Tuesday, September 5, 2017

{Book Review Tour} Can't Hardly Breathe by Gena Showalter



From New York Times Bestselling author Gena Showalter, comes the next standalone romance in the Original Heartbreakers Series—CAN’T HARDLY BREATHE!
Order your copy today!

Can't Hardly Breathe (Original Heartbreakers #4) by Gena Showalter
Blurb:
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.

Get your copy of CAN’T HARDLY BREATHE here!

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My Review:
I thought this series was completed but Gena Showalter is back with Can't Hardly Breathe about Dorothea Mathis and Daniel Porter - the innkeeper and the sexy army ranger.

Dorothea was picked on in high school but her one bright point was Daniel Porter, her high school crush. Unfortunately, Daniel's kind words are quickly replaced in Dorothea's mind when she sees him with another girl and feels foolish for believing he might have been interested in her.

Now years later with a failed marriage under her belt, Dorothea is back in Strawberry Valley trying to rebuild her life, her self-confidence, and her relationship with her sister Holly. After giving up college and her dreams of becoming a meteorologist to work two jobs and pay her husband's way through college only to have him cheat on her, the last thing Dorothea needs is Daniel walking back into her life and twisting her feelings all around again.

Daniel Porter's nights are terrorized with crippling PTSD so as a rule he's made relationships lasting more than a night or two a no-go to protect himself and his father, who he doesn't wish to disappoint when a relationship goes sour. But one look at Dorothea Mathis all grown up has him throwing his rule out the window. He shouldn't want her, shouldn't taint her life with his issues, but he can't stay away.

Will Dorothea agree to give things a go between them without any strings attached? Or will Daniel risk losing the one woman he could see himself building a future with? Will it take a life-or-death situation for them to see clearly or tear them apart?

I loved Dorothea and Daniel's story and the introduction to (I hope) the next two "Original Heartbreakers" to get a book. The story moved away from the original three couples in the series but we still saw glimpses of Jessie Kay and Harlow, which was great. 

Both Dorothea's self-image issues and Daniel's PTSD were both realistically written, although I wish for once that an author would write a plus-sized character that is confident in herself instead of always seeing everything that's wrong with themselves. As a plus-sized woman myself, I don't constantly harp on whether my thighs are a little jiggly and I would never demand a man to turn off the lights before taking me to bed. 

I did, however, love Dorothea's passion for the weather and her cool ideas for the themed rooms at the Inn as well as how cute Daniel was with the dog he found on the side of the road.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, almost more-so than the first three books! 

My Rating:
4.5 of 5 Stars!

Excerpt

Hands trembling, she hooked the vacuum to the cart and rolled the cargo to the supply room…where her younger sister Holly was smoking a cigarette.
Coughing, Dorothea claimed the cigarette and stubbed the tip into an ashtray.
“Hey!” Eighteen-year-old Holly glared at her. “I wasn’t done.”
“You mean you weren’t done giving our guests lung cancer and stinking up the inn?”
“Exactly.” Ever the smart aleck, Holly tossed a piece of gum in her mouth and popped a bubble in Dorothea’s face. “Besides, we don’t really have guests, now, do we? Since you took over, only four people have stayed here. Mayor Trueman and his side slice, and Daniel Porter and whatever bimbo he happens to be banging.”
Not true! A few months ago, Dorothea had hired Har¬low Glass, and everyone in town had rented a room to witness the former bully’s downfall.
Good times.
Dorothea hadn’t wanted to like Harlow, but dang it, something bad had happened to the girl in the years since
high school, and she’d changed. More than that, Harlow had done everything in her power to make amends, and eventually Dorothea had warmed up to her.
Now the beautiful brunette was married to reformed playboy Beck Ockley. The happy couple were expect-ing their first child in a few months.
A razor-sharp pang cut through Dorothea. Won’t think about my own—
Nope. Slam the breaks.
To ward off the oncoming pity party, she drew in a deep breath…slowly released it… Good, that was good.
She focused on her sister. Holly had pinned back the sides of her jet-black hair, the remaining locks tumbling all the way to the metal links anchored around her bi¬ceps. She’d paired a crimson corset top—her first pop of color in months—with a ruffled black skirt, ripped fishnet stockings and combat boots caked with mud Dor¬othea would have to clean from the floors.
In a town as small as Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma, Holly was a legend. Unique.
“My inn, my rules,” Dorothea said. “No smoking. Ever.” Besides, she suspected the teenager only ever lit up to aggravate her. Not once had Dorothea witnessed an actual puff.
“You’re worse than a Mogwai that’s been fed after midnight.”
A Gremlins reference? Seriously?
“No wonder Jazz left you,” her sister added.
Air hissed between her teeth. Holly might hate her guts, but the teenager loved to insult her, and this barb hit harder than most.

