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Hold Me Like a Breath

(Once Upon a Crime Family #1)

Tiffany Schmidt (Goodreads Author)

3.67 · Rating details · 2,698 ratings · 434 reviews

Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold—including body parts. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants.

Penelope’s surrounded by all the suffocating privilege and protection her family can provide, but they can't protect her from the autoimmune disorder that ...more

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Hardcover, 390 pages

Published May 19th 2015 by Bloomsbury

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Jun 25, 2014 Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, half-fantasy, netgalley, ya, meh, rabid-reads-reviews, mafia-shmafia

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

The first thing that struck me about this book was the title: HOLD ME LIKE A BREATH.

There are a lot of different ways you can hold someone, and I've heard innumerable similes in that regard, but never that one . . . "like a breath."

You hold your breath like it's yours, like it belongs to you, b/c it does. And whether you're holding your breath b/c you're underwater or b/c smelly things or for any other reason, you're fighting yourself, b/c your natural inclination is to b ...more

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Nov 05, 2014 Aimee ♥ | Aimee, Always rated it did not like it

Shelves: arc, romances-i-cant-understand, i-am-not-pleased-with-that-cliffie, no-chemistry, ha-ha-not-funny, love-triangles, predictable, let-me-gouge-your-eyeballs-out, eye-roll, oh-the-fluff

*Ranting and swearing up ahead.

Things I now need after reading this book:
1.) a good brick wall to throw the book against,
2.) bleach for my brain,
3.) a punching bag for stress relief.

And now you're probably asking, This book couldn't be that horrible, right? I thought so too, my dear friends. And I was proven wrong. Let me try to get everything down for you:

1.) You're expecting some badass mafia business? Well, HA. You don't get it.

Penelope is dense as fuck. The girl has almost no knowledge a ...more

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May 09, 2014 Faye, la Patata rated it did not like it

Shelves: mafia, instalove, annoying-emo-heroines, too-stupid-to-live, sibling-love, meh-romance, annoying-feisty-heroines, contemporary-fiction, suspense, selfish-heroine

This is probably the first time in a long while since I've gotten this infuriated and angry and just fuming over a book. I chose to read this novel expecting great things (especially with such a title as romantic as that), but I ended up putting the book down at certain times and pacing around the room just to cool off the steam coming out of my ears. I was that seething.

(And I'm not the only one. I buddy read this with Aimee and we kept ranting about the book to each other.)

I don't even know w ...more

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Mar 02, 2014 Angela marked it as maybe-read

Shelves: fantasy, 2015-may, retellings

Agh, lots of mixed reviews.

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Sep 20, 2014 Jess rated it it was ok

Shelves: gimme-2015-k, needs-review-lol

Don't hold your breath for this one. Review To Come.

I can be a tad more eloquent than this. Let me quickly break this down:

+ Cliches
+ Overwhelming, horrendously instantaneous romance
+ No blood, no politics, where's my nitty gritty crime lords/mafia story?
+ TOO MUCH TRUST WHERE IT DOESN'T MATTER
+ We could have had a great study into ethics and morals concerning blood money and being an illegal "angel" (especially with the organ donation business). Terrible pity that we get nothing at a ...more

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Jun 08, 2016 Kelly (Diva Booknerd) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: bloomsbury

Hold Me Like A Breath is a difficult read. Despite the poor reviews and multiple cautions, even having lowered my expectations, I was mildly entertained. Hold Me Like A Breath promises an enthralling read and delivered little more than a thinly veiled mystery and instant romance.

Penelope suffers from a rare autoimmune disease known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, where her body destroys its own Platelets. She is kept within the secure estate due to the nature of her condition and is neve Hold Me Like A Breath is a difficult read. Despite the poor reviews and multiple cautions, even having lowered my expectations, I was mildly entertained. Hold Me Like A Breath promises an enthralling read and delivered little more than a thinly veiled mystery and instant romance.

Penelope suffers from a rare autoimmune disease known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, where her body destroys its own Platelets. She is kept within the secure estate due to the nature of her condition and is never to be touched. But lately she's been restless and although her health fluctuates, she dreams of a life outside of the estate which she now sees as a compound. Although I couldn't connect to Penelope as a character, I understood her frustration at those around her being overly protective and the freedom she longs to experience. But it's how she's perceived on an intellectual level in which I took issue. Physically she's unwell, but she's an intelligent girl who is simply brushed aside when she attempts to ask questions, wanting to understand what the family business entails. It doesn't aid her that she's referred to as Princess.

