Thoughts: Hard Target

Hard Target

by Pamela Clare
Book 1 of Cobra Elite

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.5 Stars

Derek Tower has spent his life at war, first as a Green Beret and then as the owner of a private black-ops company, Cobra International Security.  When a high-ranking US senator asks Cobra to protect his daughter, a midwife volunteering in Afghanistan, Derek’s gut tells him to turn the senator down.  The last thing he wants to do is babysit an aid worker.  But Jenna isn’t just another assignment.  She’s also the younger sister of his best friend, the man who died taking bullets meant for him.  There’s no way Derek can refuse.

Jenna Hamilton doesn’t need a bodyguard, especially not one hired by her intrusive and controlling father.  She knew the risks when she signed on to work in rural Afghanistan, and the hospital already has armed security.  She also doesn’t need the distraction of a big, brooding operative skulking about, even if he is her late brother’s best friend—and sexy as hell.  As far as she’s concerned, he can pack up his Humvee and drive into the sunset.  And, no, nothing her hormones have to say about him will change her mind.

From the moment his boots hit the ground in Afghanistan, Derek does his best to win Jenna over, posing as her brother so the two of them can spend time alone.  Except that what he feels for her is anything but brotherly. Stolen moments lead to secret kisses—and an undeniable sexual attraction that shakes them both to the core.  But events have been set into motion that they cannot escape. When a ruthless warlord sets his sights on Jenna, Derek will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if it costs him his heart—or his life.

This was another enjoyable romantic suspense from Pamela Clare, and as per usual, I bowled right through this one, stopping once only to go to sleep after three hours of being unable to set the book down.  But why the average rating?

The truth is, Pamela Clare books are wonderfully easy to slip into and get caught up in.  There's a certain attractiveness to her work that I somehow manage to hook onto without realizing it.  Her characters and story lines have heart, and she's actually rather good at writing suspense, and making you want to keep reading to find out how it all ends.  But one of the things that I've always found that Pamela gets carried away with is the schmaltz, and sometimes a way of presenting characters and situations that seem too deliberately structured to be perfect.  If that makes any sense.  It's hard to describe.

I don't mind it, because those instances are quickly overshadowed by the stuff that I DO love about her books.

Anyway, Hard Target was a pretty good start to a new series, taking place in the same world as her other romantic suspense series, I-Team, which is nice, because then you get a chance to briefly revisit some favorite characters from the past.  I especially loved the sparse guest appearances from Holly Andris, as I think she will forever be my favorite of the I-Team heroines.  And unfortunately, her few brief appearances kind of managed to overshadow our main heroine in this book, if only because, of all the Pamela Clare heroines, Holly has been the only one so far who gives us a streak of bad-ass that I loved.

No offense, and maybe this is my own issue, but for the most part, Jenna Hamilton, and the majority of the I-Team heroines (except maybe Kat James), somehow tend to end up being overly sensitive to a lot of things.  I'm not saying that Holly is without compassion or anything, quite the opposite, but she also never got faint or anything at the slightest evidence of evil.  She took things in stride, did her job, saved the world, and moved on.

But this review is about Hard Target, so let's go back to Jenna and Derek.

Truth is, while this book was pretty entertaining and attention-hooking, I did find that I wished it had been a bit more fleshed out.  Hard Target is a pretty standard romance, featuring the standard hero and heroine with hearts of gold, who are just great people all around and no flaws.  Story-wise, our author does well to bring awareness to the terrible treatment of women in Afghanistan, the lack of women's health, the lack of prenatal care, and the lack of, or even unwillingness to understand the importance of it all.  We get to see how even a Westerner like Jenna is expected to abide by cultural dictates--not speaking or even being seen in the presence of men she is not related to, as it somehow is seen as her attempting to tempt men and be flirtatious, which is evil.  We get to see how her one time breaking of the cultural rule, albeit out of the goodness of trying to save a young mother and her baby, almost caused trouble to the hospital that could have ended in her being beaten and flogged.

It's a terribly horrific thing to even think about.

The story progression itself presented well, but I feel like the entire book and each scene was a bit short and rushed.  Maybe that was just me.  The romance between Derek and Jenna was typical of Pamela Clare's love stories, but I DID like that Jenna was so open about her wants and her desires in a non-traditional romance heroine kind of way.  As per usual, the action and suspense was good, even if some parts might have been a bit overmuch.

And once again, I liked seeing Holly again, and hope to see more brief cameos from her in future... of course, only if we can naturally slip her into the story.  =P

All-in-all, a pretty good start to a new series, even if I feel like it still had potential to be seen.

***

Booklikes-opoly 2019

Roll #1:
How it fits:  Book is set in Afghanistan
Page Count:  261
Cash:  $3

Brief Thoughts: Ride the Fire

Ride the Fire

by Pamela Clare
Book 3 (final) of Blakewell/Kenleigh Family trilogy

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0  Stars

Sometimes survival isn't just about staying alive...

Widowed and alone on the frontier, Elspeth Stewart will do whatever it takes to protect herself and her unborn child from the dangers of the wilderness and of men.  Though her youthful beauty doesn't show it, she is broken and scarred from the way men have treated her.  So when a stranger wanders onto Bethie's land, wounded and needing her aid, she takes no risks, tying him to the bed and hiding his weapons before ministering to his injuries.

But Bethie's defenses cannot keep Nicholas Kenleigh from breaking down her emotional walls.  The scars on his body speak of a violent past, but his gentleness, warmth, and piercing eyes arouse longings in her that she never imagined she had.  As Nicholas and Bethie reveal to each other both their hidden desires and their tortured secrets, they discover that riding the flames of their passion might be the key to burning away the nightmare of their pasts.

Whether it was because of the non-stop action, or the survival story line, Ride the Fire ended up being my favorite of the three Blakewell/Kenleigh Family trilogy books.  Nicholas ended up being my favorite of the three heroes presented in this trilogy.  Bethie, on the other hand, was really standard for a romance novel heroine, as a damsel in distress, and the kindhearted, innocent angel.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the romance in this book more than I did the previous two books.  In a way, the two main characters were more on equal footing at the beginning, with Bethie not knowing Nicholas's true identity, only knowing that he's a trapper and frontiersman.  Unlike the previous two books, there was no sense that one party had more power than the other, that one side was more subordinate to the other.  Aside from all the kept secrets, the two of them seemed to get along quite sincerely and honestly.

Meanwhile, Ride the Fire also seemed more like an adventurous journey, as we followed our main couple through the frontier towards the east back to safer ground, away from the wars and battles between the Indians, the frontiersmen, and the British army.

In spite of the book being first and foremost a romance, this was also quite fun to follow.  In a way, it also kind of reminded me of one of Pamela Clare's contemporary romantic suspense novels, Breaking Point, if only because the main couple spends a good chunk of time trying to survive the harsh wilderness while avoiding human predators.  And the danger just never seemed to let up.

As I'd stated the adventure part really drew me in, and to be frank, after the two reach civilization, the book kind of plateaus.  And the battle scenes were pretty well-outlined, to be honest.  The romantic angst might have been overdone a bit.  And finally, the ending managed to wrench some FEELS out of me.  The reunion scene between Nicholas and his family was all sorts of heart-warming--kudos!

I really, really enjoyed reading this book.  And a lot more of the typical Pamela Clare style is starting to shine through--at least what I'm familiar with from what I've already read of her books.

Some Thoughts: Carnal Gift

Carnal Gift

by Pamela Clare
Book 2 of Blakewell/Kenleigh Family trilogy

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.5 Stars

"I expect you to show my friend just how grateful you are.  Your willingness is everything.”

With those harsh words, the hated Sasanach earl decided Bríghid's fate.  Her body and her virginity were to be offered up to a stranger in exchange for her brother's life.  Possessing nothing but her innocence and her fierce Irish pride, she had no choice but to comply.

