Released On: January 21, 2014
A Reason to Breathe
by C.P. Smith
5 stars
It's been a long time since I last read a romance with a mystery twist, and boy, am I glad I took a chance again with this! A REASON TO BREATHE
is just excellent! I love it, I love the romance, the sexiness, the humor, the chemistry between the main characters (which was sizzling, by the way), the charming secondary characters, and the thrill factor of the case they were involved in. I think C.P Smith just put a stop on my hiatus for romantic mysteries!
is just excellent! I love it, I love the romance, the sexiness, the humor, the chemistry between the main characters (which was sizzling, by the way), the charming secondary characters, and the thrill factor of the case they were involved in. I think C.P Smith just put a stop on my hiatus for romantic mysteries!
It may not seem like it based on the synopsis, but this book packs a punch. I'm going to break down into three parts what I love the most about this book: suspense, romance, and humor.
Suspense
You should know though that this book is classified as an Adult Contemporary Romance. The suspense is actually just 75% of the book, in my opinion. Nevertheless, that aspect was well played out. You know how when you watch a thriller movie, each time a new character is introduced you immediately profile them and look for suspicious behavior because you just know the killer is hiding in plain sight? I was in that mode the entire time the killer in this story was still on the prowl! I loved getting back into that mindset, trying to go Sherlock and all! =D
There were definitely lots of surprises here. I love how the story kind of extended a bit and tied all lose ends, and not just on the killer story line. I was puzzled because the killer was already found out and major events have already gone down.. but when I looked at the bottom of my kindle, it's still only around 70%! I thought, wow, what else is there to cover? It could have wrapped up at the end of Chapter 24, but it extended on to Chapter 29 plus an epilogue. I loved it =D it was like a super extended epilogue. But mind you, that super extended epilogue had one more climactic subplot! You cannot put your guard down with this book. In the last quarter I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.. and it did. It was exciting, and I really enjoyed it!
Romance
Now for the romance... Holy hot alpha batman! I think I just found a new book boyfriend to gush over! I don't care if he's 40 and I'm only 24, nyahahahaha! Jack Gunnison, my dearest, is the hottest sheriff I've ever had the pleasure to meet! The very first time he called Jennifer "babe", my insides turned to mush. He is an ultimate alpha, the best "Bossy" ever!
...you think I'm gonna settle for friends? Fuck no.
You dance with the devil, you pay the consequences. I've claimed you and you're mine.
He radiates strength and authority, and not just because he is the town's Sheriff. It's in his manner of speech, leadership skills, and the fact that he inspires respect and awe from the people around him. I love that C.P. Smith did not fawn over his appearance excessively (as most romance books tend to do lately). She let the character speak for himself, and I think letting the reader experience Jack's fierce protectiveness, letting us see his jealous, caveman side and switching to his POV worked perfectly. It was better that I knew him that way than reading about his physical awesomeness for like one-third of the book.
...not once in twenty years have I ever met a woman who tied my stomach in knots, and you stomped into my life four days ago, and just the thought of you [hurt], Christ... you're my kryptonite, Jenn... You're a danger to me, because when you're around, I can't see anything else.
So please, in the future, don't be Lois Lane, just be my sweet Jane and stay, yeah?
So stop fighting me and let me protect your fucking light.
Jennifer Stewart is a lovely, funny dear! She is too inquisitive and sassy for her own good! She's 39 years old but she's not behaving the way almost-forty mothers with grown up kids do. She got pregnant and married at 18, raised her daughter Bailey, and lived a pleasant life with her gentle high school sweetheart, Doug. Sadly, Doug was killed a year before in a drunk driving accident. After mourning his death and with Bailey moving away to college, Jenn took the opportunity to be the person she never had the chance to become. She moved to Colorado to be near the mountains, which was what she had always dreamed of doing before. She's working on landing her dream job as a serious journalist, but for now, she's covering social events all over the county.
Jenn can't get rid of her investigative instincts though, and that is what led her to meet the hot sexy handsome smoking good Sherriff Jack Gunnison. (oh, I just love that name! lol)
Long story short, these two hit it off right away. And by that I mean lots of arguments, fighting along the lines of, "I want you to follow orders" and "You cannot make me do anything I don't want to do", a little spanking, cat and mouse chases, and of course, the hero running/driving to the rescue of the damsel in distress. =D
Jack, it's cute you think you'll ever be able to tell me what to do, really. It entertains me daily." She laughed. I sighed and shook my head. her inability to see that I win, I always do, was almost as cute as her trying to ignore my orders.
