Earlier this year I had the opportunity to read a debut novel by Paula Dombrowiak. She had been busy writing a rockstar romance called Blood and Bone. It featured Jack O'Donnell, the band Mogo, and Erin Langford. Erin was a journalist who was writing a piece about Jack, but it suddenly became more than that assignment. What happened next was a whirlwind romance, followed by a bit of heartache, and ultimately another project was born. Honestly I thought that was it for Jack and Erin. I thought they had their moment, and it was nothing more than a fling. I assumed we were going on to Hayley's story (Jack's daughter), and that would be that. Oh how wrong I was! Fast forward quite a few months, and suddenly I see Paula talking about her new project, Breath to Bear, and she's once again talking about Jack and Erin. My ears immediately perked up, and I knew that I needed to read this book as soon as possible. The only issue was that it wasn't scheduled to be released until November 30. THANKFULLY I was able to receive an advanced copy, and I dove right in.
If you read Blood and Bone, which I highly suggest that you do before reading Breath to Bear, then you know how that ended. It ended with Erin and Jack working together to write a book about his life, and that obviously included bits and pieces of the band's story as well. Erin agreed to write the book as a ghostwriter, so she obviously wasn't named anywhere in the book, nor did she need to do the promo for the book. Erin poured her heart and soul into this book, and along with everyone else involved, the book turned into a major success. Erin and Jack still make time for each other as schedules allow, but there is something holding Jack back. Or rather some one. Mia Stone. His ex. The woman he loved. The woman he lost. His everything. After a lot of back and forth, Erin finally tells Jack that she can't be second place anymore. She needs more, and he clearly cannot give that right now. Meanwhile Jack is holding on to the past. He has this final album that he, Mia, and the band created. It needs to be released, but Jack knows that it isn't ready yet. It's missing something, but he doesn't know what that something is. As a result he is pushing away the woman he has come to care for, and possibly even love. Why can't he move forward? Why can he not leave Mia in the past? What is it about that woman that she still has a hold on his life? Then there's his friendships with Cash and Wade. Those are suffering a bit also. Not to mention the turbulent relationship with his daughter! What will it take for Jack and Erin to find their way back to each other? What will it take for Jack to release Mia, and move forward with his life?
I said it in my original review of Blood and Bone, but if you enjoyed Daisy Jones & the Six, or even The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I think you'll enjoy these books by Paula Dombrowiak. They are so easy to read, and just immerse yourself into the world right next to the characters. You can sit right by them and witness their highs and lows, their heartache and their love, their passion, their creativity, their connection. And oh is it ever worth it. From the very first page of Breath to Bear, to the studio scenes, to Erin traveling for work, to the reunion, to the press junket, to the studio session where Erin lays it all on the line, to Cash coming in to be with Jack, and everything that happens because of that moment, it was all so worth it. Every moment of this book had me drawn in, and I did not want to leave the world I was in. Whether it was reconnecting with Wade, Adam, Cash, Amber, and Hayley, or it was being introduced to new characters (Sasha, and the band No Cover), it was all just fabulous. I am happy to say that Jack and Erin have finally gotten their happily ever after, and it was quite the battle for them to get it. From the heartache, to the grieving, to the destruction, to the creation, to the birth of something new, the characters have all come out the other side that much better. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, Bonds We Break. This is actually a companion novel, so it will be interesting to see what Cash has to say about everything that has happened with Mia. It looks like that book wont be released until May 2022, so we have a bit of a wait.
If you are a fan of rockstar romances, then PLEASE go grab the first two books in the Blood and Bone series. I think you'll fall for the characters and enjoy the story.
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on Breath to Bear. Paula did a fabulous job with this book, and it is safe to say she is on my auto-buy list now.
Laura
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Image: Michelle Lancaster
Design: Lori Jackson
Model: Giorgio Torelli |
These chains that weigh me down, my guilt I wear like a crown, SHE is my Breath to Bear
Jack O’Donnell
I thought telling my story would purge my demons, but it didn’t. If anything, it brought them closer to the surface.
Now, they’re threatening to drag me back into the darkness and stop me from moving on with the journalist who captured my story and my heart.
The guilt I bear is heavy, the road I’ve traveled long and littered with scars that run deep.
I’ve been down this road before, in love with two women at the same time.
It didn’t end well.
Erin’s running scared - for good reason - but I won’t let her get away that easy.
Am I strong enough to get rid of the ghosts from my past in order to have a future with Erin?
Erin Langford
Journalists are supposed to be objective, to look at a story as if you’re outside a window looking in.
That’s what I was taught.
That’s what I should have done.
Instead, I fell through the glass and right into Jack O’Donnell’s bed.
The memoire I was supposed to write turned into more than I bargained for.
I’m in too deep.
So far gone.
He’s like a bad drug, making his way through my veins, and stopping my heart.
Yet, I still want more.
There’s just one problem - he’s still in love with someone else. She’s the ghost in the room, the girl that ruined him for all others.
Am I strong enough to be the one to help him heal?
*This book is not a standalone. You will need to read Blood and Bone in order to fully enjoy Breath to Bear.
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Meet Paula Dombrowiak
I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, right on beautiful Lake Michigan. The Chicago lakeshore is my favorite place in the whole world. I currently live in Arizona.I'm a '90s girl but love discovering new bands, just as much as I love writing. So why not combine the two? That was how Blood and Bone, my debut novel, was born.
I am a sucker for a redeemable villain, bad boys and the tragically flawed.
My wardrobe consists of band T-shirts and leggings that are perpetually covered in pet hair.
Animals are my homies and I don't eat my homies.
Music inspires my storytelling
Have you always dreamed of being a Rock Star? Well now you can be. Join my Reader Group and be a Rock Star too.
Connect with Paula Dombrowiak here!
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Thank you to Paula Dombrowiak, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with an advanced copy of Breath to Bear.
