PRAISE

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"If you like Liane Moriarty, Bottom of the Breath, the debut novel by Jayne Mills, may be a new love for you… Her story is a testament to following the dream, no matter how long it takes you, and learning to heal and remain present while chasing it.”

–Linda Hurtado, FOX 13 Tampa Bay Reads

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“I love the concept; I love the idea of [Cyd’s] journey, and I can’t wait to dive in.” 

–WTVG/ABC13 The Nine “Author’s Note with Rebecca Regnier” 

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"This contemporary debut of Bottom of the Breath is suited for lovers of Liane Moriarty and Maria Semple and is chock-full of all the premier things–mystery, romance, and adventure...Are you on the hunt for a read that hits that sweet spot between heartfelt and engrossing? You’ve found it."

—LA Wire

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“I absolutely loved this novel. The way Mills paints each scene with such vivid imagery made me feel like I was hiking through the Grand Canyon along side Cyd. The story balanced so many emotions at once. It was heartbreaking, and hopeful, contemplative, but never felt weighed down. It was incredibly real and every part was very intentional. Many things resonated with me and I cried a few times! Honestly, it was such a wonderful read.”

–@JWfullspeed (Audible account), five stars

 

“What a wonderful surprise. Ms Mills claims to have written her debut novel. This makes me believe that we all had a previous life. She must have been an award winning novelist in her previous life. Every thing you want in a refreshing novel. It seems I was reading the last third at record speed to find the ending story with Cyd and Bobby. I’ll look for her next one.”

–@Flyfisher, five star Amazon review

 

“I enjoyed the character's, their flaws, their friendships and the way that they all helped one another. I loved the writing style, the smooth flow of the story and the fact that the reader didn't want to stop reading it at any point. This one is a must read and a must read now. Add it to your TBR list and move it to the top - it is worth skipping some of the others to get to this one! One of my favorites of the summer.”

–@stephenee922
 

“I loved the debut novel, Bottom of the Breath. I highly recommend this complex, wonderful read for your nightstand. Once I cracked the cover, I couldn't put it down. My nose was buried.”

–@phyllisjonespisanellireviews

 

“I really liked this story… There are many lessons to take from [Cyd’s] journey: how we can’t control almost anything, how to get up after we fall over and over again, the importance of living in the moment, cherishing what we have, trusting in the abundance of the universe and letting everything else go. It’s amazing to discover great and well-written debuts, stories that move you and teach you more about the meaning of life.”

–Fae Reviews

 

“If you are like me and love to read debut novels, then let me introduce you to a new author named Jayne Mills and her wonderful new book Bottom of the Breath. I was not able to put this book down. It held my interest and had me doing some research on my own. That is a great book and I think this one will be winning some awards for Ms. Mills.”

–Phyllis Jones Pisanelli Reviews

 

“Debut novel Bottom of the Breath by American author Jayne Mills is intriguing from the opening. It is a story about a woman called Cyd coming to terms with revelatory family secrets after receiving a surprise inheritance, overcoming betrayal, and facing her fears to discover that she is much stronger than she believed herself to be.”

–RL Smith Writing Reviews

 

“Mills’s efficient prose sketches an entirely believable landscape in Cyd’s mind, roiling with confusion over the breakdown of her marriage and the shocking revelations about her family. Cyd’s mental state unfolds through intermittent flashbacks of marital ups and downs, her childhood, and the family secrets that drive the novel, all delivered with rich symbolism. Mills even uses an incoming hurricane as a token of the emotional storms brewing in Cyd’s life… Mills effectively examines the self-destructive thought patterns women often fall into in their quest for happiness… Readers will savor Cyd’s intense journey, rooting for her to navigate her trauma and emerge on the other side, ready to become a woman who “believed she would find her way.”

—Publishers Weekly BookLife

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“What started out as the main character's reaction to a marital betrayal turned into a self-introspective quest to really figure out who she is, the relationships in her life and what she values above all. Cyd, the protagonist, is so likable, that I found myself rooting for her at every step of her journey. A rich read.”

