With Every Breath
In Washington, DC, in 1891, when Kate Livingston is asked to apply for a hospital position, she jumps at the chance, even if the position is located in an experimental tuberculosis clinic. When she arrives, Kate discovers the clinic is operated by her childhood nemesis Trevor McDonough. The last time Kate saw Trevor, he robbed her of her only chance to go to college. Secretive and haughty, Trevor runs the clinic with funds from his own pocket. Kate loathes him, and yet she cannot pass up such an opportunity. The more Kate watches Trevor treat his patients, the more she grows to admire and love him, but when a mysterious opponent attempts to discredit Trevor, Kate must uncover Trevor’s past if there is any chance for a future together.
The story is filled with nuggets about tuberculosis and its late 19th-century treatments. The theme of the aloof hero with a hidden heart of gold seems a little tired, however. The argument that drives the pair apart and Kate’s sudden epiphany about God’s plan both feel contrived. Much stronger for its tuberculosis storyline than its romance, in this novel the bravery of those striving to find a cure for a hopeless disease is what lingers most.