But the handsome man she faced in the darkened bedchamber was not at all the monster she expected.  His green eyes seemed to see inside her.  His tender touch calmed her fears while he swore he would protect her by only pretending to claim her.  And as the long hours of the night passed by, as her senses ignited at the heat of their naked flesh, she made a startling discovery: Sometimes the line between hate and love can be dangerously thin.

Carnal Gift wasn't much different from Sweet Release in terms of angst and content matter, to be honest.  While the story was quite different, we didn't stray far from the whole formula of the villain wanting to force the heroine into bed with him, and the hero being the hero and saving the heroine's life over and over again.  Meanwhile, we also revisit the whole "hero and heroine are forbidden to be together" device, although this time around, I think that the romance faced more tangible barriers based on law and religion, and other societal and cultural conflicts.  In contrast, Sweet Release needed only to prove that Alec Kenleigh was Alec Kenleigh and all was well, and Happily Ever After.

That doesn't mean that I didn't see the similarities in the two story lines, which made it a little hard to enjoy this book as much as I was maybe meant to.  It didn't escape my notice that this book (and now that I think about it, even Sweet Release), seemed to be written in an "epic saga romance" type of light.  The truth is, I'm not sure if it managed to do that.

On the other hand, it's not like I didn't enjoy this book.  Pamela Clare's writing has this way of pulling you right in.  Whether it's her writing style or just that sense of righteousness that emanates from her main characters, I always find that I can't put her books down.  I DID love the detail given to the Gaelic culture and history.  While some of it felt too deliberately placed, I still found some of it interesting.

Unfortunately, the characters didn't really do anything for me.  While I found young Jamie in the first book quite charming for a four year old boy, adult Jamie in this book is kind of a jackass.  Brighid was a typical standard damsel in distress, and I honestly don't have much to say about her.  Brighid's brothers weren't really all that likable, both because they never seemed to understand how much danger and trouble they were in, and put their own pride before everyone else's lives.  It was quite frustrating.

I liked Matthew and Elizabeth enough as the parental figures in the story, but they didn't really appear a whole lot.

Then there was the standard Pamela Clare repetitive exposition fairy conversations that I've gotten used to seeing in many of her books.  Her characters just can't seem to help but to keep talking about the events that occurred to everyone they come across.  These don't really bug me as much, but I found it interesting that this wasn't really a thing in Sweet Release.

Still, I was entertained and found myself finishing the book pretty quickly.

Some Thoughts: Sweet Release

Sweet Release

by Pamela Clare
Book 1 of Blakewell/Kenleigh Family trilogy

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.5 Stars

For five pounds in cash, the convict was hers. Though Cassie hated the slave trade, her Virginia plantation demanded the labor, and she knew this fevered man would surely die if she left him.  But as his wounds healed and his muscled chest bronzed in the sun, Cassie realized Cole Braden was far more dangerous than his papers had indicated—for he could steal her breath with a glance and lay siege to her senses with a touch.

Abducted, beaten, and given a new name, Alec went from master of an English shipbuilding empire to fourteen years of indentured servitude in the American colonies.  There, he was known as Cole Braden, a convicted ravisher and defiler of women.  And while he longed to ravish the auburn-haired beauty who owned him, he knew his one hope of earning her love—and his freedom—was to prove his true identity.  Only then could he turn the tables and attain his ... Sweet Release.

Pamela Clare books never cease to be addictive for me because of the fact that they're often well-written and contain a lot of heart.  I'm more familiar with Pamela's contemporary series, and will usually devour them in one read through.

Sweet Release was no exception, although there were some parts where I wished the book would either get on with it, or stop creating so much added drama towards the end--a lot of the ending felt a bit deliberate in creating more suspense than necessary.  I feel like, maybe a whole lot more went on in this book than was actually necessary.  And while I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this book and got hooked, I really didn't have any strong feelings towards the two main characters, one way or another.

I DID feel like Cassie was more shrill than I liked, and was inconsistent in her behavior.  Some moments she would show some backbone and stand up for what she believed in, other times she would back down and let others walk all over her.  It got frustrating, and it's not like I expected her to HAVE too much of a backbone and stand up to the men in the book--this is a historical taking place in the 1700s after all where women were treated no better than chattel, and any kind of attempt at back talk or expressing opinions either got belittled or reprimanded.  But I still wish she could have been a bit more consistent.

Alec had his moments, but came off a bit of an ass.

In contrast, I loved all the background characters much more than the main characters.

This is probably the first time I've read a historical taking place during this time frame, set in the Americas when slavery was so prominent.  I can't say one way or another whether the historical aspects were handled properly or accurately (history was never my best subject), but it certainly managed to bring to surface how terrible people were treated, based on class, gender, and race.

Story wise, I was truly only interested in finding out how Alec would reclaim his real identity, though it didn't take a lot of sleuthing to know who was behind his abduction in the first place.  The rest of the story got super angsty, and even the main villain of the story felt kind of comic.

Overall, this could have been a better book, even if I DID get hooked into it and finished it in pretty much one sitting.

Thoughts: Holding On

Holding On

by Pamela Clare
Book 6 of Colorado High Country

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

A hero barely holding on…

Harrison Conrad returned to Scarlet Springs from Nepal, the sole survivor of a freak accident on Mt. Everest. Shattered and grieving for his friends, he vows never to climb again and retreats into a bottle of whiskey—until Kenzie Morgan shows up at his door with a tiny puppy asking for his help. He’s the last person in the world she should ask to foster this little furball. He’s barely capable of managing his own life right now, let alone caring for a helpless, adorable, fluffy puppy. But Conrad has always had a thing for Kenzie with her bright smile and sweet curves. One look into her pleading blue eyes, and he can’t say no.

The woman who won’t let him fall…

Kenzie Morgan’s life went to the dogs years ago. A successful search dog trainer and kennel owner, she gets her fill of adventure volunteering for the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. The only thing missing from her busy life is love. It’s not easy finding Mr. Right in a small mountain town, especially when she’s unwilling to date climbers. She long ago swore never again to fall for a guy who might one day leave her for a rock. When Conrad returns from a climbing trip haunted by the catastrophe that killed his best friend, Kenzie can see he’s hurting and wants to help. She just might have the perfect way to bring him back to the world of the living. But friendship quickly turns into something more—and now she’s risking her heart to heal his.

I have a love for all things animals, and I'm also extremely interested in aspects of Search and Rescue, especially of the doggy variety.  So knowing that Kenzie and her lovely golden retriever, Gizmo, are a wonderful SAR K9 team was already a winner for me.  To make things even better, Pamela doesn't skimp on the SAR aspects of this book, which as been true from the outset of Colorado High Country.

Sure, sometimes the activities can get a little mundane, but unlike another book with a Search and Rescue dog involved that I'd read a while back, this one gets more involved than just using the descriptor as part of the character bio.  We got to see a little bit of the training, and some of the activities that SAR dogs participate in; we got to see Gizmo renew his SAR status.

It also helped that we got to see Kenzie in the middle of training a new SAR dog, with the introduction of Gabby at the beginning of the book.  Puppies make my heart melt.

Which is probably why I'm rambling in this review.

Yes, this is a book about romance.  But the doggies were really the stars.

Not that the rest of the book wasn't great.  Pamela has a way of infusing her books with tons of heartfelt moments, and a lot of significant things to think about.

And as much as I'm not a huge fan of the "love can cure all ailments" trope, I actually thought the idea was quite apt in this book.  Because falling in love with Kenzie wasn't the only factor that brought Harrison back out of his deep depression after surviving the Mt. Everest ascent that took his best friend's life, as well as the lives of two other climbers.  I liked that other people played a role as well, between the SAR team leader, Megs being the voice of reason who brings him home and snaps him out of other dark moments, to the wonders that having a puppy can bring to anyone, period.

There was also the inclusion of Esri, the therapist and Harrison's strange willingness to open up to her and just talk about what happened.  While I thought that that might have been a little too easy, I still appreciate the fact that we have a professional therapist helping Harrison, rather than just throwing the "love cures everything" trope out there.

