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Breathless (Merciless) Paperback – September 4, 2018
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From USA Today bestselling author W Winters comes an emotionally captivating and thrilling, romantic suspense.
Her lips tasted like Cabernet and her touch was like fire.
I was blinded by what she did to me. I so easily fell for something I thought I'd never have.
I was weak for her and should've known better. I should've known she could never love a man like me.
She brought out a side of me that I wish had stayed dead.
I won't make the same mistake twice.
I don't care how much she begs me.
I don't care that I crave her more than anything else...
- Print length298 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherWillow Winters Publishing LLC
- Publication dateSeptember 4, 2018
- Dimensions5 x 0.67 x 8 inches
- ISBN-101950862038
- ISBN-13978-1950862030
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Product details
- Publisher : Willow Winters Publishing LLC (September 4, 2018)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 298 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1950862038
- ISBN-13 : 978-1950862030
- Item Weight : 11.5 ounces
- Dimensions : 5 x 0.67 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,259,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #25,452 in Contemporary Women Fiction
- #122,055 in Contemporary Romance (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Click the "FOLLOW" button above to be notified of Willow's new releases!
Willow Winters is so happy to be a USA Today, Wall Street Journal and #1 Contemporary Bestselling Romance Author. She likes her action hot and her bad boys hotter. She certainly doesn’t hold back on either one in her writing!
Want a text alert when Willow has a new release? Text "Willow" to (302) 205-3701
All details about following Willow here: https://geni.us/3B53kF
Reading Order of the The Merciless World:
Possessive
A Kiss to Tell
Merciless Series (Merciless, Heartless, Breathless and Endless)
Irresistible Attraction trilogy (A Single Glance, A Single Kiss, A Single Touch)
Not My Heart To Break series (Hard To Love, Desperate to Touch, Tempted to Kiss & Easy to Fall)
What I Would for You trilogy (This Love Hurts, But I Need You & And I Love You The Most)
Shame on You Series (Tease Me Once, I'll Kiss You Twice)
Merciless World Spin Off:
Love The Way Series (Kiss Me, Hold Me, Love Me)
Tequila Rose World:
Tequila Rose & Autumn Night Whiskey
A Little Bit Dirty
To Be Claimed Saga:
Wounded Kiss
Gentle Scars
Primal Lust
You Are Mine World:
You Are My Reason & You Are My Hope (Mason and Jule's story)
You Know I Love You & You Know I Need You (Evan and Kat's story)
Tell Me You Want Me
Highest Bidder Series, cowritten with Lauren Landish:
Bought
Sold
Owned
Given
Valetti Crime Family Series:
Dirty Dom
His Hostage
Rough Touch
Cuffed Kiss
Bad Boy
Standalone Novels:
Sexy As Sin
Tell Me to Stay
Forget Me Not
It's Our Secret
Broken
Forsaken: A Dark Mafia Romance (cowritten with B. B. Hamel)
Standalones on the Sweeter Side:
Burned Promises
Second Chance
Knocking Boots
Promise Me: A Second Chance Romance
Bad Boys cowritten with Lauren Landish:
Inked: A Bad Boy Next Door Romance
Tempted: A Bad Boy Next Door Romance
Mr. CEO
Willow started writing after having her little girl, Evie, December 2015. All during her pregnancy with Evie she continued to read and she only wanted to read romance. She was reading a book a day — sometimes two.
In January 2016 Willow was staying up late with Evie and just thinking of all these stories. They came to her constantly so she finally sat down and just started writing. She always wanted to do it so she figured, why not? Today Willow cannot be happier for making that decision!
Happy reading and best wishes,
Willow xx
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book highly addictive with an incredible plot and deep emotional angst throughout. The writing is well-executed, and they appreciate the character development, with one review highlighting the surprise plot twists. Customers describe it as a dark, gripping read with an amazing forbidden romance, and one customer notes there's no unnecessary sex in the series.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the storyline of the book highly addictive, with an incredible plot that keeps them invested in the intense, suspenseful narrative.
"...It is brilliantly written and jam packed with gripping suspense, body numbing fear, and deep emotional angst...." Read more
"...This book ends on a cliffhanger, setting up the final book, Endless. Characters: 💙💙💙💙..." Read more
"...I absolutely love Carter and Aria! Their story is riveting, intense, frustrating, and played with my emotions...." Read more
"...These passionate, engaging, thought-provoking storylines have captured not only my attention but my heart as well...." Read more
Customers appreciate the emotional depth of the book, describing it as a heart-wrenching love story filled with deep emotional angst and body-numbing fear.
