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Barely Breathing (Breathing #2)

by Rebecca Donovan (Goodreads Author)

4.44 of 5 stars 4.44 · rating details · 22,748 ratings · 1,735 reviews

Emma’s struggle with an abusive home life came to a heart pounding conclusion in the final chapters of Reason to Breathe. Now everyone in Weslyn knows Emma’s secret, but Carol can’t hurt Emma anymore. Some are still haunted by the horror of that night, and some must face the repercussions of their choices. Fans of Rebecca Donovan’s debut novel will discover there’s still m...more

ebook, 385 pages

Published May 8th 2012 by Smashwords (first published April 30th 2012)

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May 21, 2012 Jessie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, swoon-worthy-boys, freaking-tear-jekers, abuse

I am very sleep deprived still, having been up all night reading this book. I think I fell asleep around 4am.

Sweet Jesus, this book was just as intesnse and emotional for me as the first, love it just as much. The sequel picks up months after Emma's attack from the Evil Bitch from hell "aka" Carol, and Emma has now made the decision to live with her mother Rachel and start over. I was little hesitant on her living with her mother again, but I thought hey it can be a fresh start for both of them...more

115 likes · like · see review

May 02, 2012 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

i have been waiting for this book once i've finished, reason to breath.
I remember finishing it, crying at 2 in the night and running to my laptop to see if this could possibly be the end, i was so glad it wasn't and then i cried some more,,.-))

Absolutely loved it, can't wait for the final installment, but please a HEA would be preferable because how much can a person suffer.

53 likes · like · see review

Aug 28, 2012 Mk ❤Books rated it 2 of 5 stars

I normally don't write reviews, but I felt compelled to write one about this book.. I have so many mixed feelings about Barely Breathing. I truly loved the first book of this series "Reason to Breathe" and was excited to see this would be a series. I was anticipating this book to be about overcoming the trauma that was inflicted on Emma and was disapointed to read that she had to deal with more abuse from her family. Hasn't she delt with enough? Also, the Jonathan storyline was less than desirab...more

11 likes · like · see review

Aug 22, 2012 Alexis ~*Too many books, not enough time*~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: abuse-abused_abuser, alpha_male, danger, discovery, emotional-read, family-secrets-revealed, first_comes_love_then-_comes_marria, heart_pounding_moments, heartbreaking, hot_as_hell_male, jealousy, mar-apr2012, self_discovery, sexy-series_read2012, tragedy-tragic, unexpected-twist, ya-romance, authors_to_lookout_for

Spoiler Free Review
4.5STARS
Genre: YA Romance-Mature

- 'His smokey blue eyes connected with mine, and he whispered,"I breathed for you"- Evan in Barely Breathing

What are you trying to do to me Ms. Rebecca Donovan?!?
So many emotions run through me after finishing this book.... Then an abundance of questions...

Barely Breathing takes place six months after the ending in the first book Reason to Breathe and that painfilled night, better known as "the night from hell." Emma is a survivor her aunt Caro...more

18 likes · like · see review

May 02, 2012 Gitte - TotallyBookedBlog rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-favourites, read-in-2012

I WANT TO SCREAM AND THROW LAWSON (my kindle lol) AT THE WALL WHILST I COLLAPSE IN A CRYING MESS ON THE FLOOR....I am such a drama queen but I am SERIOUS!!!! I don't even know what to say...I am angry, frustrated, happy but sad...Why do I do this to myself??!! Actually I totally blame Rebecca Donovan...her amazing writing skills draw me in and puts me through the ringer EVERY TIME!!! For that I thank her believe it or not..she is AMAZING!!!

5 stars???? I don't think so...more like 5 stars to the...more

75 likes · like · see review

May 19, 2012 Tough Critic Book Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

"OMIGOD OMIGOD OMIGOD OMIGOD," That has been running through my head on continuous repeat ever since I read Reason to Breathe a year ago. Rebecca Donovan's famous cliffhanger, the mother of all cliffhangers, gave life and meaning to the phrase, just left hanging. With an ending like that, you would assume Ms. Donovan did nothing but set herself up for failure. I mean how can you possibly follow an ending like that without coming up short? Emma f--king died in Reason to Breathe. How the hell do y...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Jessica's Book Review rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite, 5-star

Read more reviews on my blog | Like me on Facebook

OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ms. Rebecca Donovan, I am so mad at you!!! Your endings are killing me! I must find out about Emma & Evan. How can you leave me hanging like that?!?! I spent many late nights and early mornings following your characters and beautiful books and now I must wait!

