Falls the Breath

by Melodie Ramone

"She killed me. Stabbed me, I think. I can't remember. I remember very little about the night I died."

Lorenzo Lett is a Poltergeist, angry and brooding, trapped in a turn-of-the-century mansion called Brimfield with the ghost of his mother, who may or may not have killed him. That is until quirky maid, Mahoney Miller, has a catastrophic fall on the spiral staircase and becomes a ghost, too. An immediate connection sparks and the two embark on an afterlife neither expected, rarely paying attention to the living until the Kotilla family purchases the estate. When the two young daughters, Samara and Eleni, can see and hear them, their trajectory changes and the ghosts leave the shadows of their caskets to straddle the divide between the living and the dead.

Eight years later, Samara becomes a teenage mother to a son with cystic fibrosis. Traumatized by his own death and unwilling to watch the people he loves suffer, Lorenzo must find Enoda, the spirit of an old witch who dwells in the woods, and beg her assistance, taking the ultimate leap of faith.

But when souls unite to alter the will of Fate, there are complications and unforeseen consequences. The road forward is long and the path is dark. Can both the living and the dead, find their way forward with only sparks of light to guide them?

Genres: Ghosts, Speculative Fiction, Paranormal

576 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 15, 2023

About the author

First published in literary magazines at the age of twelve, Melodie Ramone is a lifelong writer from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. When she's not behind the keyboard, she is involved with small animal rescue and is actively engaged in advocating for funding and research for cystic fibrosis. She is the bestselling author of After Forever Ends and currently resides in Central Illinois.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! I went into this book not knowing anything about the story and I loved every minute! I thought I knew how it would end but I was surprised, in a pleasant way. Looking forward to the next book in the series. I learned so much about Cystic Fibrosis what an inventive way to open more eyes to the disease.

[Kim Novak (The Reading Rx) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a cystic fibrosis (CF) pharmacist, I really appreciate the author's background as a CF patient advocate and desire to bring light to this devastating condition via a fiction novel. I think she did an excellent job integrating the patient experience in having CF and the rigor of therapies and overall treatment burden/impact on trying to live one's life. As this storyline was set before the newer CFTR modulator therapies, it highlights how many advancements in therapies have been realized in the past 12 years and what historical CF was like for those newer to CF who haven't seen the way it always used to be. There were some terminology inaccuracies that I wish I could have gotten my eyes on pre-publication (I did not get a copy until after release) and maybe helped to tighten the medical/scientific aspects a little more. That is me speaking as a well-versed healthcare provider though, and from a layperson perspective, most of these details probably wouldn't have been noticed and would not detract from the story.

Overall, I thought the book was quite long and seemed like 2 different books merged into one book. The first part was mostly focused on the historical ghosts/paranormal story and the second mostly on the modern family/CF story with a bit of the ghosts sprinkled in. I would probably have enjoyed reading 2 separate books instead...maybe leaving off with the birth of the brothers and Kevin's early health struggles before a diagnosis was received (would have been a great cliff hanger!), I think the book would also work very well as an electronic serial publication with several shorter installments, particularly as I think a book 2 is in the works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mutiny Rising Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[Rena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful story......so beautiful.

I was getting a tad disappointed when our ghosts faded into the background but fell in love with all the characters.

I'll anxiously await for the second book.

[Megan Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so beautifully written, the descriptions were so rich and enchanting, and I loved that the family was there for each other no matter what. The scene with Pauli giving a speech made me a little teary eyed. Overall I am thankful to learn about CF through Kevin and his family's perspective, but I really wish we had more insight into Lorenzo's story, I wish there was more clarification on what happened with him and Theda, and if he's right in feeling hatred towards her or not. It seemed like there was going to be a side story there, but maybe that will be explored more in book 2? I thank you Melodie Ramone and good reads for gifting me this digital copy in exchange for an honest review! 😊

[Píaras Cíonnaoíth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hauntingly captivating and emotionally charged novel...

"Falls the Breath" by Melodie Ramone is a captivating and emotionally charged novel that weaves together the lives of both the living and the departed, transcending time and space.

In the summer of 1907, an aristocratic couple hailing from Vienna, Benjamin, and Theda Lett, arrive at Ellis Island with the aspiration of leaving their troubled pasts behind. Swiftly ingratiating themselves into Chicago's high society, they ambitiously construct Brimfield—an opulent estate aimed at rivaling the renowned Rockefellers. To safeguard their carefully cultivated image, they conceive their only child, Lorenzo. However, tragedy strikes eighteen years later when Lorenzo falls victim to a heart-wrenching murder, leading authorities to swiftly point the finger at Theda.

Lorenzo, who experienced a traumatic end to his life, reemerges as a poltergeist with hazy memories of his past life and the circumstances surrounding his passing. Trapped at Brimfield alongside his mother's ghost, he roams the estate, enveloped in anger and brooding. It is only until a fateful accident befalls quirky maid Mahoney Miller on the spiral staircase, transforming her into a ghost as well, that an unexpected and immediate connection sparks between the two. Together, they embark on an afterlife neither could have anticipated, seldom acknowledging the generations of people residing at Brimfield—until fashion designer Pauli Kotilla and his ex-supermodel wife, Tiffany, acquire the estate in 1982.

