reedkaye's review
5.0
This is the first story I’ve read by this author but if this is her normal, I’ll definitely have her on my watch list. There is so much emotion. The characters are so real. The secondary characters add so much to this reality. The flow of the story seems perfect. The story was hard to set down. I now have to check out her previous stories.
itssarahc's review
5.0
The summary for this book intrigued me, but it did not do the book justice. It didn't even scratch the surface of how amazing this book was. The characters were intriguing. The plot and the relationship between Luke and Ryan had me reading all through work, because I simply could not put it down.
So let's meet these amazing characters.
Ryan is a disgraced former porn star who got dumped by his boyfriend in New York and sent back to London with his tail between his legs by his manager. He finds himself forced to leave behind his old persona of Joey Hole and the glamor and fans that came with his career to live with his mom and try to figure out the ever important question of 'What's Next?' This puts him at college taking courses for personal training, something he has no real interest in, simply because its something that is enrolling.
At college, he meets Luke. Luke had his own fall from grace, but several years ago. Now he's poor, living with five siblings in a house that's too small, and burdened with responsibility when all he wants is to figure out his future. He is also enrolled in personal training classes, but he's a bit more excited about it than Ryan is. He's excited to try to make friends, something that has him pursuing Ryan, because Ryan is surly and always sits alone and another girl in the class has a crush on him.
Initially, Ryan gives Luke a hard time. Then, after an ill-fated trip back to New York, he remembers Luke's kindness. They've known one another for at least a month (maybe longer - the timeline is a little hard to follow in actual passing of time) by this point. After Ryan returns to London, he and Luke actually get to know one another - and find that they really like what they know.
What I like most about this book is the protagonists. Luke is not some ideal physical standard. In fact, in the beginning, he's not even considered handsome. Ryan, while conventionally attractive, is not very nice at first. He's incredibly guarded and has no intention of letting anyone in - for reasons you find out later in the book. They are not drawn together based on intense physical attraction - that is something that comes later as they get to know one another. Instead, they are drawn together by the fact that they're lonely and don't have a lot of other people they're friends with.
Another thing I like about the book is the inclusion of their Instagrams - and the way they provide insight into the characters. With Ryan's Instagram captions, you see a glimpse of the man that he was and the way he struggles to let go of Joey Hole. Then you see him rebuilding himself not as Joey, but as Ryan. With Luke's, you see his world begin to expand. Not simply because of Ryan, but because he gets to know his classmates. His siblings begin to have relationships and they start commenting. His friends' partners begin commenting. Its a visual representation of the way that his world expands.
I'm also a major sucker for good side characters and this book? Oh this book has some GREAT side characters. Luke and Ryan's classmates are amusing and distinct. Luke's siblings come off the page entirely and feel so incredibly real - especially his little sister Olive. Ryan's mom has me rolling many times in the story and cringing many other times. Each side character adds color and depth to the story, making the relationship and the world of Soames' London feel more real.
The pacing of this book was beautiful and the way that even an HEA (because you know there's an HEA before you even start reading. Its the genre) doesn't fix the way that these men are broken. It doesn't make them into perfect beings or perfect partners or perfect lovers. It doesn't fix their respective traumas. Instead, they learn to be good partners and to respect each other's traumas and to build a life WITH one another and their individual demons. Its not an insta-love by any means, which makes me incredibly happy. Its not a slow burn either, but I'm more than okay with things not being slow burn. Instead, its a very realistic pace.
I look forward to more of Sophia Soames' series. They will definitely be finding their way onto my Kindle as each is released because this? This was beautiful. I am in love with this love story.
WARNING: This book includes an off-screen sexual assault that is discussed. While it is not graphic, it is there. This book also includes mentions of gambling addictions, white collar crime, and parental neglect as major plot points.
** ARC PROVIDED BY GAY ROMANCE REVIEWS AND THIS IS MY HONEST AND FAIR REVIEW **
So let's meet these amazing characters.
