I picked this book up expecting to read a typical modern romance but was delighted to find a story within a story. A new painting in the mysterious Siren collection is discovered in a dusty old house in France, by art hunter, Fitch Wilder. After testing he discovers there may be more paintings than previously believed.

Art Professor Brenna Anderson has studied the Siren series at length. She is determined to view the Siren series, but they are kept by a private art collector who refuses to grant her permission to view them. With her career in jeopardy she finds a clue to the identity of the mysterious model and sets out to unravel the mystery.

Reluctantly joining forces Brenna and Fitch set out on to discover a centuries old mystery.

Interspersed in Brenna and Fitch’s story is the tale of the Swan. The model in the Siren series. Once London's premiere courtesan she is now the subject of a scorned wife’s revenge. Thrown overboard by pirates she wakes up with no memory of her earlier life and is saved by a man known only as The Artist.

Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan combine their talents to create a compelling and riveting read. One is a historical writer, the other a contemporary writer. The intertwining of two separate stories is masterfully done. While Brenna and Fitch are the main source of romance in this book, the mystery of The Swan is beautifully told and so engaging. It’s full of twists and turns that keep you hooked until the end. It is a story that remains with you long after you have finished reading.

I haven’t read anything quite like this before and I anxiously await any further offerings from these two master wordsmiths.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. For more reviews please visit my blog:
http://www.wonderfullyweird88.com/

Publisher's Description:

In Breathless, bestselling authors Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan will sweep you away—across continents and centuries, combining the best of all worlds in one unforgettable romantic saga.

She was “the Swan.” London’s premiere courtesan. Men want to be with her. Women loathe her success and yet admire her beauty, her riches, her independence. But when the jealous wife of her lover moves to have the Swan banished from her home on the high seas, she winds up crashed against Spain’s rocky coast with no shoes, no clothes—and no name. Taken in by a tortured, sensuous man known as The Artist, the Swan comes to know the woman she wants to be—her artist’s siren.

When Art Professor Brenna Anderson is in danger of losing her post at Harvard, the rule-following, prim professor is at a loss of how to salvage the shreds of her life. But when a new painting in the mysterious Siren collection is discovered in a dusty old house in France, Brenna does the unthinkable—hops on a plane to uncover the identity of the beautiful, enigmatic woman who is the subject of the paintings.

There’s just one hitch—the frustrating, irritating, bold and beautiful art hunter Fitch Wilder is also looking for the Siren. He’s been a thorn in Brenna’s professional side for years, but when their individual quests lead them to team up despite being enemies, a whole new sumptuous world of art and culture opens up for the two of them. And with it, they enter a realm of passion and love…

My Thoughts:
This unusual romantic saga that covers two love stories in two different eras and flows easily from one story to the other drew me in from the first chapter.
I have read Celeste Bradley historical romance but this coauthored book with Susan Donovan is the first of this type I have read by either author.
This complex and compelling book isn't to be missed. I discovered that there is another coauthored title by these two. Now I need to go back and read Unbound.
I gave this book 4.75 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development and a sensual rating of 4.5 of 5.0 flames. This story, particularly that of the Swan is very sensual.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book by invitation to read and review. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this story! I loved going back and forth between the past and the present, and I found it easy to follow. I like how the past story slowly unfolded while Fitch and Brenna were making their discoveries. Both love stories were beautiful and definitely pulled at my heart strings. This makes me want to go back and read Unbound.!

I’ve been a fan of Celeste Bradley’s for many years, so when I received an invitation from the publisher, via Net-Galley, to read and review, I eagerly accepted. The opinions expressed in my review are my own and unbiased in any way.

Breathless is an intriguing story with compelling characters. The pacing is steady and kept my interest from the beginning to the end. As I expected, the authors weave a tale full of mystery and intrigue with a dash of suspense.

The “Swan” is where the mystery lies. She is very intriguing, and her backstory pulled at my heartstrings. I’m glad she found true love; she deserved it! Brenna Anderson’s character was a bit of a challenge for me, but overall, I did like her, and I’m glad she found her happy ending as well.

