I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from the publisher/NetGalley.

This book contains two stories. One is set in the past the other in the present. I loved how the hero and heroine are impacted by the events of the past as they are investigating and uncovering the story of the Swan.

There were a few scenes that were very emotional related to the Swan’s story. A good amount of history of the locations the present day hero and heroine were exploring was revealed. At times I thought maybe it was a bit much but at the same time I found it interesting and a number of the places mentioned I’d never heard about.

The weaving of some actual events fictionalized into the story was interesting. This is an enjoyable read.

Breathless by both Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan is a book unlike any other. A contemporary romance that brings a story about erotic art paintings to life. In this story, I got to learn more about this modern like art that would appear to be just sexual in form to me. But to those who really know art, it really wasn't about the sex appeal. It was more than just that. That's where an academic woman scholar and a sexy male art hunter come together to find out more about The Swan paintings. These paintings have a story that needs telling. The art portraits themselves, sound so appealing and realistic that it was like being there seeing and experiencing what the characters got to experience firsthand.

Breathless is more than just a sexy romance that burrowed deep into my skin. It caught my attention and held it fast. The journey from the present to the past of the woman courtesan, who was painted as The Swan, was a woman who lived many lives. She had to find herself and that happened when she found and fell in love with the male painter. Following her historical journey from England to the Americas was fascinating. I felt disinterested as first, but after learning more, I could not stop reading.

The modern cast of characters include Brenna Anderson. She's clever, gorgeous, and talented. Her former lover is an idiot and loses her by his betrayal. Then, there's the work issues about the subject of art that Brenna is teaching to her students. Some parents who fund the art program were complaining about her choices. Brenna wanted to tell them to stick their opinions...but the university has its hands tied. And that is where her life journey begins...chasing after a portrait that may link The Swan series and letters to the life of the woman whose protairt is the talk of the century. But she might have to work with a man who defies what she normally trusts.

Fitch Wilder is the next modern day character who makes this a lot of fun to read. He was vibrant, sexy as hell, and adventurous. Sometimes he broke the rules but finding out more on the identity of the woman in The Swan painting was worth the risks. Even if the led him to the fiery yet most engaging woman he has ever met...Professor Brenna Anderson.

The Courtesean in the paintings somehow has brought two modern people together. Finding a love tha burns as deeply as the one she experienced. Love, sex, history, and art are all found in this epic tale. A journey of survival, loss, and new beginnings. I loved it. Overall, I would recommend this novel to all readers. It was the best thing that I have read in a long time.

I liked this book, even if it was about the plot than the characters, their romance and their eventual interaction. I was totally captivated by the story that was going on in the past so I was slightly disappointed but in the end it was a good and enjoyable reading.

Questo libro mi é piaciuto in generale per la trama, piú che per la storia d'amore o per i personaggi coinvolti. Quello che stava accadendo nel passato mi interessava molto di piú di quello che stava accadendo ai nostri giorni, per questo sono rimasta anche un po' male, ma va bene lo stesso perché mi é piaciuto tutto sommato.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

What an interesting and good romance. I like how the author was able to blend the present with the past. The story will leave you Breathless. I liked how the story ends. GOOD!

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

A book with two different temporal, interrelated storylines. I enjoyed the contemporary part, but the historical plotline didn’t really grab my interest, since historical romance is not my favorite genre (and also, I’m not a fan of the epistolary style at all).
Brenna and Fitch are interesting characters; their initial rivalry and the hero’s allure added appeal to the story and created moments of great dialogue.
I also liked the different settings where the story takes place and the way the authors show the impact art has in society and individuals.

I had read A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man years ago and loved that book! So imagine my surprise when I noticed that there was a follow up story about the Swan. Initially I found the story very interesting with a lot of suspense and interest in who this painter was and why it was such a secret to keep these paintings of the Swan from the public. But Brenna and Fitch never really had the sizzle of a couple in love for me. I felt that they also happened to fall in love rather quickly. The "Past" story with the Swan was more intriguing, but even then what ever happened to Elden, and why was Guilford so interested in the paintings in the first place? So although the story started very promising, towards the middle I had a hard time picking it up and reading it at times. It was still a lovely story, but I don't think I will pick it up to re-read it as I have done with the Blackbird's story time and time again.

This book has stayed with me for days after I finished it, and for me that is unique. The writing technique was intriguing and resulted in total engagement in the story. I was haunted by the difficulty of the lives of the characters, and how they were parallel in the past and the present. The subject matter was overly sexual for my taste, yet it was addressed in such a fashion that I understood that many would not feel as I do. I am still curious about what happened and will happen in the lives of the characters, so I hope there is more.