The storyline doesn't delve into the family business beyond Penelope's understanding, with the focus is placed upon the attraction between she and her brother's best friend Garrett. They share a flirtatious friendship, stolen moments of almost kisses and it's then when Penelope's brother discovers their connection. But before they can explore the new boundaries of their tentative relationship, Penelope is forced to flee the compound for New York City, with her life barely intact.

This is where the storyline took an unexpected and unwelcomed twist. Up until that moment, I was enjoying the storyline for the most part and had expected Penelope to develop self confidence and begin to be treated as an equal. But as she explored the city, she meets Charlie who is also seeing the city as a tourist. Charlie is secretive, but latches onto Penelope to the point of waiting outside of her apartment for a glimpse of the girl he's already falling in love with.

description

The romance was terrible, not to mention predictable. While pining away for Garrett, she's falling in love with Charlie despite having only known him for days. As a reader, I found it painfully obvious what Charlie was hiding and although she had lead a very sheltered life, Penelope seemed to have forgotten her family and spent her time making the most of her time in the city.

description

Indeed. That's when the storyline had lost my attention. For a girl so frail she wasn't allowed to leave her estate, her health is failing and yet she strangely has time for a whirlwind romance. She barely gave a second thought to her family. Although Penelope has very little experience with affairs of the heart, being able to trust Charlie so easily was dubious at best considering her family's illegal business. The romance was a deal breaker. It was obvious, predictable and lacked chemistry or any genuine connection between Charlie and Penelope.

Writing a less than positive review gives me no joy, because as many issues as I had with Hold Me Like A Breath, the writing wasn't one of them. I found the overall storyline engaging with an incredible amount of promise, but I just couldn't move beyond the romance. I felt cheated out of what could have been an epic read from a genre in young adult that seems lacking.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2016/07/h... ...more

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Feb 01, 2015 A.C. Gaughen rated it it was amazing

Just finished the ARC of this book, and IT WAS SO AWESOME. Penelope is this rare character that never feels cliched and grows dramatically--but believably--over the course of the book. And BOYS AND LOVE BUT I CANT SAY ANY MORE BECAUSE SPOILERS--but suffice to say, as ever, Tiffany's romantic plots are the kind you read, flip back, read again, write down quotes....and siiiigh.

But the thing I really can't get over is the detail, originality and total saturation of the crime family element. It's s ...more

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Aug 18, 2014 Alyssa rated it liked it

Shelves: 2015-releases

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt
Book One of the Once Upon a Crime Family series
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: May 19, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold—including body parts. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants.

Penelope’s surrounded ...more

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May 07, 2015 The Book Jar Blog rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

Read more of our reviews at: www.thebookjarblog.wordpress.com

Penelope Landlow has had a sheltered life. Living with a disease that leaves her weak and fragile, she has been sheltered and protected her whole life. Her family is in the organ transplant business, the illegal black market transplant business. When something goes wrong and she’s the only family member left, Penelope has to fend for herself, something she has never experienced before. She’s on the run and constantly looking over her s ...more

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Sep 16, 2014 Tiff at Mostly YA Lit rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, pub-bloomsbury, pub-penguin, ya, retellings

This is one of those books where you’re either going to love it or say “meh” to it – and unfortunately, it was the latter for me. Here’s the breakdown:

What I Liked:

The Concept: When I first heard the concept of Hold Me Like A Breath, I was totally in – mob family, organ transplants, and a girl who bruises so easily that she has to be kept inside at all times? Amazing. Tiffany Schmidt manages to blend all of these things together in an understandable way.

The Fairy Tale Allusions: If you’re ...more

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Mar 31, 2015 Dark Faerie Tales rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed-by-bridget

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Amazing, intense story that you won’t want to put down. With its unique idea, intriguing plot, and wonderful characters this is sure to be a hit with all young adult fans! Also, this book has one of my favorite covers ever — it is so pretty!

Opening Sentence: Once upon a time— nine years ago, to be exact— I didn’t know anything about the Family Business.

