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Just Breathe
Sarah Moon tackles life's issues with a sharp wit in her syndicated comic strip, Just Breathe. With both Sarah and her cartoon heroine undergoing fertility treatments, her fiction often reflects her reality. However, she hadn't scripted her husband's infidelity.
In the wake of her shattered marriage, Sarah flees to the coastal town in California where she grew up. There, she revisits her troubling an emotionally distant father, the loss of her mother and an unexpected connection with Will Bonner, the high school heartthrob skewered mercilessly in her comics. But he's been through some changes himself. And just as her heart is about to reawaken, Sarah makes a most startling discovery. She's pregnant. With her ex's twins.
The winds of change have led Sarah to this surprising new beginning. All she can do is just close her eyes…and breathe.
In the wake of her shattered marriage, Sarah flees to the coastal town in California where she grew up. There, she revisits her troubling an emotionally distant father, the loss of her mother and an unexpected connection with Will Bonner, the high school heartthrob skewered mercilessly in her comics. But he's been through some changes himself. And just as her heart is about to reawaken, Sarah makes a most startling discovery. She's pregnant. With her ex's twins.
The winds of change have led Sarah to this surprising new beginning. All she can do is just close her eyes…and breathe.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
629 people are currently reading
7612 people want to read
About the author
Susan Wiggs
169 books7,426 followersSusan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She serves as author liaison for Field's End, a literary community on Bainbridge Island, Washington, bringing inspiration and instruction from the world's top authors to her seaside community. (See www.fieldsend.org) She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.
According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.
The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Readers can learn more on the web at www.susanwiggs.com and on her lively blog at www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.
According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.
The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Readers can learn more on the web at www.susanwiggs.com and on her lively blog at www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 853 reviews
April 21, 2022
I always enjoy Susan Wiggs’ books for their wonderful characters, detailed settings, and sweet romances. Sarah Moon has been through some hard years in her young marriage. Her husband survived a serious fight with cancer. After the treatments left him infertile, she began fertility treatments to try to conceive. They grew apart and Jack cheated (those scenes were very well done—at times I seriously wanted to slap the character.) Sarah returns to her hometown across the country, and finds out she’s finally gotten pregnant. She also reconnects with Will Bonner, who she knew in high school, and is now raising his stepdaughter alone. I thought this book did a really good job of examining the emotional trauma of abandonment, and the theme of found family. Will is a volunteer firefighter and there is an arsonist on the loose in town, adding a bit of a suspense plot line as well.
June 1, 2011
When this book begins 20-something Sarah Moon is undergoing infertility treatments and her husband, a successful contractor, is getting on with his life after recovering from testicular cancer treatment. Sarah has nursed him through it all, putting her life on hold, and is just beginning to get back into the swing of things. She misses the intimacy they once shared but understands that he is still recovering. One afternoon, after going the insemination treatment alone (yet again), she surprises him with pizza at his jobsite and discovers he's been feeling fine enough to fool around with another woman.
Sarah calmly picks up a sledgehammer and knocks him a good one upside the head. While he's out cold and drooling she removes his remaining testicle with a box cutter and plops it in her purse for safe-keeping. Then she sits down in the comfy deep pile of the newly installed carpet, away from the trickle of blood so as not to sully her two-hundred dollar boots, to enjoy the pizza she no longer has to share and plots her future. Whoops, never mind, that was what I would have done. . . Instead Sarah puts the food down and says "I brought you a pizza and a coke with extra ice", hops in her vehicle and runs down a newly installed mailbox instead of her pig of a husband. Then she takes a road trip with her tail between her legs and moves in with her dad.
She sinks into a depression but it slowly begins to lift when she is given the keys to her auntie's peaceful cabin and she meets a young girl named Aurora who takes an interest in her artistic talents and just happens to have a hunky and very single step-dad whom she knew growing up. From here the book turns into a rather long-winded tale of rebuilding a life and finding true love despite the fact that she discovers she's pregnant with twins from the sperm injection.
This was a pleasant read, the characters were good people and the hero was charming though a bit too dreamy to be completely believable.
Sarah calmly picks up a sledgehammer and knocks him a good one upside the head. While he's out cold and drooling she removes his remaining testicle with a box cutter and plops it in her purse for safe-keeping. Then she sits down in the comfy deep pile of the newly installed carpet, away from the trickle of blood so as not to sully her two-hundred dollar boots, to enjoy the pizza she no longer has to share and plots her future. Whoops, never mind, that was what I would have done. . . Instead Sarah puts the food down and says "I brought you a pizza and a coke with extra ice", hops in her vehicle and runs down a newly installed mailbox instead of her pig of a husband. Then she takes a road trip with her tail between her legs and moves in with her dad.
