I really enjoy the Morgan Dane books, but be warned; this is not the place to jump into the series. Start at the beginning and read through, because by the time you get to this book, the sixth in the series, the principal characters will start to feel like friends and you’ll be much more invested in the story here when Lincoln Sharpe’s girlfriend Olivia is kidnapped at the very beginning of the book.

Morgan and her two partners in their PI business, Lincoln and Morgan’s partner Lance, spend most of the book chasing red herrings trying to find Olivia. Persistence and good old-fashioned detective work eventually pay off, however, and there’s a dramatic confrontation to rescue Olivia and save her life. I have to say the reason she was kidnapped was totally a new one on me and, as a writer myself, made me laugh, but it’s true that publishing can be as cutthroat a business as any other and with a big contract at stake, the motive was certainly established.

Long-term readers of the series who are invested in Morgan and Lance as a couple will find the ending of this one very satisfying. I’m not sure if it’s the case, but this does read rather as though the series is ending here, and if it does I’d say it’s a pretty good spot to close it out. I very much enjoyed the read, and the series overall. I give it five stars, but with the proviso that this isn’t a standalone and I don’t think you’ll enjoy it all that much if you haven’t read the rest of the series.

Wow. Just wow. Olivia is kidnapped and Sharp is at his wits end. The woman he has spent the last few months dating, yet keeping at arms length, is gone. Morgan and Lance take a step back in this latest novel as Olivia and Sharp take on a bigger role. And you have mist definitely not seen Sharp like this before. As the team desperately searches for even a hint of a motive, a suspect, a far fetched theory, Olivia faces the nightmare of being held against her will, scared to death and desperately clinging to the hope that Lincoln will find her. He comforts her in the cold dark room she is in, helping her stay strong. Lance and Morgan's wedding creeps closer with every day, they find themselves with the possibility of having to prospone it. The friends they love and cherish are in pain, one is very sick and another is missing, more than likely not to be found alive. Their strength and determination though will see them through even this and you will hopefully love it as much as I have. I'm not even completely sure if this is the end, though I am pleased to say that if it is I am satisfied with this final chapter. Hopefully it's not! Well done to the Author, action pact, emotional and satisfying in every way.

I probably shouldn’t let this surprise me so far into this series, but it still blows my mind how enthralled I get when I read these books. As a reader, I’m so vested in the characters, the case, and the suspension that is teased out just right that I barely notice the pages flying past, time going by, or real life around me. I was so jazzed when I saw this was going to focus on Lincoln and Olivia, but wow, it really floored me how the author brought out their story in much the same sort of trial by fire romance that she put Morgan and Lance through.
Review

Save Your Breath is the sixth in the sensational Morgan Dane romantic suspense series. The mysteries tend to be standalone, but the surrounding story and characters is ongoing and works best read in order. In addition, the Morgan Dane series is a follow up to the Scarlett Falls trilogy.

Morgan and Lance think they’ll be up to their eyeballs in Halloween with the girls and wedding preparations. Never in their worst nightmare would they think they would be working against the clock along side a distraught Lincoln Sharp to solve the kidnapping of Olivia Cruz, Sharp’s girlfriend and a brilliant investigative journalist/true crime author. They hunt high and low through her life and her research notes to find the one thread that when tugged will lead them to Olivia. Meanwhile, they know the odds on a retrieving a live kidnapped victim after time passes. With the assistance of Morgan’s sister Stella, grandpa, and Lance’s mother, they won’t give up.

As I said, I love how the author takes me completely into her book when I’m reading these. My emotions are engaged with her characters and the situations. The case is dark and a little gritty. The early evidence wasn’t much and then they had a white board full of motives and suspects. Poor Sharp got put through the wringer and Lance and Morgan had to be his pillars through it all. I liked that the author really did her homework on the justice system, legalities, police procedures, kidnapping crime, and even a bit on domestic abuse and militia.

Oddly, I went right for the right suspect from the moment they were introduced. I had no reason to, but I kept holding to that person no matter what came up later nor could I say why they were the culprit. But, there was more to it, of course, and I appreciated getting the big end scene and reveal.

And, yes fans of Morgan and Lance, we got a few tender scenes. One with Lance and the girls totally made me swoon big.

Now, I am left with a sad face because I must wait for my next Morgan Dane series fix. I can’t recommend this series enough in print or audio.

