I was able to listen to the advanced audiobook copy thanks to NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This audiobook was enough to keep me listening, but I could easily walk away from it without pausing and didn't find myself rushing back to it. It's a little bit spicy, girl falls for brother's friend as a kid,...you get the idea. It was cute, definitely not a keep you on the edge of your seat book though. Character development was good, both had issues from their past they had to deal with and learn to overcome.

Steal My Breath Away by Sarah Castille literally stole my breath away. I wasn't sure what to expect but this a good one! I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with romance books - most of them are meh and very predictable. This was different for me - the characters felt real and they were very likable. A mix of present and past dual view points - involves teen crushes, forbidden love, as well as some danger and action. The narrators, Anthony Palmini and Samantha Brentmoor were fantastic. Really made the characters come to life.

Huge thanks for the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

Steal My Breath Away surprised me in the best way! Full of heart, healing, and some of my favorite tropes, brother’s best friend, bodyguard romance, and forced proximity. Haley and Ace’s story was beautifully done, and the narration brought it all to life. A bit slow in parts, but overall, a heartfelt and satisfying listen.

I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Interesting tropes (brother’s best friend, lots of trauma, wannabe singer, bodyguard romance) that pulled me in. I was rooting for the couple the whole time, and I really enjoyed the narration.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future

I absolutely loved this book. Hayley and Ace are complete opposites but their chemistry is fantastic..
Hayley is a music sensation and with popularity comes the
Stalkers. After a near kidnapping her mom, who is a senator insists on a body guard. Enter Ace, her brothers best friend, ex military and Hayley absolutely hates.
Ace agrees to take the job protecting a girl who is off limits and the girl of his dreams.
Can he put his feelings aside and keep her safe….
The narrators, Anthony Palmini and Samantha Brentmore
Really captured the characters and did a fantastic job. This was my first book by this author and I will definitely be reading more.

Brother’s best friend
Military hero
College
Second chance
Bodyguard
Forced proximity

Audio review
Narrators: Anthony Palmini, Samantha Brentmoor

Main characters
Haley
Ace

Haley and Ace both have an abandonment. They don’t like to form attachments because everyone leaves. They have both experienced death of a loved one or someone leaving them physically or emotionally. Grief is not the same for everyone. Their growth is emotional and they will go through a lot.

I liked both characters. Haley was a free spirit. She loved music and was determined to make a success of it. No matter the barriers, she would find a way around it. A failed kidnapping ends up changing lives. Her childhood heartbreak is now her bodyguard.
Ace has had a rough time out it. Watching his best friend die has left him with PTSD. No longer able to be a marine, he is now a bodyguard to the stars. Even that is becoming increasingly difficult. On a break from work, he ends up with a new assignment: Haley.

There is a lot of history between the two of them. The must work through danger and emotions to get their HEA.

This was such an emotional story.
Haley & Ace have an emotional & complicated history & that just intensifies this story.
Ace spent his youth with Haley’s family, her brother was his best friend & she was like a sister to him, until she wasn’t.
There is so much grief, heartache, & devastation in this story.
Both Ace & Haley have a lot of growth and healing they need to do, and unfortunately they will have plenty of time together to do so.
I absolutely adore Ace & his loyalty. He is such a beautiful broken soul, doing everything he can to never let anyone down.
Haley is working on her music & her schooling, and pushing her emotions down.
I love how they both are exactly what the other one needs to heal through all of their grief & sadness.
This was beautiful, heartbreaking & full of healing.

A sweet will they, won’t they, second chance romance. Haley has suffered a lot of loss in her young life. Her beloved father, then her father and an all, but absent mother who put her career above any sort of relationship with her daughter. Somehow she has managed to move forward. She was in love with her brother's best friend Ace since she first laid eyes on him. He was an integral part of her family due to his own family life. He pretty much ignored her until one kiss and then he disappeared. Years later, when her life is threatened, he is the one her mother hires to protect her. This is a tried and true trope that leads to a great story and the happy ever after we all come here for. It was a well narrated listen, but in my opinion, obvious from the very beginning and not a single surprise throughout the book. Still, a nice easy listen,

A bodyguard romance that was a little too predictable and very long. A second chance both MCs didn’t think was possible, a little angsty and a lot of heroine in danger.

Audio Review
Dual Narration by Samantha Brentmoor and Anthony Palmini

This was my first book by this author and it was an enjoyable listen. The story started out strong and I became invested in Haley and Ace's relationship and how things happened in their past. Haley and Ace discover quickly how they both still hold feelings for one another, once Ace becomes her security detail. Overall, this was an easy listen with wonderful narration. I did have moments where I wish things would wrap up sooner than they did but I would read more books by this author.

Samantha Brentmoor and Anthony Palmini were amazing as expected with their performances and really helped me stay with the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Sarah Castille for this ARC audio!
Love the narrators, it's what drew me to this title first. Sweet story with some emotional moments for me. I have not listened to or read many books like this one and it was enjoyable. I would recommend this title to romance readers who want some emotional connections. The bodyguard and damsel trope is a classic.

