With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden

Bitterness is a hard thing to get over. Kate Livingston knows from experience how true this is: she lost two brothers to illness, a college scholarship to a boy from school, and her husband to a tragic accident.

Then that boy from school offers her a job. But in a clever twist that speaks of Elizabeth Camden‘s talent, Kate is not forced to take the job. Instead, she chooses to, which both reveals that Kate is a strong woman capable of making her own choices–and she is just a little mystified by how the horrible Trevor McDonough has changed over the intervening years since he stole a scholarship from her (somewhat fairly, quite injustly).

More about With Every Breath

I really liked the historical setting and medical drama-esque feel of this book. Trevor is determined to find a cure for tuberculosis, which at first seems to be the result of the disease taking the life of a dear friend of his. He sweeps Kate into the action, warning her from the outset of the danger and emotional toll. The fact that the antagonist in this novel was at times the disease was riveting.

I also thought the choice of location was interesting. Washington, D.C. is not where I would think to find a tuberculosis clinic and yet this is where Trevor is working–with Kate. Kate’s connections to the political side of the city proved a fascinating foray into how things were done in that city during the 20th century.

At times, the pace of this novel slowed for me and I just wanted to get back to the very action that first drew me in: the tense historical battle against tuberculosis, the medical drama of a doctor intent on beating a disease with the aid of a woman who once despised him, and the political machinations that thwart them. I never skim, but I was tempted to do so at times as paragraphs of description unrelieved by dialogue started to drag.

And that dialogue! Kate and Trevor certainly knew how to snap at each other, and I enjoyed how their competitive natures sent them sparring regularly–even after they started to fall in love.

The ending seemed a bit stretched, but I needed to hear the spiritual message of this novel, the one that Kate learns after Trevor’s secret is revealed, the one that I will leave you to discover for yourself…Though not my favorite Elizabeth Camden book (Into the Whirlwind beats all), With Every Breath is a lovely adventure unlike most found in historical romances.

Because this time the disease is the villian and secrets stack high.

About the Author

Elizabeth Camden is a research librarian at a small college in central Florida. Her novels have won the coveted RITA and Christy Awards. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband near Orlando, Florida.

Read my reviews of Elizabeth’s other books: Into the Whirlwind // Beyond All Dreams

Disclosure: Bethany House sent me this book to review. This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.