Nov 23 2012
REVIEW: Leave Me Breathless by Cherrie Lynn
Dear Ms. Lynn:
I read Rock Me, the second book in this series because I have a thing about tattooed heroes. The hero of that book was a tattoo artist, as is Seth “Ghost” Warren, the hero of Leave Me Breathless. Seth is also shaved bald (another of my favorite kinds of heroes) and he’s all kinds of rough around the edges, which is what makes his attraction to Macy Rodgers so fun to read. Macy is the uptight best friend of the heroine of Rock Me. She’s had a sheltered upbringing and until her hook-up with Seth in Rock Me, was very judgmental of any lifestyle choice she didn’t understand. But her chemistry with Seth is undeniable, and every time they come in contact the tension in the room goes up, and someone ends up naked (usually Macy). But Seth had moved away from Macy’s hometown in order to care for his elderly grandmother, so their flirtation/hook-up ended when he had to leave.
It’s Valentine’s Day, and Macy’s girlfriends have forced her to go out to dinner. Macy is morose, hating the holiday and the blatant reminder of her single status. Imagine her shock when Seth walks into the restaurant. He’s back in town, having left his grandmother in his sister’s care. He takes one look at Macy and their attraction reignites. Next thing you know, he and Macy are in the backseat of his car.
Macy and Seth are vastly different, and their differences terrify Macy. She’s a country girl, who rides horses, and has a stable job and is trying to please her parents. Seth looks like a bad boy. He’s tatted up, has piercings galore and works in a tattoo parlor. But Seth is determined to show Macy that it’s their differences that make them stronger as a couple. He knows that at their core, they want the same thing.
I really enjoyed this book. Macy was definitely an uptight heroine. She tries very hard to be proper, but also realizes that she’s been really judgmental in the past and she needs to grow-up and let people live as they like. Seth pushes Macy’s boundaries, not just sexually (although, he definitely pushes her there), but also he pushes her to break away from old fears and try things that have scared her. And Macy supports Seth unconditionally as he meets his life’s challenges.
What was interesting to me is that you made Macy really unlikeable in Rock Me. She was constantly trying to tear the heroine and hero apart. But in this book, you redeemed her into a likable person, one who the reader hopes will find happiness. As for Seth, he’s an absolutely dreamy hero. He’s tough looking, but is really sweet to Macy. He’s got baggage, an ex-girlfriend who is a nightmare, and a sick grandmother, but he’s a loyal friend, and once he and Macy begin their relationship, he’s all in. They have tremendous chemistry and the sex scenes are incendiary (particularly one that involves sex up against the wall and an open front door).
I really love your writing voice, and think that you have a knack for creating heroes who veer outside the “norm” for Romanceland, and heroines who complement them. While Leave Me Breathless is the third of a loosely tied series, it stands alone very well, and is, in my opinion, the strongest of the three books in the series. I give Leave Me Breathless a B.
Kind regards,
Kati
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Nov 23, 2012 @ 10:33:57
This was my first Cherrie Lynn book. I really enjoyed it. I loved the contrast of the goody-goody heroine and the extreme rough-neck hero. Although they don’t make sense together, there was never a time when I thought they didn’t make sense.
Nov 23, 2012 @ 10:42:18
I third the endorsement for this book. I enjoyed the way these two interacted. Macy was my least favorite in the first book, but she became human and likeable in this one. I’m definitely looking forward to more books in this series and from Cherrie Lynn.
Nov 23, 2012 @ 11:01:27
I really liked this one, too! We need more heroes like Seth! I’m only a little bit sad that Cherrie Lynn doesn’t have a more extensive backlist to glom. lol
Nov 24, 2012 @ 01:27:00
@Kati I liked this one too. Even gave it the same grade. I haven’t read the second book and DNF’d the first. Did Seth and Macy get together at all in the second book? I was wondering if that was something I missed.