Book Reviews / Favorite Books I've Read: Stealing Breath by Joanne Brothwell

Publication Date: March 9, 2012

Genre: Paranormal Romance

ISBN 978-1-937254-33-9

Specs: 256 Pages

Stealing Breath

An ancient evil has resurfaced,

the soul of the Indigo Child is at stake.

Beware those with the Stealing Breath...

Deep in the backwoods of North Dakota, Sarah Ross is searchingfor a missing child when she is attacked by a glowing-eyed, transparent creature known to the Navajo as a Skinwalker. Using mysterious abilities, Sarah escapes, only to run directly into Evan Valente, a handsome, charismatic stranger who helps her back to safety. But why is Evan out in the forest so early in the morning?

Sarah learns her eyes bear the mark of the Indigo Child, an evolved human with the ability to feel the emotions of others; unfortunately, her indigo aura is highly desirable to those who wish to steal her powerful essence.

Soon, Sarah falls deeply in love with Evan and wants nothing more than to follow her heart, but she can't ignore the lingering feeling that Evan is hiding a terrible secret. The deeper she digs, the more danger she faces, forcing her to face the darkest, innermost parts of her soul.

Stealing Breath is a darkly romantic tale of a young woman’s journey for love within the fearsome realm of the paranormal. It is a spellbinding read that mines the inner workings of the human character. Love, loss and the quest for redemption, these characters will echo in your mind long after you’ve put the book down.

Excerpt:

“You saw that Evan guy again?” Amber asked. She sucked the last of her frothy pink drink through a straw. The mischievous look on her face was mirrored in the giddy emotions she gave off, emotions that were always especially loud when she was drinking. They resonated within me like a bouncy ball flying around in my stomach.

I downed another shot of “Sex on the Beach”, hoping it would finally be enough to filter out the emotions of everyone here. Smooth at first, then tart, the booze finally burned its way down the back of my throat. The buzz-on was almost immediate, and the effect was wonderful, the way it almost obliterated all of the sex-obsessed feelings that seemed to roll off of nearly ever patron at the bar like a hot blanket being wound around me. Sick.

We sat at a booth right next to the bar. Amber held her glass up, signaling to the bartender who nodded and began to pour. He bobbed his head to the blaring country music from the loudspeaker.

Tables ringed the bar, booths along the wall and stools on the other side. Every few feet a brightly lit neon beer sign provided a dash of garish décor. Right in the middle was the dance floor, a little postage-stamp sized circle of parquet flooring that reminded me of an interlocking puzzle. Alongside it was a raised section with a few pool tables.

“Yeah, I saw him.” I proceeded to explain his land development business to Amber and Kate, who listened with rapt expressions.

“That’s amazing. Nobody ever comes to Slave Lake. People only leave,” Amber said. Our waitress, dressed in skin-tight jeans and a too-tight tank-top, brought us another round. Behind her, the giant flat screen on the wall lit up with random explosions of fuchsia, neon yellow and acid green, perfectly paced with the lyrics of the canned music.

Kate sat across from me on the bench seating, her copper hair shimmering pink from the neon “Budweiser” sign and the black light hanging on the wall behind her. Her teeth were glowing an unnatural white in the light, and every piece of lint on her black shirt stood out like a 3D movie.

“How interesting that you both were out in the bush that morning,” Kate said.

I nodded. “I know. Quite a coincidence.”

Amber sat beside Kate in the bench seat, facing the bar. She leaned forward in one fluid motion, her black hair sweeping the table. “Sarah. Look who just walked in.” I turned in my seat. “And he’s coming right over—”

“Mind if I join you?” asked a familiar voice, before I’d even had a chance to look.

I turned and smiled at Evan.

“Sure.”

My Review:

Stealing Breath (Stealing Breath #1) by Joanne Brothwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stealing Breath is a well written novel, Joanne Brothwell is an extremely talented writer and I for one cannot wait to read the next book in this series. I really enjoyed learning about skinwalkers and the Native American’s history. This story flows well, characters descriptions and plot held my attention and I wanted to read more. There was so much I enjoyed about Stealing Breath that I all I can say is it is a must read.

We meet Sarah who happens to be empathy; Sarah runs her parents store and will soon be heading off to college. Sarah just wants to be normal, but it is hard considering she feels everyone’s emotions.

When Sarah meets Evan she feels nothing from him, and she cannot believe this, of course Sarah needs to know why? As Sarah and Evan start to spend time together we get to learn much more about each of them and the legends that surround the area. We learn that Sarah is an Indigo Child which is very rare and Evan is Sapphire Child both have very special gifts.

There is so much going on in this story that is really made me want to read more, so I kind of wish the book was longer, but knowing there is more to come helps to know we may see more of Evan and Sarah and learn more of towns history and the legends.

I have rated Stealing Breath a 4 star rating, and would recommend it to anyone who loves to read the Paranormal Genre. This is a unique novel and Joanne Brothwell has done an excellent job writing this novel, it is a must read!

Praise for Stealing Breath

"STEALING BREATH stole mine! Compulsive, scary suspense balanced with a tender love story."
-Mary Balogh, New York Times Bestselling Author

About the Author

Joanne Brothwell lives in the country on the Canadian prairie with her family where her stories are inspired by the dead things that appear at her doorstep on a daily basis.