She sinks into a depression but it slowly begins to lift when she is given the keys to her auntie's peaceful cabin and she meets a young girl named Aurora who takes an interest in her artistic talents and just happens to have a hunky and very single step-dad whom she knew growing up. From here the book turns into a rather long-winded tale of rebuilding a life and finding true love despite the fact that she discovers she's pregnant with twins from the sperm injection.
This was a pleasant read, the characters were good people and the hero was charming though a bit too dreamy to be completely believable.
May 16, 2017
Just Breathe
Susan Wiggs
JUST BREATHE by Susan Wiggs hooked me right from the very first page and never let me go!
The characters just grabbed my heart and I was instantly emotionally invested in every single one of them. Sarah Moon seems to have the perfect life. She works from home, has a beautiful home, a wonderful husband and everything she thinks she wants. Her husband gets sick but before he goes for treatment, they freeze his sperm so they can continue to try getting pregnant. Sarah thinks that's the only thing missing from her life. Hang on my friends, because Sarah is about to learn some hard life lessons.
Not soon after JUST BREATHE starts, Sarah walks in on her husband in the arms of another woman. She runs and never looks back and goes back to her childhood home. Sarah is devastated, depressed, and can't believe what a mess her life has become. If that's not bad enough, after passing out on the street, she learns she is pregnant. As she tries to get herself healthy, she realizes that she was never really happy with her husband Jack. Soon, Sarah reconnects with Will Bonner, a boy she went to high school with. Sarah has a comic strip that often mirrors her own life and Will was the guy she tortured in her comics back in high school. Now Will is the fire chief and a single dad to a step daughter, Aurora.
Will and Sarah become friends and nothing more. Or at least, that's what they both believe at first. Sarah wonders if she will be able to make it on her own as a single mom and also fighting the desire to become more than friends with Will. Sarah has so much growing up to do and it was a real joy to watch her come into her own. At first, Sarah annoyed me with the way she quickly gave up and ran away, but I soon found myself cheering for her as I was reading. JUST BREATHE is a fabulous story with very relatable characters and a plot that has many twists and turns. I still can't believe how long I waited to read this story and now I will happily look up Susan Wiggs other books and read every last one of them. Susan Wiggs knows just how much information to put on each page to keep the reader flipping the pages and soon you will find yourself unable to put it down.
Susan Wiggs
JUST BREATHE by Susan Wiggs hooked me right from the very first page and never let me go!
The characters just grabbed my heart and I was instantly emotionally invested in every single one of them. Sarah Moon seems to have the perfect life. She works from home, has a beautiful home, a wonderful husband and everything she thinks she wants. Her husband gets sick but before he goes for treatment, they freeze his sperm so they can continue to try getting pregnant. Sarah thinks that's the only thing missing from her life. Hang on my friends, because Sarah is about to learn some hard life lessons.
Not soon after JUST BREATHE starts, Sarah walks in on her husband in the arms of another woman. She runs and never looks back and goes back to her childhood home. Sarah is devastated, depressed, and can't believe what a mess her life has become. If that's not bad enough, after passing out on the street, she learns she is pregnant. As she tries to get herself healthy, she realizes that she was never really happy with her husband Jack. Soon, Sarah reconnects with Will Bonner, a boy she went to high school with. Sarah has a comic strip that often mirrors her own life and Will was the guy she tortured in her comics back in high school. Now Will is the fire chief and a single dad to a step daughter, Aurora.
Will and Sarah become friends and nothing more. Or at least, that's what they both believe at first. Sarah wonders if she will be able to make it on her own as a single mom and also fighting the desire to become more than friends with Will. Sarah has so much growing up to do and it was a real joy to watch her come into her own. At first, Sarah annoyed me with the way she quickly gave up and ran away, but I soon found myself cheering for her as I was reading. JUST BREATHE is a fabulous story with very relatable characters and a plot that has many twists and turns. I still can't believe how long I waited to read this story and now I will happily look up Susan Wiggs other books and read every last one of them. Susan Wiggs knows just how much information to put on each page to keep the reader flipping the pages and soon you will find yourself unable to put it down.
January 10, 2009
I first heard Susan Wiggs at the 2000 RWA in Washington D.C., my very first romance Con. I was an immediate convert and I was thrilled to find this book under the tree on Christmas day - my very perceptive hubby did a little sleuthing for me and I'm loving it!
. . . .