My thanks to Montlake Romance via Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This must have been the best book in the series. It was really devastating to how Sharp suffered. He deserves so much more after always helping others. And there wasn’t really anything to go on after ....... went missing. Nobody could help with insides or point the investigation in the right direction. I’m not sure I wouldn’t have given up in ..... place. And I definitely didn’t see the real mastermind behind the scenes. Everybody should read this series!

Great to catch up with the characters in this series. Another fast paced,exciting story which gives us an insight into one of the main characters.
Twists and turns along the way.

Save Your Breath is book 6 in the Morgan Dane series by Melinda Leigh. All of the books can be read as standalone books, but you guys know I love a good romantic suspense series, so I’m going to tell you it’s worth it to read them all and read them all in order. If you have Kindle Unlimited, there’s really no reason NOT to read this series. Or this author’s other books.
In Save Your Breath, Morgan and Lance are working hard to find Lincoln Sharp’s girlfriend, Olivia Cruz. She’s disappeared in a mysterious manner with very few clues for the gang to follow. Can they find her before it’s too late?
The thing I loved most about this book is Lincoln and Olivia. I’m well beyond the age to be considered a new adult, so the fact that these characters are finding love at a more mature age really appealed to me. Their hesitancy in labeling their relationship and taking it into more serious territory is definitely understandable as both characters have been shaped and burned by past life experiences. Sometimes it takes a pretty big life event to remind us that the future isn’t guaranteed for any of us and that we should always make every moment count.
NICUnurse’s Rating: I’m a pretty big fan of Melinda Leigh’s books. In my opinion, she writes pretty great, and some pretty twisted, romantic suspense books. She leaves just enough breadcrumbs scattered around that the reader isn’t quite sure how to make them all connect until the very end without throwing in too many extraneous details. And if a book keeps me up reading when I really should be sleeping because I just HAVE to know how it ends…well, that’s a great story! As you guessed, this one did just that. Her characters are also varied and multifaceted in this series, yet they all are able to come together as a family, even though some of them are not related by blood. I give Save Your Breath by Melinda Leigh 4.5 out of 5 stars!

I'm a sucker for a Morgan Dane book, and "Save Your Breath" didn't disappoint.

My favorite aspect of this installment of the series was seeing how Sharp's personal crisis affected his usually calm, poised, professional, cautious demeanor. When Sharp is drinking COFFEE and getting less than 8 hours of sleep, you KNOW it's hit the fan. He's violating laws and urging Stella to violate search and seizure laws herself. With his girlfriend missing, he's a complete wreck.

As I usually comment with these books, Morgan is the luckiest lawyer in the world. She doesn't perform any actual legal work, isn't even getting paid on this case, yet she supports 3 children, 1 nanny, and a grandfather, all while working side-by-side with her hunky fiance. Sign me up for that job! As a lawyer, I've never only handled just one case, and I've barely been able to pay my rent or mortgage most months. Go, Morgan! You keep living in that dream world! I love living vicariously through Ms. Dane.

I liked the case a lot. A missing true crime writer, few clues, multiple suspects. This was one of my favorite Morgan Dane cases so far.

I would have liked more family life in this book. Seeing how Lance now has to navigate raising 3 daughters from another man is compelling, and this book could have used more of that.

Overall, this was a solid Morgan Dane book.

Again, another excellent story following the lives of Morgan and Lance and their extended family.
I really enjoy these books and feel like I am sitting down with a book that I know will deliver every time.

Thanks to NetGalley, Melinda Leigh and Montlake Romance for the opportunity to read and review this series of books.

Yes! Yes, yes, yes! I am completely obsessed with this series.

I loved everything about this book! I loved the development of the relationships between all of the characters. I loved the mystery and the suspense.

Morgan, Lance, and Lincoln have to race against time to find true crime writer, and Lincoln's girlfriend, Olivia. When they are looking through her research, they find connections to two murder cases. While doing research into both cases themselves, they hope to find what happened to Olivia.

I love how much Melinda Leigh puts into each of her books. I care about all of the characters and feel a connection to everyone. Everything is so well thought out. Each book builds on the one before it. I love the that the relationships continue to grow. I have been blasting my way through all of Ms. Leigh's books for the past couple months after picking up the first in the series and cannot wait to see what comes next!