Ryan is a disgraced former porn star who got dumped by his boyfriend in New York and sent back to London with his tail between his legs by his manager. He finds himself forced to leave behind his old persona of Joey Hole and the glamor and fans that came with his career to live with his mom and try to figure out the ever important question of 'What's Next?' This puts him at college taking courses for personal training, something he has no real interest in, simply because its something that is enrolling.
At college, he meets Luke. Luke had his own fall from grace, but several years ago. Now he's poor, living with five siblings in a house that's too small, and burdened with responsibility when all he wants is to figure out his future. He is also enrolled in personal training classes, but he's a bit more excited about it than Ryan is. He's excited to try to make friends, something that has him pursuing Ryan, because Ryan is surly and always sits alone and another girl in the class has a crush on him.
Initially, Ryan gives Luke a hard time. Then, after an ill-fated trip back to New York, he remembers Luke's kindness. They've known one another for at least a month (maybe longer - the timeline is a little hard to follow in actual passing of time) by this point. After Ryan returns to London, he and Luke actually get to know one another - and find that they really like what they know.
What I like most about this book is the protagonists. Luke is not some ideal physical standard. In fact, in the beginning, he's not even considered handsome. Ryan, while conventionally attractive, is not very nice at first. He's incredibly guarded and has no intention of letting anyone in - for reasons you find out later in the book. They are not drawn together based on intense physical attraction - that is something that comes later as they get to know one another. Instead, they are drawn together by the fact that they're lonely and don't have a lot of other people they're friends with.
Another thing I like about the book is the inclusion of their Instagrams - and the way they provide insight into the characters. With Ryan's Instagram captions, you see a glimpse of the man that he was and the way he struggles to let go of Joey Hole. Then you see him rebuilding himself not as Joey, but as Ryan. With Luke's, you see his world begin to expand. Not simply because of Ryan, but because he gets to know his classmates. His siblings begin to have relationships and they start commenting. His friends' partners begin commenting. Its a visual representation of the way that his world expands.
I'm also a major sucker for good side characters and this book? Oh this book has some GREAT side characters. Luke and Ryan's classmates are amusing and distinct. Luke's siblings come off the page entirely and feel so incredibly real - especially his little sister Olive. Ryan's mom has me rolling many times in the story and cringing many other times. Each side character adds color and depth to the story, making the relationship and the world of Soames' London feel more real.
The pacing of this book was beautiful and the way that even an HEA (because you know there's an HEA before you even start reading. Its the genre) doesn't fix the way that these men are broken. It doesn't make them into perfect beings or perfect partners or perfect lovers. It doesn't fix their respective traumas. Instead, they learn to be good partners and to respect each other's traumas and to build a life WITH one another and their individual demons. Its not an insta-love by any means, which makes me incredibly happy. Its not a slow burn either, but I'm more than okay with things not being slow burn. Instead, its a very realistic pace.
I look forward to more of Sophia Soames' series. They will definitely be finding their way onto my Kindle as each is released because this? This was beautiful. I am in love with this love story.
WARNING: This book includes an off-screen sexual assault that is discussed. While it is not graphic, it is there. This book also includes mentions of gambling addictions, white collar crime, and parental neglect as major plot points.
** ARC PROVIDED BY GAY ROMANCE REVIEWS AND THIS IS MY HONEST AND FAIR REVIEW **
kaje_harper's review
5.0
There's a quality to this author's writing I can't describe, but would almost call "kind" - even in this story of two young men under a lot of stresses, and with a history of questionable choices, I found myself empathizing with them even through the worst mistakes, and everyone in it felt very human.
This story unfolds slowly. We start by meeting Ryan, who as Joey Hole, let porn-stardom go to his head, and on the face of it, crashed a relationship with a good man for the glitter of awards and fame and likes and money. Ryan was dumped (deservedly?) and hit a wall emotionally, and has come home to England from New York, abandoning his career. Now he's living with his mum and trying to go to college, but he's still a mess inside. And as time goes on, we see that his self-judgements and his accounts of what happened aren't always to be trusted, because there are things he starts out trying not to look at or remember.