While I never had a chance to really get into the “Artist’s” head, what I learned of him told me he was a true hero and a romantic. Fitch Wilder’s character came across as a bit shady in the beginning, but he grew on me as the story progressed.

The romance between the “Swan and the “Artist” is poignant and has real depth. I must admit, I teared up several times. Brenna and Fitch definitely have chemistry and raw passion, but their love came across as a bit shaky to me, more a happy for now then everlasting.

While I could not give Breathless 5 Gold Crowns, it is a very strong 4 and is a delight to read. I’m glad I had a chance to read it and highly recommend it to readers who love a good mystery with plenty of intrigue. Happy reading!

A woman is swept up on the coast of Spain after a shipwreck and is found by a lonely painter. Later, she becomes a muse for the nameless artist. The series of portraits from this artist are known as the "Siren Series" to the present-day art world. Esteemed professor of sociology, Dr. Brenna Anderson has done much research on the Siren collection. She immediately begins a new quest for information on the collection because a new painting is found in a location in Paris, France. The only problem is that the well-known art hunter, Fitch Wilder is also looking for a new Siren painting. He's been a big problem in the eyes of Brenna but a new understanding begins between the two as they rush to find information on the Siren. A well-written and interesting story that has adventure, love and a bit of mystery. I enjoyed the story going from past to present and reading about this mysterious beauty. A good read for a summer's day.

Breathless by Celeste Bradley is available from St. Martin's Griffin, an imprint of St. Martin's Press. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

As often happens in this kind of story with a split timeline, I found myself much more engaged in one over the other. The modern story seemed richer than the historic one, and I wish we had more pages focused on that couple. I'd still recommend this book though, and I'm sure some readers would prefer the historic story and have the opposite of my opinion about the book's focus.

This book keeps going back and forth in between the past and present. I enjoyed the present part but initially didn’t enjoy the story in the past section. It is written in first person way of writing and I really didn’t like the story of the swan as it began. But I would definitely recommend sticking to the book and I am glad that I did so too because the love story of the siren and the artist is heartbreakingly beautiful. I absolutely adored Brenna and Fitch’s characters and loved their romance. It was so darn sweet. I cried and laughed through the story and will definitely recommend it for someone who wants a historical and contemporary read in one novel.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

I liked this book but I really wanted more from it. I felt as if the two story lines meant that neither one got the attention and depth that it deserved.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a unique book! With two utterly romantic tales, each set in a different time period, readers will love how the stories intertwine and draw you in. When I have read books like these in the past, I usually find myself skipping one of the two perspectives, because I'm only interested in one couple and not the other. However, I was completely hooked on both couples and wanted to know how their storied ended. These two authors did an amazing job collaborating and creating a book that will thrill romance readers of multiple genres!

It's 1827 and a woman washes up on the shores of Spain, with no memory of who she is or how she came to be there. Saved by a humble painter and cared for in his home, she finds herself falling in love with the life she could have, if given the chance.
Fast forward to 2018 and a new painting by the infamous Le Artiste has been discovered. Two rival art historians are trying to discover the truth, and as they team up to find answers, their rivalry soons turns into a love that surpasses all expectations.

I kept the above summary simple, because there was so much detail that could give away the story! I would rather whet your appetite than give you too much too soon. The beauty of this story is in the discovery as you read through each page. The woman with amnesia and her heartbreaking history, the painter who lives in exile and dreams of freedom from his past, the cursed-in-love sociology professor who wants to make her mark on the world, and the charming yet dignified art hunter who finds the beauty in everything. These are the characters you will discover in this book, and you will fall in love with each and every one of them. I laughed when they laughed, I cried when they cried, and that is when you know you have a good book in your hands.

Let's hope these two authors collaborate again soon! This was definitely a match made in heaven for these two gifted writers.

