RECEIVED AN ARC FOR THIS BOOK FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW ***

    Lacey St. James is a young girl whose life has been rapidly turned upside down.  Living in a trailer park with her little brother,
    her drunk mother and her mean grandmother her life is a big mess.  Her abusive current boyfriend doesn't help when he
    becomes her ex-boyfriend he begins to stalk her just what she needs.  She is feeling like the world hates her, then she meets
    Everett and he makes her believe maybe her miserable existence can be turned into a life worth living.

    Everett is house sitting his family’s mansion for the summer.  Lacey can’t understand, what he sees in her.  They first form a friendship as he helps her study for her GED but the sexual tension is there from the start.  Everett has secrets though, can Lacey forgive him when she finds out what he can't bring himself to tell her for fear of losing her forever. 
    I really loved this story, it was sweet, tender and at times very emotional.  Right in the first chapter I fell in love with Lacey.  
    She had been through so much in her short life and she still managed to push through.  Working two dead end jobs and helping
     to raise her little brother while dodging her abusive grandmother.  Then she meets Everett and everything changes for both of them.  
    The friendship to start was so sweet, having that friendship first made the later intimate relationship more believable.  This book is very
    different from the others I have read from this author and I have to say Sara Fawkes did a great job.  She dealt with some current issues
     that young people face today in a way that can make people take notice.  The abuse and cyber bullying parts of the story were well written
    and emotional.  The only thing I would say I wished the book had was Everette's POV sooner, the author starts giving us Everette's POV
    at chapter 16 would have like to hear what he was thinking in some earlier chapters. 

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Apr 09 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Good book

    Good book thats all you haft to say i was looking for books on my shop snd this popped up i mean gross noby wants to see any body you know what and besides they leave you on a cliff hanger whn your trying to read the back i mean im just sayin i can go on and on about this horible book im just tjat so have fun with your stupid book my mom says im not aloud reading it because it has you know s in it so have a nice day people thankyou very much for showing a kid this kind of stuff...

    0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Tue Apr 08 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    4 Star Review Lacey has had a rough life and she is looking for

    4 Star Review

    Lacey has had a rough life and she is looking for an escape, unfortunately her attempt to escape with her boyfriend Macon is actually just as bad or worse then the life she was trying to leave behind. In walks Everett, goodlooking and rugged. Their meeting was by chance but with time Lacey begins to rely on Everett. But she is wary, and Everett has secrets of his own. Despite this, their attraction is something neither of them has success overlooking.

    I found this book to be enjoyable. It was a rather quick read and it was somewhat predictable, but entertaining nonetheless. Some points I wondered how much more drama Lacey would have to deal with. Other times I was upset that Everett was lying or omitting signifcant information from Lacey. Despite this, I liked them together. I really loved Claire for the friend, and the grandma was perfectly EVIL. This book is definitely worth the read.

    Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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