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The O'Learys #4

Catch Your Breath

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As kids they steered clear of one another--but now a beautiful, well-connected reporter and a sexy, driven detective are all grown-up and on the job. . .

Moira O'Leary's work as a reporter gives her access to some of Chicago's swankiest soirées. She knows how to navigate the jet-set crowd, and her style and confidence help her blend right in. But when her childhood crush starts popping up at posh events, her poise begins to falter--until she realizes she has the upper hand in a high-stakes game of secrets and seduction. . .

Jimmy O'Malley has always tried to avoid his friend Liam's little sister. Something about Moira spelled trouble. But he's out of his element working undercover in Chicago's high society, and Moira is his ticket to the inner circle. As sparks begin to fly--and their chemistry heats up--Moira gets dangerously close to his investigation. Will Jimmy be forced to push her away to keep her safe--or will they surrender to a desire that could leave them breathless?

100,897 Words

292 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

224 people are currently reading
434 people want to read

About the author

Shannyn Schroeder

35 books637 followers

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5 stars
176 (37%)
4 stars
168 (36%)
3 stars
101 (21%)
2 stars
17 (3%)
1 star
4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
Profile Image for Jonetta.
2,596 reviews1,327 followers
January 28, 2015
Quick summary
Moira O'Leary fell for neighbor Jimmy O'Malley when she was ten years old and he became her protector. Now that he's back home and working as a detective for the Chicago PD, he's still treating her like his best friend's kid sister. She's a newspaper reporter and when she stumbles into his undercover operation, Moira sees not only a chance for a great story but the time to force his hand and make him notice her as a woman.

Moira and Jimmy
Moira's bubbly and just utterly likable, even though she's a talk-a-holic. Jimmy's more taciturn and hard to read. He listens more than she thinks and has kept her at arm's length because of his friendship with her brother. Plus, he's the de facto head of his own family who have loads of issues.

What I enjoyed
Moira's resilience and high spirits are infectious, even when she's doing risky things. The undercover operation added an element of light suspense that made the story more interesting. While I was rooting for Moira, I also was struggling with Jimmy. It wasn't until the end of the story that I grasped how his control issues made sense. He came pretty close to being in my anti-hottie harem, even bringing me close to wishing Moira would walk away. His backstory, though, is heartwarming and was my reminder that he was worth her efforts.

The bottom line
This is the O'Leary's series so family plays a huge role in the story. The brothers' over protectiveness went beyond reasonable at times but Moira holds her own. This is clearly her story and she's what makes and keeps it interesting. I'm glad she finally earned the respect of her family and has progressed beyond being just the "little sister" in the eyes of everyone, including her man, Jimmy.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
Profile Image for Crazy for Books (Stephanie).
1,913 reviews234 followers
October 4, 2015
ARC provided through NetGalley for an honest review.

3 Mouthy Stars

Moira O'Leary has known and had a crush on James "Jimmy" O'Malley for as long as she can remember. He's wasn't only the boy across the street, but he's been her bother Liam's best friend her entire life. But for some reason, everything she does rubs him the wrong way.

When Jimmy, a new detective working his way up, is summoned into the commander's office, he can't help but hope this means more for him. But instead he's put on a case of stolen property where no one has made a report. It seems that the wealthy men and friends of the mayor have gotten themselves in a bit of trouble. Because of the delicate nature of the situation, none of the men want to report it. Jimmy goes undercover as a wealthy new transplant to the city and friend of the Mayor to suss out information on what is actually happening. This brings him into constant contact with Moira O'Leary.

Moira is a freelance reporter, working the society/charity events in town. When she runs into Jimmy, she knows something is up and wants the exclusive on whatever story may come out of what Jimmy and his partner are up to.

As they continue to run into each other, Jimmy discovers that Moira's in with the wealthy crowd can only help his case. But as he starts to feel more and more for her, he can't help but want to keep her safe, even at the expense of his case.

They butt heads a lot, but that doesn't diminish the chemistry between them. Will Jimmy be able to tame Moira? Will Moira be able to get Jimmy to open up?

I liked it okay. There were some really funny bits in there, but again... incomplete for me. There are so many sub characters that are unresolved, I just don't know what to say about it. What happens with Jimmy's sister Nora? What's the deal with Liam? Does Moira's story help the other girls. I don't know, it just felt a little all over the place. I have to say if I wasn't trying to clean up my reading list a bit, I may not have been inclined to finish this series.