We also meet Luke, a college student who is trying to do it all, as guardian for two younger siblings and in cooperation with three older ones, while his parents went to prison for fraud. They're broke, scrambling to make everything work in a dilapidated rental house, and the youngest sister is small enough to need a lot of time and care. They get some support from the authorities, but they're always on edge, worrying about being split up, or having some kind of authority returned to their deadbeat parents when they're released. Luke has no time for a personal life, but he could use a friend, and of the people in his college class, Ryan seems the most solitary and interesting - a challenge and someone who also might need a friend.
I enjoyed the way my perceptions of these guys changed with new revelations and their own growth and maturity. The secondary characters were an interesting bunch, nicely nuanced, all with positive and negative qualities. The story itself is quiet, but echoes of the past shake both these guys, and they don't always react well. The ending is solid, sweet, and even fun. I expect I'll reread this one day.
This story unfolds slowly. We start by meeting Ryan, who as Joey Hole, let porn-stardom go to his head, and on the face of it, crashed a relationship with a good man for the glitter of awards and fame and likes and money. Ryan was dumped (deservedly?) and hit a wall emotionally, and has come home to England from New York, abandoning his career. Now he's living with his mum and trying to go to college, but he's still a mess inside. And as time goes on, we see that his self-judgements and his accounts of what happened aren't always to be trusted, because there are things he starts out trying not to look at or remember.
We also meet Luke, a college student who is trying to do it all, as guardian for two younger siblings and in cooperation with three older ones, while his parents went to prison for fraud. They're broke, scrambling to make everything work in a dilapidated rental house, and the youngest sister is small enough to need a lot of time and care. They get some support from the authorities, but they're always on edge, worrying about being split up, or having some kind of authority returned to their deadbeat parents when they're released. Luke has no time for a personal life, but he could use a friend, and of the people in his college class, Ryan seems the most solitary and interesting - a challenge and someone who also might need a friend.
I enjoyed the way my perceptions of these guys changed with new revelations and their own growth and maturity. The secondary characters were an interesting bunch, nicely nuanced, all with positive and negative qualities. The story itself is quiet, but echoes of the past shake both these guys, and they don't always react well. The ending is solid, sweet, and even fun. I expect I'll reread this one day.
karentje's review
5.0
Wonderfully moving, slow-burn, hurt/comfort NA love story! The writing is evocative and captivatingly pure, charmingly reflecting real-life conversations and situations. Both main characters are quite complex and their connection feels very intense and genuine. Ryan’s life is the most public, yet he is also the most enigmatic of the two. He is an incredibly vulnerable character, lovable and endearing, but certainly also a bit flawed, and all the more interesting because of it. He is in a dark place at first, feeling lost and grieving his relationship, the loss of his career and sense of self. There’s a bit of a mystery about how exactly his life imploded, and it about broke my heart when he finally opened up to Luke about it.
Luke is amazing! He’s so caring and responsible. I love his determination and positive outlook on life, and the way he doesn’t let his own low self-esteem or self-doubt stop him. He definitely hasn’t had it easy, and he also deserves all the happiness and love that come his way, eventually. There are a lot of secondary characters in this book, and I loved the energy and emotion they brought to the story.
Luke is amazing! He’s so caring and responsible. I love his determination and positive outlook on life, and the way he doesn’t let his own low self-esteem or self-doubt stop him. He definitely hasn’t had it easy, and he also deserves all the happiness and love that come his way, eventually. There are a lot of secondary characters in this book, and I loved the energy and emotion they brought to the story.
cabc's review
5.0
Ryan and Luke are soulmates and you can't convince me otherwise!
As a whole, I really enjoy Sophia's books because the writing style and storytelling are different and unique from anything else you'll read.
But Breathe? I freaking adored Breathe so much that it's easily one of my favorite books ever. This story has layers upon layers of messages and details and love; I honestly need to re-read because I know I missed things.
Sophia writes arrogant, self absorbed jerk really well. Maybe too well. A big part of me struggled to like Ryan. His poor choices are all his own and even once he hits rock bottom, he stubbornly clings to being a rude jerk who keeps running from his problems. And yet his struggles, pain and loneliness are all there in the open. You honestly can't help but hope he has a serious wake up call and root for him to be a better person.
