With Every Breath

In this emotionally charged contemporary series opener, the protagonists’ personal struggles for self-worth and redemption develop into pulse-pounding adventure and breath-stopping romance. Auden Woods doesn’t like taking risks, but hunger for a better career as a journalist has her seeking her breakout moment on a climb to the perilous summit of La Aguja, in the Patagonian wilderness. When she veers off the well-trodden path and gets caught in a chilling rainstorm, she begs another nearby climber for help. Skilled Scottish mountaineer Rhys MacAskill, seeking penance for a climbing accident in his past, wants no company, especially from journalists, as he challenges himself to conquer La Aguja. But he’s touched by Auden’s need for assistance and figures she’ll leave once the storm passes. As Auden pretends to be ignorant of Rhys’s fame, she realizes this could be a big scoop. After a night of closeness, Auden’s charming feistiness seems to quell Rhys’s sulkiness. They confront and overcome physical and emotional perils, becoming more content with themselves and each other, until something unexpected breaks their hearts and threatens their future. Riley (the Off the Map series) is one of the best at writing tormented heroes who are their own worst enemies, and this novel will delight her fans and new readers alike. Agent: Emily Kim, Prospect Agency. (Jan.)