Review: Hold Your Breath (Search and Rescue #1)

Title: Hold Your Breath

Author: Katie Ruggle

Pub Date: April 5, 2016

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This was the first non-paranormal romance book I read in a long time. Surprisingly, it engaged me right away and made me remember how enjoyable I find all types of romances.

I would categorize this romance as a slow burn. Lou and Callum work together, and he's her boss, so it took a push to cross that boundary. They end up living together (for safety reasons) before ever defining their relationship. They hadn't really kissed or crossed into romantic territory. But because of the stalker issue, they spend a lot of time together and we watch their feelings grow. Their interactions were really sweet. There was no sexy time until the last 15%. 

Callum was an intriguing hero, and I was dying to know his inner thoughts. But we don't get his point of view. Only the heroine and her stalker get one. So I was disappointed. I had trouble connecting with him because he is very reserved. With his expression mostly unreadable, we only know him through his actions. He's very protective of Lou, giving of his time, money, and things. And we know she's the only one who makes him smile. But we don't why he falls for her or when his interest started. I loved his jealousy though.

As a romantic suspense, the book was light on the suspense. The action happens in the last 10%. There was only one exciting event in the middle. Otherwise, the characters were just going about their day to day lives while excitedly trying out some amateur investigating. I was not exactly holding my breath in suspense.

Which leads to my warning, we don't find out the identity of the murderer. The book ended at 74% on a cliffhanger and a preview for the series' next book. The murder investigation was probably the least interesting part of this book so it's a strike against the next one if that's what it is about. But I'll give it a chance.

Verdict

This is an entertaining read for anyone wanting to read a slow to burn romance with a strong and silent hero.