Just finished it. Wow - how to talk about this book without spoilers? I'll just say that in the beginning, I thought I could predict what was going to happen (I'm a writer; that's part of how I read books!). I might have been right on some of the broad strokes, but once I got pulled into the story it didn't matter.
Susan Wiggs is a master at character-driven stories, and she knows the insides of the human soul, in bad times and good (really trying not to give anything away here). Sometimes it was tough going because too much of my own life was on the page, but that led to a happy ending I could believe in. Definitely worth the read!
. . . .
Just finished it. Wow - how to talk about this book without spoilers? I'll just say that in the beginning, I thought I could predict what was going to happen (I'm a writer; that's part of how I read books!). I might have been right on some of the broad strokes, but once I got pulled into the story it didn't matter.
Susan Wiggs is a master at character-driven stories, and she knows the insides of the human soul, in bad times and good (really trying not to give anything away here). Sometimes it was tough going because too much of my own life was on the page, but that led to a happy ending I could believe in. Definitely worth the read!
March 20, 2020
Reading one of Susan’s books is like a Calgon take me away moment. She has such style and grace. She has written in so many styles and formats that it’s hard to pick. This may be one of my favorite books to date. I enjoyed it greatly.
Susan pays such attention to details. She is such a tenacious location writer. You see this in all of her books.
Sarah Moon is such a likeable character she has become one of my favorite book girlfriends. She marries for security more than love and when that goes wrong she gets over herself very fast. I love books where there is not only a plot, but you get to see personal growth and development, Sarah Moon does that.
Will Bonner was steady, not much changed about him during the story. He had personal traits that would withstand time anyway. I loved his relationship with his daughter. I would love to see more father and daughter interactions in books.
Susan is an expert in character development. I’ve been to writers conferences with her and she knows her craft. With a Barbie and Ken doll she spent time talking about her prep work before she even starts writing the story. I think she passed out a 20 page character development sheet for us to work on.
With books like this, she demonstrates that she knows what she’s talking about.
This story has a little something for everybody, if on a change of life path or a personal quest you will find little pieces that mean something to you. It is telling that being true to yourself brings in results, sometimes even surprises.
This was enjoyed by listening to it on Audio. Sandra Burr narrated it with her usual wonderful talented voice. What a treat!
Enjoy ~
““I know you got your heart broken but I know the heart can heal, too. And I know what it feels like to love again. I love you so much, I can’t sleep at night. Sometimes I forget to breathe. And in a hundred years, that’s never going to change.”
“The time for falling in love was when you were emotionally available and free of cares, when it didn’t matter what time you came home or how late you were getting up the next day. When you had hours and hours to spend gazing into each other’s eyes and even longer hours making love, uninterrupted. If you wait for the perfect time to fall in love…it’ll never happen.”
Susan pays such attention to details. She is such a tenacious location writer. You see this in all of her books.
Sarah Moon is such a likeable character she has become one of my favorite book girlfriends. She marries for security more than love and when that goes wrong she gets over herself very fast. I love books where there is not only a plot, but you get to see personal growth and development, Sarah Moon does that.
Will Bonner was steady, not much changed about him during the story. He had personal traits that would withstand time anyway. I loved his relationship with his daughter. I would love to see more father and daughter interactions in books.
Susan is an expert in character development. I’ve been to writers conferences with her and she knows her craft. With a Barbie and Ken doll she spent time talking about her prep work before she even starts writing the story. I think she passed out a 20 page character development sheet for us to work on.
With books like this, she demonstrates that she knows what she’s talking about.
This story has a little something for everybody, if on a change of life path or a personal quest you will find little pieces that mean something to you. It is telling that being true to yourself brings in results, sometimes even surprises.
This was enjoyed by listening to it on Audio. Sandra Burr narrated it with her usual wonderful talented voice. What a treat!
Enjoy ~
““I know you got your heart broken but I know the heart can heal, too. And I know what it feels like to love again. I love you so much, I can’t sleep at night. Sometimes I forget to breathe. And in a hundred years, that’s never going to change.”
“The time for falling in love was when you were emotionally available and free of cares, when it didn’t matter what time you came home or how late you were getting up the next day. When you had hours and hours to spend gazing into each other’s eyes and even longer hours making love, uninterrupted. If you wait for the perfect time to fall in love…it’ll never happen.”
April 24, 2019
Tikrai kartais norisi atsipalaiduoti ir perskaityti pozityvią bei lengvą knygą. Kurią skaitant "neapsikrautum". Būtent to norėjosi, tad nusprendžiau į rankas pasiimti "Tiesiog gyvenk".
