This was my first time reading something written by Liz Talley and I can say I did enjoy how she wrote , I found myself lost in how she told the story. I didn't once lose any interest to finish this book.
This is a story of a mother and adult daughter both learning to mange their own life after some big set backs. I love that this story show how a almost 40 year old divorced mother who turns into a famous author learns how to live a life for herself finally. And how a spoiled 23 year old woman struggles to go from being a spoiled daughter to a adult. There where times when I hated how Ellery treated and talked to her mother, but then I realized it's only cause I found myself in those words on the pages. This is a story of growth, love, understanding.
I would definitely encourage anyone to read this book. There are some nice steamy sex scenes but I wouldn't lump this into a romance book ... their is something much deeper to this story ... it's more of a mother daughter love story that shows how the love and respect grows as they both do.

I don't know how anyone could not fall in love with this book! It's not the type that I usually read but I am sure glad I did. I have daughters of my own so I can really relate to Daphne, the mother. Ellery is a very spoiled daughter who believes her parents live should revolve around her. When her parents divorce the trouble begins!! I highly recommend this very well written book.It is great
Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this amazing book.

I wish I hadn’t read this book. It was extremely disappointing and aggravating. The characters, particularly Ellery, are unlikeable. I didn’t care what happened to them. Ellery....Ellery was such a pain. I know it’s because she’s supposed to be, but it took away from the book. She was so annoying, ungrateful and too proud. The way she spoke to her mother was so disrespectful. I can not recommend this book to anyone.

Room to Breathe by Liz Talley is a full length, stand-alone romance novel. A slow burn, a story about family, second chances and a story with just the right amount of drama to keep me entertained.
Meet Daphne Witt,writer. The divorced mother catches the eye of an younger man - Clay Caldwell. Clay is Daphne's contractor and he's great at his job. And he developed feelings for Mrs. Witt. Clay is a great character and I liked him a lot. He knows what he wants and how to get it. He's a good guy, honest.
On the other hand there's Daphne's daughter and let me tell you she's a piece of work, has a lot of growing up to do and simply wasn't my favorite charater. When it should be to each their own and I'm glad my mother found her hea, oh no bratty mcbratterson is determined , it's her way or the highway.
As you can see, Room to Breathe had me in knots over one character and that's just like it should be in a great read.
4,5 Stars.

Grab a glass of wine and prepare to relate. Mothers and daughters and our complex relationships are on full display in the latest novel by Liz Talley. Everyone will find something to relate to, even as they realize that everyone needs to find some room to breathe.

Room to Breathe is an amazing story about family, self-discovery, and forgiveness. I absolutely LOVED this book. Liz Talley blew me away!

The story follows the Witt women, Daphne and her daughter Ellery, as they are both facing personal challenges in their lives. Daphne has always been the fixer. The one her husband counted on to make everything okay. After her career as an author takes off, her husband decides it time to separate and divorce. She feels so much pressure and assumes that everything is her fault. She has to find herself again and figure out what she wants out of life. Her daughter is a twenty-something young woman who has pent up hatred and anger in her heart. She hasn't been able to look at her mother the same way ever since her parents got divorced. On top of dealing with her parents 'failed relationship,' she is struggling both personally and professionally.

I thought the way Liz Talley gave us perspectives from Daphne and Ellery was perfect and essential for this story! She also highlighted the ups and downs of a mother/daughter relationship. I think we can all agree that a relationship between a mother and daughter is unique. There were so many times that I was frustrated with both characters because I knew they were worth so much more. But their self-doubt was necessary to get them to truly find happiness.

Liz Talley also brought up two important topics that stood out for me: living up to other's expectations and ageism. Both of the Witt women dealt with living up to the expectations set by others. Daphne dealt with that pressure from her husband and Ellery felt pressure from her parents. I thought it was insightful to see that they were experiencing some of the same emotions even they were different ages. Ageism was a big one in the book too. When Daphne is trying to get back in the dating game, she feels guilty for being attracted to a younger man. The way the author handled these topics was excellent!

By the end, we really see Daphne and Ellery working on their relationship. They do have plenty of obstacles to face but I think they finally understand each other's reasoning which leads to greater respect for one another as individuals!!

I give Room to Breathe 5 stars. It was beautiful to see the growth of each of the characters and fulfilling to see where they ended up. I loved this whole journey and I got to witness their evolution into the women they envisioned for themselves!!

