2 stars. Was slightly entertaining, but was a little dramatic and fairly shallow in all of its plot points.

First, this is supposed to have drama. I know that. But honestly, this is really melodramatic. I felt like there were a lot of plot points in this. Too many of them, in my opinion. It felt like the author wanted to dump as many points of interest into this to try and drive the plot and make the characters interesting, but it was actually detrimental to the overall plot because they didn't get the development they deserved. Also, at the beginning of the book, we learn that the FMC Haley has some issues with the MMC Ace, while simultaneously having resurfacing feelings toward him. The entire reason she doesn't "like" him at the start is because of a cheap miscommunication between them; she was snooping and listening to a conversation between Ace and her brother, Matt, and Ace says something that hurts her little teenage feelings (spoiler alert, it wasn't that important). It was beyond dramatic.

Second, with all of these plot points:

Mother is a senator
Father dead
Brother dead who had a dream to be a dentist
She is a musician
She is almost kidnapped and needs protection and she is ACTUALLY kidnapped and gets rescued immediately
College romance but almost nothing happens with college
Boy drama and feelings
Her friends trying to step in and say he "hurt" her
Literally hooking up 25% in and it being a mistake
Miscommunication
He was a foster kid whose parents hated him

The characters were still somehow super dull and underdeveloped. I felt like some of the feelings each of them felt were valid (her grief, his feeling of responsibility and depression, etc) and I could relate to some of this. I like the way this tackled grief. I just don't appreciate how immature and annoying these characters were overall. I also feel like the suspense of this SHOULD have been the main point and better developed. This was trying to be romantic suspense, but didn't hit the mark.

The narrators were great for this, and I felt they brought this to life. They really redeemed this for me.

In this second book in the Havencrest U series from Sarah Castille, Ace plays bodyguard to his best friend's sister Haley when she goes to college. There's some history between them, with Haley crushing on Ace in her younger life. The story is told in dual point-of-views and with a dual timeline so that the reader can understand what happened in their past.

As with the first book in this series, I found these characters to be a bit immature. Haley is naive and Ace is closed off, which doesn't make for a good pairing, but their past connection through Haley's brother keeps them tethered together.

I found Haley's circumstances a little difficult to believe as her mother is a political figure with someone after her, and therefore, Haley needs a bodyguard. There's an insta-attraction between Haley and Ace that takes a while to get sorted as they do the push-you-away / pull-you-back-in game. I've been disappointed in the lack of maturity of these characters in both books in this series, and I know that this author can do much better, so I hope if there are more installments, that the main characters would have some modicum of maturity.

Overall, the typical bodyguard story, complicated with second chance romance and forced proximity between Haley and Ace. I was rooting for them, but the story was a bit predictable, so that took the wind out of this reader's sails.

“Steal My Breath Away” gave me 2000’s romance movie vibes. The tension between our two MC’s was felt through the pages. Their story had a perfect mix of romance and suspense. The romance was a slow burn, yet it still had me swooning and melting because of the sweetness. The suspense had me swiping fast to the next page and eager to know what’s gonna happens next. And lastly, it was heartfelt to read on how Haley and Ace chose to move forward with their life, especially after the numerous struggles they endured. Their journey was well written and their story just foowed smoothly from start up until the end.

"Steal My Breath Away" by Sarah Castille is an angsty, deeply emotional, and heated romance that completely captivated me. The characters were so well-developed, and the story kept me on the edge of my seat. I found myself completely immersed in their world, experiencing all their joys and struggles. The author masterfully crafted a compelling narrative that left me wanting more.

I tried getting into this book but ended up DNF’ing. The writing style just wasn’t for me, and I had a hard time getting into the story. Nothing on the author whatsoever, I would still recommend it, just not for me! The one star is just because I DNF’d it!

Let me start off by saying you will be going back and forth between cheering them on and wanting to be like Paige and stick thumbtacks in their sheets.

Haley comes off as happy-go-lucky and energetic, but she is just one event away from falling apart. She has kept all of her pain locked away ever since she lost someone important to her....and tragedy struck multiple times.

Ace had the worst imaginable upbringing and feels unworthy. The man is so loyal, caring, and delightful but doesn't realize how amazing he is thanks to his god awful parents.

These two come together again after years apart when Haley is being targeted while singing....and Ace is hired to be her bodyguard.

This book is heavy to read, but has some really sweet and funny moments too. I have to say all of the side characters were entertaining and added to the story immensely one way or another.

Lines I liked:

My head was always full of noise. My brain jumped from idea to idea and even the smallest thing could distract me.

I like that you're quiet. You make all the noise go away.

Haley is the daughter of a senator and hates all of the rules and regulations of her life. When a kidnapping attempt happens on Haley, she is assigned a bodyguard to protect her. Haley's bodyguard ends up being someone she knows, Ace.

Ace is a former Air Force pilot and Haley's brother's best friend. Haley has always had a crush on Ace. One way to not show that Ace is a bodyguard, he poses as her boyfriend to make sure everything seems normal.
At first Haley sees him as another regulation, but as they spend more time together feelings begin to develop on both of their ends.

This is a fun bodyguard romance that has a little suspense in there as well.

Calling all bodyguard romance lovers!

Tropes:
🎵 Bodyguard
🎵 Childhood Friends to Enemies to Lovers
🎵 Brother’s Best Friend
🎵 College Romance
🎵 Second Chance
🎵 FMC in Danger

Haley is going through the motions, trying to get her college degree, but she really wants her music to be discovered. When she’s put in danger by her mom’s political career, her mom forces her to have a bodyguard. That bodyguard happens to be Ace, her brother’s best friend that they grew up with, and her childhood crush. They both have to work hard to not fall back into old feelings while they work to figure out who’s after Haley.