At this point I have two more books left in the series and hoping to get through them quickly.
Profile Image for Isha Coleman.
8,946 reviews172 followers
March 19, 2019
Dive into danger and prepare to be tempted. Catch Your Breath, will have you losing your heart. Jimmy and Moira jump headfirst into a mystery of the heart and take readers along for the ride. With hints of Schroeder's witty, charm and the twist of suspense, Catch Your Breath is a reader's delight.
Profile Image for Renee Entress.
5,588 reviews77 followers
March 19, 2019
5 Stars!



This is the 4th in the O'Leary Series. I can't get enough of the O'Leary's.

Jimmy is undercover on a case and Moria's brothers best friend. So according to the best friends code off limits. She is also a reporter which he does not need right now hanging around while he is working a case.

With them both being head strong and stubborn can they work together to solve a case? With all the sparks that are flying back and forth can they fight the attraction?



Love Moria in this story and was so happy she gets the man she always wanted. At times Jimmy needed a smack upside the head. You will be pulled into the story and fall in love with the characters.



Looking forward to the next book in the wonderful series.
Profile Image for Phoenix.
539 reviews9 followers
June 17, 2014
I believe Schroeder may be one of my new favorite authors. This book had it all. It was suspenseful, romantic, endearing, frustrating, and left me with butterflies in my stomach. I loved the two main characters. The teasing of them getting together took me on a roller coaster ride. I couldn't wait to see them together and when they did it was EXPLOSIVE! A must read!
Profile Image for Ann Lorz.
1,707 reviews22 followers
June 30, 2014
I'm a new fan to Shannyn Schroeder and I can tell you I'm loving her books, (and it's not got anything to do with the fact that they are done in Chicago)they are full of family and love. I think you'll enjoy the story and want to learn more about both families. It's a great series.
Profile Image for Alyson Buxey.
611 reviews2 followers
March 20, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ I will finish this series because I like the characters and the writing up until the end. Every story is cut short. Frustratingly short of the finish line. I thought I was happy enough with an implied HEA if the HFN was good enough but I may have been deluding myself because each time a story in this series ends I’m expected to just have faith and if there was a lot of the siblings in the follow up stories that would be ok. The individual book would feel incomplete but the story wouldn’t be but that’s not how it works in this series. There is generally one sibling with a staring roll and it tends to be the sibling for the next book and there is the barest glimpse of past couples. You definitely would be able to machete these books, any order you wanted but that’s not what I want in my family series binges. A long enough rant but this one felt even more abrupt. I want so much for Moira and Jimmy but it is going to be a rough road. Moira may have been frightened off one path but she is a passionate explorer by nature, unstoppable which is part of her charm. So either Thai has stopped her which would be so sad or it hasn’t in which Jimmy and her are going to butt heads spectacularly. Jimmy wants to control everything because he feels chaos has caused the sadness and fear in his life but it’s not and it won’t but learning that lesson especially whilst working as a cop is going to be very hard. One big plus , not that it needs it as I was thoroughly enjoying until the story abruptly ended, was the older brother role was done well, I usually struggle with the notion that a man’s best friend in the whole wide world, someone you would lay down your life for but isn’t good enough for your sister drives me nuts but this is much more nuanced and I appreciated that
Profile Image for Becky.
3,426 reviews142 followers
March 21, 2021
It's so fun to be back with the O'Learys again!

I enjoyed Moira and Jimmy's story--unrequited teenage love *finally* realized is such a fun trope--especially when you add in that he is (one of) her older brother's best friend. Make him a police detective and her the reporter that is going to help him on an undercover assignment, and you've got gold... ;)

Though their relationship problems mainly stemmed from the old classic he doesn't know what he wants and blows hot and cold which had me just about as frustrated as Moira was (I mean, God forbid he actually talk to her about it), once he removed his head from his posterior Jimmy was the one person who was able to appreciate Moira for who she was--both as a reporter and as a woman. The suspense added an extra layer to the story here, and yikes, Moira's foray into investigative reporting was super stressful. She had me sympathizing with Jimmy there!

As with the rest of the series, the characters are what really made this story shine. Not only were Moira and Jimmy fabulous together, but I really enjoyed watching them interact with their families as well. Even though I don't have older brothers, boy did I feel Moira's pain when hers expressed their opinions of her relationship with Jimmy! Those who have read the other books in the series will love seeing past characters here, but if you haven't this would also be a decent place to try out the series. If you can get your hands on the box set (this is the first book in the second set), even better :)

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Profile Image for Madm007.
1,156 reviews6 followers
April 10, 2022
Great Romance with much excitement

Jimmy and Moira, wow! Many tropes to choose from included in this read, and all great.
Jimmy and Moira have known each other all their lives, growing up as they did in the same neighborhood. She's also the little sister to Liam, who happens to also be Jimmy's best friend--hooboy. She's had a crush on Jimmy since wbw, and hasn't kept it a secret. Jimmy, however has ignored her ... until now. She's bubbly and talkative, while he's ... not, he is hot though. He's a Police Detective. She's a free lance news reporter. Yup, no problem there either LoL, until their working case crosses a line, or at least blurs the separation in all ways that matter.
Excellent storyline, kept me hooked until that HEA I always love, gave me my happy sigh.
First time I've read this author, and I'll just say I've now ordered the rest of this series.
This can certainly stand on it's own, but is also book four in the series. I do look forward to reading more from the O'Leary's and hopefully the rest of this wonderfully large neighborhood in Chicago.
Profile Image for Nikole.
958 reviews
September 3, 2023
I had read Norma's story previously before this came up in the anthology I am currently reading.
In Norma's story, I was sad when she had put her baby up for adoption. Her family totally would've been there for her but in the end, she did what was best for her.
So When I started reading this, I had knew the characters sounded familiar but some of the things that was happening wasn't matching up. Like when Norma came home pregnant and her story started, she said her brother went to stay with his girl friend - the girl across the street but in the actual story (this story) the MMC went stay with Kevin for the night....
It was just some things that were not aligning between the two stories.

Nothing really happened in their relationship until the end. It felt like it was more about the case Jimmy was working on and her story Moira was trying to get than anything. The romance came in small bursts.
It was okay though.

Spice 0.5 / 5
Humor 0/5
Emotional 0/5
World Building 2/5
Overall 3/5

Profile Image for Johnaka- Amity Book Blog.
1,158 reviews16 followers
March 19, 2019
Catch your Breath by Shannyn Schroeder
"The journalist and the cop, 3 stars"


Moira and Jimmy have known each other their whole lives. That's what happens when you grow up next door to each other. Moira has always driven Jimmy crazy and he doesn't know how to handle her. Which is difficult when you need to be in constant control. What will happen when their lives are forced to collide? Will Jimmy give Moira a chance?

Catch your Breath was alright for me. It wasn't bad but it wasn't amazing. There were times that I felt like the story dragged on more than it needed to. Then on the same hand I felt like more could have been developed on the side with Moira and Jimmy's friends and family, heck even Jimmy's case and Miora's article. There was just something missing for me.
I hope if you take a chance on Catch your Breath you enjoy it.

Plot-3/5
Characters-3/5
Heat-3/5
Writing style-3/5
Overall-3/5
164 reviews
December 8, 2025
Another O'Leary down

This time the daughter of the family gets her man. Moira has always wanted Jimmy O'Malley, the boy across the street. He's a cop who can't admit he loves her because he knows he can't control her, and he needs to control his world. She's a freelance reporter trying to get a break with a paper of repute. She decides to do a blockbuster series on women who become paid escorts and men who hire them. This unfortunately crosses into Detective Jimmy's territory of breaking up a ring of thieves who coordinate their home thefts with the time the owner spends with an escorts. He can't stand that she takes chances, and she can't stand males who try to tell her what to do. With commonsense advice from friends and loved ones both realize reality and go past their pride and come together. Combine this plot with excellent writing, loveable characters, and spot on timing, and Schroeder has another solid hit in her canon.
Profile Image for Barbara.
1,860 reviews6 followers
August 13, 2022
Jimmy is Moira's older brother's best freind and is a cop. She's been in love with him since she was about 14. Growing up, he wanted nothing to do with her and he's often dismissive and rude. She's a reporter and finds herself in the middle of one of his cases. This causes them to spend a lot of time together and he begins to admit that he has feelings for her. There's a lot of back and forth with him running hot and cold. She's forgiving and patient but I question her intelligence after she puts herself in danger. I understand that she wants her story and wants to help Jimmy with his case, but she takes some unnecessary risks. Jimmy is a little slow in deciding what his feelings are and seems conflicted throughout a lot of the story. I kept waiting for some kind of big decision but I don't think it happened. 3.5 stars
203 reviews
March 20, 2019
Moira and Jimmy's story was full of passion. They had known each other since childhood, Jimmy was Moira's brothers best friend and they fought siblings do. However, secretly Moira loves Jimmy, but strangely he has avoided her over the years. Moira just didn't realise Jimmy was attracted to her but felt she was off limits. Now Moira is a reporter and Jimmy a police officer, and their work overlaps, putting Moira in danger.A great book full of passion and intrigue, I am going to put the first three O'Leary books in my 'to read' pile!
Profile Image for Denise.
4,119 reviews12 followers
March 21, 2019
This is the first reading this author with the formula of the characters that drew me to the story. You follow a undercover cop as he crosses paths with one reporter whom they just happen to have known each other when younger you are caught up in their magic. The thread of curiosity woven into your mind you wonder what lays in store for these two. When you come across the drama and intrigue you are immersed in their world with it all not letting Moira and Jimmy out of your sight. The chemistry builds taking the reader along giving them their fill.
Profile Image for Darcy.
1,695 reviews9 followers
April 9, 2025
Catch Your Breath is an amazing story of old neighborhoods, family dynamics and childhood hopes and dreams. The O'Malley and the O'Leary children grew up together, but under different circumstances. Now that they are adults, the oldest in the families still try to be the responsible, protective ones. Jimmy is drawn to Moira, but has preconceived notions of continuing to protect her as he did when they were children. I loved how Moira went after what she wanted, acknowledged her limitations and stood up for herself and Jimmy.
Profile Image for Arelys.
271 reviews
March 11, 2020
Investigators and investigative reporters