"...It is brilliantly written and jam packed with gripping suspense, body numbing fear, and deep emotional angst...." Read more
"...Their story is riveting, intense, frustrating, and played with my emotions...." Read more
"...Trust and forgiveness are in short supply. Gah! These passionate, engaging, thought-provoking storylines have captured not only my attention..." Read more
"...The emotions are also at an all time high and you are straight back into the despair of Carter and Aria’s unconventional love story...." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one noting the spectacular narrators in the series, while another appreciates the spacing between words and sentences.
"...Breathless is the best book of the series for me. It is brilliantly written and jam packed with gripping suspense, body numbing fear, and deep..." Read more
"...I love that space between words and sentences and ideas. It is her signature. Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️..." Read more
"...I jumped in with Merciless as my first story! Both narrators are spectacular for this series. I am looking forward to reading all in the series...." Read more
"...twists along with characters you have to adore lend to a reading experience that will leave you Breathless...." Read more
Customers love the characters in the book, with one review highlighting the surprise plot twists and another noting how they feel the main characters' pain.
"...He will do anything for her, well, almost anything. He’s the ultimate alpha male but make no mistake, cross him and you will pay the price...." Read more
"...Carter and Aria each on their own are amazing characters but together they are a force to be reckoned with...." Read more
"...Carter and Aria are complex, and so human that all you can do is empathize with them...." Read more
"Pros.....Awesome storyline, and characters with surprise plot twists as usual...." Read more
Customers enjoy the romance in the book, with one describing it as an amazing forbidden romance with steamy scenes, while another notes there wasn't unnecessary sex in the series.
"...However, Winters knows how to write their sexual encounters to be incredibly sexy. She spares no sexual act for these two...." Read more
"...You have the dark romance, which just adds to the story. The 2 are once again torn between their feelings and actions...." Read more
"...Carter and Aria's relationship is so complicated and delicious. I love them and their dynamic...." Read more
"...always good, will make you cry, a lot, add in some sexy, hot and naughty sex scenes, tear your heart out, and then leave you wanting more...." Read more
Customers appreciate the dark tone of the book.
"...I didn't really like them. But this one I liked. Finally a good dark read. I am loving how Aria is coming into herself...." Read more
"...Extremely dark and very good. I want to pick up a gun and join in. Lol...." Read more
"This book once again stole my heart. It was dark, gritty and full of passion...." Read more
"...And it’s a good complicated that will have you reading non stop. It’s dark and emotional and just good." Read more
Customers find the book gripping, with one mentioning it kept them glued to the pages.
"...right where book 2 ended and everything is still intense and kept me glued to the pages in this book...." Read more
"...first words this book steals your breath and grips your heart and never lets go!..." Read more
"I love this series! Gripping, thrilling, page turning, I couldn't stop reading until the book was done. I can't wait for Endless!" Read more
"Magnetic and gripping!..." Read more
Customers have mixed reactions to the breathlessness of the book, with some finding it leaves them breathless and noting it's the perfect title, while others express mixed feelings about this aspect.
"Breathless is the captivating third installment to the Merciless series...." Read more
"Breathless is the perfect title for book 3 in Willow Winters Merciless series because that is how you are going to feel while reading it...." Read more
"Breathless and begging for more!!!..." Read more
"This book is titled perfectly because this book will definitely leave you breathless. Carter & Aria I absolutely love...." Read more
Reviews with images

4.5 Stars!! Must Read!!
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2018.. 💗✫¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.✫ 💗˚ •。* 💗˚ ˚✰˚ ˛★* 💗° 。✫¸.•°*★* 💗° 🖤★* 💗° 🖤 🖤 ° 💗 *★ 🖤 ° 💗 *★
🖤★* 💗°★* 💗💗*★° 💗*★ 🖤 💗˚ •。* 💗˚ ˚✰˚ ˛★* 💗💗˚ ˚✰˚ ˛★* 💗° 。✫¸.•°* 💗 💗✫¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.✫ 💗˚ •。*
BREATHLESS COMPLETELY DEVOURED & DESTROYED ME & HAD MY STOMACH TWISTING IN KNOTS. I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT AND EVERY WORD IN THIS 5 STAR READ. 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
Breakout the shot glass, wine glass, or hell the whole dang bottle of whiskey because you’re going to need it to get through Breathless, book 3 in the Merciless Series by Willow Winters. Breathless is the best book of the series for me. It is brilliantly written and jam packed with gripping suspense, body numbing fear, and deep emotional angst. It completely destroyed my sense of safety and had my stomach twisting in knots….. In the best way…..