Sara Mun neįsivaizduoja savo gyvenimo be komiksų piešimo. Dailininkei kurti šmaikščius komiksus padeda jos pačios išgyvenimai. Tačiau ji net įsivaizduoti negalėjo, jog vyro neištikimybė paveiks ją taip stipriai..
Nutrūkus santuokai Sara sugrįžta į savo gimtąjį miestelį Šiaurės Kalifornijoje. Netikėtai susidūrusi su karščiausiu mokyklos vaikinu Vilu Boneriu, Sara net nenutuokia, jog jos laukia viena didelė staigmena. Kokia? Teks patiems išsiaiškinti 😋
Skaitėsi ši knyga be galo lengvai. Bet tuo pačiu ir įdomiai. Man patiko pagrindinė veikėja, bei jos požiūris į gyvenimą. Skaitant knygą tikrai kilo mintis, jog kartais tokie dalykai nutinka gyvenime... Tiesiog taip yra.
Galbūt šioje knygoje įvykiai ir yra nuspėjami, bet tai tikrai nesugadina pačio skaitymo malonumo.
Jeigu ir Jums norisi lengvo, atpalaiduojančio romano, tad ši knyga bus kaip tik.
Pažadu, jog ją skaitydami kartu su pagrindiniais veikėjais pasinersite į jų išgyvenimus bei jausmus.
Sara Mun neįsivaizduoja savo gyvenimo be komiksų piešimo. Dailininkei kurti šmaikščius komiksus padeda jos pačios išgyvenimai. Tačiau ji net įsivaizduoti negalėjo, jog vyro neištikimybė paveiks ją taip stipriai..
Nutrūkus santuokai Sara sugrįžta į savo gimtąjį miestelį Šiaurės Kalifornijoje. Netikėtai susidūrusi su karščiausiu mokyklos vaikinu Vilu Boneriu, Sara net nenutuokia, jog jos laukia viena didelė staigmena. Kokia? Teks patiems išsiaiškinti 😋
Skaitėsi ši knyga be galo lengvai. Bet tuo pačiu ir įdomiai. Man patiko pagrindinė veikėja, bei jos požiūris į gyvenimą. Skaitant knygą tikrai kilo mintis, jog kartais tokie dalykai nutinka gyvenime... Tiesiog taip yra.
Galbūt šioje knygoje įvykiai ir yra nuspėjami, bet tai tikrai nesugadina pačio skaitymo malonumo.
Jeigu ir Jums norisi lengvo, atpalaiduojančio romano, tad ši knyga bus kaip tik.
Pažadu, jog ją skaitydami kartu su pagrindiniais veikėjais pasinersite į jų išgyvenimus bei jausmus.
April 3, 2021
Meet Sarah, she’s married to Jack. Jack’s a jerk; Sarah catches Jack in bed with Mimi. Watch Sarah leave Jack.
Meet Will and his adopted daughter Aurora. Will is a caretaker personality, with a loving support system, he’s raising his daughter alone after her mother takes off.
When Sarah leaves, she heads home to Northern California, where she has a loving family and her own unrealized support system. She also finds out her last round of fertility treatments worked.
Sarah and Will grew up in the same town, but weren’t friends, now they are... this is their story—finding love in a bit of chaos, it’s sweet and a bit meandering with interesting and quirky secondary characters. I would have followed their story well after the HEA.
3⭐️ story, 1 star because I like Susan Wiggs writing style and voice.
Meet Will and his adopted daughter Aurora. Will is a caretaker personality, with a loving support system, he’s raising his daughter alone after her mother takes off.
When Sarah leaves, she heads home to Northern California, where she has a loving family and her own unrealized support system. She also finds out her last round of fertility treatments worked.
Sarah and Will grew up in the same town, but weren’t friends, now they are... this is their story—finding love in a bit of chaos, it’s sweet and a bit meandering with interesting and quirky secondary characters. I would have followed their story well after the HEA.
3⭐️ story, 1 star because I like Susan Wiggs writing style and voice.
September 22, 2015
Not my favorite. Nothing about this book stood out for me to separate it from any other typical romance novel out there. Found myself getting bored at times and skipping ahead to the next chpter to see if it picked up. I didn't care much for the lead, Sarah. I did, however, enjoy the story of the father and daughter in this one. I love stories where someone started out one way in high school (or wherever) but years later turned out to be this really great person.
June 4, 2019
Charlotte Holmes broke something in me, and I’m biding my time as it heals. Last week we went to NC for vacation. Stayed in a cabin on a river with no tv. I never cracked a book. It’s to the point that I’d rather stare at the ceiling than read. I miss Charlotte so much. I miss Sherry Thomas’s writing style even more.