If I had known there will be a third book I would of waited to read this book. I hate the cliff hanger in the series! I am so involved now and have to wa...more Read more reviews on my blog | Like me on Facebook

OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ms. Rebecca Donovan, I am so mad at you!!! Your endings are killing me! I must find out about Emma & Evan. How can you leave me hanging like that?!?! I spent many late nights and early mornings following your characters and beautiful books and now I must wait!

If I had known there will be a third book I would of waited to read this book. I hate the cliff hanger in the series! I am so involved now and have to wait to find out what happens... oh I am already going crazy.

Barley Breathing picks up right where Reason to Breathe left off. Emma has survived being killed (literally, she died for a moment) and her aunt has been convicted and is now in prison. Emma's life seems wonderful, finally! She moved in with her best friend Sara whose parents are now Emma's legal guardian and Evan is still the most amazing perfect boyfriend. Plus sports and school is still perfect leading a way to a soccer scholarship to Stanford.

Emma has A LOT to deal with and she doesn't talk about it to anyone, she keeps it bottled up which leads to nightmares as well as a strain on her relationship with Evan because she doesn't let him in. Emma's Mother reconnects with her, saying she is now sober, rents a house, and has a good job. Emma moves in with Rachel to try to connect with her mother before going off to college. Things seem perfect at first but her mother's devil ways come back effecting Emma in many ways. Rachel starts seeing a younger man, Jonathan. Like Emma, he cannot sleep and has nightmares himself which leads the two to be up at night, talking. The two have a lot in common and become to help each other deal with their past.

Finally everything comes out at the end, more secrets get revealed, heartache continues for everyone in the story and Emma is left with some tough decisions, hurting everyone she loves.

Can I just say I love Evan? He is beyond the most caring, sensitive character I have read in the book. He truly loves Emma, even when she makes the most awful choices. I get so mad at her when I read the book; she chooses the wrong decision about 99% of the time. When she left Evan in the hot tub to go look for her mother leaving him with Analise I screamed at her!

Jonathan’s character was bitter sweet to me. He really helped Emma come over her nightmares and was someone for Emma to talk to. I think he was essential to Emma to move on from her past and I don't think Emma would be the same without him. On the other hand, he gave me the creeps... he is way to into Emma from day one. So what if he is hot? He slept with your mom Emma! Come on now! Plus you have Evan who wants nothing more for you to open up to him the way you do with Jonathan.

Sara is as wonderful as ever. Emma and Sara complete each other, they are SISTERS not just friends. I would love a friend like that.

The book ends with a major cliff hanger. Emma made a major decision, again I do not agree with but I am dying to know what was in the letter she gave Vivienne (Evan's mom)... Part of the Epilogue is in Evan's point of view which I LOVED. I am too mad at Emma sometimes and would love to find out more about what Evan thinks and how he feels. I am beyond excited and hope the ending leaves Evan and Emma together, happily ever after.(less)

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May 03, 2012 Rosie B rated it 4 of 5 stars

My original review:
This is coming out just before my exams...I'm probably going to fail :|

After reading:
I was really anticipating this book's release so I downloaded it as soon as I saw that it was available. I read it a lot faster than I read the first one; it didn't seem as long but there was a lot more going on. I found it quite hard to keep up in some parts and at times it felt a bit rushed, but it was still a very exciting and emotional read.

*Potential SPOILER*...
(view spoiler)...more

14 likes · like · see review

May 08, 2012 Kajal Nehra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: series, abuse, favorites, made-me-cry, so-sweet-that-i-might-be-a-diabetic

"…you can't keep him in the dark when everything starts falling apart. You're not protecting him, you know. You're pushing him away."

Qualities of a perfect novel:
• Kiss Under Fireworks [check]
• Anger, Frustration, Pain [check]
• Action/Fight [check]
• Amazing Plot/Storyline [check]
• Hot and Steamy Make-out Scene(s) [check]
• Love-making in the Woods [check]
Oh gosh, this the perfect novel!

