Just Finished Reading ... Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

Breathe, Annie, Breathe (Hundred Oaks #5)
by Miranda Kenneally
Published by Sourcebooks
on July 15, 2014

Source: bought

Synopsis from Goodreads: 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.

My take:  It's always a happy day when there's a new Miranda Kenneally book to read. I love the way that all her books have a main character who is trying to find herself in some way or another, but that every book feels completely different. Breathe, Annie, Breathe borders on New Adult, as Annie has graduated from college, and Jeremiah's in college, so if you enjoy YA books with a bit more maturity, give this one a try.

Annie's going through a lot -- she's about to leave for college, she's training for a marathon ... and her boyfriend died. I loved the way that Annie's struggles had both a physical and an emotional component. She's using the marathon training as a test, as a tribute, as a distraction.  Then she meets a guy -- the absolute wrong guy at the wrong time. What could be worse? What could be better?

I've seen some people comment on the fact that Annie's alone on this cover, when the rest of the Hundred Oaks books have couples on them. Now that I've read the book, I think that fits. Yes, there's romance in the book, but it's really Annie's story, and I loved that.

Jeremiah. If there was a fictional character more opposite to me, more puzzling to me, I can't imagine one. And yet, a talented writer can make me understand a character like that, even though we have zero in common.

I love companion novels with cameos!  I didn't make a list, but it feels like just about every Hundred Oaks character makes an appearance in this book. And I loved the way that the characters weren't just suspended in time, but they'd aged. Still, if you've never read a Miranda Kenneally book, Breathe, Annie, Breathe works as a standalone.