As a fan of the Bodyguard I knew this book would be right up my alley. Throwing in the second chance element of it all was really great as well. I really loved this story as well as the characters. Our main female character has a near abduction that they believe might be in relation to her mother’s campaign/upcoming election. At her mother’s insistence she reluctantly agrees to a bodyguard who happens to be an ex … well sort of ex or long time crush.

This book really had it all. Emotions, a thrilling story and spice that gave what we wanted it to give. I loved that this book always had something going on. It made it hard to put down the story and kept me on the edge of my seat. I genuinely enjoyed this book and hope to see more from this author. I loved the thrilling elements woven in with the romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story.

This was an enjoyable read with solid pacing, a compelling setup, and good tension between the main characters. The bodyguard/forced proximity trope was done well, and the emotional stakes felt believable.

The narration was pretty good overall, but the narrator’s voice caught me off guard a few times and pulled me out of the moment. I also found myself skipping through the spicy scenes—they felt a bit forced and didn’t always match the tone of the rest of the story.

Still, the book delivered on what it promised: angst, heat, and drama with a dash of danger. A solid four stars.

Two of my favorite movies growing up were 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 & 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺, which this book reminded me of and gave me some nostalgia!

Haley is a college student and daughter of a senator, who wants to make it in the music industry. Ace is a veteran and current bodyguard who is hired to protect Haley after an attempted kidnapping. The catch is that Ace is the best friend of Haley’s brother who she loved in high school.

There was lots of emotional depth in this story. Haley is traumatized by the loss of her father and brother, and Ace blames himself for her brother’s death during their military service. I enjoyed the dual timeline that gave us insight into their relationship in high school. If you want a story that will give you all the feels with a heavy dose of spice, this one is for you!

Some of the conflict between the main characters in the story seemed juvenile, with Ace treating Haley like a child still at times. It was also hard to believe that Haley was so naive to think that a major record label would want to sign her off of one karaoke song.

🎧 Audiobook Length: 9h 55m
🎧 Narrators: Anthony Palmini & Samantha Brentmoor

Anthony Palmini could read anything and I would find it attractive! I read this so quickly with the dual narration between him and Samantha Brentmoor.

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

Thank you to Bramble, Hambright PR, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with copies of this book. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

LOVED this book!

If you're a fan of the bodyguard trope, this one delivers with heart, heat, and a beautifully tormented backstory.

The spice was top-notch — but beyond that, it made me giggle, blush, swoon, and sob through the entire ending.

Highly recommend if you're looking for a romance with real depth and emotion!

Also this female narrator is in EVERYTHING I read lately and I always enjoy her performance. 10/10 worth a listen to!

One of my favorite romances are bodyguard romances, and as a fan of Sarah Castille's books under her romcom penname, Sara Desai, I was super excited for Steal My Breath Away. This book also combines a brother's best friend and second chance romance, delivering a very angsty and emotional romance between Haley and Ace. I enjoyed watching them both navigate their reignited feelings for each other alongside their grief over Haley's dad and brother. The duel-POV narration really brought Haley and Ace's relationship to life. I loved how the steamy chemistry between them was so palpable through the narration. The suspense part of the plot was also interesting to read about. I'd definitely recommend this book for bodyguard romance fans! I'd rate this book 4.5 stars.

Sarah Castille explores the power of second chances in Steal My Breath Away, a heartfelt and passionate romance that asks the timeless question—can you fall in love with the same person twice? At the center of the story is a successful singer who finds herself reconnecting with a boy from her past, now transformed into the man tasked with protecting her.

What unfolds is a beautifully written tale of rediscovery, emotional healing, and undeniable chemistry. Castille’s writing is immersive and evocative, drawing readers into the characters’ world so completely that it feels as though you’re living every moment alongside them. With its mix of romance, vulnerability, and tension, Steal My Breath Away is a compelling love story that lingers long after the final page.

Title: Steal My Breath Away
Author: Sarah Castille
Media Type: Audio
Narrators: Anthony Palmini, Samantha Brentmoor


Steal My Breath Away is an endearing story that held my attention the entire time. The way that the author was able to discuss hard topics in a soft way was comforting. The flow of the story was well delivered along with the timeline being superb. I loved that by the end of the story they were using scarfs and snow was on the ground. The side characters were wonderful and very involved in the story, which I loved. I could feel the emotions that the main character were feeling along with their exploration through their grief. I was hoping for a little longer of an epilogue. However it was a great way to fully close their story leaving readers to use their own imaginations for what is to come for the couple. Over all I really enjoyed this story and felt that every aspect was executed perfectly.