Haley and Ace’s story is so good. There’s a lot of healing journey for both of them, and I loved that they were able to help each other with their shared losses. The drama with Haley in danger was really interesting, and it was fun that Ace got involved with some of her roommates to investigate who was behind their issues. There were so many side characters I really enjoyed, too!

🌶️🌶️.5

This is a second chance, bodyguard romance, Haley and Ace's story. Haley is a musician who's also in college. Her mother is a high profile person and because of that Haley's life is threatened. She needs a bodyguard and that's where Ace comes in. He is her brother's friend, ex military man and Haley's longtime crush. He also has feelings for Haley that easily resurface. This is an angsty emotional story with a lot to unpack and seeing these two face their real feelings for each other was great. He also became her fake boyfriend on campus so he could be closer to her. I also liked the flashback scenes that give us a glimpse of their past connection. Overall a great story.

Haley and Ace’s journey both past and present is full of turmoil and passion. The way the dual narration and past mixes with present had me loving this book. Haley is finishing up her college years trying her best to live up to her family's expectations. The thrills in this book had me on my toes as Haley was part of a kidnapping attempt meant to threaten her mother's senatorial career. Enter Ace Murphy, Haley's fake boyfriend on campus, sent there to protect Haley. The chemistry between the two ignites and made for quite a book. Thanks to Hambright PR and Sarah Castille for the audiobook and ebook copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

If you are looking for a book where you feel ALL of the feels give this book a read…
Haley lived life on her terms….she kept a lot bottled up in her internal “black box”….sad, scared, overwhelmed….it all went in the box
Ace had a pretty rough start in life….all he wanted was to be accepted….his parents saw him as a meal ticket….fortunately life intervened & off to grandmas house he went…he made friends with Matt (Haley’s older brother) & they took him in as a surrogate child….the story takes off from there
Haley & Ace became close through the years but Ace stuck to the bro code….a couple of events in their lives caused distance between them…he always kept Haley close to his heart even with years & miles between them….
All it took was a serious death threat & the distance between them no longer mattered….Haley was in trouble & Ace was there to protect her…but with old feelings can he keep her safe??? & will Ace ever feel worthy of love & friendship???
Just be prepared…Haley’s friend Paige can drive you to drink but she means well….& the basement roommates are pretty awesome!!! I’d love to meet Chad & Theo in real life
If you want a book that tugs at all the emotions (yes at one point even I cried) give this book a read…I’m hoping there’s a second book….Id love to see what happens in more of their lives

🛡️ Bodyguard
👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼 College romance
🥂 Second chance
💙 Brother's best friend
🤐 Forbidden
🚪 Forced proximity
‼️ Woman in danger
🎖️ Military hero
❤️‍🔥 Enemies to lovers

this book had a lot of elements i loved! healing through grief being one of them and the fact the FMC did so through music was awesome. i loved the childhood friends who had always secretly loved each other trope as well, and the added suspense! it was both light hearted at times and  tense on other to allow for a blend that kept you wanting to read more.

loved this romance and a chance at love while dealing with music and her mom's job. loved that they both found love and each other.

The book follows Haley, who is the senator's daughter, as she heads off to college for her degree. Her biggest passion is her music and singing. When Haley's life is put in danger because of a threat, her mother hires a bodyguard to protect her. The man chosen is her brother's childhood best friend, Ace, whom Haley had the biggest crush on growing up. Because of a tragic and devastating event that happened in the past, both MCs struggled with their grief and lost contact with one another. The threat to Haley's life forces them back together, which neither is prepared for. I found this book to be alright. I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it. There are some areas that I felt could have been explained better, and other areas where I questioned if it was put in to make the book longer. Either way, it was not horrible, and fans of First Daughter will absolutely devour this one!


Read if you like:
-Singer x bodyguard
-Second Chance
-Brother's best friend
-Military
-Forced proximity
-Enemies to lovers

Thank you Hambright PR for this ARC!

Steal My Breath Away is a lovely second chance, brothers best friend romance. It deal with trauma, parental death and overcoming obstacle.
I really enjoyed the dual past/present timeline that showed how Ace and Haley's relationship grew, crumbled, and was built back up.
This is a sweet and quick

Steal My Breath Away had me hooked from the first chapter. The dual timeline added so much depth to the characters and made their emotional journey feel incredibly real. I loved how it peeled back the layers of their past while building their present. The narrators brought it all to life with raw emotion and perfect delivery. If you're a sucker for a protective, ex-military bodyguard who just happens to be her brother’s best friend—this one delivers. A must-read for fans of tension, heart, and second chances.

Such a cute second chance romance. I adored Haley and ace. Their relationship builds over time and ultimately after all the pain ace endured Haley shined a light for him.

Unputdownable! A sizzling, emotional rollercoaster.
"Steal My Breath Away" by Sarah Castille is everything I crave in a romance: Fierce chemistry, raw emotion, and characters that leap off the page. From the very first chapter, the tension crackles between the leads- Intense, electric, and completely addictive.
Castille masterfully balances heat and heart, delivering a story that's as sexy as it is soul-deep. The emotional stakes are high, the character growth is satisfying, and the writing is tight, vivid, and totally immersive. I laughed, I cried, and I swooned hard.
If you love romances with edge, depth, and unforgettable passion, this one will absolutely steal your breath away.

I really enjoyed this book. I always love the childhood crush trope. The main characters were both likeable and relatable. They both suffered through loss and tragedies. The story line was good along with the attraction between the two. I felt like the mother was a little cold and would have liked to have seen her a little warmer since the father was such a loveable man. I guess they do say that opposites attract. Thank you for allowing me to read.

I really enjoyed this one! It was an emotional roller-coaster. I love the way Haley and Ace were reunited. I enjoyed the dual timeline. I just kept turning the pages to find out more!