A Hundred Breaths

By: Jean M. Grant

Narrated by: Rosalind Ashford

Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's Summary

Healing his heart...with her last breath.

1263, Scotland

Simon MacCoinneach's vengeance runs deep. The blade is the only way to end the bloodthirsty Nordmen's reign upon Scottish soil. His soul might be lost, but the mystical Healer he kidnaps from the isles could be the answer for his ailing mother...and his heart.

Isles-born Gwyn reluctantly agrees to a marriage alliance with this heathen Scot in return for the sanctuary of her younger brother from her abusive Norse father. Her brother's condition is beyond the scope of her Ancient power, for larger healings steal breaths of life from her own body.

As Simon and Gwyn fight to outwit her madman father and a resentful Norse betrothed, Gwyn softens Simon's heart with each merciful touch. Gwyn's Seer sister foresees a bloody battle - and an end to the Nordmen - but Simon will also die. Will Gwyn save Simon on the battlefield even if it means losing her last breath?

©2019 Jean M. Grant (P)2019 Jean M. Grant

Perfect! LOVED IT!

Another winner as romance develops between family enemies, wars are fought, kidnapping, cruel fathers, secrets, clashing religions, and a lot of very good writing. The imagery is wonderful and the world is vivid. I found my heart actually pounding a little faster with fear for Gwyn as she watches battles unfold. Although there are some explicit terms in the sexual scenes, it’s not written with a heavy hand, it's just enough to feel their intimacy and the heat. In my review of “A Hundred Kisses,” I compared the imagery to Outlander, and here I have to again... Outlander's story is more engaging than the sex scenes, even though they are 🔥 HOT.

Be aware that the beginning is heavy with circumstance information, family background and people. Stick with it for a couple chapters. Rosalind Ashford has the PERFECT voice for this listen as she flows between voices seamlessly.!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. My review is HONEST.
TWO THUMBS UP HIGH!
👍🏻👍🏻

The cost of a breath

The first in the A Hundred Kisses series, this book takes place about 30 years before the other book – a prequel of sorts, although certainly a full-length book in and of itself. These books are creative in their execution – from the barbaric Nordmen pillaging their way through Scotland, to the healing abilities of Gwyn and her family, there’s a lot to unpack.

Gwyn is a healer – she’s able to heal wounds but doing so takes away her breaths. Each person saved takes time off her life. Even knowing this, she continues to offer help to many, including complete strangers. When she saves Simon, he takes her prisoner – hoping she can heal his mother. They wed and begin an arduous journey to his mother. Along the way the two begin to develop feelings for each other.

Gwyn comes from an interesting family – from her violent father to her healing mother to her brother who can sense lifebloods to her seer aunt, Gwyn comes by her abilities honestly. Her story fascinated me as I watched her try to navigate through the treacherous waters of her life. I cheered for her as she became an independent woman but my heart broke as I realized her life would be shortened because of her selflessness.

I’ve listened to A Hundred Kisses, so I know how these stories turn out and if you haven’t yet listened to it, I encourage you to. This is a great series. And this book’s epilogue takes place after A Hundred Kisses, so I got a glimpse of the characters I’ve come to know well. I can’t wait for the final instalment to see how this all wraps up.

A Great Twist on a Historical Romance

Healing his heart...with her last breath - 1263, Scotland - Jean M. Grant is a new author for me. I really enjoyed listening to this audio. The unusual aspect of this Historical Romance is the added element of mystical powers. The writing is so good that the mystical parts are just as believable as everything else going on during the time period. Simon has endured so much from his childhood and his only path is to fight for revenge. Gywn is from a family of healers with the exception of her ruthless father and she knows nothing else but kindness and compassion. I will say that it was not love at first sight for Simon & Gywn and the banter and slow burn just added to their frenetic chemistry and ultimate connection. As the story unfolds, so do truths and lies between Simon and Gywn, their families and clans and the uncertainty of what will happen to them. This is an angsty, very descriptive-detailed story of love and forgiveness. Rosalind Ashford was great with narration.

