Breathe by Carly Phillips

Author: Carly Phillips
Publisher: CP Publishing
Date of publication: May 2o18

From troubled teen to successful general contractor, Jake Nichols turned his life around from his time in foster care. Divorced and single, he juggles his time between his daughter and his work. Next on his agenda, a new project that is his chance to prove his worth at the job he loves. Except he never anticipates that the only girl he's ever loved and lost as a teen is now a grown and beautiful woman in charge of the project. 

Phoebe Ward has survived and conquered a painful past that includes foster care and becoming a teenaged mom. She wants nothing more than to focus on the present but it’s hard when she looks into the eyes of her son, knowing she’s tried and failed to find his father. She’s resigned herself to raising him alone with the help of her family… Until a client meeting brings her face to face with her first love. A boy… now a sexy man she thought she’d never see again … and the father of her child.
So many years have gone by and both of their lives have changed drastically. Will they be able to put the past behind them and find the second chance they both deserve?

Breathe is the second book in the Rosewood Bay series.  It's a second chance romance focusing on Phoebe Ward.  She and Jake were an item while in foster care.  After being rescued by her aunt, she never saw him again.  He doesn't know they have a son.  Normally, I'm not a big fan of secret baby stories. However, to Phoebe's credit, she did try to find Jake with no success.  I enjoyed their story and their journey of reconnecting. I loved how Jake was all in from the start, even more so once he found out about Jamie.

While I did like the story, I felt like it needed something more. Its hard to pinpoint exactly what was missing.  It's probably a combination of a few things.  I kind of wished there would have been a little more angst here.  It was all a little too easy and smooth.  Their reunion lacked the heat I was expecting between this couple.  Even the conflict with Jake's ex was fairly mild and resolved a bit too quickly.  It almost read like a novella but it was a a full length book.  Still, I do recommend trying it out.  I look forward to reading Freed, Juliette's story next.