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert at this type of thing.  But I'm glad that Pamela doesn't just stick her characters with dark pasts or tragic histories, and then just lets those incidents lie there as simply a part of their back story.  I like that she actually addresses the issues, rather than, once again, letting the "love cures all" trope take over.

And let's not forget how well Pamela does suspense as well.  She can't seem to get away from it, no matter that Colorado High Country is a contemporary romance series; most of the books in this series have had a brief suspense tangent included.  Let's face it, Ms. Clare--you love romantic suspense as much as the rest of us do.  Let's roll out some more I-Team novels!

Thoughts: Close to Heaven

Close to Heaven

by Pamela Clare
Book 5 of Colorado High Country

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.0 Stars


A few days prior to publishing this book, Pamela had written a blog post about how Close to Heaven was supposed to have been a Christmas novella, but that it ended up being long enough to be novel-length.  So rather than being a Christmas novella special for the Colorado High Country series, it is now the fifth installment of the series.

As I finished the second half of the book, I couldn't help but wonder whether, maybe, this story would have worked out better as a shorter, novella-length work.

This isn't to say that the book was terrible, but I certainly felt like it dragged on the last half of the story.  I easily saw Pamela's vision and direction for Close to Heaven, but I'm not sure it was necessarily a smoothly executed one.

Nonetheless, even with my misgivings and conflicts about how this novel was presented, I can't deny that, as usual, Pamela always creates a great story, story premise, and characters, with a lot of heart.


The Story:
It is about a month before Christmas and Scarlet Springs is expecting a wintry snow storm in the next few days.  Rain Minear has been feeling lonely ever since her daughter left for college, and she hasn't been able to catch the eye of her boss, Joe Moffat, whom she has been in love with for the past twenty years.  During the night, she starts to wonder if maybe it's time to move on with her life, and maybe start over in another place away from her childhood home of Scarlet Springs.

What she doesn't expect is that her roof would collapse because of the heavy snow, and she would be left without a home, all too suddenly.  Fortunately for her, Joe is generous and caring, and offers to house her at his home until the snow clears and she can find a place to stay.  Unknown to Rain, though, is that Joe has also harbored the same feelings for her these past twenty years, but has never felt right acting on them due to his own rules for not messing around with his own employees.  On top of that, a sordid family history has also influenced Joe's outlook for his own future.

This Christmas, however, it seems that life has some other plans for the both of them.


My Thoughts:
The first thing that came to mind, surprisingly, was the fact that I had thought Rain was younger--the way she'd been described from the first book, I had had the impression that Rain was in her early twenties, or something.  Apparently, I was a little off, or just didn't really pay attention, even though she was one of the side characters I'd hoped to see a story for.

So when the summary came out that this was Joe's and Rain's love story, I was intrigued.  Throughout the series' first few installments, Joe is clearly an older man--which, at least I didn't mistaken his age.  I wondered how this relationship would play out, my mind thinking that Joe Moffat, in his forties, had at least twenty years on Rain, whom I'd thought was in her twenties.

Then Rain was introduced in this book as thirty-seven years old.  Okay, not as young as I'd thought, but still ten years younger than Joe, according to the narration.  It's still a bit of an age gap, so we can still play on that age gap thing.  Or at least, for a while, it was one of the reasons Joe gave for not making a move on Rain.

Even though that particular reason seemed to NOT be a reason, left behind and forgotten.  It was still a significant factor, of course--Rain had gotten pregnant twenty years ago, with a man ten years her senior, who then proceeded to abandon her.  So Joe didn't want to come off like that jackass.

Then, reason after reason came out for why Joe never made a move on Rain for the past twenty years...  TWENTY YEARS.  And we'll come back to these reasons, but, really, I know Rain has her own misgivings, but twenty years is quite the time for two adults to be lusting after each other NOT to notice.  And twenty years is also a long time for Rain to hold a crush on a guy and not do anything about it--she seems like the straight-forward type, and certainly she held no misgivings about making any moves during the course of this story.

I guess that's why we have a story.  And maybe all it took was for her to have a random opportunity.  Like, say, maybe being stuck living in Joe's home while she awaited her insurance claim, and for the snow to melt off her crumpled property.  And maybe for Joe to get a few hard-ons while she's around so she could finally conclude that maybe Joe was interested in her as much as she was interested in him.

I don't know.  It just seems overly convenient a plot.

Anyway, as for Joe's own issues:  He pretty much refuses to make a move on Rain for so many reasons.  His ancestor was a terrible, terrible man who had taken from people, murdered, and forced sex on his own female employees.  And Joe was of the notion that he didn't want to be anything like his ancestor, Silas Moffat.  In fact, Joe's guilt and shame, brought on by all the horrible things that ancestor Silas had done when the man first settled in Scarlet Springs about a century ago, has even made Joe feel like the Moffat name should die with him.  After all, according to him, his grandfather was also a horrible person, and so was his own father.

Somehow, Joe came out the decent man in the Moffat line.  And he's worried that he'd end up starting a family, giving birth to a son, who ends up inheriting previous Moffat male characteristics for evil-doing.  Apparently with all the knowledge and smarts that Joe has, he hasn't figured out the concept of "Nature versus Nurture."  Nor has he stopped to wonder that he was able to become different from his previous male relations.

So Joe refuses to make a move on Rain because she's his employee and he's ten years her senior; he doesn't want to abuse his authority over her.

It just seems like a lot of wasted time, you know.  Twenty years goes by, and even while the two of them are good friends and colleagues, working well together to run the bar, restaurant, and brewery, known as Knockers... well, it just seems like a lot of wasted time where someone could have made a move, or someone could have recognized feelings, whether lust or deeper.


Close to Heaven is up to Pamela Clare standards as far as characters, writing, and heart are concerned.  The schmaltz factor is more subtle in this book.  However, the ending half felt a little dragged out, even after our couple finally acknowledge feelings.  Because then we're just spending time slowly ambling towards that Happily Ever After as the days move forward towards Christmas.  Like, that maybe Christmas was the ultimate end location for this story, and everything from the mid-mark where Rain and Joe finally reciprocate feelings, moving forward, was just filler until the time was right.

I'm not saying it was terrible or anything.  It was sweet and enjoyable and heart-warming--probably what our lovely author was aiming for.  But I just felt like maybe that section of the book could, maybe, have been shortened a little bit.  Because I couldn't help but get the feeling that that latter half of the book went on forever.  And it makes me feel bad, because I DO love a great Pamela Clare romance novel, and Close to Heaven was, once again, very sweet, even if a bit frustrating on Joe's part since he was being so stubborn about Rain.

I mean, for crying out loud, she practically jumped him, and then paraded around naked in front of him, and he STILL thought he'd be the one in the wrong if he made a move.  Even after Rain tells him that she wants him.

And so, props to rain for not letting herself get stuck on this relationship.  After a couple of rejections, she finally just moves herself on and stops her own advances.

But enough of that.  The Happily Ever After happens, feelings are reciprocated, and the book was enjoyable on certain levels.  I'm satisfied enough.


***

The 16 Tasks of the Festive Season

16 Festive Tasks -- Yuletide

I read Close to Heaven for Square 9 -- Yuletide:  A book that is set in the midst of a snowy or icy winter.  Most of the book takes place during a big snow storm that pretty much closes down the entire little town of Scarlet Springs.

Meanwhile, as I was reading this book, I found how many other squares this book would fit.  Although being that this book is the fifth in an ongoing Contemporary Romance series, I don't know how much this helps.

• Square #1 | Calan Gaeaf:  There is a supporting character named Rose.
• Square #4 | Penance Day:  Our MC, Joe spends most of the book struggling over his guilt over the terrible things his ancestor had done to people over a century ago, and feels that he needs to give back to the community what his ancestor took from them.
• Square #5 | Advent:  There is a Christmas tree showing in the background of this book, which, of course, is a pine tree.  I don't know how much of a stretch this would be since it's a little hard to see unless you look closely.
• Square #7 | Saint Lucia's Day:  Obviously, snow features as one of the main events in this book, which is kind of what gives our couple a reason to end up stranded under the same roof.
• Square #10 | Pancha Ganapati:  There is red on the cover.
• Square #11 | Soyal:  This book is set in Colorado.
• Square #13 | Christmas:  The MC is named Joseph Moffat.

