Title: Breathe, Annie, Breathe
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publishing Date: July 15th, 2014
Rating: 4/5 stars


This book has just the right amounts of sweetness and excitement that makes it the perfect read for a lazy rainy day. Breathe Annie Breathe isn't the best out of all the Hundred Oaks series (of course, Catching Jordan is still my favorite!) but it is one of the best out of all the five books so far.

The heroine of Breathe Annie Breathe is Annie - a girl who is preparing to run a marathon in order to honor the death of her boyfriend. The training for the marathon is not child's play, and Annie has to deal with that. She is an admirable, headstrong and driven protagonist, but at the same time she is lost, emotional and conflicted. I found her to be a very relatable character, and I loved her for being so focused on what she wants, that she has her eye on the prize. Annie has a goal, and she will do whatever it takes to get that, and that is something I truly admire about her.

The love interest, Jeremiah, if you've read the previous books, is Will's little brother. The moment he appears in the book as the guy who runs backwards, I already knew that I was going to like this guy. He is adventurous and is a daredevil, but he also knows when to take things seriously. The relationship between Annie and Jeremiah develops very slowly in the book, and it takes Annie a while to let down her walls again. I loved how they start off as just friends, even with the undeniable attraction between the two of them.

The strongest point about Breathe Annie Breathe is definitely the subtlety of its story. It is clearly the most mature, strongest and most emotional out of all the books so far. It deals with heavy issues like death, guilt and grief. Annie is truly a complex character, and the way she deals with her grief, breath by breath, resonated with me. The story made into a great parallel of Annie working hard with her training and at the same time working hard with moving on and dealing with Kyle's death. The way the story unfolds without being too dramatic but still capturing the appropriate emotion is what makes this book very special.

This is the kind of book that tackles very serious issues in a light manner, yet without diminishing any emotional value. It's a book that's going to make you feel good about life, and find hope in the simple things.