Losing My Breath by J. Rose Black is one of those rare gems that leaves you breathless. There’s so much packed into this story that I almost don’t know where to begin. Every element—whether it’s the characters, the storyline, or the raw, vivid writing—comes together in a way that’s deeply beautiful and memorable.

The main characters, Callan and Meridian, are as unique as their names, and I found myself caring about each of them deeply. Their relationship is a slow burn, evolving with tenderness and real emotion. But it’s not just the romance that shines; each of their character arcs is equally compelling. Black takes her time developing Callan and Meridian, showing us their personal struggles, vulnerabilities, and the growth that comes from facing their darkest parts. The emotional range of this book is huge, and it truly takes you on a journey. One moment I was laughing, the next I was crying, and of course, there were plenty of times I was swooning.

J. Rose Black’s writing stands out, especially in her portrayal of Callan’s PTSD. The flashbacks and his emotional struggles are described with such realism that it feels stunningly authentic. Both Callan and Meridian are complex and multidimensional; they feel real in a way that few characters do. This book is so much more than just a romance—it’s a powerful story about healing, love, and growth. It was phenomenal, and I couldn't put it down. I know it’s one I’ll return to again and again. Absolutely exceptional.

I liked how Callan and Meridien were complete opposites who fell in love. He was a grumpy ex navy guy and her a 'princess' as he calls her. She was very naive though and was very lucky he was there to protect her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Ex military meets princess style neighbor. It was a cute, fluffy, rom com with grumpy sunshine. He struggles a lot with PTSD and he won't open uo and you get frustrated a lot with him, but he does take awhile to open up and its still a great story and I recommend reading it.

Losing My Breath was an intriguing read. From the outside it seems like it's just another grumpy/sunshine romance novel, but the deeper into the story we delve, the more there is than meets the eye. Callan and Meridian are a complicated pairing, but Meridian's ability to refuse to let Callan hide behind his pride is what makes them a fantastic couple.

There is not only spice, but a healthy dose of love, healing, and friendship which makes for the perfect blend. While I'm in no way tied to the military, this book provides a great insight to what I imagine people who are tied to the military deal with every day. I appreciated that his PTSD wasn't made light of, wasn't seen as insurmountable, and was honored the way it should be.

This romcom is a delightful escape into a world of love and laughter. I really enjoyed the blend, one minute I was laughing the next crying. A really great read.

I am not a fan whatsoever of the pregnancy trope, but this was done so tastefully. Being all too familiar with the military and its lasting impressions on loved ones, I was skeptical once starting this book and learning about Callan’s issues. The end was beautifully written, and so spot on with how coping is in real life for PTSD, that it bumped this up to a four star read for me. I’m a sucker for a present and loving father to their families, and it was emotion inflicting the growth throughout the story

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Losing My Breath is a great fit for readers who enjoy watching a tough, grumpy hero and a feisty, witty heroine overcome their differences and fall in love, all while navigating the challenges of a secret past and the ups and downs of a military lifestyle.

Losing My Breath is a sweet story of Callan and Meridian. They both have a lot to overcome and learn in order to make their relationship work. It was great to see them work through the challenges to be a better partner.

This book has so much going on, I don't know where to start. Everything was done so well and beautifully.

Callan is a former marine, who suffers from PTSD and doesn’t talk much. He’s a bit of a grump. “bit” being an understatement. and Meredian is his new neighbor who is just a ball of sunshine.

They both got off on the wrong foot and, of course, they don’t get along very well. their banter was so fun and humoring to read. I loved seeing so much internal monologue with him and his internal conflict. His PTSD was not sugarcoated or anything like that and very well done

The nuanced characters carry their own scars and triumphs. The ex-marine exudes a rugged charm that complements the fairy princess's delicate grace. Their journey shows the magic of love and makes you want them to succeed together.

The pacing is excellent, balancing moments of intimacy with heart-pounding tension as the stakes get raised. The writing is evocative and immersive, painting scenes that make you feel like you are in the room.