I think… I… I think I maybe in love, wi…with Evan Matthews!
I think I love Evan even more than Tobias (Divergent...more

36 likes · like · see review

Aug 27, 2012 Jody rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Finally" I told myself after waiting so patiently for Barely breathing to come out!I had a big grin on my face when I downloaded it and immediately started reading it all day and staying up until 2am and then continued again at 8am until I finished it! Uggg! Another cliffhanger again? REALLY!!! I'm so frustrated! Yes, it was amazing. Yes, I wanted to throw my kindle against the wall. Yes, I cried my eyes out, A LOT! But, was it worth going insane AGAIN at the ending??? HMMMM,*sighs* Yes! So I w...more

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May 13, 2012 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well....I was so excited for this book to come out. I LOVED It and read it in one day. I was really hoping though that Emma and Evan could have developed more of a relationship than they did in this book and I am praying that book three will dive head first into their love story. I need me some Evan and Emma LOVE!!! :) the book was great but I need more!!!!
The reason for the 4 star rating instead of five is because I want more Emma and Evan!!!
Ps I hate the Jonathan character. Creep.

6 likes · like · see review

Nov 14, 2012 Smitten's Book Blog rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angst-filled-reads, emotional-reads, domestic-child-abuse, ya-reads

Casting for Evan and Emma

Rebecca Donovan, you a cruel cruel woman! I trusted you with my heart and you ripped out once with the ending of first book, but you've truly done a number on it now... that was excruciating. But utterly delicious and pure evil on your part! What am I going to do with myself until the next book comes out?!

I read until 3.40am this morning because I was completely engrossed in this book.

I would give it five stars, if it weren't for the fact that I struggled a little with t...more

10 likes · like · see review

Jul 18, 2012 Jannette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, ya

What a train wreck!! Emma's life was unbelievably horrible!! I loved many things about book 2, but I think I hated it more because it made me more angry, more sad, more nervous and definitely more anxious. Yes, there were happy moments, good moments, even great moments, but I found myself wanting to throw my kindle against the wall or burying it in my feezer because the emotions were too overwhelming. I'm giving it a solid 4 stars because sometimes you really just don't want to feel that much.

B...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: loved, indie

After finishing Reason to Breath and Barely Breathing I feel completely out of breath. Rebecca Donovan played with my emotions like I was ivory and she was Chopin.

Barely Breathing was raw, heartbreaking and frankly, I was just waiting for Emma to completely lose it through a good portion of the book. The ending left me completely HANGING, I mean hanging! I think Donovan just stuck my hands to the monkey bars with some super glue and left me until she releases Out of Breath. If there is ever a ch...more After finishing Reason to Breath and Barely Breathing I feel completely out of breath. Rebecca Donovan played with my emotions like I was ivory and she was Chopin.

Barely Breathing was raw, heartbreaking and frankly, I was just waiting for Emma to completely lose it through a good portion of the book. The ending left me completely HANGING, I mean hanging! I think Donovan just stuck my hands to the monkey bars with some super glue and left me until she releases Out of Breath. If there is ever a character that deserves something great in his or her life, it is Emma.

While reading Barely Breathing, I realized how much Emma tends to base her choices on what makes others happy but those choices rarely make her happy and often time lead her to great pain. Emma still comes off as a very strong young lady in Barely Breathing but I keep waiting for her complete breakdown. I cannot imagine anyone going through all the things she has gone through, keeping so much inside and not seeking professional help. I was very proud of her a couple times when she did finally make some decisions that benefited her more than the other person but in the end she was still basing most of her decisions on others. If I could say one thing to Emma, I would say that you deserve the best and not to accept anything less than people around you who love and support you, want what is best for you. Open your eyes and see the goodness around you, embrace it, don’t lock the past up without working through it and look forward to and take control of your future.

Evan, I think I love you even more than I did after Reason to Breath. If I had to choose between Evan and Tom Brady right now, I would choose Evan and I am not even joking;) He gets Emma and loves her through the good and the bad. He is kind, warm and a soft place to land. He stands up for Emma and supports her and he is probably the most perfect boy/man I have ever read about. He says the most incredible things and I just wanted to take his cheeks in my hand and kiss him!

