Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt

Title: Hold Me Like a Breath
(Once Upon a Crime Family #1)
Author: Tiffany Schmidt
Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Classification: Young Adult, Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Retelling
Release Date: May 19, 2015
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Bloomsbury!)
Read: April 2015

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.

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Overall, I enjoyed reading Hold Me Like a Breath. I didn't realize when I first started reading, that it is a Princess and the Pea retelling. I'm not really familiar with The Princess and the Pea, (just the general gist) so I can't really comment too much on the retelling portion of Hold Me Like a Breath. 

Penelope "Penny" Landlow is the daughter of one of the top three crime families that sells black market organs. She lives a very protected and sheltered life, due to having a medical condition that causes her to bruise easily. A small bump, fall, or touch could cause her to bruise and put her life in jeopardy. Tensions between crime families run high, and Penny isn't safe forever. 

I really liked the first part of Hold Me Like a Breath. The story really captivated me and held my attention. I couldn't wait to find out more about the family business and how much Penelope was involved with it. There was quite a bit happening during the first part. Action and mystery. I wasn't really sure what to expect. I was surprised by some of the twists and things that happened. But towards the middle of the story, the twists became less surprising. 

And sadly I wasn't a big fan of the romance, especially as it began. It really felt sudden for me and it moved quickly. 

But even though the last half of the book was more predictable, I was still entertained by what was happening to Penny. And I am still interested to find out what will happen next between the crime families, as well as, what is next for Penny. So I will probably read the sequel when it comes out. 

For the most part, I liked Penny. She could be a little frustrating at times, but it didn't really bother me. I definitely found Penny's medical condition interesting. I have heard of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura before, but only one time and that was recently because it was mentioned in another book I read. I was interested in finding out more about this medical condition and how it affects Penny's life. I did feel worried for her because the condition is so serious, and at the same time, I felt sad for her because of the ways others (family members and people) would treat her. I think her character developed a lot as the story progressed. She really goes through a lot. 

My Recommendation:

Overall, I enjoyed parts of the story. I really enjoyed the first half, there were twists and things that happened which left me a bit shocked and surprised. I liked the mystery of the story the most. I wasn't a huge fan of the romance, but I think it might grow on me more during the second book. I did enjoy Hold Me Like A Breath enough to plan on reading the sequel. 

My Rating: