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 … 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.
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Can’t Hardly Breathe is book four in The Original Heartbreakers series. This book made me smile, swoon, laugh, and cry. It’s a story of getting that chance with your high school crush later on in life. I adore this series and was so happy to get Dorothea and Daniel’s story.
I really enjoyed the prologue. We are taken back to high school where we see bullying, dreams, and crushes. Both Dorothea and Daniel captured my heart. I was totally enthralled with Can’t Hardly Breathe. I was amazed at how well Showalter brought the characters insecurities to the for front and how they learned to trust and deal with their issues. I liked how she shined light on bullying and how much it affects people throughout their lives. Then their’s the PTSD storyline with Daniel and how that can affect people too. I was enchanted by this couple and how they came together and ended up relaying on each other. The dogs where a delight, an added bonus and it was great how they helped Daniel realize he needed support. The friendships in this series have been phenomenal. I just cherish how Daniel and his friends plus Dorothea and her friends come together to help make things right.
Showalter brought out the best and worst in her characters. She surrounded them with friends who are loyal. She wrote sensual and tasteful sex scenes that sizzle of the pages. Can’t Hardly Breathe is a lovely story of romance, love, forgiveness, and trust.
Audio: Narrator Savannah Richards has such a soothing and alluring voice. I’m captured from the moment I listen until the very end. Her rendition of the story brings everything out and makes it all that much more real. I highly recommend the audio version for The Original Heartbreakers series.
Rated: 4 Stars
Showalter does it again. She manages to make these characters feel like your best friends. They’re completely relatable. Being from a small town in the general area that Showalter writes about makes it ever more realistic. I love the insecurities she lets her heroines have even as they’re strong and determined. I love that her heroes are always a little gunshy until they meet that one woman that steals their heart. This contribution to her Original Heartbreakers series is a fun, quirky, romantic romp through the what ifs and might have beens we all have a tendency to ponder and I highly recommend giving it a read.
Loved the whole series of these books and will re-read them. Strong alpha males not interested in love until they met their match.The women were strong and fiesty. Great books.
For all the survivors of spiteful bullies and heartbreakingly cruel jokes. To every person with a beautiful heart, but a tortured soul. For every hero in disguise looking for salvation. Ms. Showalter wrote Can’t Hardly Breathe for you. Dorothea is the girl that longed to fit in, but never quite managed to do so. Daniel is the boy that is beautiful both inside and out, yet has never felt good enough. Gena Showalter is good at stirring up emotion. It’s inspirational tales of courage like this one that keep her name on people’s lips and her stories in their hearts. Ugliness is a state of mind, not a physical trait.
I have been provided with a copy of Second Chance through NetGalley for an impartial review. This is the fourth book in the Original Heartbreakers series and was previously titled Can’t Hardly Breathe. I just absolutely loved getting to go back into this wonderful world with it’s amazing characters. Oh my gosh this book was just absolutely amazing. I was just drawn into this amazing world and I just couldn’t enough of these characters. My emotions were just all over the place and I just couldn’t help but fall in love with these characters. I was just drawn into their story and I just felt so much for what they had gone through. I was so sad to turn the last page and I hope we will see more of these characters in future books.
If you love being swept away by the pure fantasy of romance then Gena Showalter’s Original Heartbreakers series is for you! I liked this books shift in main characters even though I love the set from the last several books and we still get to check in with them. Dorothea really tugged at my heartstrings. Her past history of being bullied and not feeling pretty or worthy enough was something that really resonated with me and I was routing for her to be strong! Daniel and Dorothea together made me so happy and these books a truly a great escape from reality.
Interesting characters and plot. entertaining. Author Showalter has talent to keep your attention on her story. Highly recommended. Not too steamy.
I adored this book. I laughed and cried in equal measure while reading it. Gena Showalter has totally succeeded in creating relatable characters in an authentic town, dealing with real issues. Dorothea is my new favorite Strawberry Valley heroine. She faces the challenges of her life head on while still being relatable and insecure. Daniel sees her true potential hidden beneath her insecurities and makes for an excellent hero! Both the heroine and hero have a cast of friends who will have their own books, continuing my love for this town! I can’t end this review without mentioning the adorable rescue animals in this book!
Gena Showalter has never disappointed and is always entertaining.
Excellent!
Love it I never read a bad book from this author looking forward in a few months reading it again
Dorothea was always picked on when she was younger. She runs the family inn and help raise her teenage sister. Daniel was in the military but he and his friends have returned and opened a security business. Dorothea has always been in love with Daniel but he only went after skinny women. She shows up to his room with just a raincoat and he rejects her. It will take a lot of begging and pleading to get another chance. Hilarious. Heartwarming. Sexy. I cried. Not really enemies but not really friends to lovers. A whole town puts their two cents in. Plus an ex who just wont give up. I loved it.
This author makes me excited with anticipation when I see she has a new one. This is the first in this series but not my last I would say. These two captured me right away starting in high school. Can you imagine high school still I sure can even now clicks and the like in a small town so this one was relateable. Dorothea and Daniel then tugged at me then fast forward to now. I adore these kind of romances that fluff and touch all the emotions but especially the one that gets you falling in love with them. You keep at the story because you want to stay with them through all the thick and thin. The others also have their place that fill it in like her sister. The further you are in too the further the excitement rises, she also has nice levels of heat that curls the toes too. By the time I reached the end though I had to have more but all done so sad.