She was “the Swan.” London’s premiere courtesan. Men want to be with her. Women loathe her success and yet admire her beauty, her riches, her independence. But when the jealous wife of her lover moves to have the Swan banished from her home on the high seas, she winds up crashed against Spain’s rocky coast with no shoes, no clothes—and no name. Taken in by a tortured, sensuous man known as The Artist, the Swan comes to know the woman she wants to be—her artist’s siren.When Art Professor Brenna Anderson is in danger of losing her post at Harvard, the rule-following, prim professor is at a loss of how to salvage the shreds of her life. But when a new painting in the mysterious Siren collection is discovered in a dusty old house in France, Brenna does the unthinkable—hops on a plane to uncover the identity of the beautiful, enigmatic woman who is the subject of the paintings.When I started reading I couldn't put it down I read the book in one day.Celeste is magnifysent writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.

Breathless by Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan is a work of art. Team Bradley/Donovan has delivered a well-written book that intertwines two separate stories from two different time periods into one amazing book. Fitch and Brenna are both investigating and looking for more paintings from The Siren Series. Their story is loaded with drama, humor and spice. It took me a couple chapters but once I got into this awesome book, I couldn't put it down. I look forward to reading more from Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan in the future. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was marvelous; Bradley and Donovan make an outstanding team. I loved the main characters in this book, both past and future. Their foibles and struggles felt real, and touched my heart. Highly recommended.

4 Liberating Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
Years ago I read A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man by Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan. (also known as Unbound) One was an Historical writer, the other Contemporary. Together they blended their expertise into a captivating tale. The book worked from the premise of present day people discovering important new insights of a person from the past. The main characters from both worlds were involved in a romance of their times and by using the discovery, our present day couple learned more about themselves, as well.

I enjoyed it immensely and wondered when the follow up novel would be released.
Well, patience is a virtue and we all have waited long enough.... because Breathless is here and it takes us on another journey of love, sensuality and discovery.

Once again we are set up with two love stories...and they are connected by an obsession...a pull to the soul...The paintings of a woman known as The Siren. They were consider scandalous for their time...A woman looking directly at you, not in full corseted clothing... with some in a chemise, loose and as if the wind was caressing her skin...And others nude...open and unashamed...

This series of 7 paintings done with only a signature The Artist, was known throughout the world as an enigma. Who was this woman, so beautiful and sensual... who was this man who she gazed at with warmth and openness... These painting told a story which no one knew but everyone wanted...

Art Professor Brenna Anderson was one those who was captivated with The Siren. She did all of her major academic work about her. She was a tenured professor at Harvard and lectured on Erotic Art. Past times had been good to her at Harvard; she had made strong connections with powerful people in the art community. However, recent times had changed and with a swing to more conservative donors and their now grown children attending her classes, she had come under pressure to restrict her subject matter.

She was lamenting her situation with an art collector and dear friend when she notices a painting she hadn't seen in the house before....As she examines the frame and stretched canvas, she recognizes something familiar...and it leads her to an amazing discovery...

Something which will give her an opportunity to finally connect with the man who has in his possession all of The Siren's work. He is obscenely wealthy and refuses to show the 7 paintings to any one. Now with this hidden knowledge and treasure, Brenna just might be able to finally see these paintings in person.

Fitch Wilder has not only seen all of The Siren's paintings in person...He was the Art Hunter who found most of them for the collector. It has been his passion finding lost art and arranging those who want it for their very own. He has worked with museums and private collectors forever...at least it seems that way...as his father was the one who started him on this path. His father at first was on the wrong side of the law but then turned things around and only worked to verify and authenticate works of art. Fitch took up the cause early and after his father's passing, he has continued to do it.

Fitch has loved the hunt... the excitement of the find and although he does not have any degree in art like Brenna, he knows exactly everything there is to know about art...He is rough around the edges... direct and a little reckless but well respected.

It is while he is working with a small museum in Paris, Fitch makes the discovery of a lifetime. In an apartment sealed since World War II, Fitch finds another painting done by The Artist...and it is there where this dual love story begins...

We are give two amazing stories which are wrapped around each other...Brenna and Fitch have past bad blood over interviews and credit regarding The Siren...and due to what each of them have learned independently...Brenna decides grudgingly to work with Fitch to find what both of them are looking for...in Catalonia, Spain.

While we are on Fitch's and Brenna's journey and their falling for each other...We are given the most captivating and detailed story of who The Siren is...and how she arrived in Catalonia. We are given her history of her life from the very beginning, her rise in England and becoming the Swan...

