Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a cute little read. I appreciate Doyle's effort to make us connect to Beth and Drew and her willingness to explore their tough histories. That said, it's a very quick read. A perfect little taste of romance.

Beth Walker moved to Santa Christa to build a new happily-ever-after and do it all on her own. After having her castle pulled out from under her by her cheating ex-husband, she’s more than wary of anyone else coming into her life. But when she finds herself with a severely sprained ankle and storm clouds on the horizon, it might just be time to accept the help of a knight in shining armor. Drew Barnes might look like Prince Charming, but he’s better suited to slaying the dragons of Beth’s past. After coming to Beth’s rescue, Drew doesn’t know why Beth went from hot to cold. Even worse, he doesn’t know why he can’t stop thinking about her. But when a chance encounter brings them back together, the more he comes to learn about her past, and the more he realizes he has to prove.
This was a quick read. I liked it for the most part. Since Beth is in the same age range as me, I was totally on board for the older woman, younger man trope! My only issue was the abrupt ending, but then again with many short stories and novellas things tend to get left off. I look forward to reading a full book from this author. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Breathe was a pretty quick read for me and my first from this author. I've only read a couple of books where the h and H are both over 30 and I'm finding that I like it! I didn't realize going in that this was a novella so I was surprised by the quick finish. I would have like to have a little more time with Beth and Drew. An epilogue, perhaps, to wrap things up?? There were some funny parts and the obligatory sexy, combined with smart dialogue, made this one enjoyable.

BREATHE is a short romance, novella length, that is full of emotions and life changes badly needed by both our hero and heroine. Beth has been done real dirty and completely unfairly by her ex-husband, the lawyer who made certain to not only financially humiliate her but to also leave her trust for any man, especially lawyers, as nonexistent as it’s possible to be. So who comes to her rescue after a hiking accident right before a storm hits? Yep, one handsome devil of a lawyer with his own commitment issues about women. Life gets messy when you’re attracted to the last possible person you think you should be – or when they get under your skin and make you feel things you never thought you could again.

I enjoyed BREATHE. It’s an updated version of a title that originally came out in 2017. There were moments when I really wanted to set both Drew and Beth down for a very stern talking to – there was a frustration level with this couple on my side of the page. Watching them work through the issues standing in their way was entertaining, emotional and in the end, satisfying.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Breathe is a book that I really did enjoy reading. I loved the fact that our leading characters met in a very unique way and I really enjoyed Beth as our leading lady.

I ended up giving this book a 3 star instead of a 4 star just because there were bit of the story that became too much for me. Some moments that our couple shared were just a little too unrealistic and Beth's counting was something that over the course of the story got a bit tiresome.

Overall, this was a story that was quick and fun to read.

With her characteristic wickedly smart, and often with laugh out loud humor, Jen Doyle has created another story rife with sexual tension that takes your breath taken away (no pun intended) with the complexity of emotions that the story brings out.

BREATH is the second novella in the Lakeside Vines series, its length just long enough to capture your heart and fall in love with its characters. Ms Doyle has the unique ability to create such diversely dimensional characters in who you find that they could easily live outside the pages in the story. She does so consistently in each of her stories...thus keeping at the top of my “go to” authors’ list.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

I always love it when a couple meets in an unusual way and that’s the case in Breathe by Jen Doyle. A hiking accident pairs a 39 year old woman whose life has been turned upside down by a divorce with a 35 year old man who just happens to have the same profession as her ex-husband leading her to dismiss him quickly, but circumstances has them seeing each other again leading to a one night stand they both can’t forget.
This story contains two troupes I adore; a couple over the age of 35 and a one night stand that becomes more and I thoroughly enjoyed though at times the heroine, Beth, drove me a wee bit crazy. I did cut Beth some slack as she’d had her life ripped completely apart by her ex-husband and was working three jobs in a new town just to keep her head above water. It was hard not to like Drew despite his playboy tendencies, he seemed like an upstanding guy who had overcome a great deal to get to where he was in life.
Drew worms his way into Beth’s orbit just because he wants to be around her which leads to them spending a very hot night together, but afterwards she’s kind of a mess mainly because she likes him more than she wants to which leads her to having a bit of a freak-out. Drew doesn’t quite understand why Beth can’t see he is nothing like her ex (and to be honest neither can I) and while he wants to spend more time with her, he knows it is up to her to figure it out.
I was a tad disappointed we didn’t get more time with these two together as a couple, I felt a bit cheated in that respect. While Breathe was entertaining and sexy, I needed an epilogue (or another 5 chapters) to see where they are in their relationship a bit down the road as the story felt unfinished.

Breathe by Jen Doyle is book two in her Hansons of St. Helena series.
This is an updated version of the novella published in April 2017 of the same name.

Beth Walker is a forty-three year old divorcée. She’s bitter about the way her ex treated her during the divorce and has developed a dislike of lawyers, so of course her rescuer when she falls and injures her ankle would be a lawyer. Drew Barnes is a sexy lawyer with a “love them and leave them” attitude, so he doesn’t know what to do when he finds thoughts of Beth interrupting every aspect of his life. Both are plagued by the question of what to do.

Breathe is a short, easy, humorous read. I enjoyed the romance but felt the ending was too abrupt. I rate this story 3 out 5 stars and recommend it to anyone looking for an easy read romance.