For a romance that's treading serial killer territory, it's actually light-hearted and very entertaining. Before I jump straight to discussing the humor in this book, let me just say these about Jack and Jenn:
- They are very cute together, especially when they argue in public.
- Jack is bossy romantic! You know, the type when he's all alpha but you don't mind because he's actually sending the good type of tingles down your spine. It's like my skin's electrified when he's in one of those moods! He talks a little dirty too. Just check out the teasers below!
- This book has smoking scenes, uh-huh! *wink!*
- Their chemistry is off the charts, and along with a really good story, it already demanded a 5-star rating from me even while still halfway through.
- Their relationship may have progressed too fast, but I chalk it up to their maturity. They're old already, they knew what they want (especially Jack!) and they no longer had to go through that drama of being scared of commitment, and whatnot. So, in spite of things happening so fast, Jack and Jennifer being together still made sense.
Oh yeah, one more thing: I also liked that Jack had a moment of vulnerability and wondered about the love Jenn had for her dead husband. It's so real, and I think it added dimension to Jack as a man in love. Did she love Doug more than him? If he comes back tomorrow, will she leave him..? I daresay these questions do pop in the minds of people who are in love with widows and widowers.
Humor
I really felt the need to spotlight the humor in this book because it was excellent! I laughed a lot, and that's saying something because there are serious stuff in this story. Killer on the lose, remember? Most of the funny stuff is between Jack and Jenn. One reason why I immediately connected with them both is the humor in their conversations and arguments. They yell the funniest things at each other when they're mad. Their conversations and flirtations are so witty. The secondary characters are also very funny. Goodness, those two girl talk scenes between Jenn, Mandy and 68-year-old Lorraine had me LOL-ing in my seat! Bailey had lots of funny moments here too, as well as the guys at the station, good old Ben, the mothers-in-law, a guy named Mike... oh, just take my word for it. This book is funny!
"I'll ask him; we aren't getting any younger, gotta take the bull by the horns or the man by the dick, or is it cock? Is that what they're calling it these days, cock or dick?" I sat in complete silence, but Mandy burst out laughing, and Lorraine just winked at me, then got out of the car. Oh, God, she isn't really going to ask him, is she?
The other 5-star reads I've had were mostly highly-emotional stories that had me crying so hard. They may have had happy endings, but there was still that feeling of having gone through the blender. A REASON TO BREATHE
didn't have to make me cry or make my heart feel heavy. It got me with its humor, romance, dreamy hero, likable heroine, and the excellent writing. It's lighthearted for the most part, and I like that I felt so good and gooey inside after reading it. I just love, love, love, love it! Thank you for this story, C.P. Smith!
didn't have to make me cry or make my heart feel heavy. It got me with its humor, romance, dreamy hero, likable heroine, and the excellent writing. It's lighthearted for the most part, and I like that I felt so good and gooey inside after reading it. I just love, love, love, love it! Thank you for this story, C.P. Smith!
Synopsis:
Love at first sight was never so dangerous.
Jack Gunnison has a problem, well, two actually, one is 5'5" and the other...a Killer.
Jennifer Stewart needs a change after losing her husband and sending her daughter off to college.
Moving to the high country of Colorado to restart her life and, follow her dreams, Jenn gets more than she bargained for when she attracts the eye of a killer.
Together, Jack and Jenn must figure out his identity, before he strikes again.
Mature readers only due to erotic content and language.
Teasers:
Giveaway!
C.P. is offering up the following for grabs. Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST 03/24/2014.
(2) eBook copy of A Reason to Breathe (INTL)
(1) Signed copy of A Reason to Breathe (US only)
(2) $5 gift cards from either Amazon or B&N (INTL)
About the Author:
C.P. Smith is a mother of five and resides in Oklahoma. An avid reader with a vivid imagination, Ms. Smith set out to write books for the older reader. She is passionate about romantic suspense and hopes her stories leave you cheering for the good guys as well as inspire those over forty to never give up on love.
Blog tour organized by As The Pages Turn. You can follow the rest of the tour here ➜ http://bit.ly/1eu6hsm
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