“I breathed for you… I begged for you to breathe with every breath I gave to you. I kept pleading for you to breathe over and over again. And then… then you did”

Oh, he completely melts me!

Emma and Evan just fit together so well. They are like puzzle pieces with different edges that fit together to form the perfect picture. He is her air when she needs to breath. She can make him laugh and smile. He is outgoing when Emma is a little shy. They can read each other’s feelings even if the other is trying to hide them. They are a truly picture perfect couple and I think they were made for each other.

Emma also became friends with her mother’s younger boyfriend, Jonathan, in this book. I didn’t know what to think about him at first; he could be incredibly sweet and caring but he also had a dark side that I didn’t know what to make of. He is one of those male characters that I usually want to fix or I want the heroine to fix but in this case, I didn’t want Emma to have anything to do with him because she is too broken to be a fixer. Two incredibly broken people often do not mix well!

Sara was still amazing and had a little romance herself. I grew to love her parents and Evan’s mom Vivian even more than I did in the first book. They are supportive and may be the only positive adult influence Emma has had since her father past away. I do not care for Emma’s mom, Rachel, at all. She is a definite me person and the complete opposite of Emma. Since Emma is prone to make choices based on what will make others happy, she often does things she shouldn’t to keep the peace with her mom and it ends up taking a little more of Emma’s breath until she is now barely breathing.

I am very anxious to get my hands on Out of Breath which is the third and final book of this series. I am hoping Emma can get a rainbow and a bucket full of happiness. She deserves it!
(less)

9 likes · like · see review

May 09, 2012 shanti rated it 4 of 5 stars

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!not again.........
ya cant end the book like that!!!!

LOVIN THE TITLE FOR THE LAST BOOK :)

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 06, 2012 Morgan Lejeune marked it as to-read

Shelves: will-finish-later

**SPOILER**
Okay. I read the first book and got all the way to 30% in the second book before I realized that (wait a gosh darned second!) Does Emma seem to be developing feelings for someone else? THIS CAN'T BE RIGHT!!!!! So, this prompted me to run to GoodReads and check the reviews before continuing (which I normally don't forget to do before I start a new book, but the first one in the series left me hanging something terrible). Upon my investigation of the reviews what do I do find, but the a...more **SPOILER**
Okay. I read the first book and got all the way to 30% in the second book before I realized that (wait a gosh darned second!) Does Emma seem to be developing feelings for someone else? THIS CAN'T BE RIGHT!!!!! So, this prompted me to run to GoodReads and check the reviews before continuing (which I normally don't forget to do before I start a new book, but the first one in the series left me hanging something terrible). Upon my investigation of the reviews what do I do find, but the apparent and glaring LACK OF ANY HEA between Emma and Evan. They aren't even TOGETHER when the second book ends, from what I have gathered. Seriously?!?!? How can an author do this to themselves, much less, her audience?! I mean, why can't they at least be together at the end so that we have a reason to hang on until the third book comes out to see what happens next? I'm honestly pretty pissed and refuse to finish reading until the third book comes and ONLY if I can confirm that Emma and Evan will have a HEA.
The only reason I read romance novels is because I want them to be what you rarely find in life, HEA...I don't want to read and invest my time and emotions in these characters and their lives, only to be let down (once again, except in fiction-world instead of real life) when the people you are rooting for don't end up like you wanted them to. I pride myself in being able to read a novel and get so wrapped up in the characters that I honestly fall in love with the well-written ones (Kellan Kyle, anyone? ::swooooooon::) and this is definitely well-written, and I definitely fell in love with the characters. So imagine my surprise when I find out they aren't together at the end of the second book. How cruel.
Honestly, I know it's the author's prerogative to do what he/she thinks is best for their book, but I can't understand that POV.
P.S. I am not picking on this book or author because I know there is a third book coming out, with what I can only hope, will be a HEA. I just got really frustrated when I got to that point in the series only to figure out I'm reading towards nothing. Still loved the parts I read.(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Jul 09, 2012 Jwezi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: faves, ya

3.5 Stars!!! :(

" My heart fought for each beat as the pieces began to fall. "I love you," I breathed.---Emma

I actually cannot believe that I was dissappointed reading this second book.