The book immediately continues where the second book, Heartless left off. The confrontation between the Cross’s and the Talvery’s. Betrayal lurks around every corner and once discovered, you are left with an aftermath of pure adrenaline from the sheer intensity of the fear Aria was struggling through, seeking safety, running and trying to save herself from the man loves. This involves a “box” and that’s all I’m saying. I knew in the first book that this box would play a pivotal role later in the story and I WAS SO RIGHT!!!!! Just thinking about it has my heart pounding and remembering how it felt like I was living it myself right along with Aria.
Thank you to Willow Winters for keeping Carter in character and not turning him into some lesser version of the alpha male he deserves to be, simply because he loves a woman. That’s what makes his character so believable. He makes no apologies for the decisions he makes even if those decisions ultimately break the woman he so covets. And covets he does. He will do anything for her, well, almost anything. He’s the ultimate alpha male but make no mistake, cross him and you will pay the price.
I absolutely love Aria. She is so strong yet so vulnerable. I tried to put myself in her position and question what I would do if I were in her shoes. I can honestly say I have no clue. But I love the fact that she stays true to her beliefs regardless of her love for Carter…and his punishments. She is loyal to EVERYONE, which in my eyes is admirable. She has grown so much since the story began.
The raw emotions this author brings to her characters’ lives, especially in this book is “UNFREAKINGBELIEVABLE!!!
The following quote, is in my opinion, a turning point in Aria’s life, this no-win situation she finds herself in… and is my favorite quote in the book.
“A Touch of shame washes over me as I think, I want to be a woman who could stand by Carter’s side. It’s shameful because this isn’t for Carter. This meeting isn’t for my father. Tonight, I’ll live up to my name. To be Aria Talvery, daughter of a ruthless crime lord and woman standing between two men waging war.”
I loved how Addison and Daniel’s characters are integrated into this story. Addison is strong willed yet so innocent and I loved how she befriends and is so protective of Aria. I also like Cason but I’m partial to Eli…. He stole a little piece of my heart and took it with him…..
A storm is brewing and lives are in jeopardy, lives are lost, and lives are saved. It’s good vs. evil ….. or evil vs. evil. It’s survival of the fittest. How do you choose one life over another if you love them both? How is it possible to carry on knowing the one you love is willing to wipe out your entire family? How do you determine which side should win? Read this series and you decide.
I recently said that I know I’m in for a hell of a read when I get hooked from the very first page I turn. That’s what’s exciting to me. It’s not the destination I seek, it’s the journey. Let me tell you that this book took me on such an exciting journey. I was never able to catch my breath. I was holding on for dear life, and prayed my heart would not stop and that I would make it through this highly intense and emotional read. Not only did I feel this from page one, I was left feeling the same way at the end of as well, which leaves me reeling with excitement for the final installment to Carter and Aria’s story, ENDLESS.
Hop on board and get ready for a ride you won’t soon forget and prepare to be blown away AGAIN!! Grab your copy of Breathless, a phenomenal 5 STAR read.
Carter and Aria…… They are a match made in Mafia Heaven.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2018Willow Winters’s current book, Breathless, is the latest offering in her Merciless series. This is the third book in a series of four, and it doesn’t disappoint. The third book follows the fall out from Aria’s decision to save her “family” from Carter and his brother. Carter and Aria have reached a stale-mate in their relationship, as Carter knows that once he kills Aria’s family, she cannot love him. Aria finds herself torn between her loyalty to her family and her love for Carter, which does not diminish in this book. This book ends on a cliffhanger, setting up the final book, Endless.