The tale takes a mesmerizing turn as the young Kotilla daughters, Samara, and Eleni, demonstrate the ability to perceive and communicate with the resident spirits, prompting enthusiastic embraces of the divide between the living and the dead. Eight years later, signs of instability surface when Samara becomes a teenage mother. With her son, Kevin, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, Lorenzo is compelled to make the ultimate leap of faith, as everyone—both alive and in the afterlife—strives to summon the determination and unwavering love necessary to preserve Kevin's life.

Exploring themes of mental illness, bullying, and chronic disease, "Falls the Breath" narrates the compelling story of a family confronting daunting odds and the extraordinary phenomena that unfold when the worlds of the living and the deceased intersect. Highly recommended.

[Janet Halsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

After quitting her job as a waitress, Mahoney Miller finds work as a housemaid for Brimfield, a prestigious U.S. castle. On her first day of the job, she trips and falls down the stairs, dying instantly. Don't worry, this is not a spoiler. It happens in the first chapter of the book. From there she meets Lorenzo and his mother Theda, also ghosts haunting Brimfield.

I'm not really sure what happened with this book. At first it started off as a haunted house story but from the perspective of the ghosts haunting the house. Then it takes a hard left and feels like it's one big advocacy for Cystic Fibrosis and mental health awareness. We follow the family that moves into the castle as they navigate through life. Their eldest daughter Samara gets pregnant at 17 and struggles with psychotic episodes and hallucinations. Her son is born with cystic fibrosis. From that point on, the ghosts of the house are pretty much forgotten. The book focuses more on the son and his battle with CF. Probably a good 3/4th of the book don't even mention the ghosts.
This book had a lot of potential, but for me it just didn't work. I think if the author had left out the storyline of the ghosts and focused the book about the struggles of this family, it would have been a much better read. The combination was just too disjointed and didn't make much sense together.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book.

[Bryan Foreman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This hugely entertaining paranormal saga begins with the story of Mahoney Miller—a 1940s housekeeper who suddenly dies and finds her purpose—and her soulmate—in the afterlife. Mahoney lives a hard, dull life, working as a servant inside an enormous Chicago mansion. She dreams of sailing away to Barbados someday soon, but then she accidentally falls down a staircase and winds up in the spirit world where she meets Lorenzo, one of the original inhabitants of the house and now its prisoner—as is she. We meet a slew of fascinating characters as the plot rolls along, all of them well-developed and realistically flawed. But what I love most about the book is Ramone’s poetic writing style. Her lyrical prose keeps the story flowing and makes the journey even more enjoyable.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this on Goodreads. I entered to win as a book with ghosts tends to draw my attention. What I read was so much more.
The storyline brings in the realities of mental illness, complicated family dynamics, bullying, and the daily fight of those with CF. The book is written in such a way that none if it feels forced or like the author is trying to "just fit in one more thing".
The storyline of the ghosts gives you a bit of a different perspective as you also see some of the storyline from their POV.
I will definitely read the next book.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a lot of ghostly interaction

I enjoyed this book; however, I was expecting more ghostly interactions than was in this story. It champions the awareness and support of cystic fibrosis and research for a cure, which I think is awesome. Character and setting development were very good. I would recommend this book, but not so much as a ghost story.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read

Ibreally enjoyed the beginning of the book. The last 1/3 not so much. I did like learning about Frankie and Kevin it just seemed to become so fact fillnand CF obsessive that the story gets lost. It felt like 2 different books and bringing the ghosts back feels like and afterthought.

[Mary Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf really good but not sure why my book had 5000 pages. I got the net galley arc and i felt like i was reading for ages (5 months if not more). The story never ended. It was like multiple books strewn together. I needed to stop because it was making me nuts. I would give it 1.5/5 for having too much mumbo jumbo in the middle and no end in sight.

[Meaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was going to be one of my favorites, based on the subject matter. I won’t lie, it took me forever to get into this book. It is well written but it failed to really pull me in until I was about 70% done with the book. That being said, the end of the book was phenomenal. I will probably read the 2nd book at some point.

[betsyyreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ - Ghosts, a witch, an American castle and unconditional love.

TW: abuse, suicide, severe depression

[Lisa Towles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my typical genre, but the writing was as wonderful as the rich characters and world building. I'm hooked on this author's vivid imagination.

[Samantha Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Definitely read this!

[Jordan K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What can I say? I won this book in a giveaway without reading the description, so I didn't know what to expect going in. This book had so many twists and turns weaving the story of multiple generations of families and their ghosts. This was beautifully executed and easily one of my favorite reads this year. I've read 55 books so far this year, and this was the first one to bring me to tears (multiple times). I felt all the feelings; joy, sorrow, anger. Well done. I will be keeping an eye out for the next book in this series.

Editing to add: i do agree with some other reviews that say the two halves of the book felt a little disjointed. At one point, you almost forget this is supposed to be a ghost story, and it feels rushed at the end to reinvolve them. It did almost feel like reading two separate books, one about ghosts and the other about a boys struggles with cystic fibrosis.