Breathless

Sparks of Hope #1

by Becki Brannen

What happens when an ordinary girl meets the man of everyone’s dreams?

Keeping secrets is never easy, especially since Ryan Spalding is on the cover of every magazine and this year’s “Hottest Hunk under 30.” Good thing busy lawyer Carly Sparks is so out of the loop when it comes to celebrity affairs, or she’d realize she was in one!

Leading man Ryan Spalding tempts Carly Sparks in ways she’s only ever seen in the movies. She’s drifted away from a promise she made to God as a teenager, but Carly must rely on her faith when her relationship with Ryan is put to the test. Will it be enough to keep them together, or will theirs be just another failed Hollywood romance?

Genres: Contemporary, Romance

172 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reason I chose to pick up this book was very simple. I wanted to read something light and breezy with spot of sweet romance. And this book did deliver on that.

Carly Sparks is anything but an ordinary girl. She is a lawyer who keeps busy in her work and has little time for everything else. Ryan Spalding is a hot movie star who is well known for his womanizing ways. Their paths cross at a mall when Ryan is in town for a movie shoot. Carly suffers from an asthma attack and Ryan comes to her rescue. Something about Carly attracts Ryan and he ends up spending a lot more (than required) time at the hospital with Carly. The twist in the tale is that Carly has no idea who Ryan is and Ryan takes this refreshing change of pace as a welcome break from his very tiring lifestyle. The rest, as they say, is history.

I liked the way the author has developed her two protagonists. They are pole opposite who come together to complete each other. They make sense together. Individually they can each hold their own. Carly is smart and emotional. Ryan is caring and sensitive. And they each had some flaws that made them feel more real to me. The plot is simple enough – what you think would happen, actually happens and there is hardly any surprise element in the book. However it is the author’s simple yet tantalizing narrative that holds the readers interest throughout the book.

Now you must be wondering that why I have not rated this book a five star when I have only good things to say about it. Well there are two reasons to it and they are both very personal choices. First, I wished for a bit refinement in the author’s language. And secondly, I prefer the love stories where two people grow to know each other and slowly fall in love. This story wasn’t insta-love – but the pace of their relationship was a bit too fast for my liking – especially with the background that the author has built up for them. They are really small things and may not matter much to your or they might be just what you look for in a simple romance book. You have to judge and decide for yourself whether they are deal makers or deal breakers for you.

[Emerald Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breathless will leave you – breathless!

Carly doesn’t have time for romance, and Ryan, as a famous movie star, wants something that is deeper and more passionate than one night stands. When Carly has a bad asthma attack, Ryan is the only one who sees, and he rushes her to the hospital. Posing as her husband, he spends all night and day with her. And what happens when she wakes up? She doesn’t know who he is. It’s refreshing, so he lies to her about who he really is. What ensues is a whirlwind romance that will leave you feeling breathless!

I loved that the characters were flawed. They dealt with very raw, very human emotions, but they also were redeemed in the end. They realized their sins and their mistakes and asked God for forgiveness. We all deal with being human, and I think Becki Brannen touched on this topic wonderfully. Her characters are human, but just like God, they learn to forgive and be forgiven.

I loved the romance between the two characters, and although it moved too quickly for me – someone who has dealt with trust issues over and over again and doesn’t like fast moving relationships – the story was still romantic and kept me up late at night reading.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves chick lit, flawed characters, and a redemption story.

[†Reviews of a FearStreetZombie† · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good book. I really loved it and didn't want to put it down. The characters were so real to me and everything went together smoothly. I think my most favorite thing honestly was that Carly cried... a lot. If you read other books, you'll see that the girl always tries to be strong and not cry, ect. But Carly just had so much love in here that she HAD to cry, that she was so thankful for the things that Ryan had done for her. Also I find it beautiful that even though she came from a hardened home, she wasn't hardened. She was open and when she loved, she loved hard. Now Daniel Gillies OH, I mean RYAN... He's a movie star so of course you expect him to be kinda douchey... Which I guess you could say he was before he met Carly, but as much as his character made me mad at times, I loved him as well... It kinda makes you think maybe not all actors are the same, I suppose. Maybe they want a love just as real as any of us "civilians" lol. Kinda hard to remember that when they star in so many movies and marry co-stars. eh. Lol I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for book two! MUST! READ!
*The missing star, is really hard to explain really... it just felt like there was something missing from the story to me. It felt kinda incomplete though that honestly may be because it ended with a cliffhanger. Lol

[Sarah Vela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a book that keeps my attention! This one did for sure! It was an easy read and very likeable characters. It flowed nicely and I enjoyed every minute of it. It only took me 5 hours to finish the book and I'm going to start the second book tomorrow, I can't wait!