The Review:

Penelope Landlow has grown up in a very privileged environment. Her family is extre ...more

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Aug 29, 2014 Shannon (It Starts At Midnight) rated it did not like it

Shelves: read-for-review, 2015

This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
reviews

Dear Hold Me Like a Breath,
What a tumultuous relationship we've had. First I didn't like you. I was confused between all the Family (Big F) versus family (little f), and then you throw a random romance my way before I even had a chance to decide if I cared. But then you began to win me over. I started genuinely liking you, I did. I mean, black market organ donations? Yes please! Weird illness that leaves Penny unable to fun ...more

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Apr 17, 2015 Mandy K rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary, series-abandoned

Full Review

This book left me feeling so-so. I thought the idea was interesting, a sickly girl that was the daughter of one of the Families that dealt with black market organ transplants. I accepted pretty early on that there wasn't going to be much dark gritty crime family-ness to this book. Even though Penelope as a member of a crime family, she's almost completely oblivious to everything that entails. Besides a few casual mentions of FBI raids and cops on the payroll, we don't see any of the w Full Review

This book left me feeling so-so. I thought the idea was interesting, a sickly girl that was the daughter of one of the Families that dealt with black market organ transplants. I accepted pretty early on that there wasn't going to be much dark gritty crime family-ness to this book. Even though Penelope as a member of a crime family, she's almost completely oblivious to everything that entails. Besides a few casual mentions of FBI raids and cops on the payroll, we don't see any of the wheelings and dealings or any of the everyday danger that should be included. It seems as if sitting in a room and debating for hours is all that the Family really does. So I accepted that it was more a setting that a pivotal point of the story. And then crazy event #1 happened, and I thought maybe this is some action here. And then a bunch of aftermath and watching tv and swimming and blood work and I let my guard down again. And then crazy event #2 happened, and everything changed. I really have to hand it to Tiffany Schmidt, I really did not see either of those two events coming. Especially the second event.

Sadly, after that, the next major part of the book was annoying. Penelope sits on her butt and wallows for about 15% of the book, and then she collides into a guy on the street and is instantly in love. I'm not kidding, they ram into each other, he gets her a cab home, and she dreams about him that night and is insta-love with him. And then he quite literally stalks her and waits outside of her apartment every day until she finally leaves. He even admits to how creepy it is and she doesn't care because shes so in love. And then we spend about 1/3 of the book frolicing around NYC with lover boy. The only reminder that your even reading the same book is the occasional mention of bruises or of crazy event #1 and #2. And then some shocking and shocking at all secrets are revealed and then one more event and its over. IF you took out all the sitting around from the first part, and all the frolicing from the second part, the book would be about 1/4 as long. It was so far from what I was expecting when I picked up the book, it wasn't bad, but I just wasn't expecting a "girl falling in love in NYC" story, I was expecting a crime family story.

Maybe I should stop reading stories with sickly MC because I tend to not like their characters. Penelope was incredibly naive, spoiled, and immature. She constantly complained about to being allowed to know anything Family related, but she never showed an interest in actually knowing, and every time she did know something she would react in a way that just proved she was too immature to be involved. She wanted to know just because she wanted to be told things. She was also childish, any time something happened, she would blame people and be angry at them, even if they couldn't help what happened.I liked most of the side characters enough to sort of make up for not liking penelope.

I didn't hate it, in fact I finished it in 2 sittings, but I didn't like the main character, the insta-love was some of the most severe I've read yet, and there was also a love triangle. There was so much more potential here.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Sep 24, 2013 Kelly added it

Shelves: read-in-2015, ya-fiction

I tore through this retelling of The Princess and The Pea (with organ trafficking) at breakneck speed. At heart, it's a story about a girl declaring her agency; after living in a bubble, with people too eager to keep her protected, she breaks out. And that breaking out comes with consequences, but it's through meeting those consequences she discovers her voice -- and her own power.

Now more Magnolia, please! ...more

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Jan 27, 2015 Larissa rated it it was ok

See this review at YA Midnight Reads

More like 2.5 stars on this one.

I have rather mixed feelings on this one. There are parts of this story which I enjoyed, and others not so much. Initially it was the premise that drew me into this one. A fairytale retelling of the Princess and The Pea? Crime family politics, in the business of black market organ transplants? It seemed like the perfect mixture, my two favorite sub-genres in YA (fairytale retellings and crime novels) coming together. However, ...more

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Oct 31, 2014 Susana rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2015-releases, netgalley, boring, ya, arc, 2015-reads, juvenil, didn-t-finish-it, not-my-cup-of-tea, tstlc

DNf at 28 %

Arc provided by Bloomsbury USA Children's books

Release Date: May 19th

TW's: for those who are squeamish about ongoing talks about blood
(like myself -_-)

Sorry, but as you can see I just couldn't ~~turn~~ click another page.