**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**

I enjoyed this book as something different, yet still satisfying as a romance. It is divided into past (1827-ish) and present (current day). I picked it up with few expectations, having only tried a couple of Celeste Bradley’s audiobooks and nothing by Susan Donovan before. Bradley is a Historical Romance author, typically focused on the Regency period, and Donovan is a contemporary romance writer. So, I assume the past timeline was written by Bradley and the present was by Donovan. The premise centers on a series of paintings called the Siren series by an unknown artist. The present day timeline attempts to unravel the mystery of the paintings, and the past is about their creation.

Their are two romances, one for past and present, and I found the present-day romance more satisfying and would consider it the primary. Brenna is a Sociology professor at Harvard, with a focus on sexology. She wrote her thesis on the Siren paintings and is irked that she is not allowed to view them in person. Fitch is an Art treasure hunter and assessor of sorts (not sure exactly how to describe his occupation). He has found the latest Siren painting discovered and is Brenna’s adversary. It is great enemies to lovers dynamic between these two. As Brenna discovers some clues to the identity of the Siren, the two end up needing to work together to find out more. I really enjoyed the present day romance and wanted to read more of them. I would have been happy if the story had just focused on their journey. The romance was a slow build, and Fitch was a great a hero. He was funny, sexy, and vulnerable and a great match for Brenna.

The past sections were told from the POV of the Siren, who was a former courtesan in London. She was highly sought after, and the first few chapters focus on her time as a courtesan. I had trouble connecting with her as a character. The courtesan chapters were more “in your face” featuring quite a bit of sex, and they were my least favorite. To be fair, I don’t think it was meant to show her as an overly likable character and was intended to show her transformation. To that end, I enjoyed the later “past” chapters better than the early ones. This book is a sequel, which I did not realize but had no trouble following.

Overall, this was an entertaining read. The anticipation for the mystery and the present day romance had me excited to read it. I will checking out the first in the series as soon as I can.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two love stories,one from the past one present day. The past romance was my favorite. The mystery in both stories and how it all unravels is what keeps you reading at the end of your seat. Good book.

This book was such a departure from the normal romance HEA - and I loved it! The parallel stories were interesting and pulled me in completely. I became so attached to all the characters that I still thought about them days later! Highly recommend if you want a little more of a twist in your romance reading.

Breathless Kindle Edition by Celeste Bradley (Author), Susan Donovan This is my first book by Celeste Bradley and/or Susan Donovan and I am so grateful to #NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to preview this book. I wasn't sure about reading two stories at one time (1827 and the present) I could not stop turning pages ...I had to find out.. The Swan..The Siren.. Le Artiste their story filled my heart and broke it too.. Brenna and Fitch... so perfect for each other... if they can only see it. I laughed out loud and cried til I couldn't read the words on my Kindle. I lost myself in both stories and didn't want to leave... I did get to my HEA.. and highly recommend this book.

I have a love/hate relationship with books that have dual storylines. If they are written correctly, they are fantastic to read. If written incorrectly, the book becomes confusing and hard to read. Thankfully, for Breathless, it falls into the first category. Breathless truly kept me breathless as I read both The Swan and Brenna’s stories.

As I mentioned above, the authors did a great job of keeping the storylines separate from each other. There was a clear ending to each storyline before flipping to the other one. I loved it because I could tell when The Swan’s storyline began/ended and when Brenna’s storylines began/ended. There was no confusion at all. And believe me, that is a good thing!!

The two storylines of Breathless were well written. I loved The Swan’s storyline. If you have followed my blog, then you know my thirst and passion for Regency-Era England. So when I realized that The Swan’s storyline took place during that era, I was immediately taken in by the book. The more of The Swan’s storyline I read, the more intrigued by her I became. I was saddened by her stay, via her mother, in Newgate. Her introduction to the courtesan lifestyle was one of necessity. It was her romance with The Artist that swept me away. I couldn’t get enough of it.

Brenna’s storyline reminded me a little of Dan Brown’s books but with a dash of romance thrown in. Brenna did come across as embattled at the beginning of the book. Her tenure as an Associate Professor of Sociology was being threatened by parents who didn’t approve of what she taught. She has become obsessed with the paintings of an unknown woman called The Siren. When Brenna takes a leave of absence and travels to London, then the storyline took off. Saddled with her archenemy, Fitch Wilder, she goes on a quest to discover the identity of The Siren.