This book also takes place leading up to Christmas, if that will count for one of the Holiday Book Joker options.

Rambling Thoughts: Tempting Fate

Tempting Fate

by Pamela Clare
Book 4 of Colorado High Country

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.5 Stars


Basically, my first thought upon seeing this new Pamela Clare release was:  "Another historical?"  But then I realized this was the fourth installment of Colorado High Country and I freaked out!  Because, how did I miss this book's release?

Well, that situation got remedied real quickly.


The Story:
Chaska Belcourt and his sister Winona chances upon Naomi, wounded and unconscious after a struggle for her life from a pair of escaped convicts.  Because of a flippant challenge Chaska had given to the Creator, followed by their wolf companion, Shota, rushing off and leading them to Naomi, Winona believes that fate had intervened, bringing the "right woman" into Chaska's path.

But Chaska is hard pressed to believe that fate had anything to do with it since Shota was the one who found Naomi.

Meanwhile, as Naomi recovers from her injuries--a broken ankle, surgery, and a vandalized car--she is surprised to find how friendly and helpful all the residents of Scarlet Springs are.  Naomi had had to learn how to take care of herself after running away from her cult-like adopted family, a place where children are punished harshly for the smallest slights, and where her adopted father controls every aspect of everyone's life in his community.  This type of kindness is new to her, and the togetherness in which Scarlet's residents present is a novelty she slowly begins to hope could be part of her own life.

With Chaska and Winona offering her a place to stay until she can get back on her feet, Naomi comes to love her hosts as well as the small town of Scarlet Springs; and soon starts to believe that maybe she's found somewhere to belong.  Meanwhile, the attraction between Chaska and Naomi is unmistakable, and even Chaska has to admit that maybe his sister was onto something about fate leading him to the woman he was meant to be with.


My Thoughts:
Tempting Fate read like two stories in one, starting off with a semi-contemporary romance with a romantic suspense lingering in the background.  Naomi's escape from the convicts and then the hunt to find them.  Meanwhile, Naomi spends her time recovering in the Belcourt siblings' home, trying to figure out how to get her life back together while fearing that the convicts may come back for her.

The second half was straight up contemporary romance, and there is a very slight distinction between the two halves at the 50% mark.  The convicts are captured and now Naomi and Chaska's romance takes center stage.  In this portion, a lot of mundane, day-to-day activities and events occur, such as little romantic dates, a few Team rescues, and big team dinners, and of course, the steamy sexy times.

We could call it two parts of one story.

First of all, I love how our author infuses so much heart into all of her work.  Her characters are always good people, and her message is always positive.  This is a standard Pamela Clare story.

And alongside this, she also  always tries to bring awareness to a lot of different things; in this case, the Native American community, citing historical events and facts about places like Wounded Knee, or giving us a glimpse of what life is like living on a reservation.  Her infusion of the customs and traditions of the Lakota is definitely inspirational, while giving us a glimpse of a contemporary Lakota family and a couple, simply going about their lives, not restricted to stereotypes given by society or media.

It's certainly something to think about.

Tempting Fate is a sweet, lovely contemporary romance, written well, with a great set of characters.

I suppose if I had to complain about something, it would be the somewhat over-dramatic emotional scenes that Pamela will sometimes drop into her romances.  She has the tendency to go a little overboard with her character's emotional reactions to any and all events, which will sometimes make me picture her heroine in a sobbing voice almost 90% of the time, and her heroes always clenching their jaw at every negative slight he perceives being directed at his true love.

I sometimes also imagine swooning, and those old fashioned covers where the couple is barely dressed and there's wind blowing, for whatever reason.  I mean, all this particular cover is missing is a half-dressed woman, since we've already got heaving man-bosoms.

Add onto that the schmaltzy dialogue during love scenes, and sometimes I have a hard time suspending disbelief.  Not that I've ever been in a relationship before, but it just doesn't seem believable that people talk and act like that.

Then again, like I've stated, there is so much heart presented in Pamela's work that it's hard to stay frustrated with the little quibbles.  Instead, you just move on and enjoy the rest of the story.  Even if the story is a little disjointed, with most of the main conflict resolved before the halfway mark, and then the last half of the book simply filler material to slowly tie together all the loose ends.

Because, after all, all the characters are great characters, and Pamela is a great writer, regardless.  As I'd stated before, I honestly have and still enjoy her romantic suspense books much more.  And no matter the amount of schmaltz, I still find her books entirely enjoyable, if only because she understands when to cut the schmaltz so that it doesn't become too over the top.

Anyway...

I DID enjoy the little road trips that Chaska takes Naomi on, from one area to another along the mountain ranges, from one little town to another.  And I always enjoy seeing the day-to-day activities of the SAR Team.

Overall, this was an entertaining read, and I hope the next book will be about Chaska's sister.


***

Free Friday #3:

Page Count:  322
Cash Award:  +$6.00

Updated Bank Balance:  $137

Thoughts: Falling Hard

Falling Hard

by Pamela Clare
Book 3 of Colorado High Country

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars


I had been anticipating the release of Pamela's newest book since there was an announcement that it would be published at the end of 2016.  When it still hadn't come out yet, I found myself a little disappointed.

But here it is, and as is per usual with me, I tend to devour Pamela Clare books like a favorite meal.

And I'll admit, while she seems to be breaking out the schmaltzy once again, I never cease enjoying her books, especially when she creates characters that are just so easy to fall in love with.

Truth be told, I liked this installment more than the previous one, as the romance develops in a more favorable and believable direction, and there is a lot less schmaltz, and a whole lot of sweet with the presence of the three-year-old twins.  This comes as a surprise to myself since I have a secret soft spot for firefighters, and was probably more surprised that I didn't end up loving the second book featuring Fire Chief of Scarlet Springs, Eric Hawke after I finished reading it months ago.

Moving along...


The Story:
Ellie Meeks is a Gold Star wife, raising a set of twins alone--her late husband having never even had a chance to meet his children.  For the past three years, she'd been surviving day-to-day just to raise her children, but not truly able to move on.  Even though Dan had made her promise she would move on and live a happy life if anything ever happened to him, Ellie has never found the pull to do so.

On a snowy night, with two sick children, a load of groceries, and a car that wouldn't start, she meets Jesse Moretti for the first time.  He helps her get herself and her kids safely home, then also offers to arrange for her car to be towed.  It's pretty much a mutual attraction at first sight, and knowing that Jesse is part of the elite Search & Rescue Team of Scarlet Springs, as well as a friend of friends, Ellie cannot help anticipating their next meeting, allowing a spark of interest in men to develop for the first time in three years since she lost her husband.  The best part, he lives right next door!

Jesse is a newcomer in Scarlet Springs, having settled in the small mountain town in order to find peace and get Iraq and war out of his head.  As an adrenaline junkie and a natural athlete, there isn't any dangerous sport he wouldn't participate in, and finds a natural high in mountain climbing and extreme sports.  While he's attracted to Ellie as well, he feels that he has no place bringing his own demons into her life, and in kind, he doesn't feel he could take on Ellie's baggage as a grieving widow as well.  He's got his own problems to deal with, least of all his currently recovering psyche, still feeling the guilt from having been unable to save a little girl from being washed away in rapids recently.

But as the two start to see more of each other, the chemistry is hard to deny, and soon Ellie and Jesse begin to feel more than just sexual tension and lust.  And maybe they can find a way to help each other move forward into a new life together.


My Thoughts:
I've always loved Pamela Clare's romantic suspense books, and while contemporary romance isn't the first genre I will reach for, it most certainly fills those in-between gaps when you want to watch a couple find their happily ever after without spending eighty percent of the book running for their lives.  Unfortunately, it means I need to be prepared to roll through 300+ pages of mundane, daily happenings...