So someone mentioned this book in my Facebook reading group. Looked up on goodreads it seemed completely innocuous. And that’s what it was. This is one of those books you find in a beach house and read in a few days and always never think of again. Somewhere between chick lit and romance, it was a confused and confusing muddle of heroine-growth and falling for the hot guy from high school. Though neither premise was fully explored. In an effort to encompass schmaltz and babies and sunset moments the author managed to not fully flesh out any particular plot line.
I will say it was impressive in its mediocrity. I’ll likely read another book by this author. I’m a depressed reader in a “who cares” mindset thankful for a book that asked absolutely nothing of me. Though it’s also a book that gives nothing back.
So someone mentioned this book in my Facebook reading group. Looked up on goodreads it seemed completely innocuous. And that’s what it was. This is one of those books you find in a beach house and read in a few days and always never think of again. Somewhere between chick lit and romance, it was a confused and confusing muddle of heroine-growth and falling for the hot guy from high school. Though neither premise was fully explored. In an effort to encompass schmaltz and babies and sunset moments the author managed to not fully flesh out any particular plot line.
I will say it was impressive in its mediocrity. I’ll likely read another book by this author. I’m a depressed reader in a “who cares” mindset thankful for a book that asked absolutely nothing of me. Though it’s also a book that gives nothing back.
July 31, 2022
Mėgstu nesaldžias meilės, šeimos, santykių istorijas. Ir retai pavyksta atrasti kažką neišpūsto, nepersaldinto, ypač kai renkiesi romanus apie meilę, bet ši syk pavyko!
Knyga tikrai storoka, bet susiskaitė itin greitai. Patiko, jog knygoje nebuvo jokio skubotumo, sakyčiau kaip tik viskas vyko lėta, normalia eiga. Ir meilė čia neįvyko per vieną skyrių... o ir buitis, rūpesčiai niekur nedingo. O ir finalas gražus, jaukus, verčiantis šypsotis :) Tiesiog žemiška, graži, šilta istorija. Pasikartosiu - neprisaldinta. Saikinga :)
Knyga tikrai storoka, bet susiskaitė itin greitai. Patiko, jog knygoje nebuvo jokio skubotumo, sakyčiau kaip tik viskas vyko lėta, normalia eiga. Ir meilė čia neįvyko per vieną skyrių... o ir buitis, rūpesčiai niekur nedingo. O ir finalas gražus, jaukus, verčiantis šypsotis :) Tiesiog žemiška, graži, šilta istorija. Pasikartosiu - neprisaldinta. Saikinga :)
January 11, 2013
I enjoyed her journey, the parenting issues, and the small town life.
If I were reading this as a physical book, I might rate it lower, but as an audiobook it “hit the spot.” I had just finished some intense mystery suspense books and needed something lighter. It was very good for keeping me company as I drove, cooked, etc. It’s about a woman who discovers her husband’s infidelity, leaves him, divorces him, and starts a new life.
This is not hot and heavy passion and romance. Instead a friendship develops which eventually turns into more, but children have priority over romantic relationships. There are two sex scenes. They are referred to, no details.
One weakness was the secondary story about arson was not complete. At the end we are told X is the arsonist but nothing else. We don’t see why X did it, how it was done, and what happened to X and X’s family after.
The narrator had a lovely voice for women, but I did not like her voice for 13 year old Aurora. She sounded like a talking doll or a 5 year old. I also did not like her voices for men. They sounded weird.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 13 hrs and 30 mins. Swearing language: moderate but rarely used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: 2. Setting: current day Chicago and a small Northern California coastal town. Book copyright: 2008. Genre: women’s fiction with romance.
If I were reading this as a physical book, I might rate it lower, but as an audiobook it “hit the spot.” I had just finished some intense mystery suspense books and needed something lighter. It was very good for keeping me company as I drove, cooked, etc. It’s about a woman who discovers her husband’s infidelity, leaves him, divorces him, and starts a new life.
This is not hot and heavy passion and romance. Instead a friendship develops which eventually turns into more, but children have priority over romantic relationships. There are two sex scenes. They are referred to, no details.
One weakness was the secondary story about arson was not complete. At the end we are told X is the arsonist but nothing else. We don’t see why X did it, how it was done, and what happened to X and X’s family after.
The narrator had a lovely voice for women, but I did not like her voice for 13 year old Aurora. She sounded like a talking doll or a 5 year old. I also did not like her voices for men. They sounded weird.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 13 hrs and 30 mins. Swearing language: moderate but rarely used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: 2. Setting: current day Chicago and a small Northern California coastal town. Book copyright: 2008. Genre: women’s fiction with romance.
