This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨

First Impressions
With Every Breath is the fourth installment in the "Slow Burn" series and this is Eliza's book. I didn't really remember her that much from the previous books, this is a series that if you want to remember the character connections to read them closer together. I will be honest in that this is my least favorite series from this author, I just don't seem to enjoy the characters as much as I would like to although the hero was delicious, man we don't see alpha males like this anymore. I miss them like crazy haha The heroine was the hard one to really enjoy, she was super unlikeable especially in the beginning and I almost set it aside because of her however, I am glad that I stuck with it because she does get better as the story progresses. But a solid suspense to enjoy.

First Line
Eliza came awake with none of her usual crispness and ready-to-take-on-the-world attitude.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Wade
Alpaa male, lives by his own rules, border line anti hero, skirts the law on the edge to get things done if needed. An acquaintence of the team but not super trust worthy with them and is as alpha as you can get.

The Heroine: Eliza
Eliza is a alpha female, she has been the co partner of the group and knows how to fight just as much as the others do. She has a past that tears her apart inside and keeps her secrets close and doesn't trust easily

Summary
Eliza is still recovering mentally and emotionally from almost being killed. She learns news that a man from her past is being released from prison and he will be coming for her for revenge and she can't put her friends at risk, she will do anything to save them. She slowly distances herself. Wade Sterling sees right through her and knows that not everything is as it seems. He took a bullet for her and there has been an angsty relationship between them, but a simmering chemistry. When Wade catches her running away with enough ammo to arm a third world country, he knows that circumstances are so much worse than he thought. He forces her to be real with someone and take care of herself and together with the Devereaux team they work to bring down one of the greatest enemies that they have faced...

What I Loved
The plot of this story really packs a punch. This is something that Maya Banks has always excelled at, she can really pull you into the story so flawlessly. Even if its not likeable in the beginning, I honestly was so swept away by the plot and just had to stick with the story because it was so compelling. We have our team of the Devereaux security and it was so fun getting back to this group again. I have just loved them all and they are such a delight to read and their friendship and commadarie is infectious. Then we have our hero, WADE STERLING. He is one piece of delicious meat that I just wanted to gobble up. A beyond sexy alpha male that will do anything to protect his woman. I love how dominant he is in this book, and will protect Eliza even from herself. She does get to the point where she is neglecting her basic needs, and he comes storming in, so alpha and commanding and making sure she learns the value in taking care of herself even to the point of kidnapping her to make a point BAWAHAHAHA its fabulous right? Yeah, I had a fun time with this hero. He really entertains and just his personality so easily will curl your toes.

What I Struggled With
I really had a hard time with this heroine, oh boy she was so hard around the edges and I had such a difficult time with her. She is one of those women that have to be so strong all the time, and never trusts anyone or relies on anyone or it makes her weak. So she was super unlikeable in the beginning and I had a hard time enjoying her character because she is so rough character wise and I just don't relate with heroines in any way like this. Even though she does get better, I almost DNF'd this book because of Eliza so she takes some growing and getting used to.

Narration
This narration was so beautifully done. I always do these books in audio because the narration is just right. Its compelling, engaging and keeps you wanting for more. They also bring out the tone of suspense that is just right to keep you intrigued with the plot.

Overall View
With Every Breath was a superb read that kept me engaged and while it was rough in some points, it delivered in the end and captivated my emotions in ways that I didn't expect.....a solid installment that has me intrigued to keep going with the next.

Favorite Quote(s)
“You mean something to me. You. And that means all of you, not just the parts you want me to see while you hide the parts you’re so determined to be ashamed of and feel guilt over. You’re mine, Eliza. All of you. Every inch of you, body and soul. And it wasn’t just your body that I claimed when I made love to you and was inside you so deep that there will never be a time you don’t feel me. I also claimed your heart, your soul, your mind and everything that makes you the person you are and what you were meant to be. And what you were meant to be is mine.”

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Character Types: Alpha Hero, Alpha Female, Military (Commando)
Themes: Pining Hero, Psychic Abilities, Kick Ass
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Road Trip

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Shayla Black
Lexi Blake
Lori Foster

Song This Book Inspires
All for You by Amaria, Destin Conrad

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes

Steam/Spice Explanations

Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.

Narrators:
Jeffrey Kafer ( )

Eliza's past comes to haunt her as murderer she helped put behind bars is released. She makes plans to leave town to protect her friends and take him out of the equation permanently. Wade and her snipe hard and it's hard to find the attraction. Her self-blame was very repetitive.
( )

Maya Banks is an author that I have been reading since her Pregnancy and Passion series was originally published in 2013. Her Harlequin stories are treasures that I repeatedly return to and are a major part of my favorites collection. I had no idea about her double life as a suspense writer, so it took me a while to wrap my head around the bone chilling terror of With Ever Breath. Only a twisted mind could torture an innocent in the way Eliza endured. Her experience has made her stronger and determined to protect others from her haunting history. Emotionally scarred, yet her inner strength was to think of others. An exceptional character. Wade and Eliza are united by darkness but the courage to rise above all of that is the true message. Addictive, heartbreaking and glorious story of the courage of two wounded souls searching for redemption. Had to finish, hard to forget. ( )

I got 2 hours into the audiobook, but the scenery-chewing narrator was so awful I abandoned ship. Like a telenovela narrator, but not funny. If SNL did a sketch about overacting in action movies it would sound like this. Maybe I will read this, but maybe not. I will avoid the reader for sure.

DESCRIPTION, NOT REVIEW: Eliza Cummings fought free of a monster who terrorized her when she was an innocent teenager and helped put him away for good. She took a job with Devereaux Security Services and devoted every hour to taking down the very thing she’d nearly become. No one, not even those closest to her, know her darkest, shameful secrets. But now the killer has been set free on a legal loophole and it’s only a matter of time before he comes for her. Eliza's only choice is to run and lead the monster away from the people she loves.
Wade Sterling has always lived by his own rules, a law unto himself who answers to no one. He’s never professed to be a good man, and he’s definitely not hero material. Wade never allows anyone close enough to see the man behind the impenetrable mask—but one woman threatens his carefully leashed control. He took a bullet for her and the result was more than a piece of metal entrenched in his skin. She was under his skin and nothing he did rid himself of the woman with the courage of a warrior and who thinks nothing of putting her life before others.
But when Wade sees a panicked and haunted Eliza he knows something is very wrong, because the fool woman has never been afraid of anything. And when she tries to run, the primal beast barely lurking beneath his deceptively polished façade erupts in a rage. She may not know it, but she belongs to him. This time, Eliza isn't going to play the protector. She was damn well going to be the protected. And as long as Wade breathes, no one will ever hurt what is his. ( )