Olivia Cruz is a journalist who recently finished a true crime novel about killers and kidnapping. Her research is put to the test when a man kidnaps her from her home using her own car.
Keeping the detective work between family and friends this wasn’t the typical work of detectives. This was one of their own and that meant it was a priority.
Being held captive puts life into perspective for Olivia. With the uncertainties of her situation lingering in her mind, Olivia analyzes her time with Lincoln and her work as a journalist.

Overall:
I liked the familiarity of these characters after having read the prior books. These established characters made it easy to focus on the new characters. Even if a reader jumps into a book without reading the prior books Ms. Leigh transitions these characters by describing who they are in just a few short sentences.
I liked that Olivia had a voice, so the reader was aware of her situation while Sharp and his team conducted an investigation of her whereabouts.
While it’s unknown why Olivia was taken it’s clear that she was taken. Basically, detective work is done a little differently in this case. Trying to determine a reason is the focus which will lead them to the suspect. I liked this new angle of detective work.
My only grievance was the amount of time spent on the kids. I get these detectives have a personal life, but I rather focus on the investigative search and not the personal lives of prior characters.
I liked that with minimal clues this group of investigators could find a needle in the haystack. They were good at combing a scene. They would stop at nothing until they found Olivia. No stone was left unturned by the dedicated efforts of these investigators.

Save Your Breath is another edge of your seat, thrill ride by Melinda Leigh. It never ceases to amaze me how every story in this series continues to keep getting better and better. The author not only cranks out hit after hit but also seems to take each story to the next level!

This story is Book 6 in the Morgan Dane series and while I'm sure it stands perfectly fine on its own, these stories are all amazing and the entire back story continues to grow and develop so I do recommend reading them all.

In this installment, the focus is on Olivia's disappearance. Olivia and Sharp have developed a relationship in the past stories and the team races to save her before it's too late. This was an exciting addition that kept me riveted throughout!

Olivia has been kidnapped and Sharp is going crazy!

Lincoln Sharp never realised just how much he cared for Olivia until he was faced with the possibility that he would never get to see her again. There are not many clues as to what happened to her. All they found was a piece of rubber, a bloody print on a door jamb with a broken nail with pink nail polish, and her earrings on the garage floor. With so little to go by, Lance and Morgan are committed to helping Sharp find his woman.

It is a true journey of dedication and investigative prowess that drives our characters to discovering what happened to Olivia. Never a dull moment! Remember... we are only two weeks away from Lance and Morgan's wedding. With wedding details still waiting to be handled and three adorable girls to corral, Morgan and Lance are hopping back and forth between the chase for Olivia and handling their lives.

I am voluntarily reviewing this book. Thanks to the publisher for sharing a copy with me.

Save Your Breath is the sixth book in Melinda Leigh’s Morgan Dane series with each book solving a crime. I started the first book and felt the relationship angle between Morgan and Lance seemed undeveloped however Ms. Leigh does excel in crime procedurals and suspense filled plots with heaps of twist and turns. In Save Your Breath everything clicked, the romantic relationship between Morgan and Lance have progressed and seems more fitting now and the secondary characters have also become fully fleshed out. The suspense action angle is still great and the plot still difficult to solve until the end. I highly enjoyed this one and looking forward to more.

I love this book! I love this series! I am so terribly sad that this is the final book in the series!

SAVE YOUR BREATH (Morgan Dane Book 6) by Melinda Leigh is a romantic suspense/PI mystery and this time the focus is on Lincoln Sharp and Olivia Cruz, but the danger still has a way of finding Lance and Morgan.

True-crime writer Olivia Cruz has disappeared. Lincoln and Olivia have been dating for a few months now and he knows the type of criminals she interviews and fears the worst. She attempts to leave a few clues, but she is taped, tied and then drugged. Sharp gets Lance and Morgan to assist in going through her files of her current book looking for clues.

They find Olivia was writing about two cold case murders. The mother of one of the convicted men committed suicide right outside Morgan’s office after Morgan turned her down as a client the same day they find Olivia missing.

The suspects increase as the suspense builds and it is a race against the clock. Will Sharp find Olivia and will she be alive? And has Morgan and Lance’s involvement in the case made them targets of the killer?

I love all the characters in this book and series. I always look forward to each book knowing I can pick it up, reconnect with Morgan, Lance and all the secondary characters and immediately be immersed in a mystery that pulls me into the story and their lives once again. Ms. Leigh knows how to keep you on the edge-of-your-seat and turning the pages. I am very sorry this series is ending, but I know I will be going back to reread them again.

