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zaza_bdp's review
5.0
Après le romantic-suspens et la romance historique, Pamela Clare se lance dans un genre inédit pour elle avec ce nouveau livre : la romance contemporaine.
Nous avons là une belle histoire de seconde chance entre Austin et Lexi, réunis après 12 ans de séparation. Ces deux-là étaient très amoureux au temps du lycée, mais à l'aube de l'entrée dans l'âge adulte, Lexi a fait le choix de quitter sa ville natale pour aller poursuivre ses études, puis construire sa vie, à la "grande ville" : Chicago. Austin, lui, est resté à Scarlet Springs et est devenu "mountain ranger", qu'on pourrait traduire en français par une sorte de garde forestier/policier. Lexi, elle, a fait carrière à Chicago en tant que comptable. Autant dire qu'à l'époque où elle est partie, la séparation des deux amoureux s'est faite en de très mauvais termes et tous deux cultivent un ressentiment profond envers l'autre ...
Au début du livre, elle est contrainte de retourner à Scarlet Springs pour aider son père à gérer l'affaire familiale. Autant que pour elle, retourner dans ce trou paumé qu'elle s'est évertuée à fuir 12 ans plus tôt est une corvée dont elle compte bien se débarrasser au plus vite, sans compter qu'elle n'a aucune envie de revoir celui qui lui a brisé le cœur. Austin n'est pas plus emballé qu'elle par ce retour, loin de là !
Lexi est rapidement très impliquée dans la petite communauté de Scarlet Springs, elle côtoie au quotidien l'équipe de sauvetage en montagne, dont Austin fait évidemment partie. Les paysages du Colorado occupent une place importante dans le récit, tout comme la passion des personnages pour la "grimpe". Le lecteur a ainsi la chance de lire des scènes de sauvetage en montagne, d'escalade, d'entraînement ... L'auteur a eu la prévenance d'inclure en début de livre un glossaire expliquant toute cette terminologie bien spécifique, ce qui est un vrai plus tant cela apporte de l'authenticité au récit.
Des scènes d'action donc, pleines d'adrénaline, que j'ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à lire.
La 'rescue team' c'est aussi une belle brochette d'amis, et j'ai adoré cet esprit de bande, que j'avais déjà tant aimé dans la série I-Team. Ils se chamaillent quotidiennement mais sont toujours là les uns pour les autres, y compris dans des situations ... embarrassantes (je pense à une scène en particulier qui m'a beaucoup fait rire titter ). Ces personnages secondaires sont très réussis et comment ne pas craquer pour Hawke, sérieusement ?
La romance est pleine de tendresse et très sensuelle. Plus les années passent et plus Pamela Clare se "lâche" côté scènes coquines et je dois dire que là, elle frappe fort ! Le couple Austin/Lexi est à la fois très sexy et romantique, ils sont vraiment complices tous les deux et c'est touchant de voir à quel point il est attaché à elle.
Ah et j'ai failli oublier de vous parler des caméos ... My god, quels caméos ! Impossible de ne pas avoir un sourire idiot collé au visage quand on voit apparaître ces hommes de son autre série. ^^
Avec Barely Breathing, Pamela Clare signe une belle romance contemporaine que j'ai bien apprécié, j'y ai trouvé tout ce j'aime en romance : de beaux personnages, des moments drôles, des moments torrides, de l'émotion ....
Nous avons là une belle histoire de seconde chance entre Austin et Lexi, réunis après 12 ans de séparation. Ces deux-là étaient très amoureux au temps du lycée, mais à l'aube de l'entrée dans l'âge adulte, Lexi a fait le choix de quitter sa ville natale pour aller poursuivre ses études, puis construire sa vie, à la "grande ville" : Chicago. Austin, lui, est resté à Scarlet Springs et est devenu "mountain ranger", qu'on pourrait traduire en français par une sorte de garde forestier/policier. Lexi, elle, a fait carrière à Chicago en tant que comptable. Autant dire qu'à l'époque où elle est partie, la séparation des deux amoureux s'est faite en de très mauvais termes et tous deux cultivent un ressentiment profond envers l'autre ...