Characters: 💙💙💙💙
From Merciless, we were interested to the complex characters of Carter and Aria. At the start, even at odds, these two characters have a scorching chemistry. As a tortured soul, Carter seeks love. He needs it to redeem his soul. He believes he has found it in Aria, although he struggles to article his love for her. This causes Aria’s internal struggle. She feels his love, but she is never clear in it. When she chooses to save her family from Carter and his brothers, she knows she is complicating her love for him. While their chemistry still exists in book 3, the strife between the two complicates their lives. This is the main reason I offered only four hearts instead of five. At times, I grow weary of the inner dialogues of Carter and Aria as they repeat their issues over and over again. We know from the first book that either Carter will decide to forgo killing Aria’s father and Nickolai or Aria must realize that her father’s death will be the sacrifice to atone for his past sins with the Cross brothers. In Heartless, neither the characters have come to this conclusion, so they become repetitive in their responses.
Story: 💙💙💙💙
As this is the third book in a four- part series, the story continues following Aria and Carter’s story. There are some serious situations that occur in this book that hurt my heart, some deaths that were unexpected. As I mentioned above, the book ends on a cliffhanger that I can’t wait to read in Endless. I am waiting with bated breath to see how this story resolves.
Sexiness Quotient: 💙💙💙💙
As a dominant, the way Carter possesses Aria’s body is exciting. From the first book, I’ve always been suspicious of their sexual connection because he took her from her family. However, Winters knows how to write their sexual encounters to be incredibly sexy. She spares no sexual act for these two.
Style: 💙💙💙💙
There is something interesting about Winters’s writing. She puts space between her ideas wherein she doesn’t give you every detail or every thought of her characters. She allows you to fill it in for yourself. At times, this can be frustrating because you will read a sentence and wonder more about it, but she has moved on to another idea by the time she realize what she has done. I love that space between words and sentences and ideas. It is her signature.
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I think the only reason I held back a star for Breathless has more to do with my want to see the ending of this series. Not that I have become tired of it. Simply, I crave the future for Carter and Aria. Carter has endured so much pain and strife in his life, as has Aria. I would like to see their happy ending, and this book moves us closer to it but still holds it at arm’s length.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2018Breathless is the captivating third installment to the Merciless series. I loved Carter and Aria's story and was so torn between wanting to read it and slowly savor every word or devouring it as quickly as I could. I'll admit once I started I was hooked and refused to put down my Kindle until I got to the end.
I absolutely love Carter and Aria! Their story is riveting, intense, frustrating, and played with my emotions. I enjoyed the insight this book gave into Carter's character and I couldn't figure out if I wanted to knock some sense into him or just love him. Aria really started coming into her own in Breathless. There was definitely a scene or two where I was a bit surprised by her actions though I could definitely understand them. Carter and Aria each on their own are amazing characters but together they are a force to be reckoned with.
Breathless was a thrilling read that kept me on the edge of my seat guessing until the very end. Just when I thought i knew how Carter and Aria's story would go a huge twist was thrown into their story that left me breathless and eagerly anticipating the next book in this series. If you enjoy your reads a bit dark, intense, gritty and emotional then you should definitely check out Breathless.
Top reviews from other countries
- Claudia MReviewed in Canada on September 11, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Claudette
OMG I truly have no words to start with this book it was nothing short of captivating. I truly could not put this book down words can't explain how much I truly love this series I want my own bad boy lol. I would give this book 12 stars if it was alllowed. I highly recommend this book. I am on pins an needles waiting for the next book in this series. Willow winters u r truly an amazing author great work.
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Action packed
Gripping. So much more action in this that the previous books which blends with the progression of the story perfectly. So we'll written and highly recommend. I cant wait to see what happens next.
- gynniet17Reviewed in Australia on August 12, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars 41/2 stars
I lived for this....the war and I didn’t think it was going to get better but more fool me it was so darn good. I did get an odd feeling of here we go again with Carter and Aria 😉 but I think getting the gist of how everything came about, finally clicked when it left off on Book 2 and an understandably why Aria had to do it.
Just the characters and the plot of the story gets better and sometimes what you think happens doesn’t and I like that, but it also makes you think oh I hope nothing happens to him or to her but that’s it with this series you can’t know and you’re unprepared.
- Kindle CustomerReviewed in Australia on September 26, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed this book
I enjoyed this story about Carter Cross (eldest Cross brother) and Aria Talvery. I enjoyed their journey so far and I cannot wait to read the final book in this series to see what happens next.
- Miss InformedReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Leaves you like the title says
The third book in this series. War is here, but Aria wants Carter to spare her family, something he tells her he cannot do. He knows she loves him right now, but will she when this is over? He knows he loves her, but she doesn't think he does. Still compelling. I have to buy book 4.