Book Review: 'Remember to Breathe' is Deliciously Breathtaking

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Hey there, Gal Pals (and Guy Pals too),

It's been so long since I've been able to spend some time with you all. I've missed you. I've missed this. I'll get into all that stuff in another post, but I wanted to say hello, wish you all a happy summer, and share a review for a book I just finished from Jae El Foster, an author whose work I've enjoyed for a while now. Just a heads up: this book is strictly adults only! It's also written for the female reader, which I enjoyed because it made the more intimate scenes more passionate than just plain dirty, and the stories were plot-driven. We'll get into that a bit more after this disclaimer.

*Warning: this review contains spoilers about the erotic romance collection 'Remember to Breathe,' but the spoilers do not give away pertinent plot details and should not ruin your enjoyment of the book in any way.*

'Remember to Breathe: A Collection of Contemporary Erotic Romances' offers fans of Jae El Foster something new and, after a year of bloody and terrifying horror in 2021, something refreshingly different.

Let's backtrack a little to 2021. Foster started that year with a romantic comedy short in the anthology 'The Scent of a Man.' His story 'Exiled to Love' was a paranormal tale about a witch banished to live amongst the mortals on Earth with a ban on using her powers. While it was a truly funny romcom with a brilliantly crafted plot, it was the start of a trend for him that year. His follow up was the critically acclaimed zombie novel 'She Rises at Night' (read my review here). 'She Rises at Night' was as much a drama (and a love story) as it was horror, but it was written in a way that I'd never read before, and it haunted my dreams for a few weeks after.

After 'She Rises at Night,' Jae El released two novellas back to back in September 2021 - 'White Padded Room' and 'To Adventure.'

'White Padded Room' is the story of a man who witnesses his wife being murdered by the Devil. The Devil frames the husband for the crime, but the refusal to stray from his tale of what he saw - his sheer belief in the story - has him sentenced to an insane asylum. From there, the book continues with a brutal, slaughterhouse theme - but placed in an asylum. The lobotomy scene made me have to look away and pause for a bit. The ending was the most twisted and fitting I've read for any Jae El Foster book.

The shift back to romance began with that second September 2021 release 'To Adventure.' This one was actually a rerelease - first published in DCL Publications' anthology 'Enchanted Fairy Tales.' It features one of Foster's more reoccurring characters known as Madame Howell. But the focus is not on her. It is on a handsome, lively Prince who falls in love with another handsome, lively Prince. This story has beautiful LGBTQ+ love, romance, and fun, but it also has tragedy and darkness.

But here we are, two years later, and we've gotten something completely new and really really awesome from Jae El Foster. 'Remember to Breathe' is a collection of 11 contemporary erotic romances, with romcom, heart, drama, suspense, and everything you could ever want in your romance books - and there is no horror.

Stories like the opening tale 'Sheets' or the deliciously teasing 'Say My Name' gave me as many giggles as they did impure thoughts. 'Say My Name' especially tickled me. It's about a woman who owns a strip club and her husband who strips there. After years in the business, they decide to sell the club and move from the big city. They find a small town hoping to discover their new home there, but there are just some habits they can't seem to leave behind. The community picnic scene was the biggest highlight for me in this whole beautiful story. In 'Sheets,' a single woman whose one-night-stand slips away in the middle of the night, makes it her mission to find out why. When she spots him with another woman, she becomes more determined than ever to come out ahead in the situation. This story is quirky, funny, and has romance and steaminess just bursting from it! It is a perfect opening story for the collection.

'Train Ride to Heaven' and 'The Layover' focus more on the erotica aspects of the stories than they do in emphasizing the stories themselves as a whole. 'Train Ride to Heaven' is about a nervous woman on a train ride whose husband helps take her mind off her worries as he seduces and pleases her throughout the ride. The story itself is a quick and hot ride that keeps the pace going until it's reached its very satisfying ending. 'The Layover' has its moments for sure, where romcom is present through the start, but then, when two strangers must room with each other during the layover, the romcom fades back and the steamy deliverance of erotic bliss come full force.

