Katie McGarry’s ONLY A BREATH APART is now available!

Would you dare to defy destiny? Are our destinies written in stone? Do we become nothing more than the self-fulfilling prophesies of other people's opinions? Or can we dare to become who we believe we were born to be?

“A gorgeous, heartfelt journey of redemption and love” (Wendy Higgins), ONLY A BREATH APART is a young adult contemporary novel from critically acclaimed Katie McGarry. “Haunting, authentic, and ultimately hopeful” (Tammara Webber), ONLY A BREATH APART is now available!

 

About ONLY A BREATH APART:

They say your destiny is carved in stone. But some destinies are meant to be broken.

The only curse Jesse Lachlin believes in is his grandmother’s will: in order to inherit his family farm he must win the approval of his childhood best friend, the girl he froze out his freshman year.

A fortuneteller tells Scarlett she's psychic, but what is real is Scarlett’s father’s controlling attitude and the dark secrets at home. She may be able to escape, but only if she can rely on the one boy who broke her heart.

Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings, but as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head…

 

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“Gritty and real, Only a Breath Apart is a story of hope conjured from pain, strength drawn from innocence, and love earned from self-respect. Beautiful, poignant, and fierce.” ―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series

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    EXCERPT:

 ~SCARLETT~

 A scraping of a chair, a tray full of food and I glance over with my practiced smile in welcome. It’s not Camila, Evangeline, or anyone else from the group. It’s green eyes, red hair, a familiar mischievous smile that used to be reserved only for me, and my blood pounds with excitement as if someone lit a sparkler in my chest. Then I frown because I’m not supposed to feel this way. Not with him. Not with anyone. Jesse Lachlin winks at me as he sits across from me like no time has passed from when we climbed trees together. “What’s up, Tink?” Another thrill runs through me but then my muscles tighten. Stupid, antiquated reaction belonging to a dead past. “What are you doing here?” Jesse pops a fry into his mouth, chews, then picks up another as if he has no intention of answering. I scan the cafeteria. Several people are watching us, curious as to why Jesse Lachlin is sitting with me, or is event at lunch, or even at school. From the lunch line, Camila’s and Evangeline’s eyes are bugging out of their heads. What is going on? Camila mouths. I raise my eyebrows to inform her I have no idea. Jesse digs into his corn with his fork and that’s crossing a line. “Maybe you didn’t hear me, but I asked what you’re doing here.” He lifts his eyes to meet mine and there’s a glimmer in them that causes my lips to flatten. Fantastic. He’s here to make my life a living hell. “It seems obvious,” he says. If he remembers anything about me, he should recall I was never known for my patience and that he should be speaking, and speaking soon. “Just answer the question.” “I’m eating lunch.” I honest to God groan in frustration. “There’s no room at the inn.” He surveys the table, takes in the empty seats, my books, and then gives me a good look. A slow look. As if he’s trying to memorize every inch he’s drinking in. My cheeks redden because that somehow feels a little too intimate for lunch. Feels a little too intimate for someone I’m no longer friends with. It feels too intimate if we were friends. I glance away, but I sense him still staring at me. God help me, I want to stare back.

   

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Katie McGarry

 
Katie McGarry Bio: Katie is the author of the PUSHING THE LIMITS series, THUNDER ROAD series, SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME, and the upcoming YA novel, ONLY A BREATH APART. Her novels have received starred reviews, critical acclaim and have won multiple awards including being a multiple Goodreads Choice Award Finalist for YA Fiction, multiple RT Magazine's Reviewer's Choice Award Finalist for Best YA Fiction, including a win in the category, and she was a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick.      

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Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee

To keep the family safe, Min’s mother insists that none of them use any fox-magic, such as Charm or shape-shifting. They must appear human at all times. Min feels hemmed in by the household rules and resents the endless chores, the cousins who crowd her, and the aunties who judge her. She would like nothing more than to escape Jinju, her neglected, dust-ridden, and impoverished planet. She’s counting the days until she can follow her older brother, Jun, into the Space Forces and see more of the Thousand Worlds.

