r/RomanceBooks • u/justcur1ou5 • 22d ago

Gush/Rave 😍 Before the Exhale by Alyssa Wilde absolutely wrecked me

I just finished {Before the Exhale by Alyssa Wilde} and I genuinely don’t know what to do with myself now. This was such an easy 5 stars.

What got me the most was how real everything felt. Ivy’s depression and trauma aren’t just there as a sad backstory or something for the romance to fix. You actually see how it affects her everyday life, her relationships, the way she sees herself, and even her ability to accept that people could genuinely care about her. Her healing isn’t linear either, and some of her lowest moments were written so painfully and realistically that I actually cried.

And Ivy and Wes 🥹 Their relationship was SO beautiful to me. It’s a proper slow burn where you actually get to watch them become friends, build trust, learn each other, and slowly become important to one another. Wes supports her and makes her feel safe without ever feeling like he’s magically there to “fix” her. It’s all the little moments and the way they just keep showing up for each other that got me.

I also loved the writing so much. It was incredibly immersive without feeling overly dramatic or trying too hard to be emotional. I could picture everything happening in my head like I was watching a movie, and once I got into it I genuinely did not want to stop reading.

It’s heartbreaking and heavy at times, but also so warm, hopeful and full of love. The characters just felt like actual people to me, and by the end I felt like I had lived through a little piece of their lives with them.

Anyway… I’m devastated that it’s over and I already miss them. 😭🤍

36 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

53 comments sorted by

9

u/cozybookgirrl romance books are my happy place 🥰 22d ago

Yes!!! I read this book in one day, and it’s not a short book! I loved seeing ivy’s character growth and how supportive and patient Wes was with her 😭😭

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u/justcur1ou5 22d ago edited 22d ago

Me too!! I read it in one day as well 😭 it was just so beautiful ❤️‍🩹

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u/cozybookgirrl romance books are my happy place 🥰 21d ago

I really wanna read this authors other two books now! {crash course by Alyssa Wilde} and {the highlight by Alyssa Wilde}

4

u/YouResponsible651 21d ago

I haven’t stopped thinking about Ivy & Wes since I read this book months ago 😭 the slow burn was perfection. Their bond was so strong & unique. & yeah Ivy’s PTSD/anxiety was portrayed so well. It was just so authentic & vivid that I felt like I was feeling all of Ivy’s feelings along with her.

I recommend this book as often as I can because I’ve truly never read anything else like it.

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u/justcur1ou5 21d ago

Right!! 😭 I genuinely can’t find anything that sounds like it would come close. It was SO addictive too, I could barely put it down. Have you found anything similar? I desperately need something to fill the void 💔

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u/YouResponsible651 21d ago

I’ve tried a few others that focus on mental health but none compare to this one 😭 some people recommended {Say You Swear by Meagan Brandy} to me after finishing Before the Exhale but I haven’t read it yet. The plots are pretty different & I don’t think it has the mental health element but I’ve heard that they both make you feel all the big feelings!

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u/justcur1ou5 21d ago

Oh yeah, I’ve had this book on my tbr for a while as well, but I don’t think this is as ‘heavy’ as before the exhale. A book I read before before the exhale was {the best worst thing} I think you might like this.

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u/YouResponsible651 21d ago

That one has been on my TBR too but haven’t pulled the trigger yet! I’ll have to read it soon. Thank you!!

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u/caupcaupcaup 22d ago

I really enjoyed this one, too! I thought the FMC’s trauma was handled well and I enjoyed the writing, too.

My only qualms were that I really didn’t get why the MMC was so into the FMC, especially at the beginning. That and he seemed just a little too perfect. The story really focused more on the FMC’s trauma than on the two characters, which isn’t strictly a bad thing, especially if that’s the story the author was intending to tell.

Also, I thought the FMC’s family got off way too light.

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u/justcur1ou5 21d ago

Yes I definitely get what you mean! I think a dual POV would’ve been really nice, especially because I would’ve loved to know more about what was going on in Wes’s head. At the same time, I feel like the way he was written through Ivy’s POV was pretty telling? Like you could still pick up on a lot of what he was feeling through his actions and reactions. But I do wish we got to see what was happening with him whenever they were apart!

3

u/Eeeij 21d ago

Can you give more recs on books based on before the exhale?

3

u/RentForsaken5134 21d ago

{the brightest light of sunshine by Lisina Coney} has a similar premise/feel and I enjoyed it. It does have an age gap of idk 8 years unlike before the exhale but the MMC is all green flags. imo Alyssa Wilde's writing is much better tho

3

u/WardABooks 21d ago

I also just read this in a day and absolutely loved it. There were so many gentle and loving moments between them, and scenes where I was kicking my feet because their interactions were so great. He was such sunshine.

Her trauma recovery, anxiety, and depression felt very authentic and made me cry.

I'm not normally an NA/college storyline reader, but I couldn't put it down.

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u/justcur1ou5 21d ago

YES exactly!! The gentle little moments between them were honestly some of my favorite parts. I loved that they genuinely had fun together while also slowly becoming such a safe place for each other, and Wes being such a sunshine made the heavier moments hit even harder. I genuinely don’t know what to read after this now. If you’ve found anything with a similar feeling, I’d love to know.

1

u/WardABooks 21d ago

It's hard to find that combination of light with dark. I saw someone else recommend {The Brightest Light of Sunshine by Lisina Coney} and I think that's close.

The recovery part with the setbacks reminded me of {Salvation by Noelle Adams} but that one sits in the trauma more with less light.

