<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47175190-breathe" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Breathe" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563868286l/47175190._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47175190-breathe">Breathe</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4826521.Cari_Hunter">Cari Hunter</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2973091559">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I read through the night, hooked by the main characters Rosie (police officer) and Jemina/Jem (paramedic). Their chemistry was believable and the plot had just the right doses of humour, angst, drama and romance. The health issue of chronic asthma nicely handled without detracting/overpowering the storyline. I loved the Brit colloquialisms. Another hit from Ms. Hunter - heavier on the romantic side. Easily recommend with 4 stars.<br /><br />I rec'd an ARC from NetGalley/Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
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Jem Pardon is a paramedic sent out to a bridge where a bachelor party prank turned ugly, leaves a groom dangling over a severe drop. Police Officer Rosie Jones is the first to assist and one crazy rescue scheme later, Jem is both charmed and in awe of Rosie’s lively, unabashed nature. Rosie is all smiles herself from the meet and they become good friends who occasionally find themselves assigned to the same emergencies. A murder mystery, torrential floods, and arson are all mixed in with plenty of humor and a bit of romance that build into a lively and compelling story.

What I love the most about Breathe is that the main characters are imperfect but continuously strive to be decent human beings which means that they resemble most of us. The author makes it so easy to identify with the mc’s that I feel like I inhabit every space the characters experience, whether it’s the chaotic hospital wards, the creepy old mill, or the pitch dark woods. While I’m reading passages, I’m soaking wet and shivering right along with Jem and Rosie while they fight to bring back life to one of the victims or I’m struggling with Jem while she wheezes and gasps for air during an asthmatic exacerbation. I can empathize with their fears and insecurities because they’re so intimately drawn by the author. As far as action, Cari Hunter generates non stop suspense with a sneaky ferocity that will keep you on edge. Before you know it, you’re all in and it’s way past your bedtime.

Quick note on the Britishisms that some readers are commenting on, fairly easy to decipher from context and fun if you’re into learning new words and meanings.

Jem is a paramedic who seems to have a curse or hex on her. Easy calls go south and hard calls go souther. She also has a hellish case of asthma as well.

She meets Rosie when the two of them have to Macgyver a harness for a guy just hanging out (And sorta soused). Rosie is a patrol policewoman and after these two women meet once, they keep meeting and then start meeting on purpose. They also get into some big troubles too. Through all this they get closer of course.

I liked the mystery in this novel. I also liked the relationship between Jem and Rosie, as well as the interesting relationships Jem and her family and Rosie and her family.

The one part that really tripped me up was the accents and the words being used. This isn't my first British novel, or first Cari Hunter novel for that matter, but, for a lot of the start of the novel especially I just knew barely any of the words. They were English, just, not the English that I happen to speak, heh. It took me a little bit out of the story for quite awhile.

Still, as I said, it was a fun story, and even though I didn't always get the subtleties, the characters quite unique and delightful to read about. (Also delightfully normal too).

I received this book via Netgalley thanks to Bold Strokes Books.

This might end up being more of a review of Cari Hunter's writing in general than a review of this book in particular, but that's because it confirmed her as my favorite lesbian fiction writer at the moment. Or rather, lesbian mystery (which is the best sub-genre of lesbian fiction ever). The conclusion I've come to upon finishing this, though, is the following: she's absolutely great at balancing the mystery with the romance.

In <i>Breathe</i>, Hunter brings back some key aspects of her popular trilogy, <i>The Dark Peak series</i>. We've got a health professional and a police officer, one of them with a weird name, one who likes living near the mountains right outside Manchester; they end up involved in a case together, and they talk a lot about food. That's where it ends, because Jem and Rosie are brand new characters, and wonderful ones at that.

Jem is a paramedic with chronic asthma and shit luck. These are two very definitive traits of her character, in that they are very present in the story, and this is something that worried me after reading the synopsis — sometimes authors decide a character has a chronic illness or is unlucky or clumsy and that's their full personality, their story centers around The Chosen Trait and it's generally terrible. I don't read books for plot but for characters, so one-dimensional characters will make me drop a book and move onto the next one without a second thought. Cari Hunter shall not do that to me, though: Jem felt <i>genuine</i> and real. She was brave, she was insecure, she was caring and sweet, she showed vulnerability as well as her strengths, and I felt for her. Her being chronically ill and feeling that she had terrible luck brought layers to her character without being all that she was.