When word arrives that Jun is suspected of leaving his post to go in search of the Dragon Pearl, Min knows that something is wrong. Jun would never desert his battle cruiser, even for a mystical object rumored to have tremendous power. She decides to run away to find him and clear his name.

Min’s quest will have her meeting gamblers, pirates, and vengeful ghosts. It will involve deception, lies, and sabotage. She will be forced to use more fox-magic than ever before, and to rely on all of her cleverness and bravery. The outcome may not be what she had hoped, but it has the potential to exceed her wildest dreams.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34966859-dragon-pearl

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

The next book released in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint and it was awesome! Yoon Ha Lee takes us on an adventure with Korean mythology in space and it was pretty neat. Min is a fox and has powerful fox-magic such, such as shape-shifting and Charm. Foxes are not popular among the universe because of their bad reputation. But when she hears that her brother has been marked as a deserter on his battle cruiser to find the mythical object, the Dragon Pearl, she knows something is wrong. Her brother would never betray his oath. She decides to run away and clear his name. Using her magic more than she ever has before, she finds her way to her brother's ship and impersonates a cadet in the hope to find the truth about her brother. Action, humor, and lots of fun Dragon Pearl was an awesome addition to this new imprint and Yoon Ha Lee is a fantastic writer!

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.

The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone's declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.

Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she's in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous--and most people aren't good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it's safest to keep your secrets to yourself.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38225791-two-can-keep-a-secret

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Karen M. McManus is brilliant when it comes to writing mystery novels. I sit here reading, determined to follow the clues and figure out who the murderer is, and by the time it is revealed I'm just like, "well, damn, didn't see that coming!" Seriously. It's awesome when a writer can write a mystery you can't solve right away. That when we reach the end of the story and it is revealed you are genuinely surprised. And it made sense. It wasn't some random person you never heard of and the other mysteries that were woven in the story were there to distract you from the truth, were brilliant as well and made sense. Again, not random or a writer just throwing things in there just to try and trick you. 

So, in this book the story is told through Ellery and Malcolm's point of view. Together, along with their friend Mia and Ellery's twin brother, Ezra, they try to solve the mystery of who is bringing back the mystery of the girl who was murdered a few years back. Someone is threatening to hurt another girl and just when they think things can't get worse, one girl goes missing. Ellery and Malcolm comb through the past to see if it could solve the present's mystery. Really well written. The story hooks you in, where you look at every detail trying to solve the mystery. If you liked One of Us Is Lying by McManus, you will definitely love this one. 

Love in Scotland Book 2: Chaotic Scottish Wedding by Jessie Donovan

Love in Scotland Book 2

LOVE IN SCOTLAND BOOK 2 

Andrew Spencer arrives in Scotland a week before his sister’s wedding and is immediately roped in to help. His job will be to assist the wedding photographer, Natalie Lockhart. However, she turns out to be the unforgettable one-night stand from six years earlier, the one who he connected with in a way he’s never connected with a woman before—both between the sheets and out of them. 

Unfortunately, she left before he woke up in the morning, never giving him so much as her name. He should be angry with her, he really should. And yet, the more time he spends with Natalie, the more he wishes he’d woken up in time to catch her six years ago. 

Since few women would put up with his family’s duels, one of the weirdest dinners in history, and even a wedding-related chocolate emergency, and not go running for the hills, Natalie Lockhart is one-of-a-kind. The added bonus: she sets his skin on fire unlike any other. 

The only question is whether love and laughter will be enough for them to overcome everything and find a way to be together. Of course, that means surviving the wedding and his family first before they can even think of the future. And given the track record of his family and their get-togethers, surviving without an arrest record isn’t always guaranteed.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42416665-chaotic-scottish-wedding

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Loved this story! Andrew and Natalie are so adorable together. I loved reading their story and watching them fall in love. Andrew and Natalie had met six years before, but fear for falling for Andrew had Natalie running away before a relationship could even begin between them. Though time has passed, Andrew never forgot Natalie. When Andrew comes to Scotland for his sister's wedding, he can't believe that the girl who got away, is a new friend of his sister. Now, they get a do over. Time has passed and life has taken them on a quite a journey, they find the chemistry between one another to still exist and they are determined not to have another "what if" situation between them. They both take a chance on what a relationship between them could be. Fun, sweet, romantic, and hilarious, this story had it all! I am loving this new series by Jessie Donovan and my desire to Scotland keeps increasing as she keeps telling these stories.