My thanks to INscribe Digital and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

ARC courtesy of Netgalley

2.5
I was looking forward to a romance with older characters, and because I love Jen Doyle's full-length baseball romances, I thought I'd be jazzed by this story. And, plus, a woman with an English PhD?? And a quilter, to boot?? Sign me up!

But I didn't realize when I requested <i>Breathe</i> from Netgalley that it was 1) a reissue of a previously published title; 2) part of someone else's Kindle Worlds universe, not Jen Doyle's creation; and 3) a novella. The first isn't a big stumbling block, but the 2nd & 3rd proved to be so, at least for me.

Forty-three year-old white Beth Walker is struggling after her ex manipulated her into a financially unfair divorce settlement, one that took everything that she'd worked for as a stay-at-home wife away from her. Now working three jobs in a new town just to make ends meet, Beth is taking time-out from her stressful life by hiking a local mountain trail when she tumbles and hurts her ankle. To the rescue comes local lawyer Drew Barnes (thirty-eight, white), who is tempted by the idea of getting to know his damsel-in-distress better. But because Beth has a major antipathy toward lawyers (see bad divorce/ex above), she refuses all his advances. After he signs up to take the 4-week quilting class she is teaching at the local community college, though, Beth decides its time to try sex with someone else besides her husband. Burning up the sheets with Drew frightens Beth, and she pulls away. But Drew, who has had to overcome some adversity of his own, doesn't give up without a fight...

The first section of the story feels really rushed; it's mostly Beth telling how horrid her ex was (which made this reader wonder why she married the guy in the first place, if he was such a jerk). Without having the space to show Drew initially winning Beth over through his charm, or to show Beth being more than a downtrodden worrier, Beth's about-face feels abrupt and confusing. After their initial sexual encounter, the story slows down a bit, giving both characters a bit more space to unpack how their pasts have led them to this point, and to one another.

The gender politics of this Kindle World are pretty conservative, at least based on this one novella—Beth comes across as an inept damsel in need of saving at the story's beginning, while we get endless comments about how surprising/amazing ex-football player Drew is for taking a quilting class (which is, you know, for GIRLS) later in the novel. Drew also does a bit more grabbing of Beth's arms/wrists to stop her from leaving than I was comfortable with. Beth's "should I/shouldn't I" over sex dithering feels very old fashioned to me, too.

I think it's clear that I am not the target audience for this series...

Breath by Jen Doyle is the 2nd book in the Hansons of St. Helena series, and my first book by this author. Beth Walker moved to Santa Christa to start over, and get away from her ex-husband. While hiking, she takes a wrong step and sprains her ankle. With a storm coming, she starts to panic, when strong arms pick her up and carry her to safety. The strong arms belong to Drew Barns, and sparks fly when they meet. After Beth finds out Drew is an attorney like her ex-husband, she wants nothing to do with him. This book is a cute romantic comedy that I really enjoyed. I recommend this book for a romantic fun escape.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

4 1/2 Stars!

To get away from her cheating ex-husband, Beth moves to a small town where nobody knows her and she can start over. The only problem is she misses her old home and garden because now she has to work 3 jobs to make ends meat. Her ex was a lawyer and he made sure she got as little as possible in the divorce. And then she meets Drew and he turns her life upside down. But she can't have feelings for him, because he's a lawyer ... just like her ex. Drew only does one-night stands but he sure finds the hot red-head he rescues on the hiking trail interesting. Now all he has to do is convince her that he's nothing like her ex.

This is a quick, funny, steamy romance! I just loved Beth ... how she would go into her head and forget what she's doing and end up in trouble. Then there's Drew ... he had no idea what Beth was doing to his life, he just knew he wanted her. There was only one thing wrong with this book ... it was too short! I really enjoyed the banter between the characters. A quick read that shouldn't be missed.

I received an early copy courtesy of INscribe Digital through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I really love this author and have read her other books in the series, however I kinda hated this story and it really was because I did not love the female lead in this story, Beth. To me she seemed very cowardly and very bitter and while on one hand it was understandable, she is living in the past and she won't give the male lead in this story, Drew a shot and he was pretty awesome.

Beth is a 43 year old divorcee and she meets Drew when she moves to town. Drew is 38 years old and he has never been married. Laywer but he meets Beth and he falls into love/lust with her right away. But she is so blinded about how bad her ex treated her, her hatred of lawers that she cannot give Drew a chance.

Up till the very end I was hoping Drew found someone else because she was such a brat to him throughout the entire story up to almost the last scene in the story.

Could you fall for a lawyer when your ex (a lawyer) screwed you over? Beth thinks not. Drew however is a master arguer, and makes it impossible for Beth to stay away. Sweet, sexy novella.

No! no! No! I’m not ready for it to end! Please tell me there’s going to be an epilogue book! Swooney hero and a heroine who deserves one! Looking forward to the next one.

A great short read.

Looking forward to more from this author..

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.

3.5 stars
I’m mostly giving it this rating since I felt the author got sick of writing and just ended the story. What happens next??? There should be at least one more chapter or maybe a epilogue. But nope - not this story.
The story itself was promising. I loved Drew. He was a great character. Beth was just okay to me.
Overall a decent story.

DNF’d at 27% it had nothing to do with the story. A small personal preference. I’m not a big fan of the older woman, younger man trope. Even though the age gap was only 5 years. Like I mentioned. Not a fan. The writing seemed nice and it was basically a novella. Unfortunately because of my preferences I dropped it.