I highly recommend this book and the entire series! All the books have memorable characters and well plotted mysteries. I do recommend they be read in order to follow all the personal connections and changes.

What I love about the Morgan Dane Series is that just as with your favorite television series, there is a long standing story developing in the background. In this series it is Morgan's life as a single mother of three and lawyer who helps a PI Lance Krueger (love interest) solve mysteries/crimes. Then each story within the series is a different mystery, like each episode of a TV series. This book does not disappoint! This can be read as a standalone however, it's enhanced by having read all of the stories sequentially.

Save Your Breath is about the disappearance of Olivia a reporter and crime writer who may have caught someone's attention while digging for information on old crimes. Olivia, who has been dating Lincoln Sharp a private investigator, goes missing. Now it is up to Lance, Sharp and Morgan to find out where Olivia is. Will they get to her before it's too late?

Melinda Leigh does not disappoint with this book!

I received an advanced reader copy of this book by Montlake Publishing. I voluntarily submit an honest reader review.

Morgan Dane and Lance Kruger have a terrific working relationship. In this outing of a long running series (I've only read one but was fine with this as a semi-standalone), they're trying to find Olivia, who may have been kidnapped from her home. Olivia's boyfriend Lincoln is Lance's boss and he's certain that there's more to the story. Olivia's a writer who has been working on a book about several cold cases; has she stirred up a hornet's nest? Finding Olivia and the villain makes for twisty and well done thriller. One of the nicest things, though, are the characters- especially Morgan's daughters, her grandfather, and others. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a fun fast read.

Great Read!
Melinda has done it again. I loved this series #Save Your Breath this 6th book in the Morgan Dane series. Morgan is a Lawyer and a PI with 3 girls . In this book Sharper Investigation Olivia Cruz kidnapping. A investigative reporter in search of her next book.

Reading a book about a strong, educated, working mother will always draw me into a story. Morgan
and her fiance Lance help Sharper find his friend/love.. Melinda brings it all to this series romance, friendship, and suspense.
Happy to say Melinda Leigh is one of my favorite author. Great job!!

This is A MUST READ! I recommend this book please read in sequence order.

Robin

Save Your Breath is the sixth and final book in Melinda Leigh’s series of suspense novels featuring defence attorney Morgan Dane, who – together with her three young daughters - moved back to her home town of Scarlet Falls following the death of her husband on active service.  Over the course of the series, Morgan has found love again with Lance Kruger, her former high-school sweetheart, and the couple are planning their wedding, which is due to take place in just a few weeks’ time.

Lance was a police officer and now works as a PI for the firm run by his former colleague and mentor, Lincoln Sharp; Morgan works from an office in the same building and the three are very close and have successfully worked a number of cases together.  Their latest case, however, is one that hits very close to home for Sharp when the woman he’s been dating for the past six months or so, investigative reporter Olivia Cruz, goes missing after having arranged to meet with the three of them the next day to discuss something she’s been working on.

With no other clues or information to go on, Sharp, Lance and Morgan start digging to see if they can tie Olivia’s disappearance to any of her current research projects.  They learn that she’s late with a book proposal to her editor, and find a couple of avenues of investigations to pursue, both of which appear to be related to cases of possibly wrongful conviction and imprisonment – and one of them is coincidentally connected to a meeting Morgan took just that morning.  But of course nothing is ever simple, and the plot takes several unexpected and cleverly executed twists and turns before all is revealed.

Save Your Breath is a suspenseful and enjoyable read in which the author steadily builds the tension as Sharp, Lance and Morgan race against time to find Olivia, while never losing sight of the fact that these are people with complicated lives and complex emotions.  Sharp has always been something of a steading presence in the other novels in the series – even a bit of a control freak; calm and unflappable, he’s a solid, dependable presence, but here, it’s almost painful to witness him as he starts to unravel.  At fifty-three, he’s been single for some time, and as both he and Olivia have been  burned by past romantic relationships, they’ve been content to take things slowly.  But as Sharpe struggles to keep it together and remain positive about finding her, he realises he can’t imagine life without her.

As always, one of the most enjoyable elements of these books is provided by the characters and the relationships between them.  Morgan and Lance are a solid couple who love and support each other unconditionally, and I applaud the author for showing that parenting three children aged seven and under is no picnic and how both of them put their family first.  (The scene where Lance takes the girls shopping for Halloween costumes is cuteness overload!)