Then you have sweet and caring Luke. He's a hot mess in his own way, pretty socially awkward, and has no clue that he more than likes Ryan. So much has happened in his short life that he's never had a moment to really question his sexuality. He also has a big heart and has quite a few of his own demons to overcome, including the ones stemming from his big, noisy, messy family that is both a source of immense stress and unconditional love. (Sophia's signature is the way she writes about family in all of her stories and I think this aspect really shined in Breathe! This family was not without issues, but dang did they love each other and never thought twice about drawing Ryan into the madness.)
It's a bit of a slow romance, but not too slow. Ryan and Luke have to overcome a lot to not only end up together, but also to be happy together. There were so many little details throughout the book that made the characters, their problems, and the relationships feel real and messy. These boys get their HEA and it's swoony and satisfying.
This book is just so well written, the words full of emotion and everything flowing from start to finish. There is never an information dump or dramatic telling of one of the character's backgrounds or something written just to push the plot along. And the pacing never slows despite the length of the book. I could not put this book down because I was so drawn into the story and had to know what happened next.
There is a content warning at the start of the book, so make sure to read it. This is book 1 in a series and I can't wait to see what book 2 entails!
As a whole, I really enjoy Sophia's books because the writing style and storytelling are different and unique from anything else you'll read.
But Breathe? I freaking adored Breathe so much that it's easily one of my favorite books ever. This story has layers upon layers of messages and details and love; I honestly need to re-read because I know I missed things.
Sophia writes arrogant, self absorbed jerk really well. Maybe too well. A big part of me struggled to like Ryan. His poor choices are all his own and even once he hits rock bottom, he stubbornly clings to being a rude jerk who keeps running from his problems. And yet his struggles, pain and loneliness are all there in the open. You honestly can't help but hope he has a serious wake up call and root for him to be a better person.
Then you have sweet and caring Luke. He's a hot mess in his own way, pretty socially awkward, and has no clue that he more than likes Ryan. So much has happened in his short life that he's never had a moment to really question his sexuality. He also has a big heart and has quite a few of his own demons to overcome, including the ones stemming from his big, noisy, messy family that is both a source of immense stress and unconditional love. (Sophia's signature is the way she writes about family in all of her stories and I think this aspect really shined in Breathe! This family was not without issues, but dang did they love each other and never thought twice about drawing Ryan into the madness.)
It's a bit of a slow romance, but not too slow. Ryan and Luke have to overcome a lot to not only end up together, but also to be happy together. There were so many little details throughout the book that made the characters, their problems, and the relationships feel real and messy. These boys get their HEA and it's swoony and satisfying.
This book is just so well written, the words full of emotion and everything flowing from start to finish. There is never an information dump or dramatic telling of one of the character's backgrounds or something written just to push the plot along. And the pacing never slows despite the length of the book. I could not put this book down because I was so drawn into the story and had to know what happened next.
There is a content warning at the start of the book, so make sure to read it. This is book 1 in a series and I can't wait to see what book 2 entails!
kelbee's review
3.0
At times charming, and others frustrating. I did enjoy this, but I don’t think it flowed well. A lot of jumping of time, and telling not showing. I wasn’t 100% convinced of their turn around from not-even-friends to I-like-you-so-much, and that’s what ultimately has me rounding down.
The best part of the story was the self-awareness of personal lacking. Made for some amusing observations.
I’d lied to myself, thinking we could be friends because I realised I was not worldly at all, sitting here choking on coffee-flavoured crunchy chocolates. I was a dumb kid, and the man in front of me was an idiot.
Overall, it was a good read to pass the time if you don’t scrutinize too much.
The best part of the story was the self-awareness of personal lacking. Made for some amusing observations.
I’d lied to myself, thinking we could be friends because I realised I was not worldly at all, sitting here choking on coffee-flavoured crunchy chocolates. I was a dumb kid, and the man in front of me was an idiot.
Overall, it was a good read to pass the time if you don’t scrutinize too much.
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