Prayers For Rain - A Review of TEN TINY BREATHS by K.A. Tucker

(Goodreads Blub)

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

Thank you to Netgalley  for providing an e-book copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Story...

Kacey Cleary and her younger sister Livie are on the run after escaping their guardian uncle's inappropriate advances.  The sisters find shelter in Miami, Florida.  Now if only Kacey could escape the ghosts that have haunted her since the night that changed her life.

Four years ago, Kacey lost both of her parents, her best friend, and her boyfriend  in a horrible car accident where Kacey was the only survivor.  Years of physical therapy and kickboxing have strengthened her body, but not her mind.  Kacey has held herself back from everyone.  Even a simple handshake has the power to bring Kacey to her knees, literally.

A new city, a new job, and a new apartment mean new neighbors and new friends.  It also means more anxiety for Kacey.  Livie wants her to try to open herself up to their new neighbors.

Kacey makes room in her life for their neighbor, Storm, and her daughter, Mia, not realizing that she also left the door open for Trent, the sexy neighbor who is occupying too much time in Kacey's thoughts.

Trent is patient and helpful.  He gently pokes and prods Kacey's carefully constructed walls until they crumble around her ankles leaving her feeling alive for the first time in four years, possibly the first time in her whole life.

 Livie sees the struggles that Kacey always believed she kept hidden. She fights hard to balance "trying" as Livie has asked while protecting what's left of her heart.

As Kacey spends time with Trent, it becomes obvious that Trent has an unfortunate past of his own.  During the whole book you keep wondering, will Kacey's lack of trust or the secrets Trent keeps buried be the thing that eventually destroys them both.

What Worked...

Oh boy. I'm gonna try not to spoil things.  For me, as powerful as this story is, it could have very easily gone wrong if it weren't for the characters.  The author created characters that we get to know very well.  Because we know them so well, we can understand why they act the way they do.  We come to love Trent so much that in the end, when we find out his secret, we are ready to forgive him and begging for Kacey to do the same.  He is so much a part of us by the end that we will forgive him almost anything.

The same goes with Kacey.  We know her so well that we understand exactly how much Trent's actions hurt her.  While I was cheering Trent on out of one side of my mouth, I was yelling, "Run, Kacey, run!" from the other side.  As it turns out Trent's betrayal was exactly what Kacey needed in order to heal.

The supporting cast were all amazing.  They created the right feel and the right amount of tension.  They were perfect in their respective roles

What Didn't...

I cannot think of anything that didn't work.  It all seemed to flow perfectly.  I loved it and cannot wait to get started reading One Tiny Lie (Ten Tiny Breaths #2).

Prayers For Rain by The Cure

I chose this song because of the overall feel as well as the lyrics.  It all seems to portray Kacey's state of mind.