Book Review: Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt

Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold—including body parts. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants.

Penelope’s surrounded by all the suffocating privilege and protection her family can provide, but they can’t protect her from the autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise so easily.

And in her family’s line of work no one can be safe forever.

All Penelope has ever wanted is freedom and independence. But when she’s caught in the crossfire as rival families scramble for prominence, she learns that her wishes come with casualties, that betrayal hurts worse than bruises, that love is a risk worth taking . . . and maybe she’s not as fragile as everyone thinks.

So let me premise this review with the fact that I actually read a fair amount of pre-publication reviews for this book before signing up for this tour. I knew, going in to Hold Me Like a Breath, to expect a pretty fair amount of romance and not as much action as the synopsis implies. I was prepared for the instant attraction that happens, and actually welcomed it when it did. I’m only adding this in on the off chance that you, dear reader, might be blindsided. Think romance, with the background of a crime family, and you’ll be okay.

Penelope’s story was an interesting one. As a very fragile person, she was so separated from all the intrigue and danger that the rest of her family faced every day. I’ll admit that it took me a while to warm up to her. I had to remind myself that Pen’s life was very sheltered. It’s hard to form a strong, no-nonsense personality when people keep telling you what you are and should be. That being said, Pen soon grew on me. I saw the quiet battles she fought, and I respected her for them. I only wished there was more of her story once she came into her own.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a fan of insta-love. Which, to be honest, is mainly my reason for a three star rating. I liked Penelope, loved Garrett, and was totally on board with most of the premise. It was that darn insta-love, which then migrated into a love triangle, that just didn’t sit well with me. Again, I did my best to let it go. Penelope’s character is interesting in that I feel like she deserves a bit of a pass for things like these. She is a little naive at times.

For the two twists that I was absolutely not expecting, and for a very interesting story backdrop, I’ll happily offer up three stars for Hold Me Like a Breath. This seems like it’s the first in the series, which is great! I feel like towards the end Penelope was starting to come out of her shell, and I’d love to see what she does with her new found fierceness.

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.