Sandy M’s review of Striking Distance (I-Team, Book 6) by Pamela Clare
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 5 Nov 13
I so love this series, and I’m irritated with myself that I’ve missed a couple of books along the way. And this is one series I don’t mind reading out of order. I love the characters, the action, the storylines, and the fact that missing a story here and there doesn’t matter. Each book stands on its own while at the same time making you curious what you have missed. But hey, that just means some extra time with Pamela Clare’s sexy heroes and sassy heroines.
Javier and Laura have a past. A very short one but a past nonetheless. They met up years before, had a few nights of awesome, mind-blowing sex, and then went about their own business. They couldn’t, however, get one another out each other’s mind, and before either could remedy that, Laura is kidnapped by terrorists and dead to the world. Now on his current mission, just as he and his team are ready to pull out and head home, Javier hears a voice calling out over the mayhem, “I’m an American!” He then gets the shock of his life when he discovers it’s Laura who is very alive and so desperately trying to finally escape her captors.
Because his missions are top secret, Javier hasn’t seen Laura since that day when he carried her away from her nightmare. He’s recuperating from a mission gone wrong, visiting his best friend in Colorado when he hears there’s a chance Laura might also be joining the festivities on the ranch. Seeing her again brings everything back, including new emotions and that protective instinct. Though she testified against the man who held her captive and tortured her, Laura tries not to let his hatred and warnings of death dictate her life. But when an explosion tears through the I-Team building, life is going to change whether she wants it to or not. Thank heaven for Javier, he’s by her side to keep her safe and to help get through the nightmares and fear that still hound her.
I love Javier. As determined as he is to heal and get back to his job, he finds himself unable to leave Laura, even when his superior “suggests” he get his butt back to his team pronto. He’s gentle with her, understanding of her fears, her shame, loving her through every tear, every frightening dream, and when Laura embraces her sexuality once again, these two never look back as they burn up the pages. Javier works with law enforcement to put an end to the threats against Laura, and when he discovers her final secret, he goes to the wall to make her world right once and for all, and, well, if you don’t fall in love with the man right then, something’s wrong. He also supports Laura in her decision that follow, which will break your heart and raise your admiration for this heroine tenfold. As difficult as that decision is, happiness, fulfillment, contentment, and love come back to her more than she could have ever imagined.
The family feel of the I-Team is always there, giving Laura support when needed. I enjoy quite a bit when an author weaves previous characters into current stories, and Pamela Clare does this effortlessly, never once taking away from Javier and Laura, nor their romance. She’s also very good at deflection, I never saw the twist when it came time to reveal the villain, thus in the end giving Laura another supporter when she doesn’t expect it.
As usual, a top-notch read from Pamela Clare. Romantic suspense or historical, she delivers on every count, never disappointing the reader, drawing them in and keeping them riveted until the very end. I’ll never get tired of opening one of her books and forgetting the world for a few action-packed and sensual hours.
Grade: A
Summary:
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.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