Room to Breathe, Liz Talley

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General fiction (Adult), Romance

I really enjoyed this. Its good to read romance from someone older than twenties. Its just a few little niggles that let it down for me, stopped it being five star, things like Ellery pretending to be her mum in emails, Clay, the notorious man whore, wanting more, things that didn't really feel true to character. Overall though its a great read.

I loved Daphne, pregnant at 16 she married Rex and made the best of things. They're both devoted to their daughter but over the years Daphne and Rex grew apart, and then divorced. Daphne's career has grown and daughter Ellery works as her PA, having failed to get the internship she'd set her heart on.
Its easy to see why Ellery is selfish, both Daphne and Rex have done everything for her since she was tiny, indulged her, let her think the world revolved around her and her wants. She's now 23 and they're still doing it, and Ellery just assumes they should, that they'll continue to pay her rent, pay her credits cards...but of course outside mum and dad the world is harsh, Ellery isn't central. I really disliked her, and understood why Gage saw her as spoiled princess type.
Ellery doesn't have many true friends, maybe her selfishness bleeds through and that's why. That may also be why she pretended to be her mother in that strange pen pal relationship. TBH I found that part of the story odd, didn't really fit as I never really understood why she did it, why she continued. It was an integral part of how things developed though so I guess I'll have to suck it up ;-) Ellery has a fiance though, Josh, who's in med school, and whom she lives with. We don't really see much of him though, he's always studying and though I felt for Ellery when she tried to carve time for them as a couple and got rebuffed, I felt she still saw things only in terms of how they affect her.
When Ellery gets wind of the issue with Clay and her mother she goes berserk. She was a first class bitch, and I do so love it when characters are like that. It creates drama in spades and I love that. Its not like she wants Clay anymore, she's still sore from him dropping her after just a couple of dates, and of course she has Josh. Its more that like so many spoiled kids she sees her mum as always being mum, doesn't see her as a person in her own right. If mum has to date it should be someone age appropriate, someone Ellery can approve of.
Rex the Ex, ( nice term that!) was a typical jerk man of a certain type, happy when Daphne was running the business with him, so long as she kept in the background and let him take the success, he couldn't deal when she got her own successful career. He was obnoxious – in the best way of course. Good books need someone like him as a foil, offsets all the good.
Then there's Evan, he was just wonderful, and his nephew Gage was also. Loved those two, and the whole vineyard experience.



Stars: Four, Its a fun read, fabulous characters, some terrific drama, some great surprises, and a satisfying ending.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

This is the first book I have read by Author Liz Talley and it definitely will not be my last! I was immediately drawn into this book from the first page. Daphne Witt was always a complacent wife to her husband Rex but when she decided to fulfill her dream of becoming an author of children's books, Rex refused to give her the support she needed. Filling their daughter, Ellery's head full of lies, Rex succeeds in driving a wedge between mother and daughter. that will last for several years.. After many lies and deceptions are revealed, Ellery no longer wants anything to do with her mother. But Ellery has more to deal with as her relationship with her fiancée Josh hits a sudden brick wall. Will Daphne and Ellery be able to overcome the past and present hurts and repair their relationship or will there be no chance of a reconciliation? Will Daphne finally find the love and support that she has always craved? Will Ellery find love from an unexpected source, or will her spoiled and petty behavior drive him away? This was great book that shows how being controlled and living a life with so many lies between a couple, it can destroy the love and trust. Author Liz Talley has a magnificent talent for writing a story that is so realistic, I could feel each emotion of Daphne and Ellery and sense the underlying sadness and anger. I am eager to read more of this awesome authors books and found myself asking, "What took me so long to discover such an amazing writer"? I was given this ARC by NetGalley and the publisher and all opinions are solely mine.

Loved it. I eagerly await anything by Liz Talley and I was excited to actually win a copy of this a few weeks ago in a Facebook group that Liz frequents...I'm just late in writing this. Fans of Dorothea Benton Frank, whose greatness we recently lost, are going to love Liz Talley. If there were a genre called "Amazing, strong Southern women true-to-life fiction", this would be at the top of the list.

But Liz Talley's writing may not be for everyone, and that's ok.