Au début du livre, elle est contrainte de retourner à Scarlet Springs pour aider son père à gérer l'affaire familiale. Autant que pour elle, retourner dans ce trou paumé qu'elle s'est évertuée à fuir 12 ans plus tôt est une corvée dont elle compte bien se débarrasser au plus vite, sans compter qu'elle n'a aucune envie de revoir celui qui lui a brisé le cœur. Austin n'est pas plus emballé qu'elle par ce retour, loin de là !
Lexi est rapidement très impliquée dans la petite communauté de Scarlet Springs, elle côtoie au quotidien l'équipe de sauvetage en montagne, dont Austin fait évidemment partie. Les paysages du Colorado occupent une place importante dans le récit, tout comme la passion des personnages pour la "grimpe". Le lecteur a ainsi la chance de lire des scènes de sauvetage en montagne, d'escalade, d'entraînement ... L'auteur a eu la prévenance d'inclure en début de livre un glossaire expliquant toute cette terminologie bien spécifique, ce qui est un vrai plus tant cela apporte de l'authenticité au récit.
Des scènes d'action donc, pleines d'adrénaline, que j'ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à lire.
La 'rescue team' c'est aussi une belle brochette d'amis, et j'ai adoré cet esprit de bande, que j'avais déjà tant aimé dans la série I-Team. Ils se chamaillent quotidiennement mais sont toujours là les uns pour les autres, y compris dans des situations ... embarrassantes (je pense à une scène en particulier qui m'a beaucoup fait rire titter ). Ces personnages secondaires sont très réussis et comment ne pas craquer pour Hawke, sérieusement ?
La romance est pleine de tendresse et très sensuelle. Plus les années passent et plus Pamela Clare se "lâche" côté scènes coquines et je dois dire que là, elle frappe fort ! Le couple Austin/Lexi est à la fois très sexy et romantique, ils sont vraiment complices tous les deux et c'est touchant de voir à quel point il est attaché à elle.
Ah et j'ai failli oublier de vous parler des caméos ... My god, quels caméos ! Impossible de ne pas avoir un sourire idiot collé au visage quand on voit apparaître ces hommes de son autre série. ^^
Avec Barely Breathing, Pamela Clare signe une belle romance contemporaine que j'ai bien apprécié, j'y ai trouvé tout ce j'aime en romance : de beaux personnages, des moments drôles, des moments torrides, de l'émotion ....
tuttidolci's review
4.0
Initially, I though the story was boring. And in some parts, it is. But it's also sweet, sexy, warm, and endearing. It made me laugh, cry, and care for the characters - a whole town full of them! I'm definitely on board for more from this series.
katyanaish's review
4.0
I liked it, though I do have some quibbles. I felt like Austin was overly self-righteous about their break-up at age 18, with his sister being intolerable about it.
Look, he was a shitty boyfriend as a teenager. That's fine, most teens are - it's all about sex, and the story supported that idea. He knew nothing about her home life and didn't care to ask. Didn't care to ask or even think about why she wanted out of that town, even though it was frankly pretty obvious. Her home life was beyond shitty, and falling into abusive territory. Did he care? No. He was just a whining ass that his convenient sex-toy was going to move away. And rather than talk with her, he lashed out and broke up with her, making her last summer miserable ... all while acting like he was the victim. This dude has an enchanted life - family who adores him, job he loves, friends who have his back... he has everything, and he has no empathy for her. When she comes back, he's determined to hate her at first ... and honestly, it's a complete asshole move. It also makes it hard for me to believe 18 year old Austin actually loved her. He just loved sex. If he can't be bothered to know about her life and home and how much it is hurting her ... that wasn't love.
Once we got on the other side of that bullshit, I liked him better, but he still really lacked empathy throughout. He constantly acted (and in his narrative, thought) as if he was the wounded party, he was the one making himself vulnerable... and didn't ever think at all about her. He knows she cried all summer when he ditched her (he says, in his POV, that he knows it), while he told everyone she was a bitch who wanted to date other people ... so I feel like it's a stretch for me to believe that he thinks she doesn't care about him. So that, again, really makes him seem pretty self-absorbed and lacking in empathy.
