A Dream Within A Dream: Only a Breath Apart Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Only a Breath Apart
Author: Katie McGarry
Release Date: January 22, 2019
Publisher: Tor Teen
Hardcover: 368 pages

Description:

Bestselling author Katie McGarry’s trademark wrong-side-of-the-tracks romance is given a new twist in the gritty YA contemporary novel, Only a Breath Apart.

Jesse Lachlin is cursed.

So the town folklore says, but while Jesse’s had his fair share of tragedy, the only curse he believes is in 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, Scarlett Copeland.

Scarlett Copeland is psychic.

Glory Gardner tells Scarlett she has hidden psychic abilities, but Scarlett thinks Glory is delusional. What is real is Scarlett’s father’s irrational fears, controlling attitude, and the dark secrets at home. Scarlett may have a way to escape, but there’s a hitch: she’ll have to rely on the one person she used to trust, the same boy who broke her heart, Jesse Lachlin.

Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings for each other. But as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head…

Praise for ONLY A BREATH APART:

“Katie McGarry knows what YA is, how it works, and what it can do better than anyone, but she always takes it one step further.” ―Hypable

"Fair warning: Picture-perfect Scarlett and misunderstood Jesse will have you in your feels." ―Girls' Life Magazine

“Beyond a haunted teen romance is a beautiful, moving exploration of domestic violence, forgiveness, and self-love. ...Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming.” ―Kirkus, starred review

“McGarry ably captures the feeling of desperately wanting to come home to a friendship that has radically changed. The novel manages to tackle domestic violence in a way that never feels clichéd, and the romance is sure to win over even the most cynical reader. This is a story you’ll want to read slowly, just to be able to stay with the characters for a moment longer.” ―Booklist

“A gorgeous, heartfelt journey of redemption and love.” ―Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author

“Powerful, emotional, and ultimately hopeful. An unforgettable story that will leave its mark on your heart.” ―C. J. Redwine, New York Times bestselling author

“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

“Meticulously weaves a fragile love story through a minefield of loss, broken trust, and familial curses both real and imagined. Haunting, authentic, and ultimately hopeful.” ―Tammara Webber, New York Times bestselling author

“A painful, beautiful, and utterly magical story about the family you’re born into versus the family you choose.” ―Trish Doller, author of In a Perfect World

“A touching tale of love and fate straight from the heartland.” ―Mindy McGinnis, author of The Female of the Species

“Scarlett and Jesse’s story will stay in your heart long after you finish the book.” ―Simone Elkeles, New York Times bestselling author

“Southern Gothic at its finest, this is Katie McGarry’s best book to date!” ―Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan and Breathe, Annie, Breathe

You can purchase Only a Breath Apart at the following Retailers:

I don't normally read YA contemporary, especially romance, but the description had me curious. I'll admit that I usually give this genre a shot and I'm almost always disappointed. That was definitely NOT the case with this book. I'm so glad that I gave it a shot because it was sad, full of hurt and hope and healing, of friendship and family and love, and so much more. In short - I loved it.

The plot might not have been the most original one out there, but the author put her own twists on it to make it stand apart from others like it. I loved the whole "curse" aspect along with the psychic elements. It was a big plus for me and added an extra layer to the story that only made me like it more. The main characters - Scarlett and Jesse - were complex and realistic. And I'm not just saying that. They've both had hard lives growing up - in different ways - and their friendship was one of the only good things in their lives. Until that went to hell. Anyway, I easily connected to each of them and really enjoyed watching them both grow and mature throughout the novel, as well as seeing their friendship rekindle and blossom into something more. One huge thing for me was the writing style the author used. She uses the first person point of view and has alternating chapters between Scarlett and Jesse's perspectives. This is my favorite writing style because it allows the reader to create such a deeper bond with the narrator(s), and this was no different. In my opinion, it only made the book that much better. I highly recommend this book to fans of YA contemporary, romance, and magical realism.

Photo Content from Katie McGarry

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. She is the author of the Pushing the Limits and Thunder Road series.