**Review ~ Breathless ~ Eve Carter**

Breathless by Eve Carter
Book One of Jesse
Release Date: June 19, 2013
Source: I received an ecopy of the book, from the author, in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis
The young, hot professional Motocross rider, Jesse Morrison, knows how to leave an impression. Except lately, it has been bad impressions. Frustrated and wounded, he surrounds himself with women, booze and drugs, until one day, he finds himself in a world of trouble. Kicked out by his brother, he relocates to California for the summer to help his uncle open Rookies, a local sports bar. 

In Santa Monica, Jesse meets the one woman who can lead him back on the right path, the beautiful 22 year old, Niki Milani. Only problem, she is not interested. Niki has her own demons to fight. A past that left her emotional abandoned by her own blood, her father. She keeps her heart guarded and finds it difficult to trust a man again. Especially not a bad boy player who is even more messed up than her. However, Jesse never backs down from a challenge. Blinded by a sizzling attraction, he is determined to prove to Niki that there is more to him than what appears on the surface. That he is the one who can heal her heart.

The story of Jesse and Niki is a New Adult Romance that will leave you breathless.

Breathless is a story of two young people with troubled pasts trying to find their way in the world. It's exactly what I love about the NA genre. But I had a hard time connecting with the characters through a lot of the book.

Niki Milani is a recent college graduate. She's decided it's time she take control over her life rather than living it to please others. The problem is, I didn't understand her feelings until later in the story. Once things were better explained, I felt more sympathy for her and I finally felt more of a connection with her. I came to like her determination to get what she wanted in life.

Jesse Morrison is a young man feeling like he had the world in his hands and then lost it. He comes across as shallow and narcissistic. I found myself wondering why I should care about his supposed plight. Once he and Niki began getting to know one another better, things became clearer. Then the true reasons behind his issues are revealed, and I found myself caring and rooting for Jesse.

Breathless is told in first person alternating POVs between Niki and Jesse. Being in Jesse's head isn't always pleasant. He's raw and vulgar, particularly in the beginning. However, once he starts fighting his way toward getting his life back, he cleans up his act. And I understood there was a vulnerability behind all his bravado.

I ended up liking Breathless despite my lack of connection with the characters at the start. I wish there had been more character development earlier on though -- or at least development in such a way that I felt sympathy for Niki and Jesse sooner, rather than feeling they were shallow. Breathless ends with a bit of a 'bang' and I will be picking up the next in the series, Fearless, to see where Niki and Jesse go from here.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Eve Carter, is a true romantic at heart and with a modern contemporary erotic twist to her romance novels, you had better fasten your seat belt, as the ride is always fun, exciting and fiery.

Eve hopes you will enjoy her latest novel, Fearless, the follow-up to NY Times Bestseller, Breathless.

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