Inhale, Exhale.: A Standalone Angsty Contemporary Romance (Hollow Ridge)

Gosh!! How to review this book!! It was just so full of anguish and turmoil that it was not a happy book to read at all! There are some spoilers in this review so if you don’t want to have an inkling of the story line then please do not read any further!So this is a story about Lo (Loren) and Jace (Jason). The secondary characters are Toby, Jace’s brother and Ellie, Lo’s best friend. This story is written from everyone’s point of view except for Ellie. There is also input from Ace, Lo & Jace’s son, because this whole train wreck of a story affects him too.It starts off in the past when they are all young teenagers at school and are all friends; Ellie & Toby are Lo’s best friends. Then they meet Jace, Toby’s stepbrother, and you see sparks fly between Lo & Jace. However, Toby has feelings too for Lo but Lo has him placed securely in the friend zone. And then we have Ellie who secretly has feelings for Jace although this isn’t obviously clear from the beginning but becomes evident as the story unfolds.It then fast forwards a few years where Lo & Jace are married with 2 kids (Ace & Jasmine) and this is when all the anguish & turmoil begins. Lo looses her Mom & her newborn baby in the same week and goes into a downward spiral of depression so deep that it takes her years to come out of. During this time Jace tries his best to help her but is suffering with his own grief and desperately needing his wife but she mentally checked out on him and their 2 kids. So what does he do to help himself, he seeks comfort in another woman of course, who happens to be Lo’s best friend Ellie! He too checks out on his kids but for completely different reasons!As the story unfolds it flips back & forth from the past to the present; you get the past on Toby & Jace’s abuse from their dad, which I found really difficult to read. You also get the history of cheating in Lo’s family (her dad cheated on her mom) and she has a half brother, Nate. But because you’re in everybody’s head all of the time, all you feel is the anguish and all you see is the turmoil caused by the love and betrayal. The author captures Lo’s mindset so profoundly that you literally feel her inner turmoil & her pain. And although her husband cheated on her you can’t help but feel his pain too. Once I got to the end of the story I was left with very mixed feelings about the characters in this book & I don’t think that I liked any of them very much apart from Ace who seemed wise beyond his years but still so young at the same time.I just didn’t know what to make of Lo who appeared to be so put together at the start but then just fell apart. One minute she was weak the next she knew exactly what she was doing, and as for her relationship with Toby all I can say is why??As for the story line with Ellie (the not so BFF) and how that ended it was a little far fetched for me but did juice things up a bit. And then there’sFrancis, Ellie’s husband who was supposedly dead but suddenly reappears at the end! That was a twist I didn’t see coming but it wasn’t really explained in the storytelling and was a huge missing point for me.Overall, this was an riveting read that pulled at all your emotions, leaving you in a flummox of mixed feelings. I didn’t really like any of the main characters but yet I have already pre-ordered the next book in the series because I just have to know what happens to Toby and whether or not it will be a continuation of his & Lo’s relationship or if he finds his own soul mate.This has got to be the longest review I‘ve ever done and for me that says a lot about how good this author is at writing in such an intense way that has you coming back for more!

Okay, I completely understand the mixed reviews on this book. I delved into it knowingly and expected the worse. All I can say is: I haven’t felt this much anguish since reading Carnage.This love story isn’t a happy one. In fact, the majority of the book pretty much hurt to read. In saying that, I haven’t read so much validity inside a fictional romance to date.What happens throughout this story? Isn’t fluff. It’s realistic. And I strongly believe there’ll be many a reader who can relate to Loren and Jace’s heartbreak.Yes, it was sad, frustrating and, on times, painful. But what Jace and Lo endure shows a side to Infidelity we scarcely get to see. Typically, the cheating hero has a hideous wife and falls in love with his mistress—giving us the perfect excuse to justify their affair and even encourage a happily ever after.What I enjoyed about this story was the fact the true struggles of marriage were demonstrated, and how life and it’s predicaments take its toll, that dilemmas—immaterial to true love—can ruin even the perfected couple.Love triangles. Infidelity. They’re uncomfortable subjects. I take my hat off to this author for taking risks and giving us the side of fictional romance novels many authors tend to avoid—as they know, cheating hero’s rub readers the wrong way.I’m genuinely still reeling. Many wanted Toby to be Lo’s final choice, but my heart remained loyal to Jace. I understood him; rightly or wrongly, and I was pleased with the outcome.The prologue had my brow arching, though. I didn’t know what to make of that.Will the second book be about Toby and a new heroine?Or is book two picking up from Lo and Jace?I don’t think I’m ready to find out LOL

I don't think I have ever read a book that had me feeling angry while loving it at the same time. I am near to cry with my mixed feelings as I read this amazing book.Without giving too much info, I would like to say first that this book slayed me, any other synonym you can think of, that was it. Man, what was that? Stuff just got real. This book is raw pain, harsh realities, disappointments AND heartbreaks galore, but hey, that was life to you. And this story showed us that in its painstaking clarity. I cried, oh man, did I cry. Up to this moment, I didn't even know if I hated or just plain loved it. I've read that this book is not a typical love story, I thought I was fine and ready. Never have I been more wrong. What happened to Lo, happened to someone close to me and I still remember the pain I felt for that person. How indignant and furious I was, and this is what I felt for Lo's behalf. This is like the third book that I have read with cheating and like I've said before, who am I to judge why they did it? I tried to understand their reasoning in this story but I was left with feelings of betrayal and heartbreak. That was what makes this a remarkable book than any I have ever read so far. This story will stay with you, makes you think hard and it won't let you go. It is because it is so realistic and something that happens in everyday life.Overall, I love, love, LOVE it and I couldn't wait to read book two because that teaser at the end is ugh! Gah!!!