Moment To Moment

She'd never been kissed this way. She'd never responded this way. Everything in her life had been slow and disciplined, well-planned and properly paced. Yet she felt alive now and decidedly reckless. She suddenly ached to know all it was that she's missed for so long. (p.201)

In search of a much needed escape this week, I immersed myself in a good ol' romance novel. And Moment To Moment by Barbara Delinsky did not let me down! Yes, it's the usual formula: girl meets boy, they try to fight their attraction to one another, they fall in love, they have obstacles to overcome, they overcome those obstacles with their new love for each other, and then they live happily ever after; but, ohhhhhh, it was just what I needed.

Dana has only been on her own for the past five years. Her asthma has caused her family to be overly protective all of her life. But now she leads her own life, runs on a regular basis, and seldom suffers from her disease. However, one night while running she has an attack and a handsome man stops to assist her. Enter into the story Russ, a confirmed bachelor who finds Dana to be everything he has ever wanted. After their brief encounter, he begins to court her very slowly per her directions. However, she keeps her asthma a secret from him because the condition makes her feel insecure, inadequate, and restrained. When their attraction is at its strongest and they finally profess their love for one another, Dana informs Russ of her medical condition as well as of her newest challenge, something that she has decided to accomplish in order to prove something to her family and others... but more importantly to herself.

Her voice grew tremulous. "I love you. But I won't be an invalid again. I want your love, your companionship, your protection, but not your smothering. At least not where my asthma is concerned." ... Finally he shook his head in defeat. "I don't know whether to throttle you or to hug you." Stretching one long arm up, he opted for the latter. "You have my love. You'll always have that. ..." (p.265)

Moment To Moment was a fast, dreamy, and (yes, sometimes steamy!) fun book to read. I recommend it to others looking for a brief romantic escape. Although technically this was my last book for the Romance Reading Challenge, I now plan to move on to my alternates list so that I can continue satisfying the romantic side of my reading adventures.