**Sigh** I actually loved the first book so much. I actually am very caught in each and every emotion.

But for this second book the emotions were too much. To the extent that it did not touched me at all. There was too much drama, run-arounds, scenes that I thought were not necessary.

Emma, now recovering from the...more

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May 02, 2012 Ro rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have patiently been waiting for book two to come out. So today when I got home from work I immediately downloaded Barely Breathing. If you think the first one was better, well it was. But, Barely Breathing has a way of fitting all the puzzle pieces together. You know a book is amazing when you constantly scream at the character for their stupidity then applaud them for their courage.

In Barely Breathing new characters are introduced. If you've read book one and are hoping to see where ended at...more

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May 05, 2012 Sara rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

You can not imagine how disappointed I was when I got to the end of this book and found out there was going to be a third book! Here I was, thinking this was the last book when it's not. How did I miss that?! Don't get me wrong, I'll most definitely buy the next book and read it, I just didn't know there was going to be a third.

This book was a bit hard for me to read to be honest. I was so frustrated with Emma!! I can't understand why she kept letting her mother hurt her, why she let herself be...more You can not imagine how disappointed I was when I got to the end of this book and found out there was going to be a third book! Here I was, thinking this was the last book when it's not. How did I miss that?! Don't get me wrong, I'll most definitely buy the next book and read it, I just didn't know there was going to be a third.

This book was a bit hard for me to read to be honest. I was so frustrated with Emma!! I can't understand why she kept letting her mother hurt her, why she let herself be used like she did by someone who didn't even care for her. I mean, it didn't take a genius to figure out that Rachel was a selfish witch! Why did Emma put up with that crap?! I found myself so mad at her for taking that kind of emotional abuse after what Carol had put her through in the last book. I understood the denial she was living in, thinking she could get through it on her own, but I didn't understand how she couldn't see that she needed help sooner than she did. The last book was nothing but her covering for Carol and I understood why. She was trying to protect her cousins from losing a parent. I could wrap my mind around that, even though it was hard. What I couldn't wrap my mind around was why she took everything laying down in this book. There wasn't anyone to protect, so why did she cover for her loser mother who she didn't even know, why did she take the verbal abuse and cover for the alcoholic rants?! It just made me so mad! When she finally did stand up for herself it was nice, but it came at a point where she'd already distanced herself and lied to people who could've helped her.

Aside from that, Emma basically pushed everyone away who loves her. Instead she finds this odd comfort in her mother's boyfriend/ex boyfriend Jonathan. I got that he had some kind of past he too was trying to overcome, and I understood the connection they shared due to their pasts. However...

(view spoiler)

Anyhow, I love the characters. I love Sara and Evan, but I wished they were in the story more. They really took a backseat to Rachel and Jonathan in this book and that was upsetting. I don't understand how we went from the first book where Emma confides that her friggin' Aunt beats her, to this book where she won't tell anyone her mother is a drunk. I don't understand...

I do understand being emotionally closed off. I tend to do that myself, and I do keep worries and hurt bottled up at times. But I also know to confide in those who love me, I know when to ask for help. I would've thought after almost dying, Emma would've been smarter than she was in this book.

I'd like to give this book a rating now since I'm writing the review, but I don't know how to yet. I might need to sleep on it and mull it over for a few days. I love the writing, love the characters, but I just didn't get this book. Part of me wants to give it 5 stars because I love the story and felt so invested in the characters, but part of me wants to give it one star because it made me so damn mad! I'm just not sure how to feel at the moment. (less)

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May 10, 2012 Lori rated it 5 of 5 stars

Okay so at this exact moment I am entirely speechless!!! I don't know if I want to laugh, cry, or get angry.... as much as I absolutely LOVED this book... I do have to agree that the ending is set up perfectly for the next book, and the cliff hanger is not near as bad as RTB.... I have to admit I have questions... questions I want answered like 5 minutes ago when I finished the book... Please Please Please Rebecca crank out that 3rd book quick because I'm dying here!

Full Review...
http://lorisboo ...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Erica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Was this good? It's 2 in the morning and I've got to be up in 4 hours....eff yeah, it was good! I literally found myself groaning out loud with all the angst in this book. Yes, I'm done reading the book, but now I'll be up for another 2 hours just pondering on all the emotions I just experienced; young butterflies-in-your-tummy kind of love, heartache, betrayal, jealousy, utter funk depression..... Argh! Hurry, hurry book 3!!