–@kindlyreadwithme

 

“Bottom of the Breath unlocks the power of forgiveness applied to both present and past events.”

–Novels Alive

 

TRADES

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–Publishers Weekly BookLife 

“Cyd Carr is catapulted from her tranquil life in Florida onto a cross-country road trip with her recently estranged husband. She must outrun a hurricane, digest a decades-old family secret, and come to terms with her pain-filled past. Laced with mysticism and set among the majesty of the Grand Canyon, Bottom of the Breath explores the power of family, friendship, and forgiveness.

Mills’s debut catches Cyd Carr, wife to Loren, on an unplanned road trip to Sedona, Arizona, where her deceased Aunt Mae has left her a house—and a family secret. Just days earlier, Cyd was in a vehicle accident, discovering, in the hospital, that the other involved car contained her husband and his girlfriend. When she receives notice from Mae’s attorney that he needs to meet with her in person in Phoenix, Cyd jumps at the chance to escape her new reality. But when the attorney discloses a family secret about Cyd’s deceased brother, Baker, that revelation, combined with her husband’s infidelity, makes Cyd question all she’s ever known about her life.

Though Cyd and Loren have weathered their fair share of marital woes, she still adores him. That makes the exposure of his affair all the more devastating, leaving Cyd reeling and questioning her sense of self. Mills’s efficient prose sketches an entirely believable landscape in Cyd’s mind, roiling with confusion over the breakdown of her marriage and the shocking revelations about her family. Cyd’s mental state unfolds through intermittent flashbacks of marital ups and downs, her childhood, and the family secrets that drive the novel, all delivered with rich symbolism. Mills even uses an incoming hurricane as a token of the emotional storms brewing in Cyd’s life.

Mills effectively examines the self-destructive thought patterns women often fall into in their quest for happiness, though the description of Cyd’s climb down into the valley—and the happenings there involving fellow hiker Kevin—feel somewhat exaggerated in an otherwise well-crafted narrative. Readers will savor Cyd’s intense journey, rooting for her to navigate her trauma and emerge on the other side, ready to become a woman who “believed she would find her way.”

 

–Kirkus Reviews

“A thoughtful story of how troubles can spark opportunities. In Mills’ novel, a woman’s placid life in a small town is unsettled by her husband’s infidelity and the disclosure of extraordinary family secrets.

Cyd Carr, in her early 50s, lives a placid life in small-town Lola, Florida. However, her life is turned upside down when she’s in a car accident and realizes that her husband, Loren, was a passenger in the vehicle that hit hers—and he’s accompanied by a woman, Mila Menendez, with whom he’s been having an affair. In the aftermath, Cyd holds out hope that her marriage of 28 years can be salvaged. To that end, she travels with Loren to Phoenix, where a lawyer has summoned her to collect an inheritance after the death of her Aunt Mae. However, during the journey, Cyd learns that Loren hasn’t been forthcoming about his affair; it lasted much longer than he originally said it did, and Mila ended it, not him. It’s also clear that he was in love with his mistress. Devastated, Cyd leaves her spouse in Dallas and heads to Arizona on her own. Mills’ emotionally sensitive drama poignantly expresses Cyd’s bewildered anguish throughout: “They were happy. Forty-eight hours ago, if someone had asked, she would have said she had a good marriage. They had a happy marriage. That’s what she would have said.” Later, Cyd not only inherits some money and a house in Sedona, but also discovers remarkable truths about Mae and other members of her family, which prompts her to rethink her childhood. Over the course of the novel, Mills powerfully evokes an atmosphere of menace and destruction; while Cyd’s away from Lola, for instance, her home is threatened by a “mighty and vengeful” hurricane. She’s memorably depicted as a woman who’s lived a small, safe life, but who’s suddenly forced to reinvent herself and boldly start anew. Overall, it’s an engrossing and often moving novel about the ways in which disaster can create newfound fortitude.” 