Romantic adventure

A wonderful romance. I really enjoyed this story. I'm a sucker for anything Scottish and this fit perfectly! Adventure, romance, danger... all the elements that make an excellent story. The narration was excellent. I received a free copy in exchange for review.

Simon and Gywn!

Scottish warrior Simon MacCoinneach goes with his father, brother, and their men to the Isles to trade with a clan of Nordmen, but the time for peace is over. His brother dies in the ensuing battle, and Simon is injured. The last thing he expected is a beautiful, guileless woman to offer him help, but he doesn’t trust easily.
Gwyn possesses magical abilities as a healer, and she helps anyone who needs it. Her father is a vicious man who has terrorized her community and subjected her family to much pain. After she heals Simon, he kidnaps her in order to force her father into peace.
Gwyn and Simon were interesting characters. She was kind, selfless, and determined to save her younger brother, but her desire to save everyone, even murderers and rapists, was aggravating. I couldn’t connect with Simon. He was bitter and war-hungry, especially in the beginning. After his back-story was revealed and he started to feel guilty about his actions, I finally understood him and began to like him.
I listened to the audio version. The narrator, Ms. Ashford, did a great job with the Scottish and Norse accents. Granted, I’m not sure what Vikings would’ve sounded like back in the day, but I liked her voices for them.
This is a fast-paced story that kept my attention, but the pacing slowed at times since the H/h kept arguing about the same things. Repetition tends to happen, however, when you have two stubborn characters that won’t agree or relent to the other’s will. I prefer this rather than having a wimpy heroine that kowtows to a man. Gwyn was definitely not weak!
I enjoyed all the references to book 1, A Hundred Kisses. The epilogue was the perfect ending for this story and a great preview for the last book in the trilogy.
This book is the prequel to A Hundred Kisses and should be read or listened to first, even though both books are standalones. I listened to Kisses first by mistake, so I learned some spoilers about the prequel. In my opinion, the main characters from one romance book should still be alive and in love in the following book. Killing off the hero or heroine is a big no-no for me, and it completely ruins the HEA. That’s just a pep peeve of mine. While Simon and Gwyn have a HEA at the end of their story, their life together is cut short long before the next book begins.
Anyway, I enjoyed this story a lot, but I wish Simon and Gwyn would’ve had decades together, not just 13 years.
4 Stars

A little slow but good story

I really like the story overall. Jean always writes great characters. I have a hard time when there is too much backstory because I get bored easily but that is just me. I enjoyed this book.

Gwyn has a rare gift

Gwyn has a rare gift. She can heal, but using her power shortens her own life. When she ends up with Simon, she's not quite sure if he has kidnapped her or rescued her. She hopes that by marrying him, she might be able to heal the rift between their clans, and in doing so also save her brother from their abusive, tyrannical father.
I found the book quite confusing, there were a lot of clans and at times it was hard to figure out who was on which side. I got into it a bit more once I had a chance to get to know and like the main characters. Most of the story seems a bit forced, but if you're just looking for a sweet romance you'll enjoy it more.
The narrator sounded quite robotic through a lot of the book, apart from during the dialogue.

An adventurous romance

Simon kidnaps a mystical healer in hopes that she can cure his mother's body and mind. Their people are enemies but that doesn't prevent them from falling in love. Gwyn shortens her own life every time she heals someone. How much of it will she give up to save those she loves?
I don't usually read romance novels but I enjoyed this one immensely. This is the first I've read from this author. I'll be looking for more of her work in the future.
I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

fantastic

what a fantastic audiobook based on Scotland. Well written by Jean M Grant and narrated by Rosalind Ashford.

The only thing I'd mention is that the narrator doesn't get the Scottish accent and pronunciation quite right at times but it doesn't distract from the great piece of work it is xxxxxxx