Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A Marine never says die. Neither does his princess.”

I don’t read romcoms as much as I should, and this one has really made me crave another one! The one thing that sometimes puts me off is the fact that the stories are all quite similar in format, but this book wasn’t like that at all… in fact, it completely paves it’s own path. A Marine veteran and a prissy gym-goer wouldn’t be a pair I’d put together, but this book just works so well! So happy to be sharing my review for Losing My Breath by the lovely J Rose Black!

About the book

A Marine never says die. Neither does his princess.

Battle lines are drawn when sheltered debutante Meridian Daly moves across the hall from grumpy former special forces Marine Callan Brand. Situated a bit closer than advertised to ‘crime alley’, Meridian’s neighbor finds himself grudgingly guarding the pampered princess out of habit. But with her sharp wit and killer curves, he can’t help but surrender to temptation…

When their relationship evolves from casual courtship to something more, Callan finds that Meridian’s already discovered his closely-guarded secret. But can he let go of his pride, and tell her the whole truth of who he is and what he’s done—in the name of honor and country?

As Callan’s scars start to reveal themselves, his life spirals beyond the careful control that’s helped him survive—and kept those he cares about safe.

From him.

But this tough-in-a-tiara princess won’t back down, even in Callan’s darkest hours. And Meridian just might prove to be more tenacious than a never-say-die Marine!

A military romcom that reminds us snipers study “stalking” as part of their specialty. And that asking for help can sometimes take the courage of a hero.

The beginning

Feeling like you know characters so well after reading the first chapter of a book is a rarity, but that’s exactly how I felt after starting this book! The author picks you up and places you right in the centre of her world, and it was so great feeling acquainted with Callan and Meridian so quickly. I instantly had a love/hate relationship with Callan. His character was excellent; he’s a Marine veteran, refuses to let anyone get close to him but always helps those in need. He also had a mysterious edge that I was so desperate to learn more about! However, he was pretty rude – but maybe he had his reasons due to his past experiences, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I absolutely loved Meridian. She’s confident, very prim and proper, and definitely does not approve of her rude neighbour. The pair are pretty much enemies from the start, but this is what really made them interesting to me. The author does a great job of making you curious about where their relationship could go. A really fun start!

“Every day is a battle. Still. She doesn’t need this…this mess. The nightmares. She doesn’t deserve what I’d put her through. And she probably wouldn’t stick around anyway. Who would?”

Callan suffers from PTSD from his time in combat which the author explores delicately but powerfully. We dig a little deeper into this part of his life which I think helped me connect with him more. I think I’d really struggle to like him at all if he didn’t have so much depth to his character and a reason for us to understand why he’s the way he is. After Callan and Meridian clash for a while, this naturally progresses into gentle teasing and banter which was nice to see. There was something there underneath the bickering and rudeness towards one another, some spark that needed igniting. Despite the pacing feeling a tad too fast, I still really enjoyed this progression. I think these characters felt so much different to others in the romcoms I’ve read, and the fact that it’s an enemies to lovers theme made so much difference (because it’s a trope I’ve never read, surprisingly!) Again, the whole thing felt so fun, but with the right balance of seriousness too. I do like this in the romcoms I read!

The middle

Seeing Callan and Meridian’s relationship grow was so heartwarming, but things certainly weren’t smooth sailing all the time. We see altercations and arguments which seemed to enhance Callan’s personality and desire to protect, but this was balanced with scenes of the two slowly getting to know each other and finally letting each other into their lives. I think I’d have liked a little more in this plot as so far, it felt like the whole story was just about Callan and Meridian getting together. I felt like I needed just that little bit more about Callan’s intriguing past or maybe a spanner in the works that force the pair apart with a drive that brings them back together. Hopefully we’d get this before the end! Saying this, it was so easy to love these characters and I constantly found myself rooting for them. The book is super easy to read and the absolute perfect escape from reality. The author’s descriptive paragraphs are just wonderful, and I found every scene so easy to visualise.

“He closed his eyes, hoping to feel the pull of sleep. Instead, her face floated beneath his eyelids and taunted his brain.”

Of course, a spicy romcom will have sex scenes, and these scenes were actually tolerable (I’m not usually a fan of them!) In between things I won’t write down on my blog (ha) we see how much Callan’s PTSD and his mental state affect a relationship he is desperate to explore. As Meridian drops the L word, Callan struggles to say it back, but I knew Meridian was the sort of girl who would be patient, despite how little she still knows about him. Even though the plot wasn’t as deep as I wanted it to be, I felt that Callan’s past filled things out just enough to make this into a book I wanted to read every day, and it also had me desperate to find out how he grew and changed with Meridian by his side. They were a great couple, and both needed different things from each other which they each in turn could provide. It’s certainly a character focused book, and when done right, they are super memorable. I think this is one of those books!

The end

The book suddenly jumps to ten months later with no warning which was a surprise and threw me off balance a bit. It felt as though I’d missed a big chunk of Callan and Meridian’s lives, but I also completely understood that we couldn’t have gone through each day of their lives to get to this point! In fact, the more I got into this, the more it became clear we needed to get to this crucial point. The happy honeymoon phase of their relationship seemed to have ended and there was something not working, something that needed to be fixed. This is what I was hoping for! (Sorry Callan, but you really need to make some changes and work on yourself!) The development of Callan in particular throughout the book was great, but he certainly needed to be pushed that little more, no matter how difficult, no matter how much those inner demons were holding him back. I was really rooting for him going into those final chapters!

“If there was one thing a former sniper could do well, it was wait. Patiently. Quietly. Without a sound. Barely a movement. Just him, a quiet mind and his breath.”

I really loved the final few chapters for so many reasons. We see Callan seek the help he so desperately needs, no matter how difficult things are for him. We see Callan and Meridian talk about their lives, about shared experiences, about the past, present and future. It was such a beautiful part of the book, certainly my favourite part! There is so much packed into this ending that when I closed the book, I felt a bit lost! But knowing the path these characters are now taking brought so much warmth and happiness to me. It had me thinking about so many possibilities and just how incredible Meridian will be in her new role. Throughout the book, it’s so clear how much of an empowering woman she is, and Callan needed someone just like that to help him in his recovery. Absolute couple goals! A stronger second half of the book, but still really enjoyed the whole thing. More romcoms this year, please and thank you!

Overall thoughts

Losing My Breath is such a fun and memorable romcom balanced with a serious, heartfelt and thought-provoking side. It effortlessly creates its own identity and the author introduces us to the kinds of perfectly imperfect characters we all love to follow, crafting a story that had me smiling one minute and holding my breath the next. Even though I would have liked a little more from the plot and a slower pace in some parts, Callan’s PTSD is expertly explored and his growth and healing throughout the book is something that always had me thinking when the book wasn’t in my hands! A really enjoyable read with plenty of spice and will-they-won’t-they moments!

You can grab your own copy of Losing My Breath right now on Amazon, available on Kindle and paperback. Make sure you’re following the author on Twitter/X and Instagram for more updates. You can read my author interview with J Rose Black here!

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