A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke

Last week, I raved hard about Swimming at Night by Lucy Clarke, and today I'm here to rave about Lucy Clarke's newest novel A Single Breath. I loved Swimming at Night so much that I reached out to Simon and Schuster Canada and they graciously provided me with a copy of A Single Breath, so thank you Simon and Schuster Canada!

From Goodreads: Eva has only been married for eight months when her husband, Jackson, is swept to his death while fishing. Weighed down by confusion and sorrow, Eva decides to take leave of her midwifery practice in London and visit Jackson’s estranged family in Tasmania with the hope of grieving together.

Instead, she discovers that the man she loved so deeply is not the man she thought she knew. Jackson’s father and brother reveal a dark past, exposing the lies her marriage was built upon. As Eva struggles to come to terms with the depth of Jackson’s deception, she must also confront her growing attraction to Jackson’s brother, Saul, who offers her intimacy, passion, and answers to her most troubling questions.

Will Eva be able to move forward in life, or will she be caught up in a romance with Saul, haunted by her husband’s past? Threading together beautiful, wild settings and suspenseful twists, A Single Breath is a gripping tale of secrets, betrayal, and new beginnings.

My Thoughts: This book has rocketed Lucy Clarke right onto my auto-read list of authors. I loved this book so much, and think it will appeal to many different people. It explores the depths that people will go to to feel connected to those we love, even after their gone. You will become emotional invested in Eva.

My heart broke a few times for Eva throughout this story. After falling deeply in love and marrying the man of her dreams, she has to deal with his tragic death after less than a year of marriage. I'm getting married on July 5th, so this really made me emotional. I don't even want to imagine losing my almost husband before we're both old and gray! Considering what happened, I think Eva handled herself much better than I ever would.

Needing to know more about the man torn from her far too soon, Eva decides to go to Tasmania to visit Jackson's family; a family he has lost touch with. Her reception in Tasmania is not nearly what she imagined it would be, and she finds herself living in a shack down the beach from Jackson's seemingly moody, brother, Saul, unwilling to give up. Eva is thrown for another loop when she finds out that she's pregnant with Jackson's baby.

Part of the reason I loved this book so much was because of the characters. Not only Eva, but Saul and Callie, Eva's best friend. Saul was everything that Eva needed him to be, and more. He was her link to Jackson, even after he delivered the unexpected news about the man she thought she knew. I won't share Jackson's secrets because I don't want to spoil the book, but he definitely had his secrets. It made me wonder if we can ever really know someone entirely. Two people can be married for 50 years and still not know absolutely everything about each other. I think that's what makes relationships so great, but with the wrong kind of unknowns, can also be disastrous and lead to heartbreak.

Lucy Clarke knows how to help the reader paint a picture. The descriptions in this book made me want to a.) jump into a plane and head for Tasmania, and b.) learn to free dive. This is amazing because open bodies of water kind of freak me out, but Clarke describes scenery so beautifully. You will find yourself lost in this book.

If I haven't convinced you to read this book, then I clearly haven't done my job well, but trust me, you'll want to pick this up. It has romance, suspense, twists, and beautiful descriptions. The ending is unexpected and a twist may even make you gasp out loud. It's been a few days since I finished this book, but I still find myself thinking about it. I was happy with the ending, but I selfishly want more. I already can't wait for Lucy Clarke's next book.

5 out of 5 stars based on Goodreads rating system.