Review: In Her Wake (Ten Tiny Breaths #0.5)


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I destroyed her life and then got caught in her wake.
And I realize now that it’s exactly where I’m meant to be.

Oh Trent, you've destroyed my heart.

Having read Ten Tiny Breaths last year, I was excited to read this novella from Trent's point of view. One night, one decision, six people dead and his life forever changed. In the aftermath of a horrific accident, Trent is struggling under the crushing weight of grief and guilt. Despite the efforts of family and friends who want him to somehow 'move on', Trent feels he doesn't deserve it. The only thing giving him a sense of purpose? His desire to ensure that Kacey Cleary, the only other survivor of the accident, is made whole again.

In Her Wake was a emotional read and K.A. Tucker did a fantastic job of conveying Trent's feelings of grief and despair. He was in a position that no one should ever be in: weighted down by grief, suffering the loss of his friends, but also dealing with the larger-than-life guilt over his role in the tragedy. It made my heart hurt to watch as Trent went from outgoing all-American college student/football player with a bright future to a shell of who he used to be. And the ripple effect... the impact was felt by so many people in so many ways. Trent's girlfriend, his parents, Kacey and Livie. So many lives changed by the events of one night.

Getting Trent's POV and a better understanding of his actions and motivation makes me want to go back and read Ten Tiny Breaths again. It brought so much more to the story. I liked the scenes he had with Kacey that weren't known/mentioned in TTB. He tried so hard to keep her safe, to make things right.

One of my favorite things was the authenticity of Tucker's writing. Getting a male POV right (from a female author) can be tricky but Trent's voice here was so spot on. It was completely believable and I never doubted that I was reading from a 20-something male perspective. It made the whole reading experience so much better to have that believability factor.

In Her Wake is an excellent addition to TTB and I'm so glad I read it and learned even more about Trent. I will say that calling this #0.5 in the series is truly misleading as it contains major spoilers for Ten Tiny Breaths (#1). This should be considered #1.5 and I definitely recommend reading TTB *before* picking up In Her Wake.


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