Hard Target

by Pamela Clare
Book 1 of Cobra Elite

 

 

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

 

 

Benjamin is just one of those guys that trouble finds no matter how hard he tries to escape it. He's not a bad person, he just makes questionable choices. I received an ARC of Hard Target in exchange for an honest review. Benjamin was introduced in Prime Target. Having managed to leave behind the violent world he was raised in, he has settled into a life of stability and wealth working for a top pharmaceutical company. He is living the dream until he Morgan Tanner and his house of cards starts to crumble all around him. Marquita Valentine has created a story where not everything is as it seems. Exposed secrets can get one killed and the danger is always close at hand. What impresses me about the Target series is the male characters do bad things but for the right reasons. The paradox is that when doing the right thing they still end up in the same situations.

I've been a fan of Silver James since her very first book was published. I love her wolf shifter books and was excited for her newest spin-off series. 

 

Double Cross is very fast-paced story with lots of curve balls thrown around. I absolutely loved both Duke and Cory and I loved they kept getting thrown together. They are both such strong characters and even in a life or death situation, I found myself laughing a bit as they picked on each other. 

 

Seriously awesome chemistry between Duke and Cory as well, even though neither was looking for a romance. In fact, if you aren't a fan of steamy, hot books, you will need to skip over some pages as you read. I found myself thrown a few times not seeing where Ms. James was taking the characters and absolutely loved that she kept me guessing. There are so many rich characters in this series and I'm excited to see each of the team members get their stories. 

 

I highly recommend Double Cross to any reader who loves shifters, action and adventure, and super steamy, sexy times. Double Cross was a great start to a new series and I can't wait to see where Ms. James takes us next.

 

 

 

Series: Campbells of Creek Bend (Book 3)

She was trouble the size of Texas, but he'd cross every line to keep her safe

 

Border patrol agent Reed Campbell knew when he found a blonde beauty hiding out in a crate of guns smuggled into Texas she'd be nothing but trouble. Emily Baker claims she was kidnapped, beaten and held hostage by Mexico's most elusive drug lord, a man Reed's desperate to bring down. But the sexy cowboy has been betrayed before, so trusting a stranger -- no matter how strong their attraction -- isn't easy. Still, determined to protect her, he takes her on the run, risking his life time after time. Suddenly, the man who doesn't do feelings is in big trouble. Keeping Emily alive is a problem. Keeping his hands to himself becomes nearly impossible.

 

Action packed conclusion to the series. Emily had been on vacation in Mexico when she was kidnapped. Beaten and threatened, when she saw an opportunity she ran, and found herself hiding on a ship headed for the US. Reed found her there, hiding in a crate of guns being smuggled into Texas. He was suspicious of her claims at first, but when it became obvious that someone was after her he was determined to keep her safe. 

 

Both Reed and Emily have some trust issues that make the beginning of their relationship a little rough. Emily has been alone for a long time, able to depend only on herself. Her childhood had been difficult, with a father that deserted the family and a mother that joined a cult looking for the love she craved. Emily had learned early that she couldn't count on anyone else. But with the trouble she's in now, she has to trust that Reed can protect her. I loved her independence, and that she didn't just sit back and let Reed take over once she decided to trust him. She was determined to be an active part in the whole situation. She hadn't counted on the attraction she felt for Reed and the way that attraction grew into love. She doesn't feel that she's good enough for a man like him, and that there's no future in dreaming of one. 

 

Reed has trouble trusting anyone outside his family any more. A year earlier he had been shot and left for dead by a fellow agent who had been working for the bad guys. To make it worse, his fiancee had been sleeping with the man. So when he first meets Emily he's reluctant to believe her story, especially when he senses she's hiding something. When they are attacked after talking to another agent, Emily finally opens up about everything that had happened and what she heard. It isn't long before Reed discovers that what happened to Emily is connected to what had happened to him. Now he's determined to keep her safe, which means keeping her with him at all times. Emily's strength and independence are attractive to him and suddenly he's feeling things he's never felt before. He's not sure if he can trust himself since he was so wrong before. I loved seeing both of them realize how important it was to grab on to their feelings and take the chance for happiness.

 

The suspense part of the story was fantastic. With the rise in crimes that have to do with computers and finance, the premise of the story was quite believable. Emily's emotions during the kidnapping and her fear when she couldn't give them what they wanted was easy to feel as I read. What she went through to escape kept me turning the pages as I waited to see if she would be found by the good guys or the bad guys. From the time she and Reed were attacked on the road until the final confrontation I was on pins and needles. I could understand Reed's frustrations as they never knew who they could trust. I loved seeing his brothers, Luke and Nick, as they served as backup for Reed. The scene at the hospital, then again with the final takedown, show just how close the brothers are. 

Romantic suspense is one of my favorite genres, and Kay Thomas’ Hard Target has all of the elements of this genre that appeal to me and make the Elite Ops series one I plan to follow.

 

Thomas has created a compelling plot with mystery, suspense, and romance that increasingly builds in complexity and tension and is chockfull of action, which made this a fast and engaging reading experience. I had a difficult time finding a stopping place because I was so eager to see what twists and turns were waiting for Leland and Anna in their endeavors to rescue Anna’s son, Zach.

 

DEA agent LeLand Hollis is a swoon-worthy hero, a born protector who is unable to walk away from a “damsel in distress” when he inadvertently gets in the middle of Anna’s crisis with her soon-to-be ex-husband, Max Mercado. Leland has just resigned from the DEA and is still reeling from a disastrous failed bust that has left him physically injured, emotionally scarred, and uncertain about his future. He now questions his ability to intervene and keep others safe when necessary. Although Leland struggles with how involved he should become in Anna’s predicament, his honor and sense of responsibility won’t allow him to just walk away from Anna until her son is found.  Furthermore, Leland has suspicions that some of his personal enemies may somehow be involved in the kidnapping of Anna’s son.

 

Anna Mercado is a wonderful, devoted mother to her gravely ill son, Zach and is willing to do whatever is necessary to find him and get him the medical attention he needs. I was even surprised by the lengths she’s willing to go to so her son can live longer. Her unconditional love is just one reason Leland becomes attracted to her since he didn’t have that same kind of love growing up.

 

Although Anna is aware that her husband wants her dead, both she and Leland aren’t certain that Max is behind Zach’s kidnapping after Anna gets a ransom note.  Leland turns to Gavin, his former DEA partner who has just started his own personal security business for help. One of the best aspects of the book is following Leland and Anna as they journey deep into Mexican cartel country to find Zach and discover who is behind his abduction. Although Thomas subtly foreshadows the abductor’s motivations, the truth is still almost too shocking to fathom.

 

In the midst of all this danger, Leland and Anna turn to each other for physical and emotional comfort. Although neither one plans for any serious attachments, their attraction and need for each other continue to grow as the story progresses. There are a few steamy love scenes that show two desperate people clinging to each other for hope when they feel their world is crumbling all around them.

 

Thomas introduces readers to other characters who are part of Gavin’s security company and who will play key roles as the series develops. In addition, she sets up the next storyline before the resolution ofHard Target that has piqued my curiosity, and I’m anxiously waiting for Nick’s story, which is next – and based on the excerpt I read, it looks good!

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Link to Review & Author Interview

http://sunmountainreviews.wordpress.com/2013/11/11/book-tour-review-author-interview-giveaway-for-hard-target-elite-ops-1/