Breathless by Kathryn J. Bain
Series: The Lincolnville Mystery Series (Book 1 of 5)
Publisher: Indie Release
Publication Date: March 22, 2022
Review by Mae Clair
I picked up this book because the premise sounded intriguing—an ex-cop/undercover DEA agent (Matthew Winters) becomes the pastor of a church in the small town of Lincolnville. He doesn’t fit the image of what the townsfolk are expecting—long hair down his back, motorcycle, leathers, and tats. Meanwhile, Lydia Frederickson, widowed two years, has become the target of disturbing phone calls.
When Matthew arrives to give his first sermon, many people aren’t sure what to make of him, while the single women in town immediately start swooning. The first half of the book spends too much time with Matthew, his father, and other men thinking how incredibly gorgeous Lydia is while she fights her attraction to Matthew, fearful she’s betraying her husband’s memory.
A little of she’s-so-attractive, he’s-so-attractive goes a long way. I wish the author would have toned it down and spent more time on character development. I felt I never got beneath the surface veneer of the leads, despite Matthew having a burdensome secret in his past.
Lydia has a BFF, along with two other close friends (both male) one of whom is the town sheriff, Riley (and a set-up for the male lead in book two). Of all the characters in the book, I think I liked him best.
As a pastor, Matthew is also still struggling with his “cop personality” as in this snippet when he and Riley butt heads:
“It wouldn’t be decent for a Christian man to strike a sheriff. Especially if that Christian happened to also be a preacher.” Riley glanced in the crowd’s direction. “I guess God’s still working with you in that area.”
“I suppose.” Matthew muttered before walking to his bike. He craved solace. There was only one place he would achieve peace. “I’ll be at the church.”
Breathless, Kathryn J. Bain
By the second half of the book. Lydia’s phone calls escalate to outright stalking, and the suspense ratchets higher. I thought I had the stalker pegged early on but was wrong in my guess. Kudos to the author for keeping that revelation interesting, even if it was a bit of a stretch.
I did expect more faith elements since Matthew is a pastor, but they’re sprinkled only sporadically, more background than pillars.
Overall, this is a quick, easy read. It’s also a series starter, but the plot is complete with no threads left hanging. If you’re a fan of sweet romance, you’ll likely enjoy this novel. I just wasn’t a good fit for the audience, expecting something with more depth.
I give Breathless three happy fish.
I purchased the Kindle version of Breathless
The Well Read Fish 
I usually prefer books with more depth, too, but at times I need something light as an escapism read. Those violet eyes on the cover are arresting. Great review, Mae, sounds like a good, just not great, book.
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Thanks, Priscilla. This was definitely on the lighter side, even if the second half got a bit dark with the stalker upping the game. Every now and then I like a lighter read too, but I wasn’t the ideal reader for this one. I’m sure many readers will devour it!
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An interesting review, Mae. What age group would you recommend? It’s written by a Florida Writers Association member, which I was once a part of, and I always try to encourage the kids to support local writers.
Personally, I enjoy something meaty to entertain me when insomnia ruins my sleep. But if it’s a light read, I will happily share with the young ones.
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Hi, Nigel. I seem to remember mild violence in the second half (it’s been a while since I read it), so I’m not really sure about the ideal age for the audience. The romance is clean, and there’s no swearing. The first half is definitely tame, but I think there was some violence in the second half when the stalker gets more serious.
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Oh, they should be old enough to handle. They’re teenagers now.
Thank you, Mae
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My pleasure, Nigel. I definitely think teens would enjoy this book!
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They have a few weeks left of summer..and the heat jas been unbearable, ao I think they’d enjoy this
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The suspense element intrigues me a lot more than the romance, but I do prefer character exploration, and it sounds like this one might be lacking in that department. Will you be reading the second, or was it not good enough to move on? (I suspect you won’t, but that will be a good gauge for me.)
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Hi, Staci. Even though I really liked Riley, I didn’t purchase the second novel. Like I said–I just wasn’t the right reader for this book, but I am glad I gave it a chance. There certainly is plenty to recommend it for someone looking for a clean, quick read.
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Thanks for the candid review, Mae. I recently looked at my book history on Amazon. The number of returns where I did not finish a book got my attention, and more than a few paralleled your review. I encourage writers, especially novices, to seek and heed the advice of seasoned readers before release. Skipping that step can cause reviews that hinder a novice writer’s desire to continue writing.
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Hi, Grant. I completely forget that I can return books. I’ve DNF’d a few too many.
Breathless was definitely a book worth reading—for the right audience. And, surprisingly, the author has numerous releases and numerous series. She’s well established, so she clearly has a fan base. This one just wasn’t up my alley.
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Good review. I like romance, but more organic to a plot. I’ll probably skip this one.
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Hi, Jacqui. Yeah, I didn’t pick up the second book. Breathless had good points, but I wanted more complexity in the characters.
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The premise was intriguing until you mentioned all the time spent on the attraction. I’m with you on a little goes a long way. Let’s get to know the characters better. The stalking is what interests me – especially since you guessed wrong, lol. Nice review, Mae!
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Hi, Teri. Yeah, the focus on attraction was overdone in my opinion. There were times I felt like I was being hit over the head with the concept, LOL.
With all the mysteries I read, I should have been able to pinpoint the stalker, but the author pulled that one off with something I didn’t see coming!
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Great review, Mae. When I saw the cover, I was immediately drawn in. That said, I would tire of the veneers and question whether this story is one for me. Thank you for sharing as you have.
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Hi, Gwen. I love the cover too–it’s striking. I do wish there had been more depth to the characters. I’m glad I read the book, but I doubt I’ll continue with the series.
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Very thoughtful review, Mae. The cover and title are intriguing, but I was sad to hear that the story doesn’t quite measure up to expectation.
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