[Lydia Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

True Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Based on its synopsis, Breathless was everything I expected it to be: celebrity Ryan falls for Carly, a busy lawyer who has no idea who he is. Even without knowing who he is, she falls for him, too. Given Ryan’s secret, they experience more than their share of relational ups and downs.

I’ve discussed my complicated relationship with romance before, so it may go without saying that I love my romance like I love my coffee - loaded with of other stuff (not unlike Carly). I felt like the romance was all there was to this story, and to a normal romance fan, that wouldn’t have been an issue. I wanted to connect with the main characters beyond the romance, to get a sense of them outside of how they related to each other. For that reason, I have mixed feelings about the flashbacks interspersed throughout: on one hand, I found them slightly disruptive to the flow of the story, and on the other, they helped me gain insight to Carly’s character. I guess I wanted more.

I am also a fan of the slow fall: you know, attraction, subtle flirtation, connection, wooing,... Breathless moves at a fast pace - too fast for me, and I wonder if it wasn’t realistically too fast even for the characters, given their relationship histories. The pacing makes it an easy read, though, so it’s not without its benefits.

That said, Breathless raises an important issue: sex, and how it should be treated anything but casually. Brannen takes a character who jumps from woman to woman and a character who made a purity pledge to showcase this message, which is commendable in a society where virginity and a commitment to purity can make you feel like a mutant. (See also: Jane the Virgin.)

Also, and far less important, this book taught me that I have been misquoting Shakespeare for years. (There are these epic romantic quotes at the beginning of every chapter, which I thought were a fun addition.) But that … is another story for another day.

So, even though this book was a bit too much coffee for my creamer (if you know what I mean), I have no doubt that other fans of the genre will find it enjoyable.

I received a free eARC from the author in exchange for my honest review.

[Margaret Tidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathless by Becki Brannen

Breathless by Becki Brannen was a fun book to read. I have read several books with similar plots to this one but I still really enjoyed this story and the author’s writing. I know that from the start Ryan not being up front and honest with Carly is going to end up badly because it always does but I was still interested in reading the rest of the story because I want to know how it all worked out and how long Ryan was able to keep pretending he wasn’t famous. Even though I know the pattern that these books follow I still couldn’t stop reading until I was done with the book and I always love books like that. I can’t say enough good things about this book and I would recommend it to anyone who loves chick lit books.

FTC:I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Dee/ bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review contains spoilers.

This book, or the thought pattern of the main characters were very inconsistent. For example: Carly consistently worried about her job when in the hospital, but at end of book okay taking off for being "sick". It was too early in relationship to think about marriage, but ok sleeping with guy after big speech about making a vow and holding on to said vow for 10 years and then throwing the vow away.
At the end she is suddenly ok with marring Ryan, even though in her last chapter she was glad he realized it was finally over and they never resolve issues.

Carly and Ryan seemed like surface characters. You don't really get to know them or their relationship. You aren't included in relationship or really given a time line. And were is the dog? It shows up in a few lines and that is it?

I do think this story has a lot of potential, it did keep me turning the pages. But it felt rushed at the end and needs to be developed more.

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Breathless" by Becki Brannen is about Carly a new attorney who while out shopping at a local mall has an asthma attack. The last face she see's while frantically looking for her inhaler is Ryan's, a movie star in town filming and also known for his womanizing ways. There's something different about Carly that draws him, the fact that she has no idea who he is! He decides to take the attraction as far as it can go, but how far could that be when the paparazzi are always vying for his attention?

This is a sweet average girl meets celebrity romance. One that will remind you of those teenage dreams you had of growing up and marrying a very hot movie star. It could happen! (wink)

Here's the Amazon link for this sweet romance:
http://www.amazon.com/Breathless-Spar...

[Marinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple but sweet story about a girl who meets the man of her dreams. Carly Sparks falls at Ryan Spaulding's feet literally, she has a severe asthma attack at the mall and Ryan calls 911 and stays at the hospital with her pretending to be her husband. Ryan is a famous actor and this years "Hottest Hunk Under 30". Carly works so hard she doesn't have time for tv or movies so when he introduces himself as Ryan Andrews she doesn't recognize him. What follows is the story of falling n love but what will happen when Carly finds out Ryan is lying about who he is? Will she be able to forgive him? Can she handle dating a famous hunky actor or is his celebrity status going to be to much for her? I really enjoyed this wholesome story about honesty and love.
Independent reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock 5 hearts.

[Vonze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carly Sparks is a busy, successful lawyer. She doesn't have time for trivial things, such as which actor is Hollywood's newest, hottest hunk. So, when the handsome, sweet Ryan Spalding enters her life, the fact that he's a megastar doesn't even register in her mind. What will happen to their relationship when she learns the truth?

I highly recommend Breathless! Carly is a strong, smart heroine. She is an independent, Christian woman with a mind of her own. Ryan is a dreamboat! In the beginning, he's a lost soul with a sensitive side, but love changes him for the better. Together the characters share a sweet romance full of fun.