I have never read this author before but the cover and synopsis intrigued me and I am glad I did. This is a college/bodyguard romance and a second chance (kinda) romance. I thought the book was engaging from the start especially because the incident to trigger a need for the bodyguard arose quickly and was always there as a mystery aside the romance. I thought the dual POV helped with the chemistry of the romance to see where both were coming from and I like that the author incorporated flashbacks as well. This is a stand alone in a series and other than a few references to characters, I wouldn't have been able to tell. Now I gotta go read book 1!

The narration was done well. I was able to listen on my normal go-to speed with this one!

This was my first (successful) audiobook read and I loved it! I fear it has turned me into an audiobook girlie for life. 😂 This story was incredibly beautiful and so well written. The relationship was somehow the brother’s best friend/second chance/bodyguard/fake dating tropes all rolled into one. The main characters grew up together and both went through traumatic experiences in their childhoods. The author tells their story by going back and forth between their POVs, and also going back and showing memories from their childhoods, sometimes from both POVs. This book has a lot of trauma/ptsd/mental health representation and the author was able to really emphasize the importance of working through your trauma before getting into a relationship. I would highly recommend this book!! I also had no idea it was part of an interconnected standalone series until I looked it up on Goodreads and now I’m very interested to check out the first book!

I just loved this book. I was romantic and blissful and something that made you feel. It truly will leave you in a hold yourself together state because their love story is so good.

I really liked the characters in Steal My Breath Away—their chemistry was strong, and I genuinely cared about what happened to them. The side characters were really enjoyable as well and I’d love to see them get their own stories.
However, some of the political aspects felt a little silly and unrealistic. I’m still not sure how a state senator would be able to have U.S. Marshals protecting her daughter and why she’s working out of DC, it felt more like she was higher up in the political chain. I also felt like the plot could’ve used more action and momentum. A lot of the flashbacks, current events, and even dialogue felt overly obvious or repeated, which took away from the suspense and pacing.
That said, the romance delivered on heat, and it was still a solid, entertaining read for fans of steamy romantic suspense. I think everyone will love Ace too!

The narrator’s were so wonderful, the audio goes really quickly and their voices were a perfect match!

Haley is the daughter of a Senator, and the target of a kidnapping attempt. Her bodyguard, Ace was her brother's best friend and Haley's teenage crush. As they pretend to be dating to hide his status as her bodyguard, sparks start to fly.

I enjoyed this book overall, but definitely expected there to be a little bit more action. There was a lot of emotions from the character's, especially related to Haley's brother. The second chance romance was sweet, but it also felt like Ace still treated Haley like a kid at times which was a little awkward. Some of the plot points could have been a bit more realistic, but overall it was a quick and cute read.

I listened to the audio which was fantastic. Both narrators were great and brought the character's and their emotions to life.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advance listening copy!

I enjoyed the audio narrator (dual narration). The premise of this novel was a little far fetched, but I enjoyed it and breezed through it. There was obvious chemistry between the main characters and that came across in the narration. I just did not feel like the premise was possible.

Ace Murphy may be the sweetest man on the planet. I really enjoyed reading about Ace and Haley and really hope this ends up being part of a series about the body guards. The narrators were fantastic choices and brought a good life to the characters as well as a great listening cadence

I am quickly growing into a romantic suspense wh*re and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Sarah Castille's new release of Steal My Breath Away does it so well, nailing the tone and giving so many swoony moments to feast on as the danger ratchets up for the characters. This is the second book in the Havencrest U series, and though I haven't read book one, I feel confident saying you don't have to have read it to jump right into book 2.

Haley's family has been entwined with Ace for years. As a teen he became great friends with Haley's older brother and spent a lot of time with their family, as his home life was less than ideal. Now years later, a wedge of grief has been driven between them, but when they have a moment of need, Ace steps up. He works in personal security now, and with Haley's mother in the middle of an important election cycle, danger is lurking close by and someone needs to keep watch over Haley as she attends university. Both Haley and Ace are reluctant to work together, given their emotional history, but no one is better suited to keep her safe than a man who loves her - even if he never admitted it until now.

I live for the feeling the first third of this novel gave me. So much tension, so much intrigue, such a complex and difficult backstory being built up behind the current crisis the characters are facing. I loved the back and forth between the present and the slow revelation of the complicated past that really added so much depth and emotion between the lead characters. It reminded me of one of my favorite books of all time in that way: In the Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros.

The second two thirds of the book also holds up well, but I thought there were parts that could have been 'tightened up' a little bit, plot-wise. There's nothing glaring, but some the balance between romance & suspense seemed a little off at times which effects the feel of the pace as well.

Overall, this is a fantastic book if you're looking to really be drawn into fiction for awhile - once you start it, good luck putting it down!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.