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Sunday, August 27, 2017

Blog Tour: Review & Excerpt of Can't Hardly Breathe by Gena Showalter



Author: Gena Showalter
Publisher: Harlequin
Date of publication: August 29, 2017

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with an irresistible Original Heartbreakers story about a woman who’s never felt desired and the man who wants her more than air to breathe…
Bullied in high school, Dorothea Mathis’s past is full of memories she’d rather forget. But there’s one she can’t seem to shake—her longstanding crush on former Army Ranger Daniel Porter.  Now that the sexy bad boy has started using her inn as his personal playground, she should kick him out...but his every heated glance makes her want to join him instead.
Daniel returned to Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma to care for his ailing father and burn off a little steam with no strings attached. Though he craves the curvy Dorothea night and day, he’s as marred by his past as she is by hers. The more he desires her, the more he fears losing her. 
But every sizzling encounter leaves him desperate for more, and soon Daniel must make a choice: take a chance on love or walk away forever.

Can't Hardly Breathe is the 4th book in the The Original Heartbreakers series.  It is definitely a welcome addition to the series.  This book focuses on Dorothea and Daniel. She was the one who Harlow worked for at the inn in the send book. Dorothea was bullied all through high school.  She has also had a crush on Daniel since they were little.  Daniel has moved back home to take care of his father.  He isn't looking for commitment, but Dorothea is tempting.

I enjoyed this one.  Although, I will warn you it is filled with a bit of angst.  I felt so bad for Thea.  She just couldn't seem to catch a break for most of her life.  She was always playing second to everyone else. I loved Daniel and Thea together.  Their banter was fun.  Their negotiations were hilarious. I was really rooting for them.  I was so hoping Daniel would finally stop being a butthead and quit letting fear of the future hold him back from loving someone.   In addition to her relationship with Daniel, I was really pulling for her to work things out with her sister Holly.

I definitely recommend this one.  It has great characters and some laugh out loud moments.  I am looking forward to Ryanne and Jude's story next!



Get your copy of CAN’T HARDLY BREATHE here!


Enjoy this excerpt!

Excerpt 3:

Hands trembling, she hooked the vacuum to the cart and rolled the cargo to the supply room…where her younger sister Holly was smoking a cigarette.
Coughing, Dorothea claimed the cigarette and stubbed the tip into an ashtray.
“Hey!” Eighteen-year-old Holly glared at her. “I wasn’t done.”
“You mean you weren’t done giving our guests lung cancer and stinking up the inn?”
“Exactly.” Ever the smart aleck, Holly tossed a piece of gum in her mouth and popped a bubble in Dorothea’s face. “Besides, we don’t really have guests, now, do we? Since you took over, only four people have stayed here. Mayor Trueman and his side slice, and Daniel Porter and whatever bimbo he happens to be banging.”
Not true! A few months ago, Dorothea had hired Har­low Glass, and everyone in town had rented a room to witness the former bully’s downfall.
Good times.
Dorothea hadn’t wanted to like Harlow, but dang it, something bad had happened to the girl in the years since
high school, and she’d changed. More than that, Harlow had done everything in her power to make amends, and eventually Dorothea had warmed up to her.
Now the beautiful brunette was married to reformed playboy Beck Ockley. The happy couple were expect­ing their first child in a few months.
A razor-sharp pang cut through Dorothea. Won’t think about my own—
Nope. Slam the breaks.
To ward off the oncoming pity party, she drew in a deep breath…slowly released it… Good, that was good.
She focused on her sister. Holly had pinned back the sides of her jet-black hair, the remaining locks tumbling all the way to the metal links anchored around her bi­ceps. She’d paired a crimson corset top—her first pop of color in months—with a ruffled black skirt, ripped fishnet stockings and combat boots caked with mud Dor­othea would have to clean from the floors.
In a town as small as Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma, Holly was a legend. Unique.
“My inn, my rules,” Dorothea said. “No smoking. Ever.” Besides, she suspected the teenager only ever lit up to aggravate her. Not once had Dorothea witnessed an actual puff.
“You’re worse than a Mogwai that’s been fed after midnight.”
A Gremlins reference? Seriously?
“No wonder Jazz left you,” her sister added.
Air hissed between her teeth. Holly might hate her guts, but the teenager loved to insult her, and this barb hit harder than most.


Rather than waiting for love, as Dorothea had dreamed, she’d settled for companionship, marrying the first guy to pay attention to her. Worse, she’d believed his words rather than his actions. I adore you and only want what’s best for you…for us.




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About the author:


Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series--Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles--and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series.  In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she's appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black--if you ask her about it, she'll talk for hours…hours!  Her books have been translated in multiple languages.
She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfans
Links:
Twitter: @genashowalter


Follow the tour:

August 21st
Obsessed by books – Review
Scandalous Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
The Book Maven – Review & Excerpt
August 22nd
Alpha Book Club – Review
Beware Of The Reader – Review & Excerpt
Evermore Books – Review & Excerpt
Melena`s Reviews – Review & Excerpt
The Romance Rebels – Review & Excerpt
August 23rd
Booknerd1107 – Review
East Coast Book Chicks – Review & Excerpt
Reads & Reviews – Review
Sweet Red Reads – Review & Excerpt
Under The Covers Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt
August 24th
Lynn's Romance Enthusiasm – Review & Excerpt
Read. Eat. Love. – Review & Excerpt
Reese's Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Shannonbookishlife – Review & Excerpt
August 25th
Never without a book in hand – Review & Excerpt
Reads All the Books – Review & Excerpt
August 26th
Brittany's Book Blog – Excerpt
Kayns Book – Review
The Lovely Books – Review & Excerpt
With Love for Books – Review & Excerpt
August 27th
From the TBR Pile – Review & Excerpt
Kdrbck – Review & Excerpt
Nessa's Book Reviews – Excerpt
August 28th
Book Angel Booktopia – Review & Excerpt
My Nook, Books & More – Excerpt
Read-Love-Blog – Review
The Book Reading Gals – Review & Excerpt
August 30th
As The Book Ends – Review & Excerpt
Nerdy Dirty and Flirty – Review & Excerpt
Red Cheeks Reads – Review & Excerpt
Smut Book Junkie Reviews – Review & Excerpt
August 31st
Embrace the Romance – Review & Excerpt
Milky Way of Books – Review & Excerpt
Once Upon a Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
September 1st
BJ's Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Books and Things Blog – Review & Excerpt
Foxylutely Books – Review & Excerpt
Somewhere Lost in Books – Review & Excerpt
September 2nd
A Fortress of Books – Excerpt
Nicole's Book Musings – Excerpt
September 3rd
Francoise's Reading Corner – Review & Excerpt
September 4th
All Things Dark & Dirty – Review & Excerpt
Lover of Big Books Cannot Lie – Review & Excerpt
Rantings of a Reading Addict – Review & Excerpt
September 5th
Escape Inside the Pages – Review & Excerpt
Taylor Fenner's Bookish World – Review & Excerpt
The Sassy Bookster – Excerpt
September 6th
Travels N Reads – Review & Excerpt
Sassy Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt
September 7th
JOJO THE BOOKAHOLIC – Review & Excerpt
Sofia Loves Books – Review
Wrapped Up In Reading – Review & Excerpt
September 8th
Book Lovers Hangout – Review & Excerpt
Crazii Bitches Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Dirty Girl Romance – Review
Stuck In Books – Excerpt
Shannon's Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
September 9th
ContemporaryCween – Review & Excerpt
G & T's Indie Café – Excerpt
Jax's Book Magic – Excerpt
Ms. Me28 – Review & Excerpt
Relentless Romance – Review & Excerpt

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