February 4, 2017
Sarah Moon is a 20 something artist. She writes a successful comic strip with her comic heroine's life and antics a mirror image of Sarah's own life. That is until the unthinkable happens and Sarah has to make a choice.
Sarah moves home to the small coastal town in California where she grew up to start over. She is devastated, depressed and having trouble accepting her new life. Then she begins to realize she has not been happy in a very long time and that the break up of her marriage is making her again become who she was before she married Jack. Sarah has a lot of change coming into her life.
She reconnects with Will Bonner a guy who was in her class in high school. A guy she tortured in her comic strip. He is now the Fire Chief and a single dad to a teenage step-daughter. Will is dealing with a teenager who doesn't understand why her mom left and an arson investigation with no clues.
They become friends first and as the story develops, they begin to care about each other in a romantic way. There are hurdles and drama as their relationship evolves. The ex reappears, there's a run away, another arson fire, an explosion and twins to consider as they make plans for their future together.
I enjoyed this story about two people navigating life's up and downs as they become a couple.
Sarah moves home to the small coastal town in California where she grew up to start over. She is devastated, depressed and having trouble accepting her new life. Then she begins to realize she has not been happy in a very long time and that the break up of her marriage is making her again become who she was before she married Jack. Sarah has a lot of change coming into her life.
She reconnects with Will Bonner a guy who was in her class in high school. A guy she tortured in her comic strip. He is now the Fire Chief and a single dad to a teenage step-daughter. Will is dealing with a teenager who doesn't understand why her mom left and an arson investigation with no clues.
They become friends first and as the story develops, they begin to care about each other in a romantic way. There are hurdles and drama as their relationship evolves. The ex reappears, there's a run away, another arson fire, an explosion and twins to consider as they make plans for their future together.
I enjoyed this story about two people navigating life's up and downs as they become a couple.
September 16, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. The main character, Sarah Moon, was likeable and believeable. I found myself rooting for her along the story line.
The chemistry conveyed between her and Will Bonner, the male lead, is believeable as well. It literally could be felt on the pages :-) and I found myself eagerly reading to see what would happen next.
The story line features infertility, infidelity (not giving anything away), and learning how to live and love again. While not everyone has faced any or all of these challenges, the story is well told and just about everyone can relate to some part of what Sarah goes through.
I found myself not wanting the book to end.
The chemistry conveyed between her and Will Bonner, the male lead, is believeable as well. It literally could be felt on the pages :-) and I found myself eagerly reading to see what would happen next.
The story line features infertility, infidelity (not giving anything away), and learning how to live and love again. While not everyone has faced any or all of these challenges, the story is well told and just about everyone can relate to some part of what Sarah goes through.
I found myself not wanting the book to end.
March 2, 2017
I really enjoyed this book!
Read
January 13, 2024Chick lit,so I skimmed to focus of the.recently fractured marriage ,the cheating H and... the h and her new love an old high school classmate .And since I skimmed,no rating.
She is pregnant w twins from the fertility extravaganza, during divorce😂
She is pregnant w twins from the fertility extravaganza, during divorce😂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2020
Good, not great. I liked the book synopsis, but the story dragged a little.
Overall a decent story but nothing I'll read/or listen to again.
3.5 Stars
Overall a decent story but nothing I'll read/or listen to again.
3.5 Stars
March 13, 2024
Awesome
August 15, 2009
I was turned off at first after the main character, comic strip artist Sarah Moon, surprises her husband Jack with dinner at his work site to find him with another woman. The next day, Jack tells her he wants a divorce. Cliche, cliche...
But reading further, I liked how Wiggs gave Moon the strength to leave_with her husband's cherished GTO no less_and not look back. (She trades it in for a Cooper mini convertible!) She considers her part in the failed marriage.
When she settles back in her hometown, Sarah befriends a teenager, Aurora, whose stepdad is a former high school classmate.
In school, Will Bonner was an arrogant jock. Sarah used to make fun of in an "underground" comic strip she distributed in school. Now, a more mature Will has her rethinking her position. She discovers she is pregnant and is torn between wanting to make it on her own and wanting to be more than just friends with Will.
Will is dealing with his daughter who runs away to Las Vegas to find her mother, who ran out on them years ago. Sarah is now a mother and is her ex wants her back...for the sake of the kids.
The ending, as well as the beginning of this book are predictable. It's the parts in between that make this read worthy.
