Juno Rushdan’s debut novel, Every Last Breath, is intense. Suspense, action, and explicit sex scenes are roughly equally dispersed through the book. What is missing are the quiet sequels after the action to allow the reader to recuperate.
Protagonist Maddox moves in the world of the Gray Box, a covert extra-legal ops group that does work the CIA and FBI cannot. I loved the strength of Special Agent Maddox. She’s a capable tough cookie who remains feminine and who refuses to crumble under pressure. She mourns the death of her fiance. Though shocked when she learns he faked his death, she must team up with Cole to save the world from a mutated version of smallpox.
Cole is a total alpha male, ferocious, strong, and emotionally-wounded. The couple must put aside old—and new—feelings and sexual attraction long enough to save the world.
I enjoyed reading the author bio and learning that Rushdan is a former intelligence officer herself. This background allows the verisimilitude that jumps at the reader from every page. A great book if you like the romance trope of second chance love coupled with unrelenting action.
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