In the twenty eight percent that I read of this, there was nothing that would compel me to keep on reading it.
Sure, at the beginning I felt sorry for the girl. Okay, I still do. Having to live with such a medical condition would be hell _ Thrombocytopenia_, but I do not w ...more

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Jun 09, 2015 Whitley Birks marked it as dnf

Quit after about 50 pages, after an entire extended outing that consisted of "what's going on?" "we can't tell you." "tell meeee!" "Okay, well...erm, no, we can't tell you." "what is it?" "maybe we'll tell you later."

And I've read that sort of thing before (and been annoyed by it before) but this time, somehow, it was tense enough to actually make me physically stressed out? So, sorry, this could be the best book of the year (and, really, it sounds pretty interesting) but I can't read books that ...more

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Apr 22, 2015 Gabi rated it it was amazing

PEOPLE OF THE GOODREADS

THIS BOOK WAS JUST AAHHHHHMAZZZING

I FREAKING LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK!

ALL THE CHARACTERS, THE STORIES, AND THE TWISTS WERE ALL SO INCREDIBLE

CHAR. CHAR. CHAR. CHAR!

PLUS ITS A SERIES SO EVEN MORE CHAR!

FULL FIVE STARS FOR THUS BOOK!

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Oct 08, 2013 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-ms, 5-star-reads, ya, arc, 2013, 2014

I read an early draft of this and I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Penny's arc is incredible.

I will save more detailed gushing for later. ...more

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Jan 12, 2014 mith rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, half-star, arcs, kindle-or-ebook, series, retellings, 2015, horror-mystery-thrillers, anticipated-and-disappointed

THIS BOOK MAKES ME SO ANGRY.
Even gracing it with with 2 stars (well 1.5, tbh) is a kindness on my part.
1.25 of that is only for Carter (view spoiler). The other .25 was because I am a nice person.
God this was such an idiot-pathetic book. ...more

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Sep 20, 2014 Elevetha rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2015, original, nothing-special-here, cover-fraud, failure-to-launch, great-expectations, fairytale-retelling, gorgeous-covers, once-is-enough, of-course-i-ya

**SPOILER ALERT**

Well, that was disappointing.

First off, this cover is breathtaking. I mean, truly beautiful, though what it has to do with the book, I have no idea. The title is also eye-catching and what a play on words! That, thankfully, does fit the book exceedingly well.

All right, let's get down to business. This sounded like it would be incredible. I tried to prevent myself from getting overly excited for it, which ended up just as well, since it was a total dud.

The idea behind this story ...more

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Mar 02, 2015 Stephanie rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2015-may, mystery-thriller

Read more reviews at Inspiring Insomnia.

This poor book. It’s a mess. The first 20% of the book could have been an article in a women’s magazine titled, “My Rare and Potentially Fatal Illness,” by Penelope Landlow. I learned more than I cared to know about Penny’s illness which results in her bleeding internally at the slightest bump and requires regular monitoring and treatment. It goes on and on: Don’t touch Penny! Don’t let Penny go outside! Keep treating Penny like a helpless infant! When Read more reviews at Inspiring Insomnia.

This poor book. It’s a mess. The first 20% of the book could have been an article in a women’s magazine titled, “My Rare and Potentially Fatal Illness,” by Penelope Landlow. I learned more than I cared to know about Penny’s illness which results in her bleeding internally at the slightest bump and requires regular monitoring and treatment. It goes on and on: Don’t touch Penny! Don’t let Penny go outside! Keep treating Penny like a helpless infant! When it became clear that this was going to be a major theme throughout the book, I was ready to DNF. But the only thing of substance we learned in this first 20% is that Penny’s father is the head of a large organization that traffics in black market organs. I decided to continue on because I was waiting for Penny to give some thought to the ethics of the family business. Fortunately, it soon becomes clear why so much time was devoted to every nuance of Penny’s illness and how it relates to the larger plot. And the reason is…wait a minute. There is NO reason.