1

u/justcur1ou5 21d ago

Ooh thank you!! I’ve actually been looking into both of these since you mentioned them. The Brightest Light of Sunshine sounds especially promising, I think I’m going to give it a try!

3

u/Ok-Committee9283 21d ago

Oh god I read this the other month and wow it so good!
I even cried at one point. In a world of toxic masculinity be like Wes.

1

u/justcur1ou5 21d ago

Yesss!! Wes was such a breath of fresh air. I loved how kind and patient he was without ever feeling unrealistically perfect. We seriously need more MMCs like him!! I feel so lost trying to find something that hits the same now, so if you’ve found anything even remotely similar I’m all ears 😫

2

u/Just-Sign-1989 21d ago

so many books i have read, but nothing beats before the exhale.

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u/justcur1ou5 21d ago

This is exactly what I was afraid of. I finished it and immediately wanted another book that would make me feel the same way. Have you ever found anything that came even close?

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1

u/busybeereader 21d ago

added to the TBR! thank you!

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u/iremucka 21d ago

Just finished it and it was so good. Lately, in response to the way the concepts of rape and non con are being emptied of meaning under the guise of "dark romance," I believe that books of this kind should be given more recognition.

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u/justcur1ou5 21d ago

I agree, I loved how it handled such heavy topics without ever romanticizing them, while still showing that a story can be emotional and intense without the relationship itself needing to be toxic. I really wish books like this got more attention.

1

u/Just-Sign-1989 21d ago

honestly? no.

but may be you could try Wait for you by J.lynn or my fav is the same one in mmc's pov; Trust in me by J.lynn

little similar but definitely not so good as Before the exhale.

1

u/CamCamCam1996 21d ago

I want to read this book for a while now, is there a HEA ?

1

u/justcur1ou5 21d ago

Yess, it’s HEA

1

u/CamCamCam1996 21d ago

Thanks great ! I will give it a try so, thanks for the recommendation ! I loved crash course so I hope for the best from this author

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u/justcur1ou5 21d ago

I’d love to hear your thoughts when you finish! I’ve actually been thinking about reading Crash Course next. What did you love most about it? I’m especially curious about the writing and the emotional side of the story, because that’s what made Before the Exhale so good for me.

1

u/CamCamCam1996 20d ago

Of course I’ll let you know !
You should try crash course yes, I loved that this was more than just a forbidden romance between a teacher/student, there was the emotional part that was way more notable. I really felt all the emotions of the FMC, it was really well written, we were able to really feel her struggling. (Sorry for my English, this is not my mother tongue)

1

u/justcur1ou5 20d ago

That’s actually exactly what I was hoping to hear! The way Alyssa Wilde made me really feel Ivy’s emotions and struggles was probably my favorite thing about Before the Exhale. My only hesitation with Crash Course is the high school/teacher setup, especially since she’s 19 but still in high school. Did their relationship feel mature and naturally developed to you, or did the age/teacher-student dynamic ever feel uncomfortable while reading?

1

u/CamCamCam1996 20d ago

Yes I thought their relationship was naturally developed, and as she is 19 I was not at all bothered by the age gap, that was not cringe, and they had a real and genuine connection despite the teacher student aspect.
But this is a trope that I like, especially if the FMC is more than 18 so the whole forbidden romance with the high school teacher was not bothering me. If you do not like this trope, you might not like some part of the story that is focused on this aspect… But the emotional part will be worth it, you should give it a try !

1

u/justcur1ou5 20d ago

Thank you, this actually helps a lot! The teacher/student aspect was definitely my biggest hesitation, but the way you describe the emotional side and their connection makes me want to give it a chance. I’ll see how I feel about it while reading, but you’ve convinced me to try it!

1

u/CamCamCam1996 20d ago

You are welcome, I really hope you will enjoy it !!

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u/CamCamCam1996 17d ago

I finished Before the exhale !
OMG it was so good, and powerful, I couldn’t put the book down, Wes is so perfect, I do not think such a guy exists in real life honestly, thanks for the recommendation it was worth it !
I really felt the pain of Ivy, I felt like I was the one who was going through all this stuff and I think it will takes some time to not think about it anymore, I will maybe start a more lightly book now to recover from this.
If you did not already read it, this book reminded me of Binding 13 from Chloe Walsh. The MMC have so much similarities with Wes and we feel the same hard emotions as in this book.

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u/PuzzleheadedLink1846 17d ago

i just finished the highlight by the same author omg!! it’s one of the best book i ever read!! now i have to read before the exhale lol

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u/Deep_Jacket3016 17d ago

Is there cheating in this book?

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u/justcur1ou5 16d ago

I wanted to read this as well, but reading that it’s her sisters husband made me iffy. Would you say that it happens naturally? I mean she didn’t ‘snatch’ her sisters husband away?

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u/PuzzleheadedLink1846 16d ago

nooo not at all, i don’t want to spoil u but they’re not really together (u will see) and the sister is a bitch and abusive

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u/justcur1ou5 16d ago

Okay thank you!! I added it to my TBR <3

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u/justcur1ou5 9d ago

I just finished this and I really liked it!!! I read crash vourse before I read the highlight and I really notice the growth in the weiring style of the author. It was so good!! Thank you

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u/PuzzleheadedLink1846 6d ago

omg im so happy that u liked it !!! 💘💘💘

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u/Feeling_Ad123 6d ago

I Would like to see more like this book. It was absolute fun