Losing My Breath was a bit slow for me. The writing didn’t fully engage me and the way my brain processes information was not the way that Black writes. Because of this, I felt I didn’t fully understand what was happening throughout most of the book. While the premise of the book is great, the execution wasn’t my favorite. The characters- or really just the main female character was lovable and relatable, but once the story skipped ten months, you just felt disconnected from them. Like I said, it was a good concept for a story though.

Unfortunately I did not finish this one. I made it 60% but nothing has really happened except lots of confusion on my part. I have read other books with a male lead with PTSD and have enjoyed them but this one really needed a dual POV and more explanation: I just did not understand what was happening and was confused by the way people were acting towards each other.

A steamy, open door grumpy/sunshine close proximity rom-com. That may be all you need to know to pick up this book.

What started as an easy rainy day read with lots of playful banter slowly became an emotional battleground of life’s biggest moments and how they leave us feeling alone, fearful and inadequate. There was laughter and anger and actual tears, leaving me both wrecked and mended. I journaled for an hour after finishing this book.

I was really impressed by both MC’s individual development, as well as the importance of each supporting character throughout the book. The way Callan’s skin-deep lust slowly uncoiled into blood-warming love for Meridien. How his tactical loyalty turned familial as his healing began, without losing his charming wit or banter to the very end.

I didn’t love the FMC, especially during intimate scenes, but ended up respecting her in the end. Since the book was told solely from Callan’s pov, maybe this could have been improved with alternating views so we could have fallen more in love with Meridien and truly felt how Callan’s PTSD affected her as their relationship bloomed.

Callan’s “fading” left holes in the story, holes filled with still lingering questions. This novel could have been so much bigger. But it wasn’t. Everything about this book and its characters lacks perfection. And for that, it was also brilliant.

Fairly predictable rom com but it was still a good read that I enjoyed it. It was also a quick read.

i wasnt expecting to be speechless and want to cry ad be as in love with this book as i was.... but i was! This was my first book my j rose black and it definitely wont be the last. I look forward to reading more of their books!!

this would have been a great read however it was so difficult to follow and the writing was not engaging at all. It felt really choppy and like 5 scenes were being put into 1 I ended up skipping to the last chapter because I couldn't read the middle

THIS. WAS. AMAZING.

This book dealt with so many heavy elements in such a beautiful way, and I'm so glad I got a chance to follow along with the healing journeys of these characters. she wrote Callan's struggles in such a respectful but honest light and I'm so in awe of the talent that takes.

Cal suffers from PTSD as a former marine and Mer is his new ball-of-sunshine neighbor. The perfect combo!
While they don't get along very well at the start, their relationship shifts and I was kicking my legs as it did!

Overall, this is a 5/5 stars for me. x

A fun read, the story of Meridian and Callan who meet when she moves in to the apartment block where he lives. He wants to protect her but has his own secrets. A great read.

I found it a cute book that was worth the read and worth the time. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. This book captures the experiences of a former military marine finding love and the challenges he faces along with his girlfriend. It highlights the ups and downs of a relationship and honestly portrays this fictional relationship very realistically with enough twists and turns to keep you entertained and want to keep reading until the end.

Dnf @ 33%

This book was bad and I considered continuing it but the characters sucked too and I just couldn't🤦🏼‍♀️ first of all, it's in third person but we really only see things from Callan's POV which like ok, different, but that fine. However it just felt so choppy because we kept cutting from one scene to the next with all the breaks within each chapter. It was like the author was unable to continue a scene.

Callan is the MMC and not gonna lie the dude came off as kinda creepy and also an ass, which I get can work for a story if there was a misunderstanding we learn later on, but nope. He is just weird and has a savior complex.

Meridian (wtf name is that🤦🏼‍♀️) is... Just a girl who is oblivious to most everything I guess ? Who knows cuz we don't even really know much about her other than she continuously tries to get with her creepy neighbor.