Jem meets Rosie a few paragraphs into the book, and thank fuck for that — it bores me when authors give me a short bio of the protagonists before ever giving me a single reason why I should care. Also, why do English-speaking authors seem to love starting books exactly with the first and last name of a protagonist as they do something shocking? Anyway, I digress. My point is, it's a breath of fresh air to meet Jem and Rosie as they rescue a perfect idiot dangling off the side of a bridge. A regular day in the life of a Manchester paramedic and police officer. From there, we can start to get to know them, as they get to know each other too.

First impressions made me think Rosie was a cool lesbian type, I don't know why; probably the way she talked and moved around during the whole bridge episode. I thought she'd be all emotionally closed off and intimidating. Oh how glad I was to be wrong! She has <i>such</i> a huge heart and she's just the sweetest, so caring and absolutely hilarious.

This reminds me Cari Hunter is also brilliant at keeping a light-hearted tone while navigating a pretty heavy plot. Having tackled horrifying sexual trafficking and assault cases in past novels, this time around the author starts off the main case with an ugly murder that leads them to a much deeper hole to which several runaway teens have been dragged. The characters and situations, however, are very often funny and heartwarming, as the book is not at all intended to make you feel anxious or burdened by the weight of knowing there's so much evil out there. It is very much a story of finding happiness and comfort while dealing with all the shit life brings.

Some would argue that the mystery is the main plot while the romance happens in the background, and I beg to disagree. This is very much a character-driven story in my opinion. It delves into what makes Jem and Rosie who they are way more than it details the crime and its investigation. The case isn't what kept me awake until I finished the book; wanting to find out what would happen to them did that. We're shown a lot of Jem's work as a paramedic and how she feels about it, and it all works to build her character, and Rosie's character development is even less centered around her job as a police officer and the part she plays in the case. I'd dare say the mystery here is not much more than an excuse for this to <i>not</i> be just a romance story: having such a tense plot brings the extra potential for angst, and that's pretty much what it does in this book.

The romance in itself is a delicious slow burn, though not slow enough that it would be frustrating to keep waiting for <i>something</i> to happen. They take their sweet time getting to the actual romance, but the journey there is beautiful as they find themselves unexpectedly thinking of each other more often, and worrying and caring for the other as much as (or even more than) for themselves, and wanting to get to know each other better and spend more time together. Knowing Cari Hunter's writing mainly from The Dark Peak series where the protagonists are childhood best friends, it was nice to see how well she can also develop the love and intimacy between these two women from its first steps.

Last but not least, it wouldn't be me if I didn't gush about how much I love Hunter's writing in its most basic form: the way she uses words and slang and dialect to compose some of the best dialogue I've ever read is honestly mindblowing. Dialect and slang are key terms here because when her characters are English, they are <i>really</i> English. I've had to google terms so deeply local and characteristic of a certain demographic (e.g. Manchester cops — or <i>coppers</i>, I should say) that they wouldn't even show up on a first search attempt unless I added a more general term to help the algorithm find it in context. And I don't mind having to pause for these searches at all, as I love language and it's always a pleasure to add to my vocabulary of (so far) useless British slang and insults. My point, though, is that this is what makes the dialogue she writes so authentic. The characters always sound like real people would speak, and as someone who lives in Brazil, it is very realistic to me that real people who live in real places speak in ways that could baffle someone from the neighbor state. There are even simple prepositions that people in my city use differently than people from a city that sits no more than a <i>bridge</i> away from us (!). So I find her writing brilliant in that she doesn't give a fuck whether you'll readily understand what Rosie means by "More fool him". Google it and you'll get one of the best bits of dialogue in this book, and as a bonus, you've learned a new English expression.

This is a mess of a review that I have no idea how to finish up but the main thing is I loved this book so very much and I appreciate Cari Hunter's writing to no end and lesbian mystery is a gift.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic! Really, really good. I love this book. More medical drama than a whole series of Casualty (UK equivalent of Grey’s Anatomy for you in the US). Plus police action and a murder to solve too. I loved the Northern grittiness, the atmospheric descriptions of Manchester, the ambulance crew and the police patrols. The dialogue and banter were spot on and managed to be both funny and charming (US readers may need some pointers on the Mancu slang). To top it off there’s a romance thrown in; with one of the best names for a character, where the need for an inhaler was a stroke of genius. This might sound like too much for one book. It isn’t, because the story has perfect balance due to the excellence of the writing. Finally the front cover is stunning as well. Have I mentioned that I love this book?! Definitely more than five stars.