Fortunately, Pamela has a knack for reeling you right into her books, falling in love with her characters, and feeling as if 300+ pages of mundane, daily happenings is just as exciting as watching a couple running for their lives.  Because as event after event takes placed, slowly bringing our sweet and sexy couple together, you get to a point where you're already reaching the end, and you wonder where the time went, and wish that there were more to the story because the enjoyment is real.

Ellie and Jesse are no different than other characters Pamela has created in the past.  They are good people, living hard lives, trying to make the best of things; then they come together and fill an aching hole in each other's hearts that they never even knew they'd been yearning to fill.  There are good people around them--supportive family and friends.

The interactions are good, the children are good, the kids are good, the developing relationship is good... the sex is good.  And somehow, I also love seeing those mundane, daily happenings such as Jesse's daily report on how many stupid people do stupid things on the ski slopes, or even how many unfortunate accidents can happen on a regular basis.  Ellie's daily activities were also interesting, including her interaction with her three-year-old twins, her set-up of the Snow Fest's first aid tent, her few workdays at the hospital as an RN...

You would think a couple--or three, or four--random rundowns of each other's days would get boring after a while, but all the different things that happen to Ellie and Jessie on a daily basis is too realistic to find boring, really.  Especially, for Ellie since I, myself, also work in a hospital and have a few stories of the random variety of things that can happen, both strange and sad.

Meanwhile, while Ellie might be a few positive traits shy of becoming a Mary Sue, I didn't really mind it all that much.  She's a very readily likable person, and that's what matters sometimes.

And then, as much as I'm not a fan of children in real life, the interactions between the twins, Daisy and Daniel, with just about anyone really DID make the book extra enjoyable.  Truth be told, the kids were the delightful part of the book amidst all the romantic angst that reared its ugly head a few times.

Anyway, I don't know who the next feature couple will be for Pamela's next great love story.  However, I DID enjoy the cameo appearance of the entire West family--Nate and Megan and Emily and Jack, and even the horsey, Buckwheat.  Each new Pamela Clare book always makes me want to go back and revisit her I-Team world!

***

If I had played my cards correctly, I think I could have shuffled a few squares around and inserted Falling Hard in somewhere for Romance Bingo 2017.  But it didn't occur to me until later that I might have used this book for the Guy/Girl Next Door square, and then move Sweet Little Lies to Blown Away (based on the cover),  I really considered Key to My Heart, but wasn't quite sure it would fit.

Thoughts: Slow Burn

Slow Burn

by Pamela Clare
Book 2 of Colorado High Country

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars


Let's be frank here:  Pamela Clare is an auto-buy author for me.  She's an auto-buy author as well as an auto-read author.

At least the contemporary stuff she's written so far has been quickly added to my library and devoured--I haven't exactly gone back over her historical back list yet.  And while her books have the tendency to get a little overly cheesy and overly schmaltzy sometimes, Pamela Clare has sentimental value.

Her I-Team series was the very first set of Romantic Suspense series I truly fell in love with.  And with that, it got me catapulted into the entire genre, finding myself a sweet little comfort zone for my reading life.

But that's not all.  Pamela Clare books are auto-buy for me because I've always found I love the characters she creates and the suspenseful situations she creates.

Slow Burn doesn't prove too differently.  Although Slow Burn also proves the power of a beloved author versus average presentation of a potentially fun and sexy contemporary romance.


The Blurb:

Victoria Woodley is done with men.  Fresh off a dating nightmare, she flies from her home in Chicago to Scarlet Springs to take part in her best friend’s wedding.  Who picks her up at the airport?  Eric Hawke.  Of course.  She made a fool of herself over him last time she was here.  He’s cocky, charming, and sexy as sin.  But the fact that she’s attracted to him is all the proof she needs that he’s bad news.  She would ignore him if she could.  But he’s the best man, and she’s the maid of honor.  She can’t just tell him to jump in a lake—especially not when her lips are locked with his.

Eric isn’t looking for a relationship.  Between running the firehouse and volunteering for the county’s search and rescue team, he has enough on his plate.  He doesn’t need to get tangled up with a woman from the big city, especially one whose idea of roughing it is going without designer coffee.  Yet from the moment he looks into Victoria’s big brown eyes, the attraction he feels is too strong to deny.  Faster than he can imagine, the spark of desire that has smoldered between them since the first day they met will flare into full-blown passion.

But can Eric convince Victoria to set aside her doubts and trust him with her heart before their time together runs out?

My Thoughts:
Slow Burn is written well, easy to read, and fast-paced, as Pamela Clare is wont to present.  The premise is a cute one with a lot of potential between Victoria who has a really bad incident occur in her life recently, and Eric who just naturally wants to take care of everyone in his life even if he won't admit it.  It's a typical hero and damsel story, but with a modern twist and lots of sexy times involved.

And also, Victoria's a pretty cool Mary Sue of epic proportions... y'know, for a Mary Sue.  Except for that little miscommunication and jumping to conclusions deal in the short first chapter back story of one year ago, Victoria's alright.  She and Eric end up having an excellent, chemistry-laden relationship wherein they are extremely in lust with each other, but are both trying to hang on to that "we're just friends" lie.

I'm sure everyone--readers and our main couple--were both relieved when the two finally gave into their carnal desires and jumped each others' bones.

Anyway, as far as romances go, this wasn't the most unique story in the world, nor did I expect it to be.  Victoria and Eric are both good people, and the little community of Scarlet Springs is a wonderful place for any small town love story to take place.  So I liked it.  It's a typical tried-and-true formula from a beloved author.

And sometimes that's enough for me.

To top it off, while a little outrageous, Lexi and Austin's "One Week of Pre-Wedding Festivities" sounded like a whole lot of fun.  I don't know anyone in my life, personally, who'd be able to afford all of that fun, but I guess it would be akin to just having a vacation in one's own home considering there's so much to do around the area: white water rafting, mountain hiking, a night out on the town, a climbing gym in a bar, etc....

One of the little quibbles I had were the forced "extreme situations" that kind of happened near the end.  I'm hesitant to say that Pamela manages better with her romantic suspenses, because I DO still enjoy these contemporary romances set in little Scarlet Springs, as there seems to be plenty of action going on a mountain town without needing to factor in a serial killer or terrorist attack.  I don't know if we need to include these extreme situations, though I suppose stuff like getting shoved in front of a moving vehicle CAN happen in real life without the premise being specific to romantic suspense.

Peaceful is kind of nice, sometimes.

The schmaltz that is standard Pamela Clare, however, seems to have resurfaced after being kind of absent in the last three books publish of hers that I read.  It's not in full force, but it's tell-tale signs are there.

Anyway...

"Firemen are my favorite color."

Yes, Victoria. They most certainly are. =-)


***

2016 Reading Challenges:
• Goodreads Reading Challenge
• BookLikes Reading Challenge

Thoughts: Dead by Midnight An I-Team Christmas (novella)

Dead by Midnight: An I-Team Christmas

by Pamela Clare
Listed as I-Team #7.5 (novella)

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

**This novella includes a short crossover with Kaylea Cross' Hostage Rescue Team series, although, as I found out, there is no need to have read the HRT books beforehand.

**However, I would still recommend having read all the other I-Team installments before reading this particular novella.

Marc and Sophie Hunter, Gabe and Kat Rossiter, Holly Andris and the rest of the I-Team gang find themselves in the same historic Denver hotel celebrating the approach of Christmas at different holiday parties. What starts out as a fun winter evening with friends soon becomes a brutal fight to survive when the hotel is taken over by a group of ruthless narco-terrorists who will stop at nothing to get what they want.

On the outside, Julian Darcangelo, Zach McBride, Nick Andris and others join together with the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team to free their friends, knowing that if they fail, the people they love will be...

Dead by Midnight.

Featuring cameo appearances by the men of the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, a series by New York Times bestselling author Kaylea Cross.

Thoughts before reading (at 0400, the morning of the book's announced release)
I'm thinking I'd like to be able to at least read the first of Kaylea Cross's HRT books to get an idea what the characters are like before I read this novella... but that's really just the anal retentiveness in me talking. Chances are, I will have this book bought and read before the day is over.


