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A review by cabc
Breathe by Sophia Soames
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!