Review: Breathe, Annie, Breathe
Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally
Publication Date: July 15th, 2014
Format/Source: Audibook from the author/Audible.com
Rating: 3.5/ 5 stars
Part of a series? Yes! It's part of the Hundred Oaks series though each book can be read as a standalone.
Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.
But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.
But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.
Late last year, I won a giveaway Miranda was doing for audiobook versions of all her books, and I won. I've been trying to make my way through these audiobooks, and I was really excited to get to Breathe, Annie, Breathe because by now, I've fallen in love with the Hundred Oaks characters. I didn't end up liking this one as much as I've liked the other books in the series, however.
My biggest problem, and my only problem really but it's a pretty big deal, was Annie herself. I can't tell you why exactly, but I didn't find myself relating to her like I related to, say, Savannah or Jordan. Something about her just didn't sit well with me. It could also be that the audiobook narrator made her sound incredibly whiny.
That's not to say that I didn't like Breathe, Annie, Breathe because I did. There are a lot of admirable aspects to it. My favorite thing about Kenneally's books are that they're sex positive. They don't make teenage girls having sex seem shameful the way a lot of media seems to. Even in health class, sex-ed is more about abstinence and less about staying safe, so I appreciate that Annie's story continues the tradition of sexual positivity (Is that a real phrase? It is now.). I also think the novel dealt with grief in a realistic way. Losing a loved one is in no way an easy thing to get over, and I think the grieving process was portrayed really well.
Now let's talk about Jeremiah. Jeremiah might just be my favorite of Kenneally's boys to date. He is such a sweetheart. I loved that he was there for Annie and was willing to help her through her grieving. He is so encouraging and funny, and his passion for fried chicken is one I can definitely relate to. I think he's awesome.
Despite the fact that the MC bothered the heck out of me for reasons, I liked Breathe, Annie, Breathe, and I'm looking forward to reading the next books in the Hundred Oaks series. I might even try reading a print version of the book and seeing if I like it better that way.
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