3.5 stars

Thank you to Berkley Pub and Netgalley for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was my first book by Michelle Hazen and I binged the story within 24 hours. It's an quick read about two people overcoming their trauma filled pasts and starting new. It definitely covers some heavy topics so be mentally prepared. I liked the dual perspective of the story but to me, Jack's dialogue could have been better. He's so sweet to Mari and did so much for her but I felt like he never completed a sentence when he was talking to her, so it was hard to connect with him on a deeper level. On the other hand, Mari was such a strong character who overcame her trauma to find a new life and it was nice to see her take the steps to stand up for herself, develop new friendships and find love again.

TW - domestic abuse, child abuse, animal abuse, alcoholism.

This was a great book!
I loved that the characters didn’t have cookie cutter occupations.
I learned so much about wildlife conservation at construction sites. I had no idea!
Very cool!!
The characters were well drawn and believable.
I can’t wait for the next book!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Breathe the Sky is my second read by Michelle Hazen and it will not be my last! I really loved Unbreak Me and was hoping this would have a similar tone and emotional impact and it sure does. If you enjoyed Unbreak Me then this is a perfect next read for you. I haven't read many books with a desert setting and I really loved it and will seek that out in the future. Mari and Jack make a great pair. They are both damaged in their own way but complement each other well. This is an emotional but ultimately satisfying read great for anyone who likes a little darkness in their romance without drama for drama's sake.

4.5 STARS

As a wildlife biologist in the Mojave Desert, Mari Tucker spends her days protecting the fragile environment where bunnies and turtles live constantly on the edge. She is assigned to a crew building towers with a bunch of roughneck workers who risk their lives every day assembling great behemoths that reach to the sky. Mari has chosen this remote and often solitary job in part because she has been on a run from her old life from an abusive ex-husband. Mari’s reclusiveness mirrors the desert animals she cares in many ways; however, she can stand up to those who would cause them harm.

Jack Wyatt has reputation as a foul-mouthed, hot tempered, mean son of gun who runs his crew with military precision because a mistake can mean death for the careless. Most of the other “bios,” as they are called on Mari’s team, shudder when they get an assignment on Jack’s crew. Mary, with her quiet recently found strength and determination, gradually sneaks in on Jack’s hidden gentle side to foment real changes in the way he deals with her and his crew. Even in the desert, hardened tough guys appreciate a softly spoken word and a homemade brownie.

Mari and Jack are two deeply wounded people who are determined not to repeat the sins of their fathers and live a brutal, unhappy life. Those wounds make being together challenging and yet foster an understanding as they take the tentative steps towards a relationship neither could have imagined possible. Despite Mari and Jack’s individual struggles to be free of the past, there are those who would haul them back in the darkness.

Ms. Hazen has a done a fine job of translating her life experiences of working a job such as Mari’s into a heartfelt and intense story that will draw you in while making the heat of the desert a living thing as well as the emotions and intentions of two lonely people who find love in the most unexpected of places. It is also refreshing and edifying to have characters who are more mature having seen and survived many of life’s vagaries. Old habits may die a hard death; however, known hells are not preferable to unknown heavens as Mari and Jack have come to realize. This book is a very well done Women’s Fiction with a compelling story that will resonate with so many readers offering much to recommend it.

DNF'd at 20%

tw: severe emotional and physical abuse from an ex; stalking; sexual harassment; severe animal abuse in past; death of a sibling

This is about a biologist running from her abusive ex-husband and a grumpy construction foreman with a traumatic past forming an unlikely romance when they work together on a site. I did like that they were older characters (young middle aged) and it seemed like they would have a sweet relationship. But while I don't think having this much trauma in a book is wrong, this is not the type of story I personally enjoy exploring. Both of their pasts are very brutal and it's brought up a lot, and that's just not the story for me.

If you enjoyed Nicholas Sparks' novel or film adaptation of Safe Haven, you'll appreciate Michelle Hazen's Breathe the Sky. In this case, Mari divorced her abuser and has a restraining order against her ex-husband, but thanks to her job as a biologist on various sites around the deserts in the U.S., her nomadic lifestyle has kept her safe, but also without a true "home" and people she feels close enough to to truly trust. Everything changes when she gets put on Jack Wyatt's crew for a week; her job can seem like a nuisance on construction sites where power lines are being built, but her way of doing her job causes Jack and subsequently, his crew, to realize that these endangered species' lives are worth protecting, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. The romance between Jack and Mari grows and readers get to see their insecurities, their moments of utter peace and joy, and jobs well done. Lots of twists and turns along the way, steamier than a typical Sparks novel, and you may learn a little something about different career fields along the way!