I really wanted to like this one more as this author always captures my interest. The plot started off so slow that, unfortunately I lost interest. The local English colloquialisms and dialect threw me for a loop and made it hard for this ignorant American to follow exactly what they meant. I’m sure if I were British I would fancy this story much more.

I really liked this book and would definitely recommend it. Member was a character that I loved because she was strong and didn’t know it about herself. I won’t give the book away but the suspense kept me turning the pages.

There is a lightness and humour that runs through this novel that seems different from the other Hunter novels I’ve read which, even though I enjoyed them, had an atmosphere of bleakness. Jem, a paramedic with chronic asthma, meets police officer Rosie while she desperately trying to save the life of a young man pulled from the river. There is a mutual attraction but there is so much going on in their respective jobs and a case that is just getting bigger that they’re not sure if it’s going to go anywhere.

Set to a backdrop of consistently wet weather, their light banter and quick humour lifts the story. Rosie is an instantly likeable character with a positive outlook and a determination to get things done. Jem is a little more complicated. She seems to pick up the worst of the callouts with a higher fatality rate but she carries on anyway.

I enjoyed the realism of the story. Jem is often alone in her rescue vehicle because of budget cuts and staff shortages. Emergency back up is as fast as availability allows which sees Jem trying to keep a victim alive for an hour before help arrives. The investigation that Jem and Rosie find themselves caught up in is filled with suspense and complexity.

Another great read by Hunter.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

I have some difficulties with British books they often use things i'm not familiar with "expression or some joke i don't get" but that's not always bad. I googled a lot. I liked the writing. the story was not always interesting to me. I found some parts funny but some were so boring. overall. it's good book.

I look forward to more by this author.

thank you for the free copy.

Wow, I really have mixed feelings about this book. There were parts that were terrific and parts that I was so bored I just skimmed. This was not a usual Cari Hunter novel. I am guessing that is what she was attempting...something different. I have read many of her novels and am a big fan. But this one, not so much.
The first half was very slow with too much description and color but not advancing the story. The second half moved along better including a mystery and action scenes that threaten the 2 main characters lives. Although I thought the last accident (don't want to spoil it) was a bit over the top. Both characters taking the situation a bit too lightly and cute.
I felt the epilogue wasn't necessary. I'm guessing it was intended to provide a segue for a sequel.
And adding the British slang to the dialog was not pleasant for me. I know it was adding color but I just found it distracting. I couldnt find the CC button that I always use when I watch British programs on tv.
I'm sure my review is in the minority. Most readers will probably find this story very entertaining.

Well this book was very British! Not necessarily a bad thing, but I did have a little trouble following along with the lingo as an American. I'm pretty sure that a lot of the names they were calling people would mean "jerk" or something similar, but I'm not positive...

Besides that, it was a interesting read. The two main characters were fun and a little odd - and I mean that as a compliment. I especially enjoyed Jem and her asthma. I still don't understand why all of her coworkers hated her, but I guess some people are just annoyed easily.

The romance itself had a nice flow, since I really felt like Rosie and Jem became friends first, then a little flirty, and then into "dating". I don't hate the instant attraction books, but it's nice to come across one that utilizes the friend zone for a few chapters.

I took a star off because I thought that the action part would have been more intriguing and developed. I partially became lost as to what certain events had to do with the others. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so that's intentionally vague.

Cari Hunter is one of the best thriller/ romantic suspense writers out there. She has such great ability to work in a really compelling mystery or thrilling plot around some absolutely amazing characters. Usually, her stories are fast paced with a slowish buildup at the beginning, but this one, she really takes her time to work through the characters, with the mystery peaking about here and there, until suddenly the characters are faced with something far more dangerous than they thought. I loved that Hunter is continuing with the quirky characters, in this case, an asthmatic, accident prone paramedic named Jemima (Jem for short), and eternally optimistic Rosie, a police detective. Each character has a lot of depth to them, and even though their backstories could make them super broody all the time, it only comes up in situations that calls for it. These women are competent at their jobs, but are also the perfect examples of the "fake it till you make it" motto.

Hunter carries on her tradition of writing great characters, heartfelt moments, and relevant thrillers. Her ability to write the medical stuff is great, as it feels real without being too technical. Great book overall, with only a knock on it for it's surprisingly slow pace. Oh, and Hunter has ratcheted up the British colloquialisms to about a 10 - which can be confusing at times, without many obvious context clues to help out, but it just makes it more interesting for me.