I think we can all agree that elderly people or people who have Down’s syndrome (two examples specifically cited in this book as people who are unable to get on donor waiting lists) should be able to get needed transplants. But what if their only means of getting these organs is to pay an enormous amount of money on the black market? What’s missing in this story is any thought given to the other side of the equation of the black market trade: the donor. In this book, the donors are painted in a very rosy light, like a college student who gives up a kidney in order to pay off her student loan debts. Sounds kinda nice, right? Everyone wins. But is this the reality? I watched a documentary last year about the black market for organs. The companies operate in third-world countries and prey upon impoverished, under-educated, and desperate people. These people give up their organs for a pittance, and their organs are then sold to wealthy Westerners. What happens if the donors get sick as a result of the procedure? What level of care do they receive? What happens if, years later, their one remaining kidney fails and THEY need a transplant? Will the company who took theirs step up to find a new one? Finally, do these people have any idea of the huge variance between the tiny payment they receive for giving up an organ and the large amount of money the donee pays for it?

OK, I’ll get off my soapbox now. But these are the things I wanted Penny to question. I wanted her to think about her family’s enormous wealth and how it wouldn’t have been possible if the donors weren’t being exploited. Both she (and the author) paint her family as the “good” black market organ factory, while the others are the bad ones. Incidentally, all of the organ companies in this story operate in the U.S. fairly openly. When any talk of fear of law enforcement comes up, it’s brushed aside with, “We’ve paid them all off.” How do all of these families keep their enormous, heavily secured, and heavily guarded estates away from prying eyes? “We pay off all the cab drivers so they won’t drive anyone up to our gates.” HUH???????

I’ll quickly sum up the rest of this story:

– Halfway through, a BIG, BAD THING happens that sends Penny on the run to New York. Most readers will immediately know who is responsible for the BIG, BAD THING. But not Penny.
– Before going on the run, Penny and one of her father’s employees engage in mutual flirting and swooning. Penny even tells her father that the two should get married and take over the business. Dad doesn’t like the idea.
– While on the run, Penny is desperate to get in touch with Guy # 1. She is madly in love with him until she (literally) runs into Guy # 2. Guy # 1 immediately disappears from her thoughts, and Penny and Guy # 2 engage in mutual flirting and swooning. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that EVERY reader will immediately know the real identity of Guy # 2. But not Penny.
– Guy # 2 stalks the hell out of Penny, and Penny loves it. He follows her to the apartment where she’s hiding, and he spends the next few days hovering outside, waiting for her to leave. That’s true love right there. Right? RIGHT???? Penny starts to fall even harder for this freak.
– Penny acquires some information indicating that some people on the other side of the country are about to be killed. By this point, she has made some high power contacts like, oh, for example, the Vice President of the United States. A member of the Secret Service. Rather than calling the endangered people or local law enforcement or the Vice President (who has proven himself trustworthy and willing to do anything to help and protect Penny), she boards a plane for a long flight to go directly to these people whom others are planning to kill. Smart move, Penny.

The rest plays out predictably, as well as ridiculously.

Note: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Mar 29, 2018 Aila marked it as dnf

Shelves: arc, netgalley-edelweiss

DNF @ 20%

I've had this book for way too long, and I can't get myself to get back to it. This is definitely a "it's not me, it's you" issue because I've seen other readers enjoy it mightily. My main problem with this book was that it leans towards the dramatic side (largely due to the plot), but also exacerbated by the actions of the main character Penelope. I wasn't a fan of her personally, and the love triangle that developed was also not my style. The mafia-style family was an interesting aspe ...more

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May 14, 2015 Lanie (Lanies Book Thoughts) rated it really liked it

Penelope is a young naive girl that has severe health problems that act as chains keeping her locked up tight and away from everyone. No one is allowed to touch Penelope or speak with her about a future because she's so fragile. Being the daughter of a mafia leader should have a ton of perks but the only one she ever experiences is ordering things online.

As the main character of this story, Penelope is very likable and easy to relate to, at least for me. I loved the fact she was just this sickl ...more

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Sep 04, 2014 Erin Arkin rated it liked it

Shelves: series, 2015-real-book-challenge, 365daysofya-challenge, ala-mw-2015

Ok – I may be in the minority on this one but this story was only so/so for me and I have to admit…that makes me sad! I was so excited to dive into this book because really, crime families and black markets for organ transplants…I’m in!

Overall I thought the story was good, most of my issues lie in some of the actions Penny takes. Schmidt did a great job developing this story around the crime families and the family business. I also liked the way Schmidt built the story around Penny’s disorder. A ...more

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Sep 04, 2014 E.C. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya

This book swept me off my feet! Deadly family secrets, tense situations, surprising truths, and captivating romance kept me in suspense from "Once upon a time" to "ever after". HOLD ME LIKE A BREATH is a gripping modern thriller for readers who still love fairy tales and people who think they've outgrown them. This is an offer you can't refuse! ...more

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Jan 15, 2015 Whitney rated it it was ok

Shelves: to-read-in-summer-2015, 2015-publication, fantasy

DNF
100 pages in and I had to stop. I think this story has potential but it's just not for me. It didn't grab me and I don't think it will. I can just see where it's going and I know I'm not going to like it.