I did have a few small problems with the novel overall. I was pleased when I learned it would focus on a story for Sharp and Olivia, who have been striking sparks off each other since Olivia first appeared in an earlier book in the series - so I was a bit disappointed to discover that they’ve been dating for several months by the time this story takes place.  I’d hoped for a little more romantic development, maybe them working alongside each other for a while before the kidnap occurred – and I have to say that the final reveal as to who was behind it and why had me scratching my head a little.  Not because it didn’t make sense, but because it was a bit of an anti-climax after everything Olivia had gone through.

Those niggles apart, Save Your Breath is a fast-paced page-turner featuring a clever mystery and a group of engaging, multi-faceted characters I’ve grown fond of.  It’s a fitting finale to what’s been a solidly entertaining series and fans are bound to enjoy it.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is another fabulous white-knuckle adventure from Melinda Leigh. At book six in the series, supermom Morgan and her colleagues are starting to feel as familiar as family. So, it’s a huge shock when Morgan’s friend, Lincoln’s girlfriend Olivia goes missing at the start of the story. With two weeks to go before their wedding, Morgan and Lance find themselves racing against time to find Olivia before it’s too late.

As always, I love the uneasy balance between Morgan’s personal life and her professional responsibilities. Morgan is a mum with young kids but she’s also a lawyer working with a firm of private investigators. Trying to balance it all is impossible and the compromises and guilt make Morgan feel wonderfully human and relatable. Olivia’s disappearance is both personal and professional for Morgan and there is a desperate feel to this book that makes it even more exciting than others in the series.

However. I don’t think this book has the most coherent plot in the series. I felt like too much of the story was spent with characters running round in circles. I feel like the whodunnit is too obvious – but there’s also too much time spent on potential suspects who don’t actually have anything to do with the kidnapping. It’s an odd mix of complaints and I’m surprised I’m complaining because the plotting in this series has been fantastic until now. I’m hoping things get better again with the next book because this is quickly becoming a favourite series and Morgan is already a favourite leading lady.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars
M/F Thriller

This is another great read by Leigh. This time we are searching for Sharp's girlfriend, Olivia. She has figured out that there might be a connection between a couple of different cold case murders. There are implications that someone might have been wrongly imprisoned and implications that someone doesn't want those cases to come to light for fear of being caught.

This is a tale that has so many moving parts. At times, it was somewhat confusing and redundant. I liked how we still were able to see into the main characters' lives – the wedding planning and the family (kids, nanny, and grandfather) were still a major part of the story.

In the search for Olivia, you catch glimpses of a different side of Sharp. It was a side that we normally don't see. He is normally so calm and collected, but with this side, he was frazzled at times.

Overall, this was still a fast-paced story, but the story seemed a little less focused than the previous ones. But I wouldn't be sad if we got to see them continue to solve crimes.

Possible Triggers: Kidnapping, suicide

Save Your Breath is an intense and incredible conclusion to this series. The fast pace and great writing keep you engrossed in the story and the mystery plot is so filled with suspense and tension that it’s impossible to put the book down. The characters and romance continue to be lovely, and everyone finally gets the happy ending they deserve.

Melinda Leigh is back with another great mystery novel! The charm and tension from the first few installments are back and stronger than ever. The main case is also really intriguing and close to the characters, as the victim is someone known to them all, which only adds to the fear and desperation everyone feels. A wonderful read!

This was so good! I had a few issues with the previous book, but this one brings back everything I’ve enjoyed about the series! The mystery is well done and executed and I love how personal it is to Morgan, Lance, and Sharp. You can really feel the urgency of needing to solve the case and how it affects all of the characters.

The mystery arc resolution and twist are a tiny bit rushed, though, but really shocking. The reveal comes totally out of the blue, but it works with the story Leigh builds throughout the previous chapters. It’s also very very tense for a little while, until it all works out for the main characters.

The romance continues to be super sweet and well developed, although it’s not really the main focus. We do get the long awaited happy ending for Morgan and Lance, though, and the scene plays out beautifully. It’s the perfect ending for them, after everything they’ve both been through, and it ties up the series in a lovely way.

In the end, Save Your Breath is an amazing ending to an intriguing, compelling, and awesome series. The final mystery is engrossing, the narrative flows smoothly and the multiple POVs are very distinct from each other, and the happy ending is a delight. Definitely recommend this entire series to Romantic Suspense fans!