"Breathing on Her Own" (2014, 2019) - Blog & Review Tour
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour & Giveaway for Breathing on Her Own by Rebecca Waters, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
[Review at the bottom of post]
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Breathing on Her Own
Author: Rebecca Waters
Publisher: Ambassador International
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Author: Rebecca Waters
Publisher: Ambassador International
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: November 5, 2019
An icy road and a sharp turn leave one woman dead, another clinging to life.
Molly Tipton looks forward to a peaceful retirement, but her life suddenly spirals out of control when her oldest daughter is involved in a terrible accident
.
While two families grieve, details emerge that shake Molly to her core. As she prepares her daughter for what lies ahead, Molly discovers her oldest child is not the only one injured and forced to deal with past mistakes.
If it’s true that time heals all wounds, what are we to do with our scars?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rebecca Waters has been a writer most of her life. Her first published work was a story in the school newspaper she wrote in second grade. For many years Rebecca used her stories as illustrations in church settings and to entertain her own three daughters. Her professional writing included educational articles and research. Following her retirement as a professor of education from Cincinnati Christian University, Rebecca turned her pen to the world of fiction. She has also published several articles in Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Lookout Magazine, and Home Health Aide Digest.
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive a $10 Dunkin' Donuts eGift Card and signed print copy of Breathing on Her Own (US only) OR a digital copy of the book and $10 gift card (outside the US).
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight January 21, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on January 28, 2020. Print copyUS only. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.
MY REVIEW
Thank you in advance to JustRead and the publisher for providing a complimentary copy to review. All words are my own in this review and a positive review was not required.
This is the first book I’ve read by Rebecca Walters and this is also her “debut” book. This heart-wrenching novel was first published in 2014, and was re-published in October 2019.
The cover depicts the “what should’ve been” in the book – an older couple with grown adult children – looking forward to retirement in sunny Florida. And, that drew me in, along with the blurb for the book.
After their oldest daughter has a life-altering accident; the couple, their son-in-law, and grandchildren face changes in their lives finding “normal” again. Molly doesn’t believe that they’ll ever find it. Challenge after challenge comes their way – Laney’s recovery, legal issues, housing issues. Even dealing with the past. Yet, their faith in God and by using prayer gets them through the challenges.
“Breathing on her Own” is a clean; Christian read with what some might describe as heavy themes of faith, redemption, and forgiveness. God is very much present in the book. It is told entirely from Molly’s POV in third person form.
Waters’ writing is realistic, vivid, and at times overwhelming. She carefully crafts an emotional roller-coaster ride that is hard to put down. The story is very engaging and realistic. Anyone who has been a victim of DUI or in a car accident in general, might have some triggering effects. Waters’ doesn’t shy away from the topic as to the emotional effects; the legal effects tended to only skim the surface. The physical effects were also introduced, and realistically portrayed.
There will be some who might find the heavy Christian themes a bit off-putting. I did not. The way the book is written, the reader might find themselves questioning their own faith and wondering about the choices they make.
The only issue I had was some transitions of time in the story – some were rushed, and others needed to “move on”. Other than that I found it to be well-written with a natural flow. It was an easy to read novel, and very easy to get lost in. There were times I couldn’t put it down.
The characters were realistic in their circumstances. Molly was the mother who tended more to blame someone else than accept her daughter’s responsibility, and even Laney skated by with not being able to remember. Molly’s faith tended to waver back and forth despite what she was trying to tell her daughter. Laney’s “come to Jesus” moment was a bit too quick for the situation.
There were minor issues that did tended to be distracting – a potential criminal and civil legal issue were introduced and dismissed quickly, and Molly’s lack of judgment when it came to a “letter” her daughter wanted to mail after the accident.
Overall, this was one of those books that evoked emotional reactions, but left me feeling hopeful at the end – God is there and will be there. Not in the way we want, in the way he thinks we need. I did enjoy it quite a bit though.
Recommended for those who enjoy Christian and faith-based reads.
RATING:
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
Bookbub – RATING NOT AVAILABLE (Book Not Listed on Bookbub)
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)
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