It may be the book for you but not for me! ...more

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Oct 02, 2013 Jen (The Starry-Eyed Revue) rated it liked it

Shelves: reimaginings-retellings, arcs, 2015, fairytales-revisited, crime-the-mob

An ARC of this title was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts are my own.

This review can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.

I think that Tiffany Schmidt's previous works are completely underrated. They're cute and enjoyable reads, and her The Princess and the Pea retelling is no different. It did get a little insta-lovey there for a minute, but it evened out and it had me rooting for the fragile girl who wasn't nearly as delicate as she seemed.

I do think th An ARC of this title was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts are my own.

This review can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.

I think that Tiffany Schmidt's previous works are completely underrated. They're cute and enjoyable reads, and her The Princess and the Pea retelling is no different. It did get a little insta-lovey there for a minute, but it evened out and it had me rooting for the fragile girl who wasn't nearly as delicate as she seemed.

I do think that maybe I set my expectations for this book a bit too high. It's completely fabulous and unique as a retelling, but it almost felt like two separate books in one. Granted, that has a lot to do with a plot twist that IS rather divisive in nature, but Penelope was like two different people because of it. But it wasn't that fact that was off-putting but rather how easily she seemed to adjust to the change in her life.

Penelope's existence was already rather difficult, having to be extra cautious because every point of contact, every touch, could result in a bruise or worse. But when she finds herself on her own for the first time, she's only mildly disoriented at first, and it doesn't take her long to acclimate to her new place in the world. And she doesn't take very good care of herself either, which bothered me more than it should have.

When no one comes to her rescue, she sets out to make the most of her situation herself. Her knight in shining armor isn't coming for her, and before long, she meets a new guy. I admit that I shipped Penelope and Garrett at first. Friends to more romances are some of my favorites. And I didn't want to like Char, especially after their instant connection and the doe eyes and what-not, but he grew on me. I still didn't think that Penelope should be so trusting of someone who was obviously keeping secrets, but I had a feeling about Char, and I was spot-on.

I was actually pretty spot-on about much of the story, which is to say that it was more than a tad predictable. Still, that didn't detract from my overall enjoyment. I think my biggest gripe is that while Penelope proved she was stronger than everyone gave her credit for, she remained rather weak in character, becoming a bumbling idiot over a boy. I didn't mind the romance, but it just played too big a part in Penelope's story for my liking. Penelope wasn't used to so much human contact, though, so I can see why it was so important to her after everything she'd been through.

I love how the author made this fairy tale modern and still kept it familiar, and I love her note on why she wrote the story. I don't usually, but I actually read the author's note first because of the dedication, and it made me care that much more about the story I was going into. Penelope's plight is a sad, limiting one, but Schmidt weaves her tale in a way that isn't so much depressing as it is empowering. Toward the end, I did feel that Penelope had that inner strength...I just wish she'd showcased it a little more during the story.

GIF it to me straight:

...more

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Jun 07, 2014 Nikki S rated it liked it

Shelves: retellings, i-m-a-cover-whore, arc-tour

More of my reviews here at my blog: Take Me Away...

Real rating: 2.5

Another most anticipated book where I'm the back sheep so far. I was supposed to down right love this one, but as it turns out, it just wasn't for me.
For instance, it just seemed that nothing was really happening. The entire book was spent with the same cycle going over and over again. Penny was ok, then someone died, then she got sick. Sometimes the events were a little out of that order, but for the most part, that's exactly More of my reviews here at my blog: Take Me Away...

