Can't Hardly Breathe

October 16, 2017
Showalter’s fourth Original Heartbreakers novel (after The Harder You Fall), set in present-day Strawberry Valley, Okla., is pedestrian at best. Dorothea Mathis used to be fat and unhappy about it; now slim, she styles herself after ’50s pin-ups. She’s coming off a bad marriage and a secret tragedy, and she hopes she may finally have her chance with Daniel Porter, on whom she had a crush in high school. Daniel is just as hungry for Thea, but he has PTSD from his time in the military. Concern that their inevitable breakup would destroy his fragile father, he wants them to date in secret, which feeds her insecurities about her looks. Lust may win out, but not if both are convinced a relationship between them is doomed. The self-fulfilling nature of this fear, unfortunately, feels more and more manufactured and inorganic as the story continues. It does not help that Showalter’s attempts at sexy banter aren’t particularly successful, and the extensive inner monologues fail to generate drama. Agent: Deidre Knight, Knight Agency.

Savannah Richards adopts a sultry tone for this steamy romance set in Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma. In this small town, curvy, vivacious Dorothea Mathis, owner of the Strawberry Valley Inn, has met her match in Daniel Porter. Using a lilting voice, Richards captures the emotional Dorothea, who vacillates between insecure and sexy, especially the latter when dealing with Porter, a take-charge, ex-military man. He'll do just about anything to entice Dorothea into a steamy kiss, or more. Richards's performance brings the town's characters to life. If you like romance with a chase, Richards's sexy reading will make you yearn for more. M.B.K. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine