One of my goals for winter break was to read Hold Me Like a Breath, which is the first in the series that birthed my favorite book of the year (Break Me Like a Promise). They're standalones within the series so they can be read independently, though Break Me does take place after the events in Hold Me.

It was AMAZING. I devoured it yesterday in one sitting.

Hold Me is inspired by The Princess and the Pea, emphasis on how badass the princess is. The plot lines revolve around one of three crime families, who deal in the organ trading business. While it's not without the effects of being in the crime business, it is also not dark. At heart, there is romance.

Hold Me stars Penelope, who has a disease that causes her platelets to be eaten up by her body. This is what causes her bruising - which is where the light Princess and the Pea retelling comes in.

I'm fascinated by the crime families and how the daughters rise to power in the absence of their fathers and brothers.