Limecello’s review of Leave Me Breathless by HelenKay Dimon
Contemporary romance released by Brava 23 Feb 10

If this continues, HelenKay Dimon is going to become one of my favorite authors. Her writing seems to get better and better. It doesn’t hurt that I really enjoyed the story line, and setting. I knew I wanted to read this book because for a number of reasons. First, it’s a Brava book that Ms. Dimon wrote. Second, it’s set in DC. <3 Next, the hero is a judge. The heroine is a former FBI agent. The list goes on…

Callie is a heroine who has decided to speak her mind – and not in the TSTL way where she has no reason to do so, and no way to back up her words. Callie is the real deal, and I love that she gives Ben, the hero, a lot of crap. Not that she’s a bitch or a jerk, but she doesn’t let him get away with stuff. Callie is smart and capable, and I think of her as being rather scrappy. In a good way. She’s not privileged or entitled, but she also doesn’t have an inferiority complex. Nor is she arrogant. She’s simply practical, and is willing to see things as they are, and admit that she can’t control everything. She’s pretty reasonable, considering the circumstances. Callie is an adult, and knows she doesn’t always make the best decision, but is willing to take responsibility for it. I really enjoyed reading her story.

Bennet Walker is a great hero. He’s dense yet lovable. Callie constantly calls him a jackass, and often it’s well deserved, but he’s so earnest and caring and charming that you love him anyway. In fact, it’s almost part of his charm. Everyone loves him, but Ben doesn’t really let it get to his head. He’s a very macho alpha male, but once talked down, is willing to see reason. Both he and Callie are adults and act like it. It was so refreshing. Ben is very stubborn, set in his ways, and determined to save the world. He’s also emotionally stupid, and has no idea how much his past has affected him.

Ben and Callie are both characters with a lot of depth. Callie is very self actualized, and I liked that she addresses her emotions and talks out her feelings with Ben. I also loved his epiphany, and conversations with his brother, Mark. Then there’s another character, Emma, who is also a judge. Ben and Callie are a pair, and Mark and Emma the other. All fantastic romances, that are messy, complicated, involving, and tragic. But it all works out.

There’s a full supporting cast of characters, but they’re rather peripheral. I felt that Ms. Dimon got the characters spot on. For all that I love DC, I know it’s not perfect, and I think she did a great job of building the atmosphere of a courtroom realistically, but without getting bogged down in the details. Everything is lightened with the great banter between Ben and Callie. The gossip mill is well integrated into the plot, and I liked the continuing questions of who the villain was in the reader’s minds. There was a nice variety, and found the characters extremely realistic.

I feel the need to be critical, so I will say I don’t like the cover. It’s fine, other than that… thing on the cover model’s face. Like… a bad porn stache or something. Otherwise, it’s all good. Also, the plot wasn’t entirely as full as it could have been, but that doesn’t bother me as much because my focus on reading these books is the romance. With Leave Me Breathless there’s not only a fantastic main story, but a terrific secondary romance as well. One that doesn’t distract from the main couple, but is complete, and in fact bolsters the primary romance. Incredible. Unheard of. It’s what a secondary romance is supposed to be!

I will say that… I could have hoped for a little more from the ending. Nevertheless, Ms. Dimon has the characters promise each other “forever,” so that was sufficient. I hate the “well we’ll stick around and see how it goes… for now…” but that’s not what happened here. It seems a bit casual and open ended, but as I said, the thing that saved it is their use of forever. I definitely wouldn’t mind revisiting any of the main characters in another romance. At the same time, I love that this book was a single title. Regardless of what is up next, I can’t wait to read more of Ms. Dimon’s books!

Grade: A-

Summary:

PERMISSION TO APPROACH

According to Judge Bennett Walker, trying to kill him is a dumb idea. They might make him wear a big black nightgown to work, but it covers a lot of muscles, and he’s definitely packing beneath it. He’s also an ex-prosecutor and an ex-GI Joe. So when his brother brings in Callie Robbins to protect him, Ben has a few issues. First, he doesn’t need a bodyguard. Second, she’s a 130-pound girl—more smoking hot than smoking gun. And third, what if his body wants her guarding the night shift?

Callie has no problem brushing aside Ben’s disbelief. She left the FBI to escape the boys’ club, but she can be deeper undercover and twice as lethal as any beefy John Doe. As for whether someone’s after Bennett or not, the death threats and car bombs look pretty convincing to Callie. Of course, she might get distracted, sitting inches from the sexiest judge in DC for ten hours a day. Keeping him safe is no picnic. Keeping it professional—that might be impossible.

Read an excerpt here.