The romance aspect of Breathless was that, breathless. The Siren doesn’t fall in love with The Artist overnight. There was no Instalove. Instead, she recovers from her injuries. Then she gets to know The Artist. Then she falls in love. In Brenna’s storyline, it was the same storyline. The only difference was that Brenna knew Fitch and she couldn’t stand him. So, it was interesting to see her opinion of him change over the course of her storyline. It was refreshing to read a book where Instalove wasn’t involved!!

What was also refreshing was that the sex wasn’t made a big deal of. The sex scenes were very tastefully written and you had to use your imagination. Loved it!! While I like graphic sex scenes, sometimes having to use my imagination is refreshing.

I was not ready for the end of The Siren’s story. The twist that was thrown in there took me by surprise. I wondered, like Brenna and Fitch, if she had her revenge on Mrs. H. The end of Brenna’s storyline was typical but interesting. The authors did a great job of ending the storylines in a way that pleased me as a reader.

What I Liked about Breathless:

A) Complex but interesting storylines.

B) 3D characters

C) No confusion when one storyline ended and the other began

What I disliked about Breathless:

A) The Siren’s courtesan lifestyle.

B) Brenna’s dislike for Fitch. Way over the top

C) What happened to The Artist.

I would give Breathless an Adult rating. There is sex but it isn’t graphic. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend no one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are no triggers in Breathless.

I would recommend Breathless to family and friends. This is a book that I would most definitely reread.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Griffin, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Breathless.

All opinions stated in this review of Breathless are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

In Breathless, their sequel to A Courtesan’s Guide to Getting Your Man, Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan present readers with this enjoyable story of an amnesiac courtesan who becomes a muse and a professor of sociology discovering a yen for adventure.

Assistant Professor of Sociology Brenna Anderson is at the end of her tether. She adores her work but she feels dissatisfied with her bourgeois life and her mid-level academic rank, which is being threatened by parents offended by the erotic nature of her class.  The paintings that form the Siren Series feature the same blonde woman, showing a mermaid tattoo, and are regarded as the most intensely erotic examples of pre-Victorian western art in the known world – and have become something of an obsession. They provided the material for her doctoral thesis, and she yearns to examine the paintings in person but has been shut out by their owner, the industrialist H. Winston Guileford, and his treasure-hunting lackey, Fitch Wilder.

She’s furious with both men, but especially Fitch, who recycled Brenna’s thesis material on national television due to his lack of expertise while at the same time shutting her out after she offered her authentication services.   That he’s beaten her to the punch and found the sixth – and long believed lost painting – in the Siren Series in a closed-up Paris apartment abandoned at the end of World War II galls her.  Fitch is not an accredited art historian, and thanks to the reading of her thesis she sees him as little more than a con man.

With a faltering career and a broken relationship behind her, and her best friend focusing on new motherhood,   Brenna feels somewhat adrift and turns to her mentor, Claudia Harrington-Howell, for guidance.  Claudia has recently discovered the diary of the mysterious Swan, reputedly the finest courtesan in late Georgian London and this, together with the completely unexpected discovery of a hidden painting in the Siren Series sees Claudia suggesting she and Brenna go to London in order to undertake further research.

Fitch, too, is making discoveries.  He uncovers a love poem believed to have been written by The Swan dating from her time in Catalonia.  Brenna and Fitch, following the same lead, soon clash, flirt and banter in both London and Spain, and the time they spend together serves to reveal more of them to each other.  Each has each has information the other needs to complete the puzzle of The Swan, and with their newly found awareness of each other, the temptation to embark upon a physical relationship proves to be great.  Can they find The Swan’s true origins and uncover the seven missing paintings?  Will they  manage to fall in love along the way?