I received an ARC for an honest review.

The Folk of the Air Series Book 2: The Wicked King by Holly Black

The Folk of the Air Series Book 2

The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38237340-the-wicked-king

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Just when I thought I had a chance of figuring out the lies and deceits that comes with being in Faerie, I still don't see half of what is coming. Wow! The Wicked King is a fantastic follow up to The Cruel Prince and I need it to be next year already so I can get my hands on the final book The Queen of Nothing. This book was fantastic. Jude's hold on Cardan is running out. She is halfway into their bargain and she is determined to keep the power she has gained. But the problem is how? While the demands of being the one in power is draining her, she can't seem to let it go. The politics, the threats from the Undersea, the threat of a betrayal of someone she trusts, the threats toward her life, and her unwanted feelings toward Cardan, have her drowning in exhaustion. The stakes are high in this book and I could not put it down. And come on, I just had to know what Cardan and Jude actually feel for one another. And boy, is there a lot of feelings. This book was just so freaking good!! Plot twists on plot twists! And that ending!!!! Waiting will be torture. 

Losing It Series Book 3.5: Seeking Her by Cora Carmack

Losing It Series Book 3.5

Jackson Hunt gets his turn in this Finding It prequel novella …

Jackson Hunt hasn't been out of the military for long, but he needs to get a job and find a sense of normalcy if he is going to keep his demons at bay. The job that falls into his lap, though, is anything but normal.

Becoming bodyguard (and babysitter) to spoiled rich girl Kelsey Summers isn't exactly what he had in mind, but it's a chance to travel, to get away. The catch: Kelsey's father doesn't want her to know she's being followed.

She's vibrant and infuriating, exciting and reckless, mysterious and familiar. When Jackson sees her falling into the same patterns he suffered years ago, he decides it's time to stop watching and help her instead. But getting to know Kelsey is more difficult than he thought, especially because the more he knows her, the more he wants her.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20528095-seeking-her

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

This short novella is told through Hunt's point of view. It starts with him getting on the plane to begin his mission to be Kelsey's bodyguard, without her knowing that is. Kelsey becomes a mystery to Hunt. When he starts his mission, he thinks he knows her type. But the more he watches out for her the more he realizes that Kelsey is just good at wearing a mask. Suddenly, his mission to stay out of sight becomes a lot harder. He wants to get to know the real her. This novella follows Hunt's point of view up until the night they share their first kiss and the disaster that occurs after. I really enjoyed getting a better look at Hunt's thoughts and his own struggles. I liked him a lot in Finding It , and this made me like him more.

Losing It Series Book 3: Finding It by Cora Carmack

Losing It Series Book 3

Kelsey Summers is looking for love in all the wrong places…

Spending a few months traveling around Europe – with no parents, no responsibilities and a no limit credit card – Kelsey’s having the time of her life.

But when she completely embarrasses herself in front of the hottest guy she’s ever seen, she soon realizes there’s more to life than the next party.

What she doesn’t realize is that although she’s on a journey to find herself, she will end up finding The One...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16172638-finding-it

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

The final book of the series and we finally get a look at how Kelsey is doing abroad in Europe. This book surprised me. Kelsey had a lot more going in her life than I would have ever expected. Everyone has their story and hardships, and Kelsey is no different. Definitely a great one in the series. My only thing was that the mystery of Hunt wasn't a mystery to me because I had read the summaries of each book in the series to find out what they were about. In the novella that follows this one, it is in Hunt's point of view, giving away who he was and how his path crossed Kelsey. So if you haven't looked ahead, don't! It didn't ruin the story for me, because Hunt became one of my favorite characters in the series, but I was constantly wondering and anxious about the truth coming out. Anyway, the story was an emotional one that took Kelsey and Hunt across Europe, as they tried to find an adventure and, of course, falling in love along the way. But sometimes falling in love is harder when you are trying to find who you are and where you want to call home. Or, more accurately, who home is.