But reading further, I liked how Wiggs gave Moon the strength to leave_with her husband's cherished GTO no less_and not look back. (She trades it in for a Cooper mini convertible!) She considers her part in the failed marriage.
When she settles back in her hometown, Sarah befriends a teenager, Aurora, whose stepdad is a former high school classmate.
In school, Will Bonner was an arrogant jock. Sarah used to make fun of in an "underground" comic strip she distributed in school. Now, a more mature Will has her rethinking her position. She discovers she is pregnant and is torn between wanting to make it on her own and wanting to be more than just friends with Will.
Will is dealing with his daughter who runs away to Las Vegas to find her mother, who ran out on them years ago. Sarah is now a mother and is her ex wants her back...for the sake of the kids.
The ending, as well as the beginning of this book are predictable. It's the parts in between that make this read worthy.
August 26, 2009
I liked the book because it is easy to relate to the general themes illustrated by the main character's life. It makes some very good points:
*One thing is always true regarding life, life is constantly changing. Sometimes not always for the best. However, even though the good is not always evident immediately, in the end there is always something to be learned.
*Another thing is that we all carry some baggage and we eventually have to deal with it in order to move on and improve ourselves.
*Which brings me to the culminating theme, self growth.
I liked Sarah's character development through out the story, because of the drastic changes in her that show how she's grown as a person. The beginning shows her as a woman who is lost and afraid. Someone who has many issues with herself that she needs to eventually acknowledge. Someone who is going through life and following someone elses' idea of what a good life should be. Then we see her go through the various steps that we all go through; denial, depression, anger, acceptance, and finally the piecing back together of a stronger self.
*One thing is always true regarding life, life is constantly changing. Sometimes not always for the best. However, even though the good is not always evident immediately, in the end there is always something to be learned.
*Another thing is that we all carry some baggage and we eventually have to deal with it in order to move on and improve ourselves.
*Which brings me to the culminating theme, self growth.
I liked Sarah's character development through out the story, because of the drastic changes in her that show how she's grown as a person. The beginning shows her as a woman who is lost and afraid. Someone who has many issues with herself that she needs to eventually acknowledge. Someone who is going through life and following someone elses' idea of what a good life should be. Then we see her go through the various steps that we all go through; denial, depression, anger, acceptance, and finally the piecing back together of a stronger self.
July 16, 2010
This is a complex story of a woman who must find herself after giving up everything for her marriage. Sarah Moon has done a great deal for her husband and has been going to fertility treatments for a year. When she finds her husband’s secrets, she runs home to a small California beach town. She must find out who she is and embarks on a new life. She has some stumbling blocks with the divorce and her comic strip being dropped by newspapers. She discovers a miracle in the course of the tragedy, which is that she is pregnant. She ignores her soon-to-be ex-husband and strikes up a friendship with a thirteen year old girl. She becomes friends with the girl’s adoptive father Will Bonner. She realizes she is carrying twins and that she must fight her feelings for Will. He is swept away as well, but complications always come up. This is a poignant story of two people that are drawn to love after a complex history. This is a great story that runs the gambit for emotions. I would recommend it to anyone.
September 15, 2015
A better than average romance book, I would say. It didn't stay on the surface but told a story of two people that were each facing changes and challenges that were believable. Sarah returns to her hometown in Northern California after a failed marriage – and Will, who stayed in their hometown - struggles with his teenager stepdaughter. These two know each other vaguely from high school and now they will truly meet again and get to know each other better. This process of getting to know each other was slow and believable. I enjoyed the dialogues and I wish there would have been more instead of the repetitive soul-searching which was a tad too abundant. Plus the teenage daughter I couldn't really sympathize with.
Two favorite things in this book : 1) how Sarah asserted herself towards her cheating ex-husband. I LOVED that she found the wit, the insight and the strength not to go back into that relationship with a man who didn't actually know her. 2) Sarah’s surprise pregnancy, delivery and motherhood. Just the best! Not a full 4, but close (3,75 rating).
Two favorite things in this book : 1) how Sarah asserted herself towards her cheating ex-husband. I LOVED that she found the wit, the insight and the strength not to go back into that relationship with a man who didn't actually know her. 2) Sarah’s surprise pregnancy, delivery and motherhood. Just the best! Not a full 4, but close (3,75 rating).