Foster follows women in the workforce in this collection in the stories 'The Room Next Door' and 'The Hunk.' The first of these two is about a land scout and developer for a casino company who is sent to her latest job site. In the small motel room she's given to stay in, she begins to notice certain sounds coming from the other side of the wall behind her bed. They're not just any sounds, mind you. They are the sounds of a bed squeaking and moans and shouts of pleasure. Things get a bit wilder when she discovers the moans and grunts she's hearing in bed come from a handsome man at her worksite. Can she keep from mixing business with pleasure, or will she visit the room next door? I think you know that you want to find out. In 'The Hunk,' I just know I want that woman's job. She's a photographer for a major company and gets to photograph men in their underwear for a living. I mean... come on! Hello! Dream job! Anyway.... A new model is hired and he is gorgeous! But, he has no skill for the trade, despite references and headshots. Thusly, the photographer takes the model under her wing, and the heat rises from there. This is by far a favorite of mine in this collection.

Another favorite is 'The Preacher's Son.' It's the story of a divorced woman who has grown content in the solitude of her home. She is pushed to get out of her house and away from her books on a venture to church in hopes that the holy ghost will awaken her spirit. Well, her spirit gets awoken, but it's by the bad boy in church - none other than the preacher's son. This is definitely both a hot story and, believe it or not, a heartwarming story. I've read that Foster is the son of a preacher, so when it came to the heart of it, he ensured he didn't make himself or other preacher's sons look bad. It's a wonderful tale about choice, self-acceptance, and naughty romance.

'Remember to Breathe' is the title story of the anthology and is about a young beautiful librarian in a small town and the cultured bookworm who has a crush on her. After learning they have a lot in common, she agrees to a date with him, which proves to be quite the romantic date - one that I wouldn't mind going on myself. Another thing that 'Remember to Breathe' explores is virginity. It wipes the stigma from it and enhances the notion that it really is okay to wait for the right someone special. This is a great story and rather unexpected in a collection of stories where virginity is otherwise nonexistent.

'Unmasked' is the most fun story in the whole book! It's about a clumsy woman who keeps having chance encounters with a rather handsome man. However, fate keeps preventing them from actually being able to talk when they meet. Well.... fate and her very fast legs! It's not until she purchases a Catwoman-like catsuit that she finds the more uninhibited side of her personality and becomes a lot braver. This is a super great story full of sheer romcom bliss! It's a huge highlight of the book and one I'll surely enjoy over and over again!

Things get a lot more serious and romance plays very different parts in the next two stories - 'After the War' and 'One Good Reason to Stay.' The first of these explores the life of a woman whose husband is MIA following a war. She tries to move on with her life and finds work in order to keep her home, all without ever giving up hope that her husband will return. It's a tender, beautiful story that even includes a modern-day villain - a lech of a man who doesn't believe in taking no for an answer. The strength of the protagonist and how she handles this situation and others really made me applaud. While there is romance, and while there is romantic erotica, this story is definitely a contemporary drama and a must read.

In the collection's final tale 'One Good Reason to Stay,' a happily married couple find their life together met with tragedy. While this happens early, I don't want to give away too much but I do want to stress how deeply touching, tender, and caring this story is. Yes, it falls in line with the romance nature of the collection and, yes, it has the erotic that helps lead the collection, but this story is so much more. Anyone who has ever felt depressed or alone and believed there was no hope - maybe this story can help. I expected the final story in this book to be a really dirty, naughty romance, but I was wrong. Foster gave us that with the next-to-last story 'The Hunk.' Instead, with 'One Good Reason to Stay,' he gave us all a good reason to stay and a more than satisfactory ending to a roller coaster of fun and excitement within the collection.

With 'Remember to Breathe: A Collection of Contemporary Erotic Romances,' Jae El Foster has outdone himself once again. The collection is a breath of fresh air and some much needed fun. It is the first time I've read works like this from Foster and I hope he gives us plenty more like these in the future. I never read the collection he published in 2006 'Dirty Little Secrets,' as it is no longer available to purchase. If anyone has a digital copy they wouldn't mind sharing, please let me know.

'Remember to Breathe: A Collection of Contemporary Erotic Romances' is currently available in all electronic formats across the board. Kindle fans can find it at Amazon HERE.

Much love, Jenn 💋