One Final Breath {A Book Review}

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for consideration. All thoughts expressed are 100% my own.

When investigator Gabriel 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 their complicated history with each other aside in order to uncover the identity of a killer. What they'll discover is that revenge has no statute of limitations.

Award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn closes out her nail-biting Dive Team Investigations series with a story that will have you wondering how long you can hold your breath.

Lynn H. Blackburn is the author of Beneath the Surface, In Too Deep, Hidden Legacy, and Covert Justice. Winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense, and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel, Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She's passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don't make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children.

One Final Breath is the third and final book in the Dive Team Investigations series by Lynn H. Blackburn. While you could probably read this as a standalone, I feel like you would likely get more from the book if you've read the previous. The characters from those books play a rather large part in this one, and having that back story on who they are and their relationships to each other makes the story that much better. While you could likely catch up, I think you might feel a bit lost at points.

I have been in love with this series since reading book one nearly a year and a half ago, so I was naturally THRILLED to finally read the last installment... though I must admit, I could read more and more! This book is absolutely fantastic, just as the rest of the series had been. In One Final Breath, we get to see the romance between Anissa and Gabe. Readers who've read the previous book will already be very familiar with these characters, and will enjoy getting the chance to learn more about them and watch their relationship blossom. They'll also love having the chance to see where the couples from the previous books are now too!

Romantic suspense is my absolute favorite genre, and Lynn H. Blackburn does it so well. She offers the perfect blend of romance with suspense to keep us intrigued. Though there were parts of the 'whodunnit' that I was able to figure out (vaguely, though not specifically), it for the most part kept me guessing right through the very end. I love a book that keeps me in the dark--- that's part of the fun of suspense! Within that, romance is certainly at the forefront. I love the characters created--- all with their own unique strengths and flaws that really made me as a reader root for them.

Being a Christian book, I love how seamlessly faith is weaved into the story. I feel like this series does tend to have a bit more of that content than some other books in the genre might, but it's weaved in very effortlessly as we see the characters pray and talk about their faith throughout. It doesn't come across as preachy to me, but rather how I might imagine these relationships with God would play out given the situations at hand.

Overall, this was a fantastic book that I would highly recommend. While I am sad to see the series end, I could not think of a better way to close it out. I will be anxiously awaiting more great stories from this author in the future!