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–Nashville Lifestyles coverage

 

–Paradise News Book + Bottle event listing

 

–Grand Canyon Times  article 

 

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BROADCAST

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–WTVT-TV/Fox 13 Tampa Bay Reads - interview 

“If you like Liane Moriarty, Bottom of the Breath, the debut novel by Jayne Mills, may be a new love for you. “

 

–KAFF News Radio - live interview on July 22nd at 11:05am ET, recording unavailable 

 

–WTVG/ABC13 The Nine “Author’s Note with Rebecca Regnier” interview 

“I love the concept; I love the idea of [Cyd’s] journey, and I can’t wait to dive in.” 

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–About the Authors TV Wednesday August 13th at 10 AM ET - AIr date pending

 

–WFHG Supertalk Saturday Morning July 19th at 10:15am ET 

 

–Living The Next Chapter Podcast Tuesday, July 22nd at 6 PM ET 

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BLOGS & NEWSLETTERS

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–Lit Wit Wine Dine -  coverage

 

–Chick Lit Central - book feature 

 

–Hasty Book List - IG bookstack and coverage

 

–Reecaspieces coverage 

 

–@book_referees - coverage 

“Jayne Mills delivers a strong and quietly emotional debut with Bottom of the Breath. This story is about unraveling, reckoning, and choosing yourself even when everything around you is falling apart…Mills writes with clarity and care. The emotions are real and the characters feel lived-in. Bottom of the Breath is not about chasing answers. It is about finding peace, telling the truth, and letting go of what no longer fits. This is a story for anyone who has ever had to leave pieces of themselves behind in order to move forward.”

 

–Lara’s Book Club - coverage 

“Bottom of the Breath is a true self-discovery adventure novel. I’d almost describe it as a coming-of-age novel, except our protagonist, Cyd, is in her 50’s. This is a second coming-of-age for her, or maybe a first, as the case may be, because it’s quite possible she never really matured until this moment. As a yoga teacher, I connected with the yogic nature of the novel as Cyd is also a practitioner and often incorporates yoga philosophy into her daily life and narration of the book. Whether you’re a yogi or not, we, the readers, are all the wiser for getting to follow along the path with her.”

 

–The Story Eater - inclusion on Adult Releases calendar 

 

–Novels Alive - coverage 

“Bottom of the Breath unlocks the power of forgiveness applied to both present and past events.”

 

–Silver’s Reviews - feature + IG post

 

–RL Smith Writing Reviews - review and Q&A 

“Debut novel Bottom of the Breath by American author Jayne Mills is intriguing from the opening. It is a story about a woman called Cyd coming to terms with revelatory family secrets after receiving a surprise inheritance, overcoming betrayal, and facing her fears to discover that she is much stronger than she believed herself to be… I remember visiting the Grand Canyon back in 2005 and being in awe of its vastness and Mills does a great job of capturing that sense. The Grand Canyon scenes are another example of environment as character in the story and how nature can shape us. I particularly enjoyed this element of Bottom of the Breath.”

 

–Phyllis Jones Pisanelli Reviews - review 

“If you are like me and love to read debut novels, then let me introduce you to a new author named Jayne Mills and her wonderful new book Bottom of the Breath. I was not able to put this book down. It held my interest and had me doing some research on my own. That is a great book and I think this one will be winning some awards for Ms. Mills.”

 

–A Soccer Mom’s Book Blog - coverage 

 

–Fae Reviews - review 

“I really liked this story… There are many lessons to take from [Cyd’s] journey: how we can’t control almost anything, how to get up after we fall over and over again, the importance of living in the moment, cherishing what we have, trusting in the abundance of the universe and letting everything else go. It’s amazing to discover great and well-written debuts, stories that move you and teach you more about the meaning of life.”

 

–Ann Shrake’s Mom Date Substack newsletter - Q&A coverage