Breathless is a wonderful, lighthearted read! I'm looking forward to the future sequels in this series!

[Melissa Layton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carly and Ryan have a chance encounter and quickly fall in love. I'm not a huge fan of love at first sight in novels, and this went really fast for me. (Having said that, I know it can happen in real life!) I wanted to know the characters more, and I didn't connect with them as much as I would have liked. However, the book was fun to read and I let my imagination fill in the blanks.

[Lisa Dess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The characters were likable and it was a quick read. I think it portrays just how much being in the spotlight impacts people. Although I understand why Ryan did what he did; it's never good to start something off with lies.

[Joyce Shaw]

Loved this book. Couldn't wait to start the second book in the series. I bought all of them at one time. Looking forward to her new one coming out soon.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming.

[Bookosaurus (A book a day keeps reality away) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I found this book too cheesy and ridiculous even by standards of the romance genre. However, I was in a generous mood, so I decided to push past the love-at-first-sight trope and the subtle hints of misogyny until I came across this sentence and tasted a bit of vomit in my mouth:

Who is he kidding? He’s dated more women in the past month than I’ve dated all year. Then again, my last girlfriend was on a hit show on the CW, while his was a dancer (of the exotic kind), so I guess it’s quality, not quantity, that counts.

Then, there's this gem too:

Hero's douchebag friend: Surely there are some Ryan Spalding castoffs who need some lovin’.”

Ryan Jerkface aka the hero: He laughs and I half-heartedly join in. He can have all my exes, even the CW starlet who graced the cover of Maxim last week. The only woman I want is Carly Sparks.

Ughhh!

I have no tolerance for 'heroes' who talk trash about women, and reading about Ryan Jerkface just makes me want to punch something hard.

So it's pretty safe to assume that I'm done with this horrible piece of garbage.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Breathless, by Becki Brannen, is a simple but sweet story about a movie star, Ryan Spaulding, who meets a woman who has no idea who he is. When Carly Sparks has an asthma attack in the mall, Ryan mistakenly assumes she is fainting at the sight of him. However, when he realizes that Carly wants to be with him because of who he is on the inside, Ryan tries to keep his true identity a secret. After her last boyfriend attacked her, Carly can hardly trust anyone. But something about Ryan makes her let her guard down. Will she let it down so much that she will get hurt again? Will she turn her back on her promise to God?

While I am a fan of real-world faith and real-world struggles, this book smacks of worldly faith. Carly speaks of her commitment and promise to God to remain pure until her wedding, but she lets go of that promise with little hesitation. Even afterward, her biggest concern does not revolve around her relationship with Christ, but rather her relationship with Ryan. His "salvation prayer" is similar - a plea for her to return to him.

If you are looking for a sweet romance, and nothing else, I would give this book three stars. Without judging it on its Christian message, the book still has two-dimensional characters and unrealistic plot-lines.

However, since this book is labeled a Christian romance, I will say that the star level is really low. It seems like the Christian message is awkwardly and falsely shoved into a story line that should just be in a different genre.

[Lorene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Carly is a busy lawyer that does not have time for going to the movies. She is at the mall when she has an asthma attack. Ryan sees her fall and calls an ambulance. He then stays with her until she wakes up. He thought he was the reason she passed out because he is a major movie star. When Carly wakes up, she doesn't have a clue who he is. Ryan finds this so refreshing that he finds himself spending more time with her. He tells her a fake name. They fall in love but he doesn't know how to tell her who he really is. I liked the plot. The characters were not easy to like. Ryan was very conceited. He assumed everything was about him. Carly was not as likable as she could have been. She assumed all of the negative was true and wouldn't listen to anyone else's side. The story moved at a quick pace, which I liked. It kept you wanting to know what was going to happen next. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter stopped the flow of the story. Also, the story ended abruptly. There was not closure. It was just over.

[Thomas Muriuki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh Boy! I just read chic-lit! Not what I expected at all!
"Breathless" failed to get me anywhere close to being breathless!

This novel is a plain Christian-moral interpretation. The Author uses One-dimensional Characters which honestly are unlikely and unbelievable.
The lead Character "Carls" and his stalker Ryan are fairly predictable and fail to measure up to any degree of suspense.
I read to the end, but I found no surprises by a flat tone of narration.
Disappointing.
The formatting and grammar were well set though.

[Themi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible. Horrible. Disastrous. No solid plot, weak character development. I wasted two hours of my life I'll never get back.

[Shona Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast easy read. Liked the premise of the plot. The main characters were likeable and believable, could have used some more character development but maybe we will see it in the next book.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

review to come...

[Treena Beavers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet easy reading chick- lit. Reminded me of the film while you were sleeping.

I received this ARC via instafreebie in exchange for an honest review.