This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

Can't Hardly Breathe is a another fabulous addition to a heartwarming series that this talented author has given us. Now I will admit I don't think I have read book three so I was hoping that I wouldn't get too lost, and I was more than fine. From the get go, was I hooked on this story. What I have always admired about Gena Showalter is the way she spins a web of depth of personality into her characters. It doesn't matter what genre she writes, she has this remarkable talent to pull me right into a story and all the while I am these characters most vivid cheerleader. I get so hooked and I come out feeling happy, free, with a tear or two at the same time. In Can't Hardly Breathe we have a story that brings all the feels and boy I was so wrapped up in this story even if the characters become a bit stubborn in the end....they still work out all the kinks and find their HEA.

This story begins with our two characters when they are in high school. Dorothea was bullied constantly all through high school. But there was one boy that didn't bully in her, he believed in her and this is where Thea first started to fall in love with our hero Daniel Porter. But then he broke her heart, and now in present day they are back in the same town. Both Thea and Daniel are dealing with their own past demons. Thea has come home to recover from a relationship gone south and suffering a miscarriage, and Daniel is suffering the after effects of serving in the military. Both have scars, both inside and out. Thea knows better than to encourage Daniel's advances, because she knows what he wants. A never ending supply of women, countless meaningless affairs and Thea could never be like that. But Daniel is relentless in his pursuit of her, and through this dangerous game they play with each other, love gets in the way.

In Can't Hardly Breathe we have a story where we have two people that fight what they feel for each other but for different reasons. Our heroine knows that Daniel is a bad boy and she shouldn't encourage him. But she also can't deny the way he makes her feel. Daniel sees nothing with having casual relationships with women, it keeps him from having nightmares of his time serving in the military and keeps his father at bay with the "marriage" questions. What I found most interesting about this book was how the romance played out. I got a kick out of Daniel and Thea together. And what a team they make together, and boy did they make me laugh constantly. I adored their bantering, the way they tease and play with each other. We are also introduced to some new characters (Daniel's buddies from the military), and boy are they delicious and I can hardly wait for their books in the near future. And also some old favorites that made me smile and got me thinking I should re read the series.

He loved her, loved her madly, passionately, and completely. She had become his everything. His reason for waking up every morning. His reason for smiling. His reason for breathing.

His reason for being.

Overall this is a story that you will be head over heels in love with....a style of romance that is engaging and witty, a romance that brings a smile to your face, a tear jerker that forces emotion from the reader and gives you tingles and makes you sigh in satisfaction when you reach the last page. A TASTY TREAT OF A ROMANCE!

What do you think of Gena Showalter's Heartbreaker Series?

Do you love small town romances?

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