I’ve spent most of my life trying to make it to a future that still hasn’t happened, or avoid a past that won’t let me go. I don’t remember when I’ve ever just stopped to live in the present, to hold on to the seconds I’m in.

Emma Thomas’s struggle with an abusive home life came to a heart-pounding conclusion in the final chapters of Reason to Breathe, the first installment of The Breathing Series-Rebecca Donovan’s bestselling romantic thriller (USA Today). Now her secret life has been exposed, and her tormentor can’t hurt her anymore. Yet, some are still haunted by that night. The bruises may have faded, but scars and fears remain. How will she reclaim her life when she’s barely breathing?