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Oh my goodness! I just ignored my family while I finished this book, absolutely could not put it down! Looking forward to the next one!

1 like · like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Jessica Griffith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Heart breaking! Couldn't stop reading until it was over and now I have to wait for the next book!

1 like · like · see review

May 19, 2013 Khanique McDaniel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Somebody help me out here to understand how after everything she has gone through, she made the decision that she did at the end of this book .....

I know everyone wants a HEA for her and Evan but Emma was a real bitch with that end move! Personally, I think he deserves better. Maybe not Analise, but better!

I liked Jonathan character and I believe that the discovery in the end was just to make him look bad and abruptly allow her to make a decision.
He was a good guy and should never have been adde...more Somebody help me out here to understand how after everything she has gone through, she made the decision that she did at the end of this book .....

I know everyone wants a HEA for her and Evan but Emma was a real bitch with that end move! Personally, I think he deserves better. Maybe not Analise, but better!

I liked Jonathan character and I believe that the discovery in the end was just to make him look bad and abruptly allow her to make a decision.
He was a good guy and should never have been added the way he was nor victimized in the end. We all fail to see that *spoiler alert* except for the final scene in `Reason to breathe`*** ... Evan is always running away when she needed him the most.

I have to say this installment was much better than the last. It showed Emma managing her freedom and life after Carol. There were more emotions other than sadness and also gave her a taste of life outside of high school. A lot of things were clarified in both present and past and we got to see more dimensions to Emma.

However, it was clear to see that this book's focus was based solely around Emma as Evan and Sara was absent a lot and that placed a strain on those relationships.
Still, she was the same Emma getting into all sorts of trouble and man do I wanna smack her across her damn face frequently!! (P.S. people in this book should try not to make a big production of their birthdays)

Rachel was a breathe of fresh air, when she wasn't drinking or sleeping around. Minus the not loving her child, and the drugs and alcohol or the fact that she is just down right crazy, she's a cool mom!

We also got to delve more into the Mathews and McKinleys. A lot more adults were present in this installment and some advises helped while others were the catalyst for really bad decisions.

Overall though, this was a better book than the first and gave us a lot more as well as showed the growth of the characters we loved from Book 1.

I am a little skeptical about book 3 because I don't know what to expect or what I want to expect. Book 2 left me so confused as is most cliffhanger books, but this time I'm not rooting for anyone. Just waiting to see the dumb mistakes Emma is about to make and her illogical logic behind it all.

I swear this girl pushes away the people with the things she need most in life and has a magnet for the bad.

Let's see if life in college is any different. (Doubt it ...)(less)

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May 16, 2013 Cookie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, fiction, romance

After reading the first book in the series, Reason To Breathe, I was anxious to read this sequel. Donovan did not disappoint. I really liked this book, but it reminded me why you couldn't pay me to be a teenager again. It's not that I have ever encountered the type of issues that confront the characters in this book, but Donovan was brilliant at creating the raw emotions that teenagers often feel. I mean, my heart broke reading this book, and I know these are fictional characters. Everything tha...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Lyndsey Rushby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: new-adult

As soon as I finished the first book in this series, Reason to Breathe, I ordered this one. Reason to Breathe ends on a massive cliff-hanger and I just couldn’t wait to find out what happened next to Emma. As this book is set 6 months later, Emma is slowly getting over what her Aunt did to her. Her life is in a bit of a mess and she now lives with best friend Sara and her family. What I liked about this book was the fact that it deals with the aftermath of previous events. Emma is forced to deal...more As soon as I finished the first book in this series, Reason to Breathe, I ordered this one. Reason to Breathe ends on a massive cliff-hanger and I just couldn’t wait to find out what happened next to Emma. As this book is set 6 months later, Emma is slowly getting over what her Aunt did to her. Her life is in a bit of a mess and she now lives with best friend Sara and her family. What I liked about this book was the fact that it deals with the aftermath of previous events. Emma is forced to deal with her feelings and to realise that her life isn’t nearly as bad as what it used to be.