It's honestly a quibble, though. Some things that just rattled me a little with him, and how he carried himself as this innocent victim - Mr. Charmed Life, who is not a victim in any way at all. But I liked them together. I liked the banter, the steam, the obvious care. There was still a lack of maturity - use your words, for pete's sake! - but it was okay. I did believe the relationship they were building together in this book. And I enjoyed the story a lot.
Look, he was a shitty boyfriend as a teenager. That's fine, most teens are - it's all about sex, and the story supported that idea. He knew nothing about her home life and didn't care to ask. Didn't care to ask or even think about why she wanted out of that town, even though it was frankly pretty obvious. Her home life was beyond shitty, and falling into abusive territory. Did he care? No. He was just a whining ass that his convenient sex-toy was going to move away. And rather than talk with her, he lashed out and broke up with her, making her last summer miserable ... all while acting like he was the victim. This dude has an enchanted life - family who adores him, job he loves, friends who have his back... he has everything, and he has no empathy for her. When she comes back, he's determined to hate her at first ... and honestly, it's a complete asshole move. It also makes it hard for me to believe 18 year old Austin actually loved her. He just loved sex. If he can't be bothered to know about her life and home and how much it is hurting her ... that wasn't love.
Once we got on the other side of that bullshit, I liked him better, but he still really lacked empathy throughout. He constantly acted (and in his narrative, thought) as if he was the wounded party, he was the one making himself vulnerable... and didn't ever think at all about her. He knows she cried all summer when he ditched her (he says, in his POV, that he knows it), while he told everyone she was a bitch who wanted to date other people ... so I feel like it's a stretch for me to believe that he thinks she doesn't care about him. So that, again, really makes him seem pretty self-absorbed and lacking in empathy.
It's honestly a quibble, though. Some things that just rattled me a little with him, and how he carried himself as this innocent victim - Mr. Charmed Life, who is not a victim in any way at all. But I liked them together. I liked the banter, the steam, the obvious care. There was still a lack of maturity - use your words, for pete's sake! - but it was okay. I did believe the relationship they were building together in this book. And I enjoyed the story a lot.
mistysreads's review
5.0
Lexi returns to Scarlet Springs 12 years after leaving to help her eccentric father work things out with his wife and keep the family B&B. She is out of a job after her friends and co-workers turned against her for filing a harassment claim against her boss. Lexi knows she is eventually going to run into Austin, her first everything, since Scarlet is a small town but hopes she can put it off for a few days. After seeing a puppy stuck on a cliff by the road she stops and calls the fire department to rescue the puppy, a friend from high school is the fire chief, Eric Hawke, and then Austin pulls up in his Mountain Ranger truck. Lexi is shocked to see Austin, and immediately the past comes rushing back to her.
Austin hasn't forgiven Lexi for breaking his heart the summer before she left for college. He knows she is going to go back to Chicago the first chance she gets leaving him behind, but he can't help himself when it comes to her. Austin is a Mountain Ranger and on the Search and Rescue Team. He tries to avoid Lexi until the SAR team needs her CPA skills after they discover one of their own has been stealing from them. After a tough day Lexi and Austin end up together and begin reconnecting, but try to remain emotionally distant because Lexi's plan remains to go back to Chicago. Danger lurks in the small down and everything comes crashing down, its up to Austin and the SAR team to make sure that he doesn't lose her in the end.
This was such a good book, I couldn't put it down. Austin and Lexi's relationship grows at a realistic pace throughout the book. They're a fun, dynamic, and steamy couple. These two are one of my favorite couples that I've read lately. I really enjoyed Austin sending Eric to pick up Lexi's friend from Chicago at the airport letting him think that Vic (Victoria) was a guy. I really hope the next book is about them, that'll be a fun story. This is a great read and I highly recommend it. I want to learn how to rock climb now.
Received ARC in exchange for honest review from NetGalley
Austin hasn't forgiven Lexi for breaking his heart the summer before she left for college. He knows she is going to go back to Chicago the first chance she gets leaving him behind, but he can't help himself when it comes to her. Austin is a Mountain Ranger and on the Search and Rescue Team. He tries to avoid Lexi until the SAR team needs her CPA skills after they discover one of their own has been stealing from them. After a tough day Lexi and Austin end up together and begin reconnecting, but try to remain emotionally distant because Lexi's plan remains to go back to Chicago. Danger lurks in the small down and everything comes crashing down, its up to Austin and the SAR team to make sure that he doesn't lose her in the end.