May 3, 2010
If there was a way to give this book 3 1/2 stars, I would. I was looking for a good, light read and this fit that perfectly. I don't mind predictability, sometimes I specifically pick up a book like this because I depend on it to be predictable with a happy ending. The only reason I would give it less than 4 stars is because I felt that the author made the ex-husband more of jerk than he needed to be and contrasted him with the almost too perfect William Bonner. I supported Sarah's decision to leave her husband because he cheated on her, especially after all she did for him during his illness and also because they had grown apart. But then how he tried to manipulate her and was mean to her throughout her preganancy and after she had the babies seemed unnecessary. I wondered what she ever loved about her marriage to begin with. But I really liked Sarah Moon and the comic strip and I loved her grandmother and great aunt. Overall a very enjoyable read.
February 23, 2011
I don’t know if it has anything to do with gender or if I’m just a natural romantic, but I really, really love romance novels. ‘Just Breathe’ is a feast for suckers of romantic novels like me, all with 42 chapters and nice cartoon quips. The hero and heroine did not meet (again, after high school) until chapter 18, or almost halfway through, and that's a record for me. One can say the plot follows the pattern/formula for the romance genre, but hey, that’s why it’s a formula, it works every time!
This is the first book that I’ve read of this author, thanks to my sister for the introduction. I’ve already searched in Amazon for her other books, and added them all in my wish list.
This is the first book that I’ve read of this author, thanks to my sister for the introduction. I’ve already searched in Amazon for her other books, and added them all in my wish list.
April 27, 2020
I'm going to put my favorite quotes here so far:
P.21 "For many women, alcohol was often a key factor in conception, not a forbidden substance. Getting pregnant was a whole lot more fun for people who didn't read advice books."
PGS. 35-36 "This was the House that Jack Built, she thought, hearing the singsong rhythm of the old children's story in her head. And this was the wife who lived in the house that Jack built. And there was the mistress that screwed the husband that ignored the wife who lived in the house that Jack built........"
P.21 "For many women, alcohol was often a key factor in conception, not a forbidden substance. Getting pregnant was a whole lot more fun for people who didn't read advice books."
PGS. 35-36 "This was the House that Jack Built, she thought, hearing the singsong rhythm of the old children's story in her head. And this was the wife who lived in the house that Jack built. And there was the mistress that screwed the husband that ignored the wife who lived in the house that Jack built........"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2014
I liked this one even though I knew where things were going from the start. I loved how once Sarah's eyes were opened to Jack she left and did what she wanted to. Her thinking as Shirl had me cracking up. I both liked and disliked the relationship with Will, I just wished that things wouldn't have dragged out so long and had all the kid drama.
July 7, 2016
This book was very enjoyable. The characters were realistic and believable and the plot, with a variety of twists, was well written. I liked that Sarah and Will's attraction developed over a period of months and they didn't instantly fall into bed at first sight.
November 5, 2018
3.5 STARS
I went into this book anticipating more romance than it delivered. The h/H don't even meet until the 40% mark, and it has more of a chick-lit vibe. The ending felt incomplete as well. I still enjoy this author's style and will attempt to find more of her romance based books.
I went into this book anticipating more romance than it delivered. The h/H don't even meet until the 40% mark, and it has more of a chick-lit vibe. The ending felt incomplete as well. I still enjoy this author's style and will attempt to find more of her romance based books.
June 27, 2011
Loved this book. One of my all time favorites, and I even liked the ending, which is very rare for me!! If you like a fabulous story with believable characters, you will just love this book!!
January 21, 2012
I can't believe I'm just discovering Susan Wiggs! What a joy.
July 17, 2018
3.5 stars for a good beach read!
I liked the setting a lot and the main character was likeable. I thought some of the scenes between her and the main love interest weren't believable, but on the other hand, every scene was with the 13 year old character! I loved those scenes the most. I feel the author captured a teenager very well; some authors who only write for adults fail so miserably when trying to write from a child's point of view. I thought Susan Wiggs nailed it! Has she written any books for kids, I wonder? She should, if not! I teach a children's lit class and am pretty judgemental when it comes to how kids are portrayed in books 😉. When someone has this gift of portraying kids, especially teenagers, realistically, I hope they use it! (Email to Wiggs coming on...) 😉
I liked the setting a lot and the main character was likeable. I thought some of the scenes between her and the main love interest weren't believable, but on the other hand, every scene was with the 13 year old character! I loved those scenes the most. I feel the author captured a teenager very well; some authors who only write for adults fail so miserably when trying to write from a child's point of view. I thought Susan Wiggs nailed it! Has she written any books for kids, I wonder? She should, if not! I teach a children's lit class and am pretty judgemental when it comes to how kids are portrayed in books 😉. When someone has this gift of portraying kids, especially teenagers, realistically, I hope they use it! (Email to Wiggs coming on...) 😉
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