It turns out that The Swan – a courtesan of wide renown who flouted gender conventions by being a businesswoman in Georgian England  – washed up on the Catalonian coast after being kidnapped by smugglers on the orders of the wife of one of her lovers, who wanted her dead.  Without her memory – indeed without knowledge of how the human world works -  shoeless, naked and friendless, The Swan finds herself in the Castell de la Cala, and wakes to see a man she knows only as The Artist sketching her.  Beloved in the town, The Artist is a British man with a tortured military past who is being protected by the village.  She learns that he saved her from the beach, and they begin to fall in love – and then her memory returns. The past threatens to catch up with them, even as they are creating a series of paintings that will change the course of western art forever.

Breathless is a fun little romp that reminded me a little bit of Possession, with its lovers from two different time periods struggling toward togetherness.  I will say that I found the historical section of the novel far more interesting and action packed than the modern portions, but overall the entire novel is funny and spicy and compelling.

The Swan is an interesting character, complex, nervy, fearless and interesting at first, which meant it was a disappointment when she was struck mute and personality-less by her shipwreck.  Some portions of the story are very Old School Romance, as the captain ‘forcibly seduces’ and spanks and rapes her; there’s no reason for this to happen in the plot, but happen it does.  Her previous life also includes all of the unsavory portions of brothel life that one might imagine, from pedophilia to suicide.  There are, otherwise, a lot of Little Mermaid overtones to the story, such as her muteness and the whole foundling from the sea thing she has going on.  The way her backstory slowly ekes out is quite interesting, and I loved The Artist’s gentleness and his romantic ways.  They make a couple as compelling as our modern-day hero and heroine.

The modern section has a Romancing the Stone/Mummy vibe to it; I sympathized with Brenna’s goals and desperately wanted her to succeed but I liked Fitch better as a PoV character; he’s funny and horny and daunting and biting, though a bit of a jerk as well.  Their adventure through Europe to track down The Swan’s legacy is properly gripping – the authors manage to slowly feed tiny bits of information about The Swan to the reader without spoiling the entire ending.  I especially liked the minor characters Donovan and Bradley have woven into the narrative – such as the ladylike but practical Claudia.

Breathless compels and entices and the romances are sweet, although the rest of the story is less so, given that it doesn’t shy away from the gritty realities of the post-Napoleonic era. One of these tales has a wonderful HFN and another a nice HEA.  I will leave it to the reader to discover which is which.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

I was quite excited when I was invited to read this book because I was interested to read how the authors were going to merge the two differing perspective between the perspective of the ‘The Swan’ in the past (Regency England-ish) and Brenna who is in the present. These two ladies are our protagonists for this book. It also helped that the book was sold to me as a mystery book with a huge whollop of romance.

After reading it, I have to say that my feelings are mixed regarding this book. Not that it isn’t good, no, the problem here lies with me. I just came to realize that contemporary romance just isn’t my thing. This realization hit me whenever I am reading the third person POV for Brenna’s part of the story, my eyes just glaze over and internally I am just praying that it will be over soon but when I read the historical romance aspect of the book which was written in the first person narrative, there just wasn’t enough material for me to read and I would be wholly disappointed that I had to return to reading about Brenna.

For me, Brenna’s romance with Fitch Wilder was so boring. Boring because of the predictability of it and how fast Brenna fell in love with Fitch, maybe it was longer than I give it credit for in the book but to me it felt like she fell in love with the guy within two weeks because the time lapse between them first meeting to when they fell in love felt so short but then again I am really bad at keeping track of the time anyway so this point is up for debate.

There was nothing for me to root for between these two characters and when Fitch admitted to lying to Brenna and her freaking out and their make up I just felt like ‘Jeez woman, just get over it’. Yes, this lying thing that Fitch did hit a raw nerve because of Brenna’s past and her estranged father but I just could not relate and in all honesty I gave zero shit but had the exposition or reasoning for her freak out been more fleshed out then maybe I would have given her the benefit of the doubt.

All in all I felt like the Brenna and Fitch aspect of the book was just not for me as it was predictable and boring but I live for parts of the book that was in ‘The Swan’s’ POV. Parts of the book which was written in her POV which was in the past was so interesting and dynamic and full of life and intrigue and mystery. The start of the book opened to her literally half-drowning in the ocean in the middle of nowhere so you are like what is going on????? Is she going to be okay?