However, after having such a hard life up until this point, I did think that moving back in with her alcoholic mother was a terrible idea. Without this kind of plot though, there wouldn’t have been much story I guess. Emma’s mother, Rachel had been in touch in the last book and had appeared to have changed. Even though everyone warns her against it, Emma wants to give Rachel a second chance and at least try to get to know her better. Even after people have treated her terribly, Emma tries to see the best in people and does believe in second chances. Although I did think the plot was a bit far-fetched after the last book, I did like seeing the relationship between Emma and Rachel progress. It was interesting to see the two interact with each other after being apart for so long.

Rachel was a character I hated though, nearly as much as Emma’s Aunt Carol. Rachel is the most needy and desperate woman I have ever read about. She acts like a teenager, cries when she doesn’t get her own way and then turns to the drink as well. While I thought that getting to know Rachel would mean understanding Emma better, this was not the case. Emma and Rachel are absolutely nothing alike and Emma quickly begins to realise this. Although I disliked Rachel, she brought in another big part of the book – Jonathan, who is the younger man she’s dating. Jonathan is closer to Emma’s age than Rachel’s and they become friends. Emma and Jonathan also share being unable to sleep at night due to their pasts so it was nice for Emma to finally have someone she felt like she could talk to.

With all of this going on, Emma is still dating Evan and still best friends with Sara. I absolutely loved both of these characters and was glad to see them still central to the plot. As much as I enjoyed these characters though, I didn’t like the way that Emma treat them at times. Yes, she had a lot going on with other aspects of her life but she treat Evan like crap at times and he had done nothing but be there for her and support her through everything. I also though he put up with way too much too and I would have liked to have seen him with more of a backbone.

Overall, I didn’t like this book nearly as much as the first instalment of the series. I felt as though the plot was too much and certain characters annoyed me throughout. Barely Breathing was also not as emotional as I didn’t connect with the plot as well as I maybe could have done. I do still want to read the next in the series though.
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Apr 12, 2013 Deborah rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I very rarely write a review about any book, cos I read too much and writing reviews will take my time away form essential reading, but I am compelled to write one for this book.

First of all, let me start with saying this was an amazing read and did not disappoint after how much I liked the first one. That being said this book was very hard to read. There is nothing more annoying that a very "stupid" (using it very loosely) lead character and Emma/Emily was very much stupid.

******SPOILERS AHEAD...more I very rarely write a review about any book, cos I read too much and writing reviews will take my time away form essential reading, but I am compelled to write one for this book.

First of all, let me start with saying this was an amazing read and did not disappoint after how much I liked the first one. That being said this book was very hard to read. There is nothing more annoying that a very "stupid" (using it very loosely) lead character and Emma/Emily was very much stupid.

******SPOILERS AHEAD*******

The whole first book was about her getting away from an abusive guardian, and here, after the first five pages she decides to go live with her mom, who we all know has a problem somehow from the first book. What happened to getting to know someone first before jumping into any relationship? I mean she had not seen her mom for about 12 years and after one phone call, decides to move from the very loving and comfy best-friends house with a woman she doesn't know. Talk about impulse decisions. (look, you can see this obviously bugged me...A LOT)

Another sore point was the issue of Jonathan and how stupid, effacing, naive, annoying, cunning she was as regards to her relationship with him. Hello he is 24/28 (whatever), and she is a minor, should that not be a strong deterrent? Oh how about she has an amazing boyfriend who has stood by her, is drool worthy, and being chased after by another girl?, why was she building a relationship with Jonathan, leading him on (in my opinion) even unwillingly, when she had an amazing relationship? This just confuses me, but I guess there had to be DRAMA for the book to continue, and I very grudgingly accept that.

I guess I just could not relate with being this annoying basically, but I loved every other part of the book and dearly hope said character will make better choices in the final book, but that doesn't seem likely, seeing as the ran away at the end of the book. (urrggggh!!!!!!)(less)

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Mar 29, 2013 Melinda rated it 1 of 5 stars

Emma is one of those characters that is supposed to be smart. Athletic, has no idea she's beautiful and an A+ student but after reading the first two books it just showed me she's only book smart. As Shoko Tendo wrote in Yakuza moon: Memoirs of a gangster's daughter "Being good at studying and being smart are not the same thing".