Real rating: 2.5

Another most anticipated book where I'm the back sheep so far. I was supposed to down right love this one, but as it turns out, it just wasn't for me.
For instance, it just seemed that nothing was really happening. The entire book was spent with the same cycle going over and over again. Penny was ok, then someone died, then she got sick. Sometimes the events were a little out of that order, but for the most part, that's exactly what kept happening. And because of that I didn't feel like there was a huge climax in the story. It I kept knowing what would happen because the same thing kept happening over and over. I just wasn't impressed. More like annoyed.
Maybe it's just the fact that I've read too many thrillers. Whatever the case was, the repetitiveness wasn't the only thing I was upset about in this story. I was also able to guess the villain and if you didn't know, that's my pet peeve of thrillers. If I can guess the killer/villain and I also didn't feel like it was entertaining the entire way, I'm more than likely going to vote down on it.
From the synopsis I was expecting this to be more gruesome. Towards the beginning (before I knew the plot was going to be a continuous cycle) I thought of this like one of my favorite shows, Forensic Files. But as the book went on, it just wasn't there. I just wanted more. Although I wasn't that impressed with this one, I'm hoping the rest of the series will be more creepy and have more than just what was done here.
As for the characters, I mainly kept reading this due to Penny. She grew enormously throughout this entire novel. Although she was still treated as a child, she grew up when she needed to. She just let everyone else to be taken care of and she forgot about herself. I would've been heartbroken had anything happened to her. She was what kept me hooked to this story.
Surprisingly this novel didn't go as planned for me. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this one or maybe I've just read too many thrillers, but I didn't like this one as much as everyone else seems to have. ...more

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Sep 30, 2016 Terri rated it really liked it

Shelves: sent-for-review

Review originally posted on Le Book Chronicles

If I am completely honest, after reading the blurb I didn't anticipate ever reading this. I saw words like "black market" and "rival families" and though, yeah no, not for me. But after giving it to my sister to read (and her loving it) I decided to give it a go. I have to say I was so surprised! At first it was a bit confusing, all of the medical jargon and family business stuff was kind of going over my head, but I just found the story so interesti Review originally posted on Le Book Chronicles

If I am completely honest, after reading the blurb I didn't anticipate ever reading this. I saw words like "black market" and "rival families" and though, yeah no, not for me. But after giving it to my sister to read (and her loving it) I decided to give it a go. I have to say I was so surprised! At first it was a bit confusing, all of the medical jargon and family business stuff was kind of going over my head, but I just found the story so interesting.

This story was so unique to me, and I was so surprised (and excited) to find out that it was actually a fairy tale retelling of Princess and the Pea. I was not familiar with that fairy tale, but I was just excited because I had never read a retelling before. I had never heard of a contemporary retelling before, and I really enjoyed that the story was contemporary yet it had so much action and all of the things that are usually left out of contemporaries (like murder).

I also really enjoyed all of the plot twists that occurred throughout the book. Honestly, I don't think I saw any of them coming. Or if I did it was only because I was meant to. Which was great! The romance aspect of it kind of threw me. I don't want to give anything away but reading these types of books, I'm usually always suspicious about the wrong people. For example! In Throne of Glass, I was always suspicious of Dorian simple because he was the Prince and I figured he'd turn on her. SO for the whole book I just did not trust him at all. That's kind of what it was like reading this book.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this. It's not something I would normally read. I read it quite slowly and so I was able to appreciate it more. If you are looking for a dark and twisty type of contemporary this is a good place to start! Definitely would recommend. Also if you're a fan of Princess and the Pea, you would most definitely like this! In the meantime, I am looking forward to the next book, which Goodreads says is already out, yet I haven't seen it in stores. So maybe not in Australia? ...more

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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA fiction book about a teenage girl who is sick with a blood disease and is not allowed to leave the house often (the house is huge by the way). [s]	5	786	Mar 15, 2022 02:20PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Contemp. Fiction/ Romance. Teen girl runs from her rich family (gang or criminal smugglers). Tries to live on her own, but her heart condition or narcolepsy makes it difficult. Asian boy is love interest. Quote below. Read around 2018. [s]	6	25	Nov 09, 2021 08:03AM
Crazy for Young A...: Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt→ Start Date: September 18th, 2015	7	11	Sep 18, 2015 03:28PM
Crazy for Young A...: Hold Me Like a Breath (Once Upon a Crime Family #1) by Tiffany Schmidt → Start Date: June 21st, 2015	28	19	Jul 05, 2015 03:58PM

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About Tiffany Schmidt

Tiffany Schmidt

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Tiffany Schmidt is the author of Send Me a Sign, Bright Before Sunrise, and Hold Me Like a Breath (Once Upon a Crime Family book 1).

She’s found her happily ever after in Pennsylvania with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of mischievous puggles.

You can find out more about her and her books at: TiffanySchmidt.com, TiffanySchmidtWrites.Tumblr.com or by following her on Twitter @Tif ...more