Elizabeth is still reeling from the loss of her husband a year before. She is trying to keep her sanity intact because she has their young daughter to raise and she doesn’t want her to continue to see her sorrow. Tristan Cole is the loner next door. When Elizabeth arrives back in town after a year away, all she hears is that Tristan is scary, violent, a loser, and not to let him get close, but there’s something in his eyes that calls out to her and draws her in.

Tristan is pretty much what all of her friends say. He, too, is dealing with tragedy, but he has let it break him down. Even when Elizabeth reaches out to him he doesn’t know if he can handle the responsibility without it tearing him apart. So the two of them make an agreement to “use” each other. Their relationship is meant for them to not feel so alone, but it doesn’t help them get over their pain, it actually enhances it. It’s only when they stop that they realize their feelings had changed.

This was one dark and emotional novel and at times I was worried that it wouldn’t ever lighten up. The surprise for me was that it was Tristan who saw the light first and helped Elizabeth find it. I read so many novels where the woman “saves” the man and I think if The Air He Breathes had taken that route I would’ve disliked the novel. Thank goodness Brittainy Cherry took me down a different path. It’s really hard to read a book where your hero and heroine are in so much emotional pain, but Ms. Cherry seems to relish these kinds of stories and she is very good at delivering a satisfying conclusion. If you love hardcore, dark, emotional romances you will love this novel. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase! The Air He Breathes (Elements)

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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Graham Russell is a best selling horror author who has been abandoned by everyone in his life. He was raised by a father who was not capable of loving anyone but himself. Graham never learned how to love, and if he had he certainly wouldn’t trust it. When we meet him, he’s getting ready for his father’s funeral service. His very pregnant wife, Jane, has to practically drag him to the service, which he reluctantly attends. At the service he meets Lucille, one of the florists who provided flowers for his fathers service. They are briefly trapped together outside and strike up a conversation. This conversation defines who these two people are- Graham is an unemotional bastard and Lucille has a skip in her step and an optimistic view of life.

This novel is not a typical romance. This is a book about learning to love. Graham, for the first time in his life falls head over heels in love, with his baby girl. He would do anything for her and he does by reaching out to the sister of his wife (yes, Lucille is his sister in law!) to help him figure out how to care for his daughter. Lucille is immediately all in. Even though her sister abandoned she and her other sister in their greatest time of need, she doesn’t even think twice about helping Graham out, devoting all of her spare time. As they spend more time with each other Lucille falls in love with her taciturn brother in law. Looking at him through her eyes, I can see why. He is in love with this little girl and it brings out the humanity in him. A humanity that he soon has trouble shutting the door on. As his daughter melts his heart, Lucille’s generosity of spirit and wholesome love opens his heart to another kind of love.

Once again I’m going to reiterate that this is not your typical romance. Based on the cover you’d think it would be a sexy love story. There is a little of that much later in the novel, however the sexiness in this novel isn’t physical. The sexy in this novel comes from the warmth of love. The basis of their relationship is a friendship that builds throughout the entire novel. I loved that. The only negative for me was that he was married to Lucille’s sister.  Jane disappeared after giving birth to a sick child and was obviously emotionally inept. That contrast between she and Lucille needed to be extreme for Gabriel to learn love. In fact that contrast between those two women, for me showed how much Gabriel emerged from the darkness into the light. That journey to a healthy love made the happily ever after even more rewarding. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase! The Gravity of Us (The Elements Series) (Volume 4) Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved