BOOK REVIEW: Reason to Breathe (The Breathing Series #1) by Rebecca Donovan

I felt that I need a break from fantasy books so I decided to read a realistic fiction such as this one. 

Publication Date: May 10, 2011
Book Description (Goodreads):

"No one tried to get involved with me, and I kept to myself. This was the place where everything was supposed to be safe and easy. How could Evan Mathews unravel my constant universe in just one day?"

He knows there’s something more to the girl sitting in the back of the class the moment he sees her. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and athletic – but she slips quietly through the crowded halls, trying not to exist. Determined to get to know the elusive girl, Evan soon discovers…

Emma Thomas is hiding a terrible secret.

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Rating:

Book Review: 

I have to warn you. If you're emotionally unstable, you better NOT read this book. It's depressing but definitely heart-warming. I can't even remember how many times I cried while reading it.  So, you need a box of tissues with you. 

Emma is a beautiful woman- intelligent, athletic and artistic. Her father died and her mother became alcoholic that's why her father's brother brought her in. She had nowhere else to go so she had no choice but to stay with her uncle's family- which she can never call "home". She's an overachiever because that's the only thing that she can control. Only one year left in highschool so she'll just have to continue being invisible like the past years of her life. But someone takes notice of her and is determined to get to know her. Evan Matthews is the "new guy". He's good looking, confident, funny and intelligent. He does everything just to get Emma's trust and make him a part of her life.

Emma never trusted anyone other than her bestfriend, Sara. Then she meets Evan who will make her feel the things she never felt before. She's very good in controlling her feelings but with Evan, she becomes a different person. She will learn a lot of things with Evan especially on how to trust and love.

I can't help but compare it to "Heart on a Chain" by Cindy C. Bennett because they have similar plot. Both stories involve a protagonist being abused by a family member- physically, emotionally, and psychologically. They tend to wish and act like they were invisible but at some point, a guy comes into their life who'll love them and change them for the better.

It's still a good read. If you're up to tears, read this!