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Reviewed by Tina Gibbons for Readers' Favorite
Laurel Osterkamp's The Next Breath is a follow-up to her rave reviewed The Hold Out. Return character Robin loves sweet, responsible Nick, who is a real estate agent longing to have a career around music. But she also still loves her college boyfriend, Jed, who suffered from cystic fibrosis. Dying didn't make her love him any less. Now she's struggling to reveal her secrets to Nick, and confront her past with Jed as she finally performs in the play that Jed wrote for her eleven years ago before he died. Nick has trouble with her confessions and it causes some rocky points in their relationship. The story is told from Robin's perspective, and alternates between present-day scenes, college flashbacks, dreams, and segments from Jed’s play.
Laurel Osterkamp has several books available including these same characters, but The Next Breath reads as a stand-alone book. The story line was complete in itself and had a satisfying conclusion. The colorful cast of characters was so well written that I felt as if I knew them personally. An emotional tale that brought me to tears and had me contemplating how nothing is really permanent. I enjoyed traveling with Robin through her journey of letting go and holding on. I had to stop reading several times because the scenes were intense and, because I've recently suffered a loss, it especially hit a nerve. I recommend you give it a read, and I will be searching for the other books by this talented author. I look forward to reading more about these characters.