Thoughts after finishing the novella
Well, I didn't think I'd be able to last very long without getting my hands on Pamela Clare's newest I-Team story. And then when I did go ahead and purchase the Kindle book, it was downhill from there--although I DID try to convince myself that I was just skimming the beginning to see what I had to look forward to. I also tried to tell myself I was just trying to figure out how many pages this novella is supposed to be (which is true)--the answer being: I don't know because it does not state anywhere at all.

And thus, my anal retentive book listing data sheets will have a very rough guesstimate that this book is somewhere around 200 to 250 pages. Reading-wise, that's what it felt like; Kindle book location-wise, the rough calculation seems legit.

Anyway...

This latest I-Team book was quite delightful, and long time fans of Pamela's I-Team series will love and enjoy it. As per a Pamela Clare work, this isn't just a simple short story about all our beloved I-Team characters coming together for a tacky Christmas couple curtain call with family and extended family and kids included. There is romance, but there's also suspense with a fairly exciting, yet standard, crime thriller attached to it--an intense terrorist takeover and hostage situation to drive the story line.

And maybe I had also gotten a slight Die Hard vibe from this book as well, what with the hostage situation and the terrorist attack and the lone hero secretly wandering around the building trying to figure out how to save the day. Which brings us to the whole Kaylea Cross Hostage Rescue Team crossover deal; which then brings me to being a little relieved that you DON'T need to read Kaylea Cross's series to read this novella. I admit: I went and familiarized myself with some names from the HRT book summary blurbs before reading Dead by Midnight. But the team comes into the novella, they do their thing, you can sense that there's some background with these guys, but nothing is overly confusing.

I didn't think I'd be able to wait until I'd finished all six currently published HRT books before diving into this series' latest installment.

All-in-all, it was a good crossover for someone who isn't familiar with the Hostage Rescue Team series. I wonder, though, if readers who are familiar with HRT would have wanted a little bit more though.

Moving along.

Much like her usual work, there is well-written suspense and romance, great pacing and characterizations, and schmaltzy dialogue and monologues every so often (except the schmaltz was actually dialed down a little bit in this novella, much like it had been for the latest I-Team book, Seduction Game). In other words, Pamela Clare once again proves to me why she has become one of my auto-buy guilty pleasures. I still love the characters, I still love the brotherly bantering between the men and the emotional support between the women. These I-Team women weren't created as fighting machines, so I can't really lament the fact that none of them go into battle mode.

Which is why I love that Holly's presence is pretty hefty in this novella. Because, could Holly Andriss nee Bradshaw get any more awesome than she already is? Honestly, I'm still in love with the fact that we finally have a warrior woman in this series. Again, I'm not saying that the other girls aren't strong--because they are all strong in their own way. I had just been looking forward to someone more badass and completely latched onto Holly when it got presented in her book.

Anyway, Dead by Midnight is highly enjoyable, exciting read for fans of the I-Team series. My excited hype over it for the past month was NOT wasted.

---

This review was originally posted at Ani's Book Abyss / BookLikes in November 2015.

---

Thoughts: Seduction Game

Seduction Game

by Pamela Clare
Book 7 of I-Team series

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

CIA officer Nick Andris wants revenge. His last mission failed after a Georgian arms smuggler killed his lover. He’s been tailing a woman for three weeks hoping she will lead him to his target. But there’s a problem with the intel. Holly Elise Bradshaw is nothing more than an entertainment writer with a love for sex and designer clothes. Clearly someone at Langley made a mistake...

When Holly finds herself in trouble, the only weapons at her disposal are her brains and her body. But they won’t be enough to handle the man who’s following her. He’s going to turn her world upside-down.

First of all, this is probably the book with the cover I like the least in this series... not that any of the other covers were extraordinary or anything, but they were still serviceable.  This one feels awkward... and something else I can't pinpoint.

Secondly, I wasn’t really going to write a review, but I felt the need to share a few sparse thoughts about Seduction Game. I was extremely excited when Pamela Clare announced a new book in the I-Team series--the I-Team books were my first official foray into racy Romantic Suspense novels. So in spite of random schmaltzy moments strewn about each of Pamela’s I-Team books that give you goosebumps or make you wince at how flowery everything is, these books hold a special place in my heart.


Seduction Game wasn’t exactly what I’d been expecting, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, aside from the need to suspend disbelief just a tad bit more, I actually really loved the new twist and the entirely new and unexpected role that the ever-present Holly Bradshaw takes on in this book. Furthermore, Holly has been exactly what I’d been looking for and wanting to see in this series for a main female protagonist.

The rest of the I-Team women in the this series are great, don’t get me wrong. They’re strong in their own way and they’re clever and they own their books. But there has always been an underlying fragility, a stereotype, making these women embody that whole “fairer sex” ideal that was hard for me not to roll my eyes about. They were handled with kid-gloves eighty percent of the time in their books because they couldn’t handle seeing suffering or tragedy without breaking down into tears or running off and having a melt-down. Even simple things such a news of murder, more bloody and gory photographs, things like that, would turn them into sobbing messes.

It didn’t feel realistic and made me wonder if they were maybe being made out to be more dramatic than was necessary.

While I understand that there’s a certain amount of empathy necessary when dealing with all the terrible things that happen in books like these (all the terrible things that happen in life, period), it doesn’t mean that they all need to start falling apart, or reacting with horrified surprise at these happenings. We know that terrible things happen in this world on a daily basis. These are strong women who have been in the investigative journalism field for years--it’s a bit incredible that they’re so surprised to have these terrible revelations confirmed. It’s a little hard to believe that they’d never come across anything as gruesome before. Again, it just didn’t feel realistic.


While Holly has always been a beloved presence throughout the series, with her flighty personality, her open sexuality, and her sunshine and butterflies attitude about life, it was hard for me to imagine her getting her own book. I had been expecting a novella or a short story or something. In fact, rather than Holly getting her own book, I’d been hoping that we would finally get an I-Team male journalist coming across a woman in law enforcement or the like.

But Pamela gave us Holly. And boy do I appreciate what she did with Holly!

So this new twist that kind of turns her into superwoman? I liked it a lot! And I especially loved that Holly could be very tough as nails, superwoman-like and still love being feminine and have her high society likes and dislikes and maintain some of that almost ditzy personality while exhibiting that she’s a lot more intelligent and quick-witted than anyone ever expected, or gave her credit for. And her reactions to the Big Bad World were a little more acceptable and felt more realistic.

Holly Elise Bradshaw is the ideal heroine I’d been waiting to see in this series. And it was awesome!

The build up that takes us into the main conflict of Seduction Game however, had given me pause, though. A few things happen that don’t really sit well with me, but the fact that this I-Team installment took an unexpected turn with the main female protagonist and even a little bit in tone and ideals made it easier to ignore what wasn’t working for me so that I could enjoy the book.

There was a pretty good “Game of Cat and Mouse” vibe going on in the beginning, which then lead into a strange “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” foray… or something like that. I liked it, but I’m also conflicted about liking it due to some of the factors that lead us where we ended up going in the story. To be totally honest, I’m not sure how I feel about the beginnings of and the subsequent development of the romantic relationship between Holly and Nick. Like I said, some things just didn’t sit well with me… but in some ways, it seemed to make sense.


And so, questionable logic aside, while Seduction Game may not be my favorite of the I-Team books, I honestly DO believe that Holly Bradshaw has become my favorite of the I-Team heroines. It’s a complicated logic working around in my mind that makes this extremely vague review feel even more nonsensical--my apologies.

On an aside, Nick Andris, Holly’s leading man… is a little harder for me to fall in like with.

The rest of the I-Team series men were, as usual, very much welcome!

---

This review was originally posted at Ani's Book Abyss / BookLikes in October 2015.

---

Very Short Thoughts: Striking Distance

Striking Distance

by Pamela Clare
Book 6 of I-Team series

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.5 Stars

Her past is a secret—even to her.
Discovering it will be the most dangerous move of her life.