Breathe the Sky is a book that touched my heart and one of the best books I’ve read this year. The story is about two individuals who don’t look like they would go together but end up being exactly what they each needed to smooth out their rough edges and heal their souls. Mari Tucker is a biologist who protects wildlife on construction sites. Jack Wyatt hates having to follow the rules the biologist tell him because it makes his job twice as hard to do. Jack’s gruff and grumpy managerial style scares Mari but she isn’t going to let him get away with anything on her shift. She slowly wins him over one brownie at a time and they build an understanding and the beginning of a friendship.

Both Mari and Jack are products of abuse and both have a hard time relating to other people. Their friendship is a test of sort to figure out how to stretch their small boundaries and reach out to the other and socialize. The story went at a good pace to develop these characters and see how they slowly learn to trust each other. You get to see beyond Jack’s rough exterior is a man with a soft heart and how Mari has real strength inside her quiet and timid demeanor. I love the development of their friendship builds to sexual tension and finally they realize its love for one another. It wasn’t always easy but once Mari and Jack found one another, they weren’t going to just let it go that easy. What touched my heart is when you read the part in the story where the title of the book comes from. That is powerful writing. This is my second story and she has become a favorite all due to her beautiful writing. Breathe the Sky is a heartfelt and uplifting story that resonated with me and I know it will for others.

I received an ARC from Netgalley. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher Berkley Publishing Group, and the author Michelle Hazen for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I read this entire book in one glorious day. My emotions were captured early on, and I needed to see how the story developed, and the characters healed and grew together.

Mari & Jack meet in the Mojave desert. Jack is the foreman of a construction company setting up power lines. Mari is a biologist, and her job is to protect the wildlife in the construction area (think modern-day Lorax). Jack is outspoken, and at first, cannot see what the fuss is about a few small turtles or birds. Both Jack & Mari find themselves drawn together. Their relationship starts slowly, and builds from friends into more.

When their pasts pulls them apart, both Jack & Mari must confront the people who harmed them in the past, and make difficult decisions to change the course of their future.

As a note of caution, this book deals with abuse. Both main characters have experience physical and emotional abuse. Jack grew up with a physical and emotional abusive father and brother. It was an interesting juxtaposition between Jack and his brother and their own reactions to growing up in an abusive environment. Mari also experienced abuse. First with her step-father, and then after marriage from her (now ex) husband.

This book has a beautiful cover, and contains a beautiful story within. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

A romantic steamy read with a fun setting and our two main characters both with a traumatic past and finding love with one another. Mari was such a great character, she has a cool job, which happens to be Michelle Hazen’s job, so we a look into her life as a biologist. Her character growth is also one that I admire, with hauntings from her past and with her newfound strength. Defiantly had moments when I cheered Mari on when she stood up for herself. Great moments!
Jack Wyatt is a tough guy who is secretly a softy, his struggles with his abusive past weigh on him. Both Jack and Mari struggle, but the friendship they start out with and all the sexual tension along with it makes a great romance.

I was intrigued to read this book by the beautiful cover and the description that was given. I would categorize it as a "Harlequin Romance" type of novel because of its sexual descriptions. The text also included quite a bit of profanity. I think the book went overboard in these two areas.

As for the plot, it was a typical boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back novel.

Breathe the Sky by Michelle Hazen is a standalone romance novel. We meet our heroine, Mari Tucker, at the start, as she is assigned to her next remote job. Mari is a wildlife biologist, who enforces the rules on desert construction sites, to protect animals, such as tortoises, bunnies, etc. Since other members of the bio team can’t stand the foreman of one of the sites, it is her turn to stay the week at Jack Wyatt’s construction site. Mari feels she can handle it, as she knows about foul-mouthed men, especially her abusive ex.

Jack has a short and nasty temper when dealing with his crew, since he needs perfection, as his boss is always complaining and threatening his job. He is equally temperamental to Mari, as she is always finding things he needs to avoid, especially the endangered animals. This does cause delays which makes him even angrier. Mari is good at her job, and manages to handle Jack and his crew. In a short time, Jack and Mari will develop a friendship, which show they have more in common than either of them thought. In the same motel, they meet to watch shows like HGTV, and at times Mari loves to cook for Jack. Though they are an unlikely pair, each begins to see each other in another light and a slow build romance will start; and even on the site, Jack begins to understand what Mari sees with the animals and accepts the necessary changes.

They both have their own issues, and it was wonderful to watch them rise above them. Mari was a wonderful heroine, who was also strong; especially trying get past her fears of her ex finding her, as well as learning to stand up for herself. She was so instrumental on getting past Jack’s grumpy attitude, and bringing out a great guy, who finds love. Very well done.

Breathe the Sky was a sweet slow built compassionate romance, that was sensual, and also covered other issues, such as threats from a terrible boss or abusive ex-husband; family childhood, etc. It is a thought-provoking story, and a couple we found ourselves rooting hard for. Breathe the Sky was very well written by Michelle Hazen

Enjoyable and engaging but several issues for me.
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I love the plot of this book. It’s totally unique and an interesting look into different types of lifestyle that’s very apropos for today.

