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**3 1/2 stars**


This first book in the Breathless series is centered around Gabe Hamilton and Mia Crestwell . Gabe is a hotel mogul..he, along with Mia's big brother, Jace and their other best friend, Ash, build and run hotels in the US and overseas. When Mia was a teenager, her's and Jace's parents died in an accident, so Jace stepped up to the plate and raised Mia. His two best friends, whom he met in college, have always been there for the both of them but apparently Gabe has always had a secret fascination with Mia but has never acted on his feelings because of the huge age difference (14 yrs). Mia has also secretly had a crush on Gabe but kept her feelings to herself because she always felt he was out of her league.

Mia shows up at a hotel opening one night and Gabe immediately spots her, she is now 24yrs old and Gabe is 38 and he's finally decided to act on his feelings toward her. He has been burned by women in the past though so he wants Mia but on his terms...what ensues is a very intense sexual relationship between the two and it's all done in secret so that Jace and Ash don't find out! Can you say...disaster waiting to happen!?

This was not my first experience with Maya Banks...I've read two series by her...her KGI series and her McCabe highlander trilogy and i've loved them both, so when i heard about this new series that she'd written and read the synopsis i was really excited! Unfortunately this one was just alright for me. The premise sounds really intriguing but the first 3/4 of the book is pretty much Gabe and Mia having lots and lots of sex! There was no build up or sexual tension at all...it was basically him demanding certain sexual acts and her conceding... every.single.time! She never once argued or rebuked a single thing...she just complied like a good little girl. It kind of made for boring page after page of sex scenes....and I LIKE SEX IN MY BOOKS! Yes, some were smokin' but too much of anything is never a good thing! ;)

There simply was no real story or drama or angsty anything to speak of and though HOT, Gabe was a cold and completely unemotional robot. It wasn't until the last 1/4 of the book that things actually got good, storyline wise, which is what i really enjoyed the most. Their relationship dynamic changed...it actually turned into something likeable, and drama, along with a little suspense, ensues..THAT is what i'd been waiting for throughout the entire book! It was a little bit of a bummer that it took so long to get there.

Even though this didn't end up being one of my favorite Maya Banks books, i liked it enough that i'll definitely be reading the other two books in this series.