Drowning to Breathe (Bleeding Stars Book 2)

After A Stone in the Sea finishes with the sucker punch ending none of us were expecting, Drowning to Breathe picks up with just as much pace as the first book. Once again A.L. Jackson weaves the intricate web of interconnections of the characters. You need to pay attention because they are all significant and come the end of the book, all the questions are answered.

I’ve been rooting for Sebastian and Shea from the start and now with Kallie in the mix too and the future of their family up in the air, it is time to buckle down. Of course Sebastian goes into fierce protector mode and his actions get him into hot water. With their relationship built on secrets and lies they both come clean and attempt to mop up the mess that is their lives. Can they do it? Will love prevail? Do they get their HEA?

Well you are going to have to read it to find out. Absolutely no spoilers here. What I will say is that the writing is impressive. The story is woven with tragedy and beauty. You are sucked into the feelings of two very complicated people with one simple common denominator, LOVE! A.L. Jackson doesn’t disappoint, the scenes are vivid and emotionally charged. This was a rollercoaster ride for sure but even with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows I didn’t want to get off. I loved getting snippets of the other Sunder boys and of all of them I can’t wait to read Austin’s book, I feel like I may be sponsored by Kleenex by the end though, she’s bound to be a tear jerker.

OMG!!!!!
Hands down the best series I have read!
Yes “A.L. Jackson” spins her magical web with the “Bleeding Stars series”!
A hard Broken Rocker! With so many dimensions and undertones. You can’t help but be hypnotized by this series.
God yes with every poetic word and vibrancy. Every hypnotic word that spills out on the pages. You feel drugged. As though you’ve been enticed with this euphoria. That just sends you into a dream-like state of nirvana! Which is A.L. Jackson’s writing!
It’s almost as though it’s a musical symphony to the mind and soul.

Which flows like an electrical current that pulses in our veins. That keeps you swept up in the emotion. That just sends you into a dream-like state of nirvana!

God yes with a very hypnotic word that spills out.
that spills out poetic words, and a lyrical dance!

hypnotic series!

I have been waiting for months for this book to come out. I dove right into it. I was up half the night on Monday reading it. Then I finished it first thing Tuesday morning. Without a doubt, this has to be one of the best books I have ever read. Mind you I read at least 4 books a week too. My other favorite is “A Stone in the Sea”. A.L. Jackson just knows how to write her ass off. She keeps you focused on her characters. So much so that once you are done with her books. You want to go back and read them again.

At first, I was a little miffed at Baz. Then he finally grew a pair and manned up! Yes, I just said that. I cried tears of joy and tears of hurt in this book. Plus there were some hot sex scenes. The whole story is about the couple fighting their demands. But in the end, Baz and Shea have their HEA. The ending had me in tears.

“This girl who was so gorgeous and broken and scared. The woman who’d become my responsibility. My future. Because I’d be damned if I remained a prisoner to my past. One I’d never walk away from again. I loved Shea Bentley and she loved me. It’s where it started and where it ended. Nothing before or after or in between mattered.”
― A.L. Jackson, Drowning to Breathe

Stunning conclusion to Sebastian and Shae’s story. These two go through so much and in the end love prevails. I couldn’t get enough of them and oh boy Sunder is awesome.

This book had so much. It would break my heart a little but then fix right back up. There were twists and turns. Shea and Baz were trying to navigate their relationship through so much bad stuff from their pasts. This was a good conclusion to their story and look forward to reading about the rest of the band members.

***The Danger in Pretending is it becoming Real***

First of all this is a sequel to A Stone in the Sea and continues with the same characters (NOT A STAND-ALONE!!). So if you haven’t read A Stone in the Sea, be WARNED that this review could contain minor spoilers 😉

We pick up exactly where we left off in A Stone in the Sea. This book has cured me of my fear for cliffhangers, however I was impatiently waiting on this book since I read A Stone in the Sea on release day. I was dying to find out what would happen after the plot twist at the end of book 1. It really broke my heart seeing Shea in pain like that. I can’t imagine how I would react if that happened to me.

“Do you really think you don’t know me, Sebastian? Do you really think you don’t know every single thing that counts? This room…this house… me being a mother to Kallie…loving you.”

In A Stone in the Sea Baz had told Shea his secrets but Shea still had her secrets which she was reluctant to share. First I was like come on Shea be honest with Baz, but after reading why she didnt I totally understood why she didn’t provide all the details. Baz is a very passionate man, he is a protector and can’t stand to see his loved ones in pain. Shea kept her secrets the first half of the book because she wanted to protect Baz. She knew what would happen if she told him everything that happened to her. Baz would go and do something without thinking of the consequences. Like it was mentioned in the book he is and always will be a fight-to-the-death kind of guy.

“We’re so much alike, Sebastian. You just wear all your scars here. On the outside.”

I loved all the side characters: Ash, Lyrick, Zee and Austin. I am super excited that they all are getting their own story. I am especially excited to read Austin’s book, who made a big step towards getting better in this book. I hate Jennings, he still was his evil self, trying to ruin everyones lives.

“And here I stood, covered in Shea’s light, cloaked in her darkness, surrounded in her scent of satisfaction, lost beneath the surface where she became the air. My air. DROWNING TO BREATHE.”

This book is one of my favorites of 2015. I have read every full-length novel by AL Jackson and love all of them, she doesn’t disappoint! I am looking forward to what she has in store for us in the future.

I LOVED “A Stone in the Sea” and this one was no different. An absolutely beautiful conclusion to an amazing story. I adored these characters and this story. AL Jackson does not disappoint with her perfect words that leave you begging for more. I highly recommend this book just be prepared for a roller-coaster ride of emotions.