Jemima Pardon is a paramedic with chronic asthma and a reputation for bad luck. She is always attracting traumatic jobs and isn’t very successful in the girlfriend department. When she meets Police Officer Rosie Jones, Jem’s luck seems to change as Rosie is self-assured, funny and interested in Jem. But a suspicious death draws them into an investigation that soon starts to spiral out of control. Can they develop their relationship further and dodge trouble in the process?

Cari Hunter is one of the masters of the lesbian mystery/crime genre and has a distinctive style that never disappoints her fans. Normally her books are heavy on the criminal, violent side and aren’t apologetic to show humanity at its worst. However, ‘Breathe’ is lighter in the violence and crudeness department while keeping the authenticity of her characters and the critique of the society it describes. If you are new to Ms. Hunter’s books and you like mysteries on a lighter side, ‘Breathe’ could be a good novel to start with.

I like that Ms. Hunter’s books have a distinctive British feel and that the author does nothing to sanitise her writing of the northern English vocabulary and traditions to please a more international market. I’ve lived in London for seven years and, for the life of me, I still have to look up the meaning of more than a few words that fill Ms. Hunter’s books. To make our lives easier, Ms. Hunter has come up with a glossary of terms in her blog post 'Breathe Translation Guide'. https://carihunter.wordpress.com/2019/08/28/breathe-translation/ The divide between south and north of England is really tangible in her stories as are her descriptions of the landscape and the almost constant presence of the damp British weather. Altogether these aspects give her stories a unique and distinctive style.

Readers don’t need to worry about the authenticity of Ms. Hunter’s descriptions, specially in the medical field. As a paramedic herself, the author surely accrued a few experiences to fill more than one book and she describes them realistically and so photographically that the reader seems to be there next to the characters, the psychic distance barely there. Even though Jem’s scope of traumatic jobs seems a bit exaggerated for such a short period of time, the character and the scenes are so well portrayed that it’s easy for the reader to accept such a stroke of bad luck. The police procedural aspects of the story seem realistic as well and they move the mystery forward that slowly reveals itself with a few twists and turns.

Even though the criminal and violence aspects of this novel are on the lighter side, the social critique that is ubiquitous in Ms. Hunter’s work is present here too and makes the reader realise how dedicated are these first responders considering the tight budget restrictions and the great amount of pressure they work under. Without big announcements or heavy critiques, Ms. Hunter pushes the agenda of the UK National Health Service that is currently under threat and highlights the importance of their workers in helping the most vulnerable. The landscape of the most deprived areas of Manchester is the perfect setting to tell this tale.

Both main characters are well-written and multilayered, their chemistry slowly built in a way that, despite their differences, it’s obvious that they are made for each other. Both Jem and Rosie aren’t larger than life characters but fallible, almost anti-heroines that the reader can sympathise with and adore for their dorkiness. The rest of the cast, very diverse, doesn’t disappoint either, including the gloomy weather that is described accurately. For once, people around the world can sympathise with us poor sufferers of the somber British weather, instead of being shown an optimistic view like in so many other portrayals of the UK and Ireland. As any of the characters in this book would say, let’s have a brew (a cup of tea) and commiserate about it.

Overall, a very good light mystery with romance on the side, lovable leads, and a realistic setting. 5 stars.

ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com

Even without the love story, this would have been a compelling read. Love growing between Jem and Rosie was a cherry on the top of an interesting crime drama. The inclusion of the families of both the main characters showed just how embedded within their communities they were, along with their colleagues and friends. As a fellow Northerner, the odd dialect word creeping into their speech made the world that much more real. A fantastic read and I'll definitely be looking out for more Cari Hunter books in the future.

This is the first book of Cari Hunter's I've read and I love her. I love her writing, her characters, her storyline, the humor, the creativity. Cari! You're my new favorite LGBTQ Author!

Breathe is about a Jemima, a sort of ne'er do well with a huge heart of compassion and kindness. She's an absolute clutz but fantastically lovable. She meets Police Officer Rosie Jones and sparks fly, in many ways. Rosie is strong, opinionated, and funny as all get out. They run into each other upon crime scenes and friendship develops. The story is fun, intriguing and hard to put down. It takes place in Manchester England. My ONLY complaint with the book is that it ends needs a page of frequently used British to American translation. Having to stop and google a word is a pain in the patookas. Albeit, a learning experience.