What really annoyed me about Emma was her lack of knowledge in dealing with life or just everyday things. Mistakes after another, lies to cover more lies and hurting tho...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: readers who like romance with a lot of drama, and don't hate books with abuse

Shelves: cliffhangers, horrible-bad-boring-beginnings, liked-the-characters-some-or-all, love-triangles, melting-inside-awwww, omfg, reviewed-books, sad, sad-tragic-endings

4.5 STARS

This is probably the most depressing book, i have ever read in my life. When you read this, it's like you can : feel the pain, and all the sadness, all those emotions are just pouring out of the pages.

This is how I pictured the main protagonist, Emma

photo 65efaeac-5412-4d60-b607-1a349b4ca989_zps25968d33.jpg

"
And this is how i kinda pictured Ethan, delete the tiny beard though.

photo 24da2dc9-6677-4291-a768-9440dd3e832f_zps5087586c.jpg

"

Barely Breathing is the second book in the heartbreaking Breathing trilogy, by Rebecca Donovan. May i just say, this is absolutely MASSIVE, it's the biggest book i ev...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Gloria Kruss rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I dunno, Rebecca, I'm going to be honest with you - you should've cut this by about 100 pages. Slice it nicely in the middle. I see you were trying to make a point but I think that yeh - If you did that I might have been a really tight story. I would've upped my rating and I really wanted to but because you must've put the accelerator on from page 250 onwards and it finally hooked me in.

** Like Halleluiah**

I actaully still want to read the 3rd one and wanna know what happened so it's not all ba...more I dunno, Rebecca, I'm going to be honest with you - you should've cut this by about 100 pages. Slice it nicely in the middle. I see you were trying to make a point but I think that yeh - If you did that I might have been a really tight story. I would've upped my rating and I really wanted to but because you must've put the accelerator on from page 250 onwards and it finally hooked me in.

** Like Halleluiah**

I actaully still want to read the 3rd one and wanna know what happened so it's not all bad. And could you please put more things in it other than go to parties? Shake up the scenery a bit? I'd really love it if she'd put use the money she got to go to the Carribean or something? or as per below start 'giving'.

Just my opinion on the characters:
Emma: I really wanted to like Emma, I really did but she just didn't offer 'anything' sorry. A wet sail. I can't really see the special there sorry. Personality wise, I know she's gone through a lot and isn't meant to try to be likable but i find it hard to like her as a person because she's not a giver, everyone else seems to give around her (like Sara) but she's i dunno a huge taker and I dunno is she really appreciates it?

Evan: is a bit one dimensional. kind've didn't ever put his foot down when Emma was flaking on him. I dunno why he stuck around when Emma gives crumbs of her time. Some passion required here I think... i mean more of what i saw at the end when he punched Jonathan.

Jonathan: I was convinced he was mega hot. tick.

Emma's mum Rachel: frustrated me. Look if I was smart and I was a true gold digger like she was, I'd be playing the game, but know she's the hugest screw up. but couldn't understand her at the same time - what a red hot mess. I dunno how she was able to hold a 'PA' job... just doesn't make sense, maybe if she were a waitress or did odd jobs I'd be convinced but a PA? She goes on benders during work night, drinks with Emma's class mates... um yeh...

Anyway that's all my reviews.

All in all, being on holidays at the time of reading this, i had some patience but future readers don't be shy to flick through the mid section. you'll thank me later.
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Evan or Jonathon?	33	259	May 19, 2013 08:15pm
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Teasers	1	56	Mar 06, 2013 01:10pm
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About Rebecca Donovan

Optimism seeps from every pore of my body. I truly believe that what's supposed to happen... will! In that regard, I don't know how to give up; it's not part of my biological make up.

I'm a passionate (and some would say, overly enthusiastic) person. I learn by doing (and have been burned more times that I'd like to admit), but I will always throw my entire self into whatever I do - fail or succeed...more

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Quotes from Barely Breathing

“I breathed for you... I begged for you to breathe with every breath I gave to you. I kept pleading for you to breathe over and over again. And then… then you did. ~ Evan” — 222 people liked it

“Sometimes people hurt more than they can handle... And sometimes they don't know how to ask for help. They're so caught up in their own pain, they end up hurting everyone around them.” — 107 people liked it

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