With Her Last Breath [Mass Market Paperback]

Maggie Chantel is on the run, bearing secrets and hurts. While trying to cope with the death of her sister, the betrayal of her husband, and her fear of water, she doesn't stay in one location long enough to form attachments. Maggie's only companion is her faithful, protective Labrador Retriever, Scout. Maggie isn't willing to give her trust to anyone ever again, only to be betrayed. It's just too painful. Maggie is ready to put down roots for her and Scout in the sleepy, close-knit town of Blanchefleur on the shores of Lake Michigan where she will start her new life. Will this be the place to heal her?

Brent Templeton is searching for Maggie. He WILL find her, and when he does she will pay for ruining his life! He will stop at nothing to get his hands on Maggie. Wherever she goes, there he will be. He will blackmail, steal, cheat and do whatever is necessary to achieve his goal of exacting revenge upon Maggie.

Nick Alessandro is a haunted man. His guilt over losing his wife and their unborn child eats at him daily. He also splits his time between his parent's restaurant and his vineyard, putting out the best wines he can offer. Nick doesn't have the time to fight the prickly Maggie for her friendship, even though a friend is something Nick can see she desperately needs. Nick has his own problems to deal with. Adding Maggie to the mix is not on his agenda.

However, Maggie gets to him and he wants to get to her, in more ways than one. Nick wants to know what Maggie's secrets are, what's so special about that locket that Maggie clutches, and how deep does the bond run between Maggie and Scout? And the most important question of all: can Maggie let down her guard and allow Nick to become a part of her life and trust him?

With Her Last Breath takes my breath away. Maggie carries so much hurt within her. Overlaying the hurt is a steel resolve to survive. More and more through the story I see Maggie's determination that no one will ever hurt her again, and I cheer her on! When Nick begins to intertwine his life with hers, I see the start of something beautiful in the works. Nick's troubled past makes him determined to protect Maggie whether or not she likes it. These are two stubborn people, and they are absolutely perfect for each other. The sooner they realize it, the better. Scout, of course, has a big hand in bringing Maggie and Nick together. Scout's past abuse makes Maggie extremely protective of her. Scout uses her canine ability to know whom she can trust, and Nick is at the top of her trust list, much to Maggie's dismay. Maggie fights Nick but she can't fight her strong attraction to him. He awakens within her a womanly awareness that has been long dormant.

The secondary cast of characters are a colorful lot, adding moments of comedy, touching sentimentality, and home grown love. Each of them, in one way or another, becomes a part of Maggie's life aiding in chipping away the tough exterior she has built. Celeste and Beth become her most prominent friends, along with Nick's family, the Alessandros, who are a wonderful loving bunch. It is with this group of people that Maggie knows what it is to be cared for, to love again, and ultimately to trust again.

Secrets, hurt, betrayal, a slow rebuilding of trust and true love: Cait London gives me everything I could ask for in a romantic suspense book, keeping me on my toes right to the end. With Her Last Breath is a must read!

Dee

Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

for the headache this reader got with the proverbial 2x4 I was hit on the head with over and over again with plot points. This was my first Cait London novel and it may be my last. London's characters seemed flat and one-dimensional, with the attraction between the main characters, Maggie and Nick, contrived and a little bit depressing. Maggie's sister was wronged by the villian and she now hates anyone male because of it. And boy, how we're reminded of it over and over again. The goal and motivation for the heroine of a book is paramount to the story but the blatant way it is delivered in this novel took this reader's suspension of disbelief away. The 'villan' seems to have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as all he does every other chapter is go over what he's going to do to Maggie when he finds her...but takes forever to do something about it. This didn't raise the tension for me, except in an annoying way. I admit, I just skipped to the end. The book went from boring to obvious so many times, I decided to stop wasting my time and move on to a better read.

Maggie is almost raped by a business associate of her husband's. She tells everyone about it but no one, including her husband and sister, believe her. Eventually her husband divorces her. Her would-be rapist is mad because she told people (not sure why since she wasn't believed). To punish her, he hooks up with her sister Glenda, gets Glenda hooked on drugs, destroys her marriage and causes her death. Maggie leaves town after her business dries up and because she can't stand looking at her sister's kids because they remind her of her sister and she knows she reminds them of Glenda? Gee, isn't that sort of the point?

Nick lost his wife 12 years ago in an accident he feels responsible for. We never do find out anything else about the wife except that she was sweet and had dark hair. And Nick has been celibate since his wife's death. Not sure I get why but I digress.

Maggie comes to town and Nick falls for her immediately. Again I can't figure out the attraction since Maggie is rude, never thinks about anyone else's feelings and is downright cruel to Nick. "You can go now." "Leave me alone." "Go away." "Butt out of my life." Then she proceeds to throw his feelings for his late wife in his face. "Go home and brood about your wife." Nick is a nice guy and only trying to get to know her and keep her safe. His family takes her in immediately, again a real mystery why since she's not that much nicer to them. (Question-why was Tony's son afraid of him?)

The villian was a joke and was never developed. Of course, none of the other characters were either except maybe for the dog. And if I heard one more wine connected comment I would have been bouncing off the ceiling. "No more waiting until the flavors blend. You're full and ripe now. Just ready for harvesting." I know the guy had a winery but for Pete's sake, enough already!

Yes, I realize Maggie had been through a terrible time and it was hard for her to trust again and she was afraid. Guess what, Mags? So have a lot of other people but they don't use it as an excuse for their bad-tempered treatment of other people.

Needless to say this is so not a keeper. The only thing that kept me awake was the fact that Maggie was so annoying! And the only mystery was what motivated any of them to do the things they did?