I definitely recommend reading this sweet and fun lesbian romance published by Bold Strokes Books. Thanks to them and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for a fair review

I was given this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

A story of instant connection between two women.

Both are dedicated to public service and cross paths several times while working.

The plot moves quickly and describes two intelligent, caring women making their way in a small city.

The slang is very British and sometimes, I had to stop reading to find out what things meant - in a way that added to the fun, suspense of will they. Won't they.

I look forward to more by this author.

I absolutely LOVED this book. This book was action packed, whether a description of accidents needing the paramedics or the larger mystery underlying the entire storyline with it's dramatic resolution. The romance was secondary to the drama but very well done. There were so many laugh out loud moments, especially once I figured out much of the British slang. It really felt immersive. I am always excited when I hear that this author has released another book. This book is the epitome of why.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book turned out to be an unexpected treasure. The back cover blurb just doesn’t do justice to the way the story is written and narrated.

Jemima (Jem) Pardon is a paramedic in the rapid response arm of the services. She is selfless about her work but seems to attract the most complicated situations. So much so that most of her partners choose out because of high stress. On an assignment, she meets Rosie Jones, a police officer. The two women find a comfortable connection as they haul a bridegroom dangling mid-air in some bachelor party misadventure. They bump into each other again on another case. First texting and then meeting for a coffee, their relationship grows smoothly through tough cases.

The setting and the situations in the book are grim. But that is the environment that the two women work in. Jem and Rosie are both lovely, their relationship is precious and their conversations are so much fun. The book is as much relationship (not simply romance…it is a well developed relationship) as it is crime. The characterisations are excellent and the conflict, when it comes, is not forced.

Definitely recommended.

This is the first book that I've read by Cari Hunter so I wasn't sure what to expect. What started out as a romance between Jem and Rosie turned into a much deeper crime drama that was filled with excellent and witty dialogue. I will have to admit that I needed to look up a number of British slang words but that only enhanced the story in my opinion. This was definitely a slow burn romance but I enjoyed Jem and Rosie growing to know one another before jumping into bed.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

5+ Stars for Cari Hunter’s Breathe.

I may have found my favorite book of 2019, I do know this is now my favorite Cari Hunter book, surpassing Snowbound. Also a new favorite couple of Jem & Rosie – joining Lauren & Catherine, Sanne & Meg, Jill & Crash, Miranda & Andrea, and Regina & Emma.

Jemima (Jem) Pardon, a seemingly unlucky paramedic who tends always land the most difficult patients and/or difficult situations. They are the lucky ones, because Jem will give it her best and never give up to save a patient, whether in the driving rain or a breech baby delivery. This - in spite of her severe chronic asthma. Jem, who gets her exercise by walking her neighborhood’s small dogs, her male roommate is a six-foot three Scottish baker and a favorite snack is drinking tea through a Trix bar. (I gotta try this!)

Then there is Police Constable Rosie Jones. Rosie is funny, sarcastic, brash, auburn haired beauty, who like Jem always finds herself in the thick of things – though many times it’s her intention rather than by luck or accident.

They first meet on a bridge during high winds and rain, where they rescue a near naked groom dangling from the bridge. He was left there by his buddies as a prank. With no help arriving soon, they need to rescue him before he falls and not get killed themselves…
The second time they meet, Rosie finds Jem giving CPR to a teen boy in the rain and cold. She had been keeping him alive for at least an hour even though she knew it was probably for naught. By the way, there is a lot of rain and flooding in this story.

Rosie investigates the teen boy, Kyle’s suspicious death and begins a search for one of his friends, a fourteen-year-old girl, Talia. And so begins the mystery – who killed Kyle and why and where is Talia? And also, the friendship and romance between these two very different dedicated women heroes.

I must note there is a lot of British slang and terminology used. It seemed to be mostly food or candy and if not, I got the gist of what was meant. I didn’t mind, it added to authenticity but I know others might have a different opinion. I also knew some of the terminology from her previous books and blog. I thought, Wow this is what non-American readers probably go through. When I re-read, I might stop and look some of them up. Huh. This reminds me of the 2001 British movie, Gosford Park. It was the first time I needed subtitles for an English spoken movie. I wasn’t understanding some of the colloquialisms and accents in the film. Watching more British movies and TV series, I’m much better at it. But I still put on the subtitles.

I sure hope this isn’t the last time we read about these two. I know I will be re-reading this book again soon. While I was writing this review, I had to stop myself from starting it again now!