Hold Me Like a Breath (Once Upon a Crime Family Series #1)

by Tiffany Schmidt

Overview

In Penelope Landlow's world, almost anything can be bought or sold. She's the daughter of one of the three crime families controlling the black market for organ transplants. Because of an autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise easily, Penny is considered too "delicate" to handle the family business, or even to step foot outside their estate.

All Penelope has ever wanted is independence--until she's suddenly thrust into the dangerous world all alone, forced to stay one step ahead of her family's enemies. As she struggles to survive the power plays of rival crime families, she learns dreams come with casualties, betrayal hurts worse than bruises, and there's nothing she won't risk for the people she loves.

Perfect for fans of Holly Black and Kimberly Derting, this first book in the stunning new Once Upon a Crime Family series from acclaimed author Tiffany Schmidt will leave readers breathless.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802738103
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	05/19/2015
Series:	Once Upon a Crime Family Series , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

TIFFANY SCHMIDT is the author of Send Me a Sign and Bright Before Sunrise. She lives in Pennsylvania with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of mischievous puggles. Visit Tiffany online at www.TiffanySchmidt.com and on Twitter @TiffanySchmidt.
TIFFANY SCHMIDT is the author of Hold Me Like a Breath, Send Me a Sign, and Bright Before Sunrise. She's a former teacher who's found her happily ever after in Pennsylvania with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of mischievous puggles. Visit Tiffany online at www.TiffanySchmidt.com and on Twitter @TiffanySchmidt.

Editorial Reviews

Ambitious and original, Hold Me Like a Breath captured my attention before I even turned the first page. It's a thriller in every sense of the word, and I can't wait to see what Schmidt has up her sleeve next.” —Michelle Hodkin, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of the Mara Dyer trilogy

“The tightly coiled suspense and superb romance had me holding my breath!” —Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of DON'T LOOK BACK and the Lux series

“This book swept me off my feet! Deadly family secrets, tense situations, surprising truths, and captivating romance kept me in suspense from 'Once upon a time' to 'ever after'. Hold Me Like a Breath is a gripping modern thriller for readers who still love fairy tales and people who think they've outgrown them. This is an offer you can't refuse!” —E. C. Myers, author of THE SILENCE OF SIX and FAIR COIN

“This is a sometimes violent, sometimes teen-angsty, sometimes sigh-worthy, and pretty dang awesome modern fairy tale. . . Add this to your must-read pile!” —USA Today's HAPPILY EVER AFTER Blog

“Heartfelt and haunting. Penny is a heroine to root for, a princess who creates her own ever-after.” —Jessica Spotswood, author of the Cahill Witch Chronicles

“Schmidt offers a modern-day retelling of the 'The Princess and the Pea' that attempts to cast the princess in a more proactive, less victimized role than is traditional. Penelope does manage to break free of her delicate-flower mode. . . . The romance at the heart of the book is a sweet one. . . . A decent girl-power twist on an old fairy tale for thriller lovers.” —Kirkus Reviews

“[A] fairy-tale romance with gangster set dressing . . . . [The] swoonworthy story will appeal to romantic-suspense fans.” —Booklist

“Swoonworthy.” —Booklist Online

“Action, mystery, and perhaps some romance combine in this thriller reminiscent of Gabrielle Zevin's Because It Is My Blood and The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer.” —VOYA

“Loaded with twists and suspense, this is the first in a series, and teens will anxiously await the next book.” —School Library Journal

“With its unusual premise and memorable combination of gangsters, deadly secrets, and subtle fairy-tale allusions, this novel offers an adventure with broad appeal. . . This first in a new crime-family series will also thrill romance-loving adventure readers and leave them holding their breath for more.” —BCCB

From the Publisher

04/01/2015
Gr 8 Up—Seventeen-year-old Penny Landlow was born into the "family business"; her dad oversees a vast empire of illegal organ donation. Patients pay heartily for this life-saving service. Penny lives on a lavish estate that sports top-notch security and hired staff. She has limited interaction with the outside world, which is compounded by her disease; Penny suffers from a rare condition called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Her body destroys its own platelets for no known reason, and the only treatment is healthy blood infusions every few weeks. Her life revolves around her blood tests and infusions. Penny's greatest desire is to go away to college and live like a normal teen, but her doting parents will never allow this. Carter, her older brother, is home from college, along with his trusted bodyguard, Garrett Ward. Garrett's dad is head of security for the business and his three brothers are employees as well. It's assumed that the Ward family will take over the organ business once Penny's father retires. When the Wards are not named as heirs to her father's empire, the action boils over. Her brother, mother, and father are brutally murdered, and Penny is forced into a heart-pounding, adrenaline-fueled race to discover the true murderers and survive the treacherous New York landscape on her own. Penny comes to recognize her limitations and have faith in her ability to make decisions, learning from her mistakes. The plot is contrived in spots, such as when Penny just happens to run into and fall in love with the son of one of the rival organ empires. Loaded with twists and suspense, this is the first in a series, and teens will anxiously await the next book. VERDICT A crime narrative that satisfies a craving for suspenseful romance, entertaining adventure, and edge-of-your-seat survival drama.—Julie Shatterly, W. A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC

School Library Journal

2015-02-23
Many parents are overprotective, but perhaps none more so than the Landlows with their daughter, Penelope, whom they forbid anyone even to touch.They do have good reason for this rule. Penelope suffers from idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a disease that can result in horrific internal bleeding at even the lightest touch. Complicating matters, the family profession is human-organ trafficking, which, though it can help those in need (and who can pay), is highly illegal and dangerous. When this danger culminates in horrific tragedy, Penelope suddenly finds herself alone in a world she's ill-equipped to deal with. Will she be able to handle real life and even save the man she loves from death? Schmidt offers a modern-day retelling of the "The Princess and the Pea" that attempts to cast the princess in a more proactive, less victimized role than is traditional. Penelope does manage to break free of her delicate-flower mode (with a little motivation from some bad guys), but she suffers so many setbacks and moments of doubt that readers will be forgiven for wanting to hurry up the process. The romance at the heart of the book is a sweet one, if slightly convenient, and offers a pleasant break from Penelope's primary struggle between her past and present selves. A decent girl-power twist on an old fairy tale for thriller lovers. (Thriller. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews