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Book Review-Can’t Hardly Breathe by Gena Showalter

by | Aug 10, 2017 | Book Reviews | 7 comments

Book Review-Can't Hardly Breathe by Gena Showalter

I received this book for free from Harlequin Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Book Review-Can’t Hardly Breathe by Gena ShowalterCan't Hardly Breathe by Gena Showalter
Also in this series: The Closer You Come, The Hotter You Burn, Can't Let Go
Series: The Original Heartbreakers #4
Published by Harlequin Books on August 29th 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Small Town
Format: eARC
Source: Harlequin Books
ISBN: 0373789920
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four-stars

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with an irresistible Original Heartbreakers story about a woman who's never felt desired and the man who wants her more than air to breathe…

Bullied in high school, Dorothea Mathis's past is full of memories she'd rather forget. But there's one she can't seem to shake—her long-standing crush on former army ranger Daniel Porter. Now that the sexy bad boy has started using her inn as his personal playground, she should kick him out…but his every heated glance makes her want to join him instead.

Daniel returned to Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma, to care for his ailing father and burn off a little steam with no strings attached. Though he craves curvy Dorothea night and day, he's as marred by his past as she is by hers. The more he desires her, the more he fears losing her.

But every sizzling encounter leaves him desperate for more, and soon Daniel must make a choice: take a chance on love or walk away forever.

Can’t Hardly Breathe is a another fabulous addition to a heartwarming series that this talented author has given us. Now I will admit I don’t think I have read book three so I was hoping that I wouldn’t get too lost, and I was more than fine. From the get go, was I hooked on this story. What I have always admired about Gena Showalter is the way she spins a web of depth of personality into her characters. It doesn’t matter what genre she writes, she has this remarkable talent to pull me right into a story and all the while I am these characters most vivid cheerleader. I get so hooked and I come out feeling happy, free, with a tear or two at the same time. In Can’t Hardly Breathe we have a story that brings all the feels and boy I was so wrapped up in this story even if the characters become a bit stubborn in the end….they still work out all the kinks and find their HEA.

This story begins with our two characters when they are in high school. Dorothea was bullied constantly all through high school. But there was one boy that didn’t bully in her, he believed in her and this is where Thea first started to fall in love with our hero Daniel Porter. But then he broke her heart, and now in present day they are back in the same town. Both Thea and Daniel are dealing with their own past demons. Thea has come home to recover from a relationship gone south and suffering a miscarriage, and Daniel is suffering the after effects of serving in the military. Both have scars, both inside and out. Thea knows better than to encourage Daniel’s advances, because she knows what he wants. A never ending supply of women, countless meaningless affairs and Thea could never be like that. But Daniel is relentless in his pursuit of her, and through this dangerous game they play with each other, love gets in the way.

In Can’t Hardly Breathe we have a story where we have two people that fight what they feel for each other but for different reasons. Our heroine knows that Daniel is a bad boy and she shouldn’t encourage him. But she also can’t deny the way he makes her feel. Daniel sees nothing with having casual relationships with women, it keeps him from having nightmares of his time serving in the military and keeps his father at bay with the “marriage” questions. What I found most interesting about this book was how the romance played out. I got a kick out of Daniel and Thea together. And what a team they make together, and boy did they make me laugh constantly. I adored their bantering, the way they tease and play with each other. We are also introduced to some new characters (Daniel’s buddies from the military), and boy are they delicious and I can hardly wait for their books in the near future. And also some old favorites that made me smile and got me thinking I should re read the series.

He loved her, loved her madly, passionately, and completely. She had become his everything. His reason for waking up every morning. His reason for smiling. His reason for breathing.

His reason for being.

Overall this is a story that you will be head over heels in love with….a style of romance that is engaging and witty, a romance that brings a smile to your face, a tear jerker that forces emotion from the reader and gives you tingles and makes you sigh in satisfaction when you reach the last page. A TASTY TREAT OF A ROMANCE!

What do you think of Gena Showalter’s Heartbreaker Series?

Do you love small town romances?

About Gena Showalter

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels. Her series include White Rabbit Chronicles, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, Lords of the Underworld, Alien Huntress and Intertwined.

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated all over the world. The critics have called her books "sizzling page-turners" and "utterly spellbinding stories", while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”.

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7 Comments

  1. Michele H

    Lovely review! I adore this series too. And Gena Showalter’s writing in general, actually. Small town romances are some of my faves and I was pleasantly surprised by how well she set this series up. I was used her crazy-cool paranormals but I gotta say, she’s on a roll with her Heartbreakers. 😉

    Reply
  2. A Novel Glimpse

    I’ve never read this series. Your review has me really interested in it! Great review.

    Reply
  3. Sophia Rose

    I like the way you describe this pair. I enjoy Showalter books, but for some reason I haven’t got around to starting this series. Need to rectify that. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Nadene@Ttly addicted 2 reading

    I have never read anything from Showalter. I didn’t even knew she wrote contemporary romance.

    Reply
  5. Carole's Random Life

    I haven’t read Showalter yet but this series sounds really good. I am loving that cover as well. Glad you enjoyed it.

    Reply

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