This was such a good book, I couldn't put it down. Austin and Lexi's relationship grows at a realistic pace throughout the book. They're a fun, dynamic, and steamy couple. These two are one of my favorite couples that I've read lately. I really enjoyed Austin sending Eric to pick up Lexi's friend from Chicago at the airport letting him think that Vic (Victoria) was a guy. I really hope the next book is about them, that'll be a fun story. This is a great read and I highly recommend it. I want to learn how to rock climb now.
Received ARC in exchange for honest review from NetGalley
romancejunkie1025's review
4.0
a great beginning to a sweet new series from a favorite author. Full review coming soon to the blog
bookloverchelle's review
4.0
As soon as she could, Lexi left her small Colorado town after high school, never looking back. In the process she broke her heart and the heart of her high school boyfriend, Austin. Austin stayed in Scarlet Springs and became a mountain ranger, never forgetting his first love. When Lexi comes back to town to help her father and his bed and breakfast she is faced with Austin and the feelings she thought were long buried. As she looks around and sees her hometown with new eyes, she has to decide if taking a chance with staying and with losing her heart, is the right path for her. A really great read, loved the characters and the bond they built. Can't wait to continue the series!
traecrochet's review
3.0
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was a fast, light, well written read with fleshed out characters and a predictable, but decent plot.
victoriapi909's review
4.0
The plot was interesting but it wasn't groundbreaking or deviant from the typical romance novel. There are some erotic scenes and they're not heavily detailed. The protagonist's name sounds like an erotic dancer's name though, which was weird for the character. If you want a feel-good romance novel with light erotica, this is the way to go.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
4.0
Barely Breathing
4 Stars
Series Note: Colorado High Country is a spin-off of Clare's I-Team series.
With her career in tatters and her father on the brink of divorce, Lexi Jewell is back home in Scarlet Springs after vowing she would never return. Not only is the town the same as ever, but Lexi's attraction to Austin Taylor, her former high school sweetheart and current park ranger, is as strong as ever. Can she and Austin put their fractious past behind them and begin again?
After taking a long hiatus from contemporary romance, I have returned to the genre with renewed enthusiasm. Many of the tropes that annoyed me (and others) in the past have been replaced with more engaging themes and topics.
Pamela Clare's Barely Breathing exemplifies this change as she manages to avoid the irritating miscommunication and silly misunderstanding elements that use to inundate the genre. Instead of reverting to their angsty and melodramatic teenage selves, Lexi and Austin behave like mature adults who respect one another and accept responsibility for the parts they played in their initial break-up. The second chances romance is intense and delightful.
The minor suspense plot adds another layer of tension to the romance and it appears that there will also be an ongoing arc in future books -.
All in all, a charming beginning to the series and I look forward to Vic and Eric's love/hate romance in the next book.
4 Stars
Series Note: Colorado High Country is a spin-off of Clare's I-Team series.
With her career in tatters and her father on the brink of divorce, Lexi Jewell is back home in Scarlet Springs after vowing she would never return. Not only is the town the same as ever, but Lexi's attraction to Austin Taylor, her former high school sweetheart and current park ranger, is as strong as ever. Can she and Austin put their fractious past behind them and begin again?
After taking a long hiatus from contemporary romance, I have returned to the genre with renewed enthusiasm. Many of the tropes that annoyed me (and others) in the past have been replaced with more engaging themes and topics.
Pamela Clare's Barely Breathing exemplifies this change as she manages to avoid the irritating miscommunication and silly misunderstanding elements that use to inundate the genre. Instead of reverting to their angsty and melodramatic teenage selves, Lexi and Austin behave like mature adults who respect one another and accept responsibility for the parts they played in their initial break-up. The second chances romance is intense and delightful.
The minor suspense plot adds another layer of tension to the romance and it appears that there will also be an ongoing arc in future books -
Spoiler
the investigation into the embezzled fundsAll in all, a charming beginning to the series and I look forward to Vic and Eric's love/hate romance in the next book.