Before You Break is the second book in the Between Breaths series. It is a new adult series from Christina Lee, and each book works as a standalone. I am on the blog tour for the 4th book in the series coming up, and I wanted to try out one of the earlier books to see if I could catch a glimpse of Nate or Jessie before their story in Promise me This. (P.S. I did catch a glimpse of Nate, but not Jessie) I have read a lot of new adult contemporary romances and it is no secret that it is currently my favorite genre of books. After a reading your 100th or so contemporary college romance sometimes they can blend together, but not Before You Break. This book spoke to me on different levels. It is a short novel, at around 250 pages but there is so much goodness packed into its’ pages. Christina Lee impressed me with the emotion she wove into her writing and the connection she forged between the main characters, Quinn and Ella.

There are some dark issues and themes involved in Before You Break. A suicide hotline plays a big role in the story, and these are not issues to be taken lightly. I loved the way that the author dealt with them. It was so tasteful and heartfelt. Ella and Quinn both of demons in their past haunting them, and they each deal with them in very different ways. You can’t help but to root for them through it all though because there are no two people with bigger hearts. This is not a story of opposites attracting. Ella and Quinn are so similar and I loved seeing two sweet and caring people find their happiness. Watching Quinn with Ella and Gabby, on the suicide hotline broke my heart so many times. Not for any of the reasons you are probably thinking. I just hated how much guilt and blame he carried around, but I really commended him for continuing to call in.

Quinn and Ella connected on so many levels. And while there was a very real and very strong physical attraction, I really admired that they didn’t sleep together until they each had their own stuff figured out. Don’t get me wrong, there is tons of unresolved sexual tension between the two of them and the romance is sexy and hot, but they didn’t take it there until they were ready. It was really well done in my opinion. If you like new adult romance, Before You Break and the Between Breaths series is one you will not want to miss. I can’t believe that this series is the debut series from Christina Lee. That blows me away.