I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke
Published by Touchstone
Publication Date April 8, 2014
Source: Publisher
Genres: General Fiction
Goodreads
From the celebrated author of Swimming at Night, a powerful and moving saga of one woman’s struggle to overcome her husband’s death and uncover his dark, mysterious past.
A young widow discovers her husband was not who he claimed to be—and finds herself falling in love with the wrong man.
Eva has only been married for eight months when her husband, Jackson, is swept to his death while fishing. Weighed down by confusion and sorrow, Eva decides to take leave of her midwifery practice and visit Jackson’s estranged family with the hope of grieving together.
Instead, she discovers that the man she loved so deeply is not the man she thought she knew. Jackson’s father and brother reveal a dark past, exposing the lies her marriage was built upon. As Eva struggles to come to terms with the depth of Jackson’s deception, she must also confront her growing attraction to Jackson’s brother, Saul, who offers her intimacy, passion, and answers to her most troubling questions.
Will Eva be able to move forward, or will she be caught up in a romance with Saul, haunted by her husband’s past? Threading together beautiful, wild settings and suspenseful twists, A Single Breath is a gripping tale of secrets, betrayals, and new beginnings.
When I was ten I repeated 5th grade. We were moving and had severe health issues. My parents felt more comfortable having my brother (who was in 4th) and I at the same school, I have always looked young for my age, no one would know, it was a new beginning. That is how I felt about A Single Breath, it was a new beginning.
While reading I was reminded of the movie While You Were Sleeping; a woman believes she is in love with her Prince Charming but behind the shining facade lives a man unknown with a mismatched personality. In both cases, the tarnished Prince is the true hero and acquires a bit of shoe-polish as the plot progresses.
The characters were developed and became wrapped up in their story, but I found the story itself to be predictable and had suspicions from the start. It was still enjoyable and had a plot twist that kept my eyes moving as fast as the sun but because of the overall predictability it was a breezy read.
A Single Breath didn’t produce fireworks, but Lucy Clarke has a magic twist with words and for that reason alone made the novel enjoyable and worthwhile.
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