TV reporter Laura Nilsson, known as the "Baghdad Babe," spent eighteen months in an Al Qaeda compound after being kidnapped live on the air. Two years later, she's still wondering why.

No rescue mission in Javier Corbray's fourteen years as a Navy SEAL affected him the way Laura's rescue did. No woman has stirred his protective instincts the way she has. And he wants her more than he's ever wanted anyone.

As Laura and Javier's passion ignites, so does Laura's need to discover the mystery of her past. Especially when she learns that her abduction was not random—and that she's still a target for a killer with an impenetrable motive. Now Javier will have to rely on his skills to keep the woman he loves from being struck down before she dares uncover the truth.

Another great one from Pamela Clare with plenty of intriguing, suspenseful action. As per usual, great character insight, story progression, and a sizzling romance to wrap up the entire package. Javier and Laura present an awesome couple and we get to see much of previous characters from the rest of the series.


I hadn't been in the mood to write a review when I first finished reading this book in 2013, a little over two years ago.  And to be honest, I don't how much I remember to be able to add onto this review and make that previous paragraph not look so lonely.  But I DID just finish listening to the audio book, narrated by the awesome Kaleo Griffith, who seems able to make every male hero of Pamela's I-Team series sound oh-so-sexy, and realized that I liked this book a whole lot more than when I'd simply read the book.

And thus, the rating had gotten changed, though I can't recall what the original rating had been.

Anyway, mainly what I remember about this Striking Distance is that, no different than the previous installments of I-Team, it is jam-packed with ongoing suspense and thrill.  We get a nice bodyguard device to top it off.

Javier and Laura make an excellent couple, both as friends and as lovers.

And that's really all I remember.


On a side note:  Pamela wrote a novella about these two, which she had explained prior to its publication, was supposed to be the prologue for Striking Distance.  But her scenario ended up getting longer and longer and the next thing she knew, she had more material than would fit in a prologue.

And thus I-Team #5.9: First Strike was born.  This novella details the short duration of time when Javier first met Laura in Dubai City and had a steamy, sexy, secret love affair.  Although as is with any Pamela Clare work (or any romance genre story, period), the two also shared so much more than just a few days of passion.

First Strike is a lovely novella to jump start readers into the following full-length novel, Striking Distance.

---

This review was originally posted at Goodreads in November 2013.

---

Review: Breaking Point

Breaking Point

by Pamela Clare
Book 5 of I-Team series

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.5 Stars

While investigating border violence in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Denver journalist Natalie Benoit is caught in a bloody ambush and taken captive. Alone in the hands of ruthless killers, she will need every ounce of courage she possesses to survive.

Betrayed by another operative, Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride has endured a week of torture and interrogation at the hands of a bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartel. Ready to give his life if he must, he remains unbroken—until he hears the cries of an American woman.

Although Natalie is only a voice in the darkness of their shared prison, her plight brings renewed strength to Zach's battered body. With her help, he overpowers their captors, and they flee through the desert toward the border, the attraction between them flaring hotter than the Sonoran sun.

But past loss and tragedy leave both of them reluctant to follow their hearts, even when the passion between them reaches its breaking point. Faced with feelings neither expected, they fight to stay ahead of the danger that hunts them as forces more powerful than they can imagine conspire to destroy them both...

Thoughts Upon Finished Reading:
This was an intense, action and suspense filled story from page one. After giving myself a much needed break from the overwhelming overdose of reading four I-Team novels in a row, I'm glad to say that Book #5 does not disappoint, and I will definitely be looking forward to the next book in this series.

Since I'm in a bit of an "ehhh, I'm not sure what to say" point right now due to lack of sleep, I'm going to try and gather my thoughts before I write anything since I feel like this book deserves a little more than just a simple one paragraph: "OMG, this book was amazing!" review.

And on that note, review to come sometime soon.


Thoughts Some Time Later:
It's at the tip of my mind, what I want to say about Breaking Point, but I just can't seem to conjure up anything coherent. Maybe it's lack of sleep, or maybe I'm just plain out of synonymous paragraphs for how exciting and intense and awesome yet another I-Team series book had been. It was certainly a riveting experience, and much different than the first few books in the series.

The action begins all too quickly from page one when we meet Natalie Benoit who's convention bus in Mexico is attacked and she is taken prisoner. Then we meet Zach McBride who is already a prisoner of a drug cartel and living out a torturous hell. From there, it only seems to get better as we follow these two through their interactions, their escape, and their dangerous and arduous trek back across the border to home and safety.

The only words I could find to describe this: Intense! Oh, so, so intense!

It's one thing to go into hiding from criminal masterminds who have your name on their hit list and you're in a city full of protection. It's a whole other thing when the same thing happens, but now you're stranded in a different country with no one to trust but the one man who seems like another dangerous criminal. And then add a nice big dose of sweltering, deathly hot desert to the mix and the adventure seems like it's just an eternity away from conclusion.

Not that I'm psychotic or anything, but I really did enjoy those first few chapters of the survival story arc. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that Zach and Natalie would make out alive and safe, but that didn't make the entire story line any less intense.

And the characters? I liked them. Both Zach and Natalie had that perfect dose of makeshift kinship that you sometimes can only find when people are forced together to face off danger. The trust and the bonding that comes into play is amazing (well, once Natalie actually started trusting Zach a little more). Both strong individuals who were able to work together to get home... I like adventures. This was definitely a nice one.

My only complaint is that the second half of the book seemed a little disjointed from the first half. I didn't see it coming, and the connections got made, but didn't quite make much sense until the final conclusion that tied the first half together with the second half: when the truth came out. It's not a bad thing, but I guess it DOES put some plot points into perspective.

Still... the mid-point didn't seem to transition as smoothly as I would have liked and it felt like two separate story arcs in one book... Like a "Part 1" and a "Part 2", but without the physical separators.

Nonetheless, Breaking Point was pretty amazing.

And Zach McBride has taken his position on my list of sexy, dangerous, awesome, "OMG I love you" heroes in the I-Team world. He's sitting right there, right after Marc Hunter whom I still adore A LOT, but whom is still trailing short after Julian Darcangelo (whom, by the way, I am so ecstatic to get to see him as his freakin' badass self).


Another thing I've seemed to notice about the I-Team series (which isn't a complaint, but just an observation) is that the dialogue and certain parts of the narration tends to get a little... well... wordy? There's a bit too much "telling", in the sense that, when characters talk to each other, they say too much. As a reader, I'm perceiving these parts as a character telling his or her story as a narrator recounting events like a true storyteller. Not so much as an individual recounting events in simple, brief fashion that seems more natural.

Or maybe I'm just reading into it too much. But there seems to be a lot of emphasis placed on certain truths that we already know and understand and can see for ourselves without the narration kicking in to tell us about the situation. From a long line of actions and bantering, for instance, I can already see that Marc Hunter and Julian Darcangelo have become practically best friends, like brothers. I don't need several different thoughts from different characters to confirm this truth several times.

There's also no need to pound into my head how badass our male characters are. I can see that already, if all of their back stories aren't indication enough.


Nonetheless, I still love the world of the I-Team series. Intense and fast-paced reading is something that gets me through pages quickly. Great characters and character dynamics is what gets me hooked to a particular book or series. It's amazing how a bunch of well crafted characters can do for a book, even if it IS fairly standard crime suspense with romance.

And now I must go and figure out what kind of nickname to give Zach McBride.

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This review was originally posted at Goodreads in July 2013.

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Review: Naked Edge

Naked Edge

by Pamela Clare
Book 4 of I-Team series

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

What do you do when desire drives you to the very brink?

The day Navajo journalist Katherine James met Gabriel Rossiter, the earth literally moved beneath her feet. Nearly killed in a rockslide while hiking, she found her life in the tall park ranger's hands. Although she can't forget him she thinks she'll never see him again. She is crushed when she recognizes her rescuer among the law enforcement officers raiding a sweat lodge ceremony one night, throwing her and her friends off Mesa Butte, land they consider sacred.