It's not a quickie little Harlequin romance novel, the plot development is much too well done. And it's not typical "women's fiction" as the lead characters in Room to Breathe are deep, complex, with their flaws and hangups and bad decisions, and you may not like them the whole time. I love a book that has me laughing one minute and crying the next, and Liz does that for me.

That said - I'm more of a Daphne than an Ellery at this point in my life, and I lost my own mother 30 years ago (how can that be? 30 years already) but I'm at the age that a quick romp with a hot construction guy might just be the thing that's needed, so yes, I can really relate to Daphne. She raised a spoiled child and that weighs on her, and her ex won't leave her alone, and she's a children's author, my dream job, so yeah, Daphne could be me in another life. I cheered her on and cried with her at the low points. I wanted to slap Ellery, but then I'd recognize Daphne's bad behavior, and really, aren't we all flawed? And we're all just tryin' to get through life without doing too much damage.

Give Liz Talley's books a try. If Room to Breathe starts off too deep for you, try another book - I'd suggest start with her Morning Glory series and work your way up to Room to Breath, because with Room to Breath Liz has taken her writing to the next level. I may be biased - I lived in South Carolina for a few years and I grew to love my slow, crazy life there. Maybe that should be a genre - "quirky southern fiction." Liz brings that southern quirkiness to life in the most enjoyable way, give it a try.

I fell in love with this beautifully written book that has characters and a storyline that I can totally relate with! I loved the main character Daphne and her struggle to evolve as a mother and a woman. Her struggles made her stronger and I loved seeing her find herself. I also enjoyed what I felt was the real life mother daughter drama between her And her daughter Ellery as she too struggled with life herself. This book had me page turning with many emotions as it was so very well written and drew me in. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more from Liz Talley who obviously has a talent that goes from beautiful hallmark books to this totally new southern fiction that I adored and can’t wait to read everything she has written prior to this and everything to come ! A must read and I’m going to get another copy for my mom to read as I think she too will love this!

Mothers and daughters can be so close, but sometimes they forget that they are each human with frailties and needs for themselves, and sometimes they can make very big human mistakes. This is the premise of Room to Breathe. It is warm and loving, and bitter and angry, and oh so human! Learning to change and accept change in the ones we love can be so hard, but so worthwhile when you're given Room to Breathe.

Room to Breathe was the first book I read by Liz Talley and it won't be my last. The story revolved around Daphne Witt and her daughter Ellery. I found to be a story of mother and daughter as well self discovery for both Daphne and Ellery.

While the reading the story I thought about my own relationship with mother. I found the book to be so relatable.

I love how Liz Talley told the story. I enjoy when you get to read both thoughts of the main characters.

I am looking forwarded to reading more stories by Liz Talley. This a five star must read!

I fell in LOVE with this book.

I loved the characters. This book resonated with me especially the idea of how to live your true authentic life on your own terms and that is exactly what the protagonist Daphne was on a journey to do. The story was well developed with a quite a few plot twists which kept me engaged and flipping the pages like a frantic person.

The characters were well fleshed out and complex.

If you haven't read this author, you are very much missing out. I really enjoy Liz Talley's writing style that keeps the readers attention. I was so invested in these characters, I was sad to see the book end.

I absolutely loved Daphne and Ellery!
I've never read this author before but I'm thrilled to have found her.
I could not put this book down.
So many emotions.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

When does a woman take control of her own life…when she has divorced and has raised her daughter? But Daphne is having trouble cutting the ties of her apron string with her daughter Ellery, who has been spoiled all her life, especially by her father. Daphne wants to get on with her life and Ellery thinks she should stay as she is, just her mother. But Daphne is not having it. She misses something she had been lacking in her marriage…Sex… and although there other ways of going about this, she finds herself attracted to the contractor who is remodeling the house that she is putting up for sale. He just happened to be just a few years older than her daughter. Does she go for it… You will have to read the book to find out.
The relationship between a mother and a daughter is like walking through a landmine…well in my estimation it is. Daphne wants to change her life and Ellery wants her mother to stay the way she was, always being there when ever Ellery needed her. Daphne wants more and she’s going to get it. Both women have secrets and until they can be honest with each other, life is going to be a rough ride and the men in their lives will only complicate their relationship.
I really loved this book. I so admired Daphne for taking charge of her life and with Ellery, there were times I wanted someone to give her a kick up the backside. Liz Talley gave us some great characters that added great dimensions to the story. I especially loved Daphne’s long-time friend who spoke her mind on how to live your life on your own terms. This story had so many twits and surprises that I could not put it down and I also did not want it to end, but Liz Talley brought this book to a wonder HEA for Daphne and for Ellery.
Thank you Liz Talley, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I look forward to the next book by and author who has become a must read for me.