‘The Swan’s’ POV was just SO good! She had to do many a different things back in her day to survive and prosper and prosper she did. She overcame so many hardships in her life that by the time she met a nice man on this island and was genuinely happy you couldn’t help but be so happy for her as well but the ending of her part of the book just KILLED ME DAMN IT!

The ending left me with a book hangover. I just could not get over it because why? Why would you do that to her? After all she went through that woman deserves eternal happiness!

So, yeah that sums my review.

Present plot: It was okay a bit meh for me

Past plot: THIS SHIT IS WHAT I LIVE FOR!

Hence, the 4 star rating.

*The book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review

This was an accidental asking for this book, overall it was great but I count connect to what was happening and it wasn’t my cup a tea.

I love romance, I love historical fiction, and I love mysteries set in the art world, so I wanted to read Breathless as soon as I've seen the blurb. And I am happy to say that this book did not disappoint. Sometimes I find dual timeline books hard to enjoy because I get invested in one story and one set of characters and don't really care for the other story and set of characters, but with Breathless I loved both timelines. I couldn't get enough of The Artist and his Siren's story, but I also really loved Fitch and Brenna's dynamic and their adventures. Together with Fitch and Brenna we get to travel to London, Paris and Catalonia, and discover the beautiful love story behind mysterious Siren collection. If you are looking for a romantic story with a dash of mystery and a picturesque setting, make sure to pick up Breathless!

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from the publisher/NetGalley.

This book contains two stories. One is set in the past the other in the present. I loved how the hero and heroine are impacted by the events of the past as they are investigating and uncovering the story of the Swan.

There were a few scenes that were very emotional related to the Swan’s story. A good amount of history of the locations the present day hero and heroine were exploring was revealed. At times I thought maybe it was a bit much but at the same time I found it interesting and a number of the places mentioned I’d never heard about.

The weaving of some actual events fictionalized into the story was interesting. This is an enjoyable read.

Breathless by both Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan is a book unlike any other. A contemporary romance that brings a story about erotic art paintings to life. In this story, I got to learn more about this modern like art that would appear to be just sexual in form to me. But to those who really know art, it really wasn't about the sex appeal. It was more than just that. That's where an academic woman scholar and a sexy male art hunter come together to find out more about The Swan paintings. These paintings have a story that needs telling. The art portraits themselves, sound so appealing and realistic that it was like being there seeing and experiencing what the characters got to experience firsthand.

Breathless is more than just a sexy romance that burrowed deep into my skin. It caught my attention and held it fast. The journey from the present to the past of the woman courtesan, who was painted as The Swan, was a woman who lived many lives. She had to find herself and that happened when she found and fell in love with the male painter. Following her historical journey from England to the Americas was fascinating. I felt disinterested as first, but after learning more, I could not stop reading.

The modern cast of characters include Brenna Anderson. She's clever, gorgeous, and talented. Her former lover is an idiot and loses her by his betrayal. Then, there's the work issues about the subject of art that Brenna is teaching to her students. Some parents who fund the art program were complaining about her choices. Brenna wanted to tell them to stick their opinions...but the university has its hands tied. And that is where her life journey begins...chasing after a portrait that may link The Swan series and letters to the life of the woman whose protairt is the talk of the century. But she might have to work with a man who defies what she normally trusts.

Fitch Wilder is the next modern day character who makes this a lot of fun to read. He was vibrant, sexy as hell, and adventurous. Sometimes he broke the rules but finding out more on the identity of the woman in The Swan painting was worth the risks. Even if the led him to the fiery yet most engaging woman he has ever met...Professor Brenna Anderson.

The Courtesean in the paintings somehow has brought two modern people together. Finding a love tha burns as deeply as the one she experienced. Love, sex, history, and art are all found in this epic tale. A journey of survival, loss, and new beginnings. I loved it. Overall, I would recommend this novel to all readers. It was the best thing that I have read in a long time.