For the audio performance, I was genuinely surprised by how well the narrators were able to convey the emotions through their voices. Their voices were crips, clean and paired nicely together. way they were both able to clearly have a different sound for each side characters and the main characters were very well done. I listened the book on 1.25x speed and found that it was an enjoyable speed.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to listen to this audio production of Steal My Breath Away.

This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't exactly what I expected by reading the information on the book.
I had a difficult time getting into it and staying engaged.
We have the senator's daughter, Haley, who has gone against the grain and wants to be a singer.
Her life is threatened so her Mother hires her a bodyguard. The bodyguard happens to be, Ace, her Brother's best friend. Ace was a military man and a wounded warrior.
They were close as kids but haven't talked in a long time due to a falling out.
I felt like not a lot happened.
Second change romance. Insta love-ish.
Both characters def need therapy. They have a lot to work through together. They can't deny their attraction to one another.
I'm not sure why I couldn't connect to the book, but I think I just expected more action, or something?
The plot was decently structured. The pace was a bit slow for me.
The characters were somewhat developed, but they had some growing to do and I didn't see much growth. I couldn't engage with them.
This may be a great book for someone else, but I just wanted more!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author, for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Happy Reading!

I have mixed feelings about this one. I definitely liked it and it was a quick listen, but there were quite a few times throughout the book where it felt a bit flat and lacked character development. The FMC was also quite frustrating 75% of the time, which didn’t help matters. It was by no means a bad book though and if you like bodyguard book boyfriends this may be a good book for you.

All Haley wants is to pursue a career in music, no matter the cost. But her dream is put on hold when she becomes the target of a kidnapping attempt tied to her mother’s reelection as senator.

Ace was her brother’s best friend, a former Air Force pilot, and now a personal celebrity bodyguard. He is also the man who broke Haley’s heart years ago. Now, he must face her again, and pretend to be her boyfriend. All while trying to keep old feelings from resurfacing, and hoping the past doesn’t tear them apart once more.

This book gave me all the feels. It was pretty well written. The storyline was good. The conflict was enough to keep me listening. It had lots of good emotion, good backstory and the spicy scenes were hot. I am giving this 3.5 stars though because it was pretty predictable. There just wasn’t anything very memorable about it. Samantha Brentmoor and Anthony Palmini rocked the audio on this one! They really brought it to life. I received this book from Macmillan audio and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Absolutely adored this story. I fell in love with the characters and how they interacted. The author did a beautiful job of switching between before and now. 100% still think of them and I’ve been done for a week!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
* Second chance romance
* Brother’s best friend
* Bodyguard & client
* Forced proximity
* Both grieving a mutual loss

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Castille, and Macmillan Audio for the eALC in exchange for my honest review!

Oooh I love me a good bodyguard romance, and this one was 👌🏻! I like that they had already known each other beforehand, so it added to that tension and spice because of their troubled and sad history.

The dual pov narration is so good! I think listening in audiobook was really good with the narrators that had emotive voices. Her voice is especially breathy in the steamy moments (which there are many 🔥).

I also liked the flashback chapters of the time they met and spent together when they were younger. In the past and the present he’s always been protective of Haley. But I do wish there were some in his POV as well.

I also liked how she started out chapters in the present as Hailey with her radio station segments and introducing songs that relate to something happening in her life.

Their first time acting on their attraction was so hot, getting caught in a classroom! So much tension and it’s raw because of their past and how much Ace understands her and wants to protect her, even though it’s interrupted.

And wow, when they do get down to it, their dirty talk is scorching, especially listening to it from her POV! 🔥 Each steamy moment they have together is different and they’re feeling varied emotions or reasons as they give in to their attraction, lust, and care for each other. They’re racy, detailed, and get better as they begin to become more emotionally attached.

And by the end, they protect and heal each other after so much loss and grief. The letter from Matt to Ace, and Ace’s declaration of love to her was beautiful and had me tearing up. They forgive each other for mistrust, the guilt of the past and present. Ace would do anything to not only save her, but to love her, support her, and be with her. He proved that throughout, but especially what he does for her at the end. Swoon! 💜

This was a great bodyguard-esque novel with a happy ending. The story had so many great tropes: brothers best friend, military veteran turned security guard, musician- bodyguard, etc. there were moments that were heart-wrenching and the characters all have grief to deal with on top of the conflict in the book. The brother’s letter at the end was just a perfect bow to tie the story up.
The narrators did a great job and you could feel the emotion of the characters come through in the audiobook.

