The Next Breath by Laurel Osterkamp

 

4 STARS

ABOUT THE BOOK -

The rain pours down, plastering his hair to his head and his shirt to his body. He takes my hand and puts it over his heart.

"See? Still beating."

Pounding is more like it...

How do you let go of your first love when his memory still owns your heart?

Ten years ago, Robin’s world was cracked open by Jed—a brilliant, complicated young man who told her not to fall for him. But she did. She gave him everything, only to lose him to a chronic illness that was always waiting in the wings.

Now, Robin is finally rebuilding. She has a new career, a small but solid circle of support, and Nick—a funny, passionate, infuriatingly earnest guy who sees her for who she is. He doesn’t know about Jed. Or the play Jed wrote for her. Or that Robin has agreed to star in its long-overdue debut.

As opening night nears, Robin is haunted by what could have been—and by what still might be. She’s caught between honoring the past and claiming her future, between the person she was and the person she wants to become. And the more she tries to move forward, the more she wonders: is letting go an act of betrayal… or the bravest kind of love?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR -

Laurel Osterkamp is the author of The Side Project, Favorite Daughters, and Beautiful Little Furies—a #1 Amazon bestseller. Her novels explore the intersections of love, identity, and self-reinvention, often with strong, complex female leads. Laurel lives in Minneapolis, where she teaches middle school enrichment and adult ESL. When she’s not writing or teaching, she’s raising a family of deep thinkers and a couple of unapologetic cats.

You can find Laurel at her website or on Instagram.

MY THOUGHTS -

Wow, I wasn't too sure about this book at first. It slowly grew on me, and grew, and grew! 

I started reading this book, and while I liked it, I wasn't loving it. I used one of my free credits to get it on Audible... boy what a difference that made! Usually it's the other way around for me. I didn't even listen to a full chapter before I was fully invested! The characters came alive. Which is exactly what I needed. I felt these characters. I felt what they were feeling. Great character development!

This book is sad! A very emotional, powerful read. It's a beautifully written story about relationships, really. The relationship between Robin and her current boyfriend (Nick), and Robin and her past boyfriend (Jed), but the one that really got to me was the relationship between Robin and Jed's mom! Wow, that was the one that was special! I loved how she took Robin under her wing as though she was her own daughter. ~ Very touching!

I definitely recommend this one, but even more I recommend the audio version! 

I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this book from the author and "Author Marketing Experts". Thank You!