Gabe long ago swore he would never again lose himself to a woman not even one with long dark hair and big eyes that seem to see right through him. But from the moment he first sees Kat, the attraction he feels is undeniable. Appalled by what he has been ordered to do, he's determined to get to the bottom of recent events at Mesa Butte and to keep Kat safe.

But asking questions can be dangerous almost as dangerous as risking one's heart. And soon Kat and Gabe's passion for the truth and each other makes them targets for those who would do anything, even kill, to keep Native Americans off their sacred land.

Some Thoughts Immediately After Finish Reading:
I'm trying to formulate the right things to say about this particular installation of the I-Team series, because I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about the entire story, plus the ending. The "feel" of Naked Edge just wasn't as... stimulating as the previous books. Hard Evidence was intense and exciting, Unlawful Contact was emotionally stimulating and full of suspense and "Wow"-ness, and Extreme Exposure was the thrilling introduction to our I-Team world... but Naked Edge seems a little more tame in comparison. I'm not saying it wasn't good; I'm just saying I didn't get "that excited feel" from it that I got from the previous books.

Am I being a little unfair? Maybe, but that's why I'm trying to sort through my thoughts first before saying too much.

So... review to come.

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Some Thoughts After Collecting Thoughts Now Long After Finish Reading:
Okay, so it didn't take THAT long to formulate my thoughts, so here they are: Beware a couple spoilers here and there, though I tried to hide all the ones I felt were important.


I hadn't quite expected to bullrush through Naked Edge this quickly; however, it seemed that once I got through a certain point in the storyline, there was no turning back. This pattern has been no different from the rest of the I-Team books I've already red. Granted, I probably should have been sleeping instead of reading, it's not like I ever listen to my "one more chapter, then sleep" mantra -- especially if that mantra lasts about twenty chapters. So there's no doubting that Naked Edge is a book that lives up to the awesomeness that follows suit with the I-Team series.

However, I'm floating on 4 stars for this fourth installment of the series for a lot of reasons that I can't entirely pinpoint. While the plot was a good one, the crime thrill intense, and the romance sizzling and emotional... all of it had this feeling of, well... falling slightly short. Maybe this is an unfair projection of my own expectations in a comparison with the previous three books. Maybe I wanted it to surpass the previous book too much because I really wanted to jump into Katherine James' turn as the strong, badass main female character. Or maybe... I'm too much still in love with Julian Darcangelo (with Marc Hunter coming up in a tight second) that the "rock jock" boy Gabriel Rossiter didn't even stand a chance unless he really stood out (and I mean really, really stood out).

But this wasn't entirely due to characters.

Kat was strong and steady, there's no doubt about that; but a little part of me couldn't help but notice that her dignified, conservative personality also made her a little bit of a pushover. I mean, sure she had what it took to survive in this world and could kick butt if she really wanted to... but the fact was that half the time her dignity made her walk away instead of getting that "in your face" kind of spunk that I think most journalists really have to rely on in order to get anywhere. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it just seemed to make Kat a bit too docile. And maybe that's just her charm and I'm not feeling it because I've overdosed myself with I-Team novels to the point where the feelings of awesome, expectation, and fear of disappointment (as well as a heavy dose of "staying up too late to read and thus very sleepy and blurry") are intermingled too closely together.

As for Gabe... I'm not sure what to make of him. He started out as the standard "dickhole" who was painted as having no interest in romance or love and who only thought with his nether region appendage. Which is fine, because I like the tradition "good girl melts the playing bad boy's heart" angle in a lot of other romances. Which is why I feel like Gabe doesn't stand out very well (from the previous two heroes, that is), and why the romance didn't really entice me as much -- it was a little too safe. When you find out that Gabe's got his own dark secret and learn the truth of it all... well... to be totally honest, I felt for him and I could see how what happened in his life could change him. I mean, come on, we were totally expecting a depressing past to explain away why he's such an uncaring manwhore, weren't we? I saw it coming the moment he started spouting all of his "no room for love in my life" crap. But while I could see the reasons and I could feel for him, it just didn't really "move" me. Don't get me wrong, Gabriel is a strong, respectful, and wonderful good man and makes for excellent hero material; he risked his life many times over to keep Kat safe and alive (then again, so did Julian and Marc for their respective leading ladies).

I guess that I'm just still too much in love with Julian, continuing to fall for Marc, and I'm starting to think that no one else will stand a chance against them, which... Oh my God, just made me wonder if I really have a thing for "dangerous, badass" men. Because Julian Darcangelo might have been one of the good guys all along, but he's got that "living on the edge" attitude that makes you excited, while hiding his great big softie tendencies from the rest of the world: he's the softy, sexy Teddy Bear in a Box. Marc Hunter did live on the edge, breaking multiple laws, and running as a fugitive for an entirety of a book, but also shelters that deep down respect for people and softness for his loved ones while trying to play off being a dangerous asshole: he's the handsome Goldenboy in Uniform. And those underlying traits of edginess in both of the men make them all the more enticing. Gabriel was just a standard good man with asshole tendencies, an underlying good heart, and a dark past; too many complications mixed together, but in the end, just your standard cliche of a broken hero and predictable.

But I'm getting off the point.

Like I said, it wasn't just the characters that didn't really appeal to me this time around (they were standard and they were safe). The story itself, while intense and meaningful to an extent, was a bit tame for what I'd been expecting of an I-Team thriller. It seemed too cut and polish for a murder/crime mystery/thriller, it was pretty predictable in terms of the main mystery key players and the main crime events, and it seemed that not as much investigation went on as much as information was just handed to our team players. Yeah, Kat did her end of digging and antagonizing the city, but the rest of the investigation seemed to have been done by either Julian or Marc so that Gabe and Kat (with their combined knowledge and expertise on the subject) could just piece everything together. If this wasn't the case, then I'm must have missed something in my ravaging hunger to finish the novel, but this is what the story felt like. Kat did her fair share of investigation, but a lot of times, she really was just waiting around for information to be released to her by the people who would rather see her broken body at the bottom of a ditch.

There were some parts of the story that struck me as a little slopping, especially towards the ending, which seemed to drag out a bit too much, significant as it might have seemed. On top of that that, also at the conclusion:

I felt that our main "villains" were also kind of sloppy and lent little credence to how hard they tried to cover up their crimes. It wasn't hard to figure out as soon as they were presented, who was the mystery culprit this time around. Especially the main murderer, Mr. Park Ranger Webb, who seemed comically evil at best.

I DID appreciate the coyote's symbolism in Kat's dreams and spiritualist beliefs, because it lends an element to this particular I-Team book that the rest of the books didn't have. I also swooned lots at the continuous appearances of Julian and Marc as well as those moments of budding bromance between our men, including Gabe's addition to the loving banter of the boys.

I must say though, the bodyguard angle at half-point in the story was a good twist, even if it added onto the running standard of cliches compiled in this particular book.

Anyway, I won't say that this was a terrible story. The action and the intensity was still there; there was a nice emotional kick to it, and I DID like Katherine James just as well as I expected to like her. The romance was sweet and sizzling as per usual, and I spent my sleep time devouring the entire book up to the finish. So, as I stated, there's no doubt that I enjoyed it despite all of my misgivings mentioned above. It just wasn't the best I-Team novel to date and didn't have much of a break through feeling for me. The story itself wasn't as stimulating, and the romance was a little less unique.

Anyway, after finishing Naked Edge though, I have come to the realization that, as much as I want to jump into the next installation, I'm going to hold off for a while. Sometimes, no matter how good something is, a little too much could be detrimental. Also, I've about reached my monthly book spending budget (and it's only the beginning of the month), and I figure it might be a good idea to let that obsession I have with Julian Darcangelo and Marc Hunter fade a little before proceeding onto the next story -- you know, so that we can give the next hero more of a fighting chance to win my heart, if you know what I mean. My apologies to Gabe and the "rock jock" god's fans out there -- Gabriel Rossiter and the romance with Katherine James just didn't really do it for me.

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This review was originally posted at Goodreads in May 2013.

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