Moira is on of the two girls in the O’Leary clan but a reporter to boot. She’s been in love with Jimmy O’Malley, her brother Liam’s best friend, since they were kids. Now the find themselves in a theft case that could be career changing for both. The question to ask is if their newfound relationship can. The thing that struck me was Liam’s reaction to them together. Fun! Nothing like a little intrigue.
Profile Image for Tami czenkus.
1,551 reviews24 followers
May 3, 2020
I loved how Moira was so in your face and feisty in the other 3 books in this series, This book she started out very timid and it didn't match with her personality in the previous stories.
Jimmy.... I wanted to smack him upside his head a few times. Communication is NOT top priority with the male characters in this series. I enjoyed how it all played out and am looking forward to reading Liam's book
Profile Image for Sofía Carrere.
83 reviews
July 5, 2022
I don't know what happens to me but lately I have mixed feelings about the books I read. I like them but I don't like them at the same time.
Loved Moira, she was everything I like in a heroine but I wanted to strangle Jimmy like 90% of the story and convince Moira to get together with anyone but him 😂

I received a copy of this book as the April read of the Steamy Reads Book Club.
456 reviews
July 17, 2024
They grew up living across the street from each other. She’s his best friend’s younger sister and has always been strictly off-limits, but now he can’t keep his mind. She is now a social news reporter and see’s him at a charity event and quickly realizes he is undercover and wants in on it. In parallel they are falling in forbidden love while she doesn’t realize that the investigative piece she has decided to do as the result of that charity event actually is messing with his undercover. So, romance gets a little dicey as things overlap … oh, and they also overlap cause her bros do not like him dating her.
2,192 reviews5 followers
February 4, 2021
Another wonderful installment in the series. Shannyn’s combination of ensemble cast (two large families), underlying suspense plot, great dialogue, and the central couple who have to work hard to find their way to each other is a continual delight. I’d love to meet these people if they were real.
551 reviews2 followers
July 19, 2024
1. Reporter FMC
2. Police Officer MMC
3. Childhood Friends to Lovers
4. Opened Door Romance
5. MCs working on a case together
6. Best Friend's Sister
7. Romantic Suspense
8. I liked this book, the characters and the settings
450 reviews2 followers
August 1, 2024
Catch your breath

I love this story! It held me captive till the end. I loved the intriguing way you wove a love story in their jobs which were so different yet everything flowed together. I'm sure most people will love this story as much as I did.
Profile Image for Susan Jackson.
299 reviews5 followers
August 11, 2024
I haven’t read the previous books in the series and I didn’t feel like I missed anything. Nice heat in the book. I was irritated by how the MMC acted with the FMC…I almost didn’t finish reading bc his hot and cold act got old with me. I admit to being curious about the MMC’s sister Norah and her story as well as the FMC’s brother Liam.
Profile Image for Sandy Gutting.
805 reviews7 followers
July 24, 2022
Really well written and realistic, but the hot love happy ending!!
65 reviews
July 12, 2024
Good Book

I enjoyed the push/ pull between Moira and Jimmy. The fiesty Moira is a fun character. This book is a wholesome read.
Profile Image for Feija.
1,134 reviews
May 18, 2025
4/5 ⭐️ I really liked this book!!
Profile Image for Brittany selken.
754 reviews37 followers
July 12, 2025
Moria and jimmy they both had a huge crush on each other when they were kids but Jimmy was her brother best friends and didn’t want to mess up their friendship that these years had for years. But when a event bring Moria and Jimmy together to figure out what is going real feeling come back fast between these two and they don’t know how to handle it he is scared and she want to jump right in but when they get tough they end up having each other back and working together and being happy with each other.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews

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