ARC Review: Striking Distance by Pamela Clare

I’m an avid Pamela Clare fangirl and have been a huge fan of her I-Team romantic suspense series since the beginning (Reece, you will always have a special place in my heart. Zach and Gabe, you too). The I-Team books are a perfect mix of heart-pounding suspense, sexy romance, and poignancy, and I feel like I’ve just stepped off an intense emotional rollercoaster (in a good way!) whenever I read one. I anxiously await the next instalment from the moment I read “THE END” on the current release, so the two-and-a-half-year wait between BREAKING POINT (one of my favourites) and the current STRIKING DISTANCE (the sixth full-length entry, though they all stand alone) has been harrowing. Pamela has said that STRIKING DISTANCE was the hardest book she’s written, and given the amount of heart-rending emotional turmoil the characters face, I’m not surprised. It’s been a few days since I finished reading it, and I’m still digesting it. Pamela has a fantastic way with words, a knack for creating incredibly realistic characters, and an emotional intensity to her writing that makes her one of the best in the genre. Despite (perhaps even because of?) the delay, STRIKING DISTANCE does not disappoint: it is much more slow-paced than the other I-Team novels but delivers an emotionally intense story about love, loss, overcoming self-guilt, and personal strength. It is not for the faint of heart or an easy read, but well worth the time for anyone looking for a romantic suspense read weighted toward the romance.

STRIKING DISTANCE tells the story of U.S. Navy SEAL Javier Corbray and television-reporter turned-investigative-newspaper-journalist Laura Nilsson, who was abducted and held captive for 18 months by Islamic terrorists in Pakistan before being rescued during a SEAL raid on the compound led by Javier. The two of them have a history: a supposedly no-strings-attached marathon weekend of sex after a chance meeting in Dubai City two years prior. Their encounter was initially part of the STRIKING DISTANCE prologue, since it introduces the characters and sets the stage for the rest of the novel, but because