First Line Fridays: One Final Breath by Lynn Blackburn

Happy Friday! 

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books and participants share the first line from a nearby book.

Today I'm sharing the first lines from One Final Breath by Lynn H. Blackburn:

"It didn't get much better than this."

What are you reading this weekend?

Have a great weekend! Happy reading!


About the Book:

Revenge has no statute of limitations.

When investigator Gabe Chavez had his cover blown by an aggressive reporter, the silver lining was being able to rejoin the dive team. The downside? Dive team captain Anissa Bell, a woman who both fascinates and frustrates him.

Anissa grew up as a missionary kid on the Micronesian island of Yap and always planned to return after college. But she remained stateside, determined to solve the case that haunts her--the murder of her best friend and the disappearance of a three-year-old child.

When Anissa's fractured past collides with Gabe's investigation into the tragic shooting death of a teenage boy in Lake Porter, they'll have to put aside their complicated history with each other in order to uncover the killer's identity. 

September Reading and Expected October Reads

My September 2019 Reads:

Today I'm sharing a bit about what I've been reading and what I hope to read. Mostly, I'm just wondering how it is October already? 🍁🍁🍁 In September, I finished:

1. The Reckless by Marylu Tyndall. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


2. CALLED to Inspire by Marsha DuCille. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


3. The Devotional Poetry of Donne, Herbert, and Milton by Leland Ryken. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐


4. How to Survive a Shipwreck by Jonathan Martin. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review to come soon.


5. Shadows of Ladenbrook Manor by Melanie Dobson - ⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


6. One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick  - ⭐⭐⭐ - Review to come soon.


7. One Final Breath by Lynn H. Blackburn. - ⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.

My favorite book this month was...... The Reckless by Marylu Tyndall! This captivating novel had it all: romance, adventure, suspense, and character development! My review is available here!

Expected October 2019 Reads:

In October, I expect to read:

1. Outbreak by Davis Bunn. - My local book club's October selection.


2. Unscripted by Davis Bunn - Two books by Davis Bunn this month? Yes, please!


3. Woe Is I by Patricia T O'Connor - Yeah, still working on this one....


4. How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty by Patti Breitman and Connie Hatch. - Currently reading! So many good examples of using the powerful word: no.


5. Courage to See: Daily Inspiration from Great Literature by Greg Garrett and Sabrina Fountain. - Literature combined with a devotional. Can't go wrong with that!


6. We Hope for Better Things by Erin Bartels - Ever since I read (and loved) The Words Between Us, I've wanted to read this one. Fortunately, my library had it available! 


7. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis - I've wanted to read the Narnia series for some time now and my husband recommended starting with this one.


8. A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott - A new-to-me author!

 What will you read this month?

Book Review: One Final Breath by Lynn H. Blackburn

About the Book:

Revenge has no statute of limitations.

When investigator Gabe Chavez had his cover blown by an aggressive reporter, the silver lining was being able to rejoin the dive team. The downside? Dive team captain Anissa Bell, a woman who both fascinates and frustrates him.

Anissa grew up as a missionary kid on the Micronesian island of Yap and always planned to return after college. But she remained stateside, determined to solve the case that haunts her--the murder of her best friend and the disappearance of a three-year-old child.

When Anissa's fractured past collides with Gabe's investigation into the tragic shooting death of a teenage boy in Lake Porter, they'll have to put aside their complicated history with each other in order to uncover the killer's identity.


My Thoughts:

One Final Breath is the third installment in Lynn H. Blackburn’s Dive Team Investigations series. One Final Breath functions as a stand-alone novel as sufficient backstory is given. However, I think I would have been more connected to Anissa and Gabe if I had read the other books. As it was, neither the mystery nor romance captured my attention until the middle of the story.

One Final Breath’s strength lies in its well-crafted crime/mystery component. The criminal wasn’t easily predictable and I didn’t know the who or why until the story revealed the character and motive. Even once the bad guy was revealed, the suspense built and it was a unique climax. At that point, I was definitely not wanting to put the book down. Getting a peek into the criminal’s mind was a bit creepy.

I recommend One Final Breath by Lynn H. Blackburn to readers of romantic suspense who have followed this series from the beginning and are already interested with these characters.  Three stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

August Reads and Expected September Reading

My August 2019 Reads:

Today I'm sharing a bit about what I've been reading and what I hope to read. In August, I finished:

1. Play to Their Strengths by Analyn and Brandon Miller. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


2. With This Pledge by Tamera Alexander. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


3. The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


4. Protecting Your Child From Predators by Beth Robinson and Latayne C. Scott - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


5. Shame Off You by Denise Pass. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


6. Where Dandelions Bloom by Tara Johnson.. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


7. The Rescue by Tanya Eavenson. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review to come soon.


8. Confident Moms, Confident Daughters by Maria Furlough. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review to come soon.

My favorite book this month was...... The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels! Check out my review here. I'm pretty sure it will end up in my top ten favorite reads for 2019!

Expected September 2019 Reads:

In September, I expect to read:

1. One Final Breath by Lynn H. Blackburn - A new-to-me author!

2. Shadows of Ladenbrook Manor by Melanie Dobson - This is my local book club's selection for September.

3. One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick - I've heard how great Jane Kirkpatrick's books are, and I'm looking forward to reading one for myself.

4. Woe Is I by Patricia T O'Connor - Yeah, still working on this one....

5. Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson. - I have both of Abigail Wilson's books sitting on my TBR stack, but I think I'll start with her newest release.

6. The Devotional Poetry of Donne, Herbert, and Milton by Leland Ryken. - I started this last month. It's a short book, but it's a slow read as I never make it through more than two or three poems per day.

7. Tate by Susan May Warren. - I've fallen behind on the Susie May's Montana Marshall's series and I need to catch up ASAP from all the good buzz I hear about it.

8. How to Survive a Shipwreck by Jonathan Martin. - Currently reading!

 What will you read this month?