Embrace the Unexpected

Get wrapped up in this book and these characters. Liz Talley again, does not disappoint.
Daphne, aka Dee Dee O’Hara, has re-discovered herself after more than 20 years of being who everyone else needed and wanted her to be. You’d think her daughter and now ex-husband would be happy for her.
This book takes you on a journey between “GOOD FOR YOU” and “HOW COULD YOU!?”. One minute you’ll be rooting for Daphne and wondering why her daughter, who seems to have it all, Ellery, is being so hateful. The next minute, you’ll be wondering what the heck Daphne was thinking. At any given point in this book you will want to ask that question of every single character. From mom and daughter to Rex, Clay, Gage...even Tippy Lou!
I don’t want to give anything away in this review, but by the end you will find yourself wondering if the whole chain of events was somehow set off by Tippy Lou and the book she gave Daphne to read! The sexy parts of this book were tasteful and not overly graphic as to ruin the tone of the story. They were just spicy enough! Ms. Talley makes it easy to see how a mother and daughter can “fall” for the same men no matter what the age because they are really close in age...16 years isn’t a big span when it comes to the dating pool!
Liz lets us see that these are characters you kind of want to be friends with and want to know what happens next. It’s not a cliffhanger book, but it does leave you wanting more. There needs to be a “More Room to Breathe” so we can find out what happened to Gage and Evan...and Josh and Drew (oh boy!) and Rex and his business and how everyone relates to each other now that all that’s happened has happened. These characters are made so real...from Daphne’s “breakthrough” on her book idea while sitting on a toilet in TJ Maxx... to her playlist including Aerosmith and Van Halen.
Settle in with a cup of tea and a blanket and cozy up to this book. You’ll be glad you did.

Liz Talley
Room to Breathe

From the books I have read written by Liz Talley and I will say Room to Breathe was outside for box for Liz Talley. I loved the main character Daphne she finally woke up from what I call a coma and finished strong and grew some balls as well call it and not let everyone push her around and be a doormat. Her daughter Ellery also grew up in this book and realized the detour life threw her was the right path and she became a strong young woman. Both women learned to deal with what life can throw at you whether it is good, bad or ugly. Also throw some hot men into the mix and all is well with the world. The women learned from their mistakes and misfortunes. I would definitely recommend Room To Breathe, it will be on my favorite book list for sure.

Daphne, almost 40 years old, with a strained relationship with her spoiled, beautiful daughter that she & her ex-husband, Rex, adore, is finally at a point to take action to be happy with herself and her life, after her divorce and rapid accent to be an accomplished children's book author and illustrator. That is a lot to put into one sentence, but that is how this book feels to me. It hooked me in the first chapter and there was no looking back. It never let me go. I was absorbed in the lives of the characters.

Daphne became pregnant at 16 and soon married Rex. They built a good life with their daughter, Ellery, but it was always Daphne that held them all together. She was the fixer of all problems and the worker ant that got everything done. After her divorce, she truly found herself and she liked the person she was; successful, talented and worthy of love.

Ellery always had a golden cloud above her. Everything she wanted, she received. Almost everything in her life went her way. On the odd occasion that she was not the "chosen one", her parents stepped in and made it better. She is approaching her 23rd birthday and her life is now totally crumbling. She has no idea how to handle a life that is not perfect and she is falling apart inside, while smiling on the outside denying all the issues.

There is so much more going on in this story, but you should experience that first-hand and not in a review. Liz Talley does an excellent job of character development. Each character is unique and memorable. I especially love a minor character Tippy Lou. She is a spicy, tell it like it is, hippy spiritualist. If you do not want your problem discussed honestly, it is best to not visit her.

This book is so well written and the story flows so easily. I truly enjoyed every moment of my time in this story. There are some serious issues tackled and then the humor came and I was laughing out loud and smiling. I will also add that I love the book cover!

I want to thank NetGalley.com and the author, Liz Talley for allowing me to read this fantastic book! my review is my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC of this book.