Rather than waiting for love, as Dorothea had dreamed, she’d settled for companionship, marrying the first guy to pay attention to her. Worse, she’d believed his words rather than his actions. I adore you and only want what’s best for you…for us.


RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:


Gena Showalter’s CAN’T HARDLY BREATHE – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
August 21st
Obsessed by books – Review
Scandalous Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
The Book Maven – Review & Excerpt
August 22nd
Alpha Book Club – Review
Beware Of The Reader – Review & Excerpt
Evermore Books – Review & Excerpt
Melena`s Reviews – Review & Excerpt
The Romance Rebels – Review & Excerpt
August 23rd
Booknerd1107 – Review
East Coast Book Chicks – Review & Excerpt
Reads & Reviews – Review
Sweet Red Reads – Review & Excerpt
Under The Covers Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt
August 24th
Lynn's Romance Enthusiasm – Review & Excerpt
Read. Eat. Love. – Review & Excerpt
Reese's Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Shannonbookishlife – Review & Excerpt
August 25th
Never without a book in hand – Review & Excerpt
Reads All the Books – Review & Excerpt
August 26th
Brittany's Book Blog – Excerpt
Kayns Book – Review
The Lovely Books – Review & Excerpt
With Love for Books – Review & Excerpt
August 27th
From the TBR Pile – Review & Excerpt
Kdrbck – Review & Excerpt
Nessa's Book Reviews – Excerpt
August 28th
Book Angel Booktopia – Review & Excerpt
My Nook, Books & More – Excerpt
Read-Love-Blog – Review
The Book Reading Gals – Review & Excerpt
August 30th
As The Book Ends – Review & Excerpt
Nerdy Dirty and Flirty – Review & Excerpt
Red Cheeks Reads – Review & Excerpt
Smut Book Junkie Reviews – Review & Excerpt
August 31st
Embrace the Romance – Review & Excerpt
Milky Way of Books – Review & Excerpt
Once Upon a Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
September 1st
BJ's Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Books and Things Blog – Review & Excerpt
Foxylutely Books – Review & Excerpt
Somewhere Lost in Books – Review & Excerpt
September 2nd
A Fortress of Books – Excerpt
Nicole's Book Musings – Excerpt
September 3rd
Francoise's Reading Corner – Review & Excerpt
September 4th
All Things Dark & Dirty – Review & Excerpt
Lover of Big Books Cannot Lie – Review & Excerpt
Rantings of a Reading Addict – Review & Excerpt
September 5th
Escape Inside the Pages – Review & Excerpt
Taylor Fenner's Bookish World – Review & Excerpt
The Sassy Bookster – Excerpt
September 6th
Travels N Reads – Review & Excerpt
Sassy Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt
September 7th
JOJO THE BOOKAHOLIC – Review & Excerpt
Sofia Loves Books – Review
Wrapped Up In Reading – Review & Excerpt
September 8th
Book Lovers Hangout – Review & Excerpt
Crazii Bitches Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Dirty Girl Romance – Review
Stuck In Books – Excerpt
Shannon's Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
September 9th
ContemporaryCween – Review & Excerpt
G & T's Indie CafĂ© – Excerpt
Jax's Book Magic – Excerpt
Ms. Me28 – Review & Excerpt
Relentless Romance – Review & Excerpt

About Gena Showalter
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series--Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles--and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and two-time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she's appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black--if you ask her about it, she'll talk for hours…hours! Her books have been translated into multiple languages.

She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at 
http://genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfans

Links:

Twitter: @genashowalter


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