First, thank you NetGalley for the ALC

This book made me feel all the emotions. It made me swoon, irritated, happy, and sad. I can I was more annoyed than anything though. The FMC felt childish and selfish. There was a small bit of character development in the end of the book but it didn’t make me feel any better about the rest of it. I’m giving this book a 3.5 star rating because I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t love it

Also note that I absolutely loved the Narrators and thought they did a fantastic job with this book

Audiobook Review: 3 stars for story / 4 stars for performance
Dual narration by Samantha Brentmoor and Anthony Palmini
Tropes: Second Chance, Brother's Best Friend, Bodyguard

This story had a lot of potential. The pacing was well timed with flashbacks done at just the right time throughout. I liked the suspense aspect and the heroine in danger microtrope always allows for an extra dose of angst. My biggest issue was the FMC, Haley, and her oblivious actions. Her words and actions/decisions didn't match up and caused a bit of frustration. It took away from some of the angst when I started feeling like she was bringing on the trouble herself. I really liked Ace and his dedication to Haley, but he also had times where I wondered what the heck he was doing. The subplot was good with these two both coming to terms with their pasts and healing from traumas. I liked the focus on mental health and the importance of addressing their issues.

Samantha Brentmoor was amazing in this dual style narration. The fact that I could forget I wasn't listening to multiple people during the FMC POV chapters speaks to her skill at differentiating between characters so fluidly. Anthony Palmini was also good but some of the side characters he voiced sounded a little cartoonish. Overall, the audio would be my recommendation with this story.

4.5 stars rounded up.

I went into Steal My Breath Away with moderate expectations, but I was quickly swept away by how deeply it moved me. This book was so much more than I anticipated—beautifully written and emotionally resonant from start to finish.

The story follows Haley and Ace, whose connection dates back to childhood when Ace was Haley’s big brother’s best friend. They first met when Haley was just 10 years old, and although life and devastating loss eventually pulled them apart, fate brings them back together in their 20s. Watching them slowly rebuild trust and open up to one another again was incredibly moving. Their shared history added layers of emotion and complexity to every interaction, making their second chance feel well-earned and heartfelt.

What really stood out was the pain both characters carry—their pasts are heavy, and Sarah Castille doesn't shy away from showing the emotional scars they bear. Yet, there's also so much tenderness and hope in the way they come back to each other. It’s a heartbreaking, yet ultimately healing, journey.

The audiobook narrators were excellent, breathing life into the characters with heartfelt performances that made the story even more immersive.

I highly recommend Steal My Breath Away to romance lovers, especially those who enjoy the brother’s best friend and second chance tropes. It’s a touching, emotional read that will stay with you long after you finish the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Sarah Castille for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook early.

This story was so well written and I think this was one of my favorites reads of June!! Definitely recommend reading or listening

3.5⭐️, rounded up to 4.

Overall this book was bad by no means, but it also wasn't great. It just fell flat in a lot of places. The romance lacked a little and the FMC and MMC just didn't have the chemistry one would think they had.

The start of the book was very promising but by midway through it just started to lag. Everything wrapped up too nicely and just too forced. The overarching storyline and cause for these two being together really made no sense when you thought about it. The poli sci major in me was scratching their head at the fact that she was being targeted to an extreme to get her mother to drop out of the race, but the mother had to keep it quiet to win the race? It just felt off.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio arc. All opinions are my own.

5⭐️ 2🌶️ 5🎧 These poor broken souls, my heart aches for them, and I loved watching these two come back together. The letter at the end...cue the tears.

Haley has had so much loss in her life and she has a lot of mental struggles to battle through. Ace has always loved Haley and life had a sad way of getting in the way. Watching him rebuild his trust with Haley. Loved the dual time line so we had a better understanding of their childhood relationship.

Samantha Brentmoor and Anthony Palmini did an amazing job with the narration of this story! Samantha Brentmoor is one of my favorites and a must listen for me.

I really wanted to love this book more than I did. I love the bodyguard trope, and I do feel that the story was well written overall. However...

I could not stand the Haley, the fmc, for about 85% of the book. After reading other reviews, this seems to be an unpopular opinion - but I found her to be bratty and childish. Her "I do what I want" attitude for a majority of the book was obnoxious. She didn't show any growth or self reflection until the last 15%.

I mean, your bodyguard is literally there to guard you. Maybe, I dunno, trust him to guard you?

I also got sick of hearing "breathe, breathe, you're fine, lock it away" after hearing it the 3rd or 4th time and its repeated a ton throughout the book.

I graciously was approved for both the ebook and the audiobook ARC (thank you Netgalley,) and I will say that I did thoroughly enjoy the narrators.