We also are there, seeing, watching and understanding the relationship she has with The Artist...
This part of the story is so sensual, so caring and loving...It is something very special...

I enjoyed this and both stories intertwined well. Fitch started out as a bit of a cad but Brenna was also uptight. Once each let their guard down...it was only a matter of time for them both to see how well they fit.

If you are looking for a little something different then your norm, whether you are a Historical or Contemporary reader...I suggest you give this a go. There is enough for both genres and the added benefit of art and world history done by two accomplished authors.


A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man by Celeste Bradley A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


A gifted copy was provided by St. Martin's Griffin via NetGalley for an honest review.

I´m so lucky, lately all my requests at Netgalley have been accepted, which means I get to read my favorite writers for free. Can get it better than that? Yes, it can, and it does. Because, even if it is one of your favorite authors, it does not means you like the book. But, I´m that lucky, not only I get to read them for free, I also enjoyed them. And Breathless, its no different. I like it very much.

Not only was well written, its plot didn´t have holes. Even with several small intertwined stories, it was never confusing.

The Swan and her Artiste certainly deserved more time together, but the time that they did have together was beautifullly enjoyed.

Brenna and Fitch were perfect together, and their search made them found not only the Swan´s real history, but theirselves. as individuals and as a couple. Whatelse could they ask for?

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Eu tenho tido muita sorte, ultimamente todos os meus pedidos na Netgalley foram aceitos, o que significa que eu posso ler meus escritores favoritos de graça. Pode ficar melhor que isso? Sim, pode e fica. Porque, mesmo que seja um dos seus autores favoritos, isso não significa que você gosta do livro. Mas, eu estou com muita sorte, não só eu posso lê-los de graça, eu também gostei dos livros. E Breathless, não é diferente. Eu gostei muito, amei.



Não só foi bem escrito, como também seu enredo não tinha buracos. Mesmo com várias pequenas histórias entrelaçadas, nunca ficou confuso.



O Cisne e seu Artista certamente mereciam mais tempo juntos, mas o tempo que eles tiveram foi maravilhosamente apreciado.



Brenna e Fitch são perfeitos, e sua busca os fez encontrar não apenas a história real do Cisne, mas também a si mesmos. como indivíduos e como casal. O que mais eles poderiam pedir?

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to read in exchange for a fair review. Breathless is the second book Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan have written together. The first book Unbound is referred to several times in this book and while each can be read as a stand alone I think they work well together and both are very enjoyable reads. There are two love stories in this book one taking place towards the end of the Georgian period in England and Catalonia and one in the present day. The book opens with a story that has fascinated me in real life, a Paris apartment abandoned during World War 2 is opened for the first time and it is a bit like Aladdin’s cave full of treasures. The mystery surrounding one of the paintings found in the apartment has Art Hunter Fitch Wilder and Art Professor Brenna Anderson bumping heads as they both attempt to solve the mystery of the painting. The story in the past is that of the subject of the painting and its artist. Both stories are engaging with well written characters. I very much enjoyed reading this book and do recommend both this one and Unbound. Mildly steamy, Publishing Date June 12, 2018, #Breathless #NetGalley

A sexy, dual time period romance inspired story, filled with historic details and drama.

<b> 3.5 stars rounded up being nice. </b> Usually I would keep a 4-star read on my shelf for a re-read, this one I enjoyed but would not read again.
A Harvard art professor and an art hunter (I think the author tried for an Indiana Jones type?) reluctantly team up to find out about the artist and his muse for a series of sensual nude paintings from the 17th century. Their research leads them from London to Catalonia, Spain. While these two sort out their differences, the reader learns about the story of the artist and his love in early 1800.
We are treated to two love stories in one book, so there is not much time for the story(s) to get boring while we are participating in an interesting treasure hunt and the life of a prison born child in 1800 London.
I found the book well written yet didn’t get emotional involved in the love stories, even though there was chemistry between the protagonists. I am not sure what was missing in the writing style to keep me fairly unattached. Still enjoyed the story, though.

Narrative: 3rd person POV mostly female protagonist in the present
1st person POV female protagonist in the past
Sexual content: couple of scenes fairly descriptive
Swear language: very unnecessary regular use of the f-word, by a Harvard professor and a Billionaire businessman, no less.
location: historical and contemporary London and Catalonia

Breathless. They did it again! This book is captivating, sensual, tragic and leave you breathless for the next page. These two woman should do more collaboration. I really enjoyed unbound and this is a good addition to this series. I hope hat we see more books like this in the near future. I can’t wait to see what come next.