The story is this book tells a story of two people who are working through trauma in their life but are willing to work through and take a chance.

The author writes a compelling story, rich with detail and emotion. Her character development is also richly detailed but that’s where I have issue with story.

I really enjoyed Mari and the way she stood up for her convictions and the way she dealt with her trauma. The healing process was nicely developed. Plus, she was the only one who understood Jack.

But then we get to Jack. I really wanted so much more for him. The way this read to me, he was mainly inarticulate, especially in uncomfortable situations. He seemed more like a boar of a man instead of the rough, gruff, tender person that he really was deep down.

I don’t want to give away the story, because I appreciate how the characters work together, for the most part, to build their connection. But he seemed very lacking in his ability to reach her tender feelings and develop her confidence. The romance factor was definitely lacking in many ways.

While I definitely enjoyed the story, I really wanted much more for Jack in terms of that tender connection instead of the fearful man he became in my eyes.

A first time read for me for this author, but I would certainly read her other novels as well. Breathe the Sky is beautifully written and well executed for a lovely escape. We get many complex emotions through this story, with highs and lows, funny wit, healing, and growth.

When wildlife biologist Mari Tucker was assigned to Jack Wyatt’s construction crew, she was worried that his temper would scare her away, just like he did to the other bios taking turns monitoring the extensive building site in the unrelenting heat of the Mojave Desert. But Mari discovers that beneath this foreman’s hard exterior is a man who cares deeply about his crew’s safety as much as he’s learning to care for the endangered critters that live unseen throughout the desert and need protection. Both Mari and Jack are survivors of abuse and learned to protect themselves by avoiding friendships, stable jobs, and permanent homes, but they can’t help their undeniable attraction and slowly their professional relationship blossoms into a scorching romance as hot as the desert itself. When Mari gets assigned to another site led by a pigheaded foreman, Jack’s protective instincts kick in which triggers Mari’s fear that she made a mistake letting another possessive man into her life, but with each other’s support they realize that in order to break free of the past they must confront their abusers or else remain trapped in a cycle of fear and isolation. Hazen’s latest heart melting and intensely passionate contemporary romance is like a balm for the soul for anyone who has suffered abuse and survived to love again.

Breathe the Sky is a wonderful examination of abuse, the power abusers have over their victims and how the victims can find strength in themselves with the help of trusted others to break out of the cycle of fear.

When two people work through the awful hand they were dealt with and come out the other side stronger than they ever thought possible, adding in the desert, cute animals, and loads of awkward, shy dialog, you get the sweetest love story. I loved Breathe The Sky. She gave you just enough information to know the past but let the characters have their own story separate from that. I will definitely be reading more of her work.

A really phenomenal story. Heartbreaking and hopeful with an ending where the woman saves herself. I love it.

A. Sweet love story about two lost souls that had built up walls from a difficult past. I enjoyed reading how they cracked each other walls of protection slowly and sweetly.

Breathe the Sky is a remarkable, thought provoking, and emotional read that captured my attention from the first page and kept me entertained until the very end. This author has a beautiful writing style as she skillfully weaves together story that is both original and engaging. The characters are interesting, unique, and likable.

Mari and Jack seem like opposites on the surface, but they both have heartbreaking backstories that have left open wounds. While they each have their own flaws and things to overcome, they both possess an inner strength which is admirable. Mari may be quiet, but she is also strong. I loved her as a heroine and the author did an excellent job portraying her character growth. Jack is surly, but he also has a soft side to him which I adored. Their relationship is more along the lines of a slow burn romance which I think worked very well for this book. I enjoyed watching their relationship evolve.

Written with the Mojave Desert as a backdrop, I found myself fascinated with the natural beauty as well as all the intricate workings of construction work in an area with endangered species. These are things that I never really thought much about, but this author sparked my interest for sure! It is clear that this author has done her research.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this breathtaking novel. The storyline was solid and the book moved at a good pace. The author did a phenomenal job with character development throughout the book. This book is emotional at times, but it is also sweet and heartwarming.

This was a quiet read where two completely different people fall in love in the desert.
It was a quick read but it definitely packed an emotional punch. Our main character Mari was in an abusive marriage and she is still struggling with it.
It was interesting how she was a biologist on a lineman job and how her relationship to Jack came to be.
A sweet, romantic read.

“You’re freaking kidding me. He catches bunnies for you, takes you for rides on his motorcycle, looks at you like he wants to curl up in your lap and purr, and has an enormous dong?”

First and foremost let me just say that Michelle Hazen writes some of the most heart wrenching romance I have ever read. I absolutely love it!
Breathe the Sky was about two broken beautiful people who come together and find themselves in the middle of the Mojave Desert.
This books has cute turtles/tortoises, hot construction workers, brownies, and sweet love. WHAT ELSE COULD YOU NEED??
Jack and Mari both are running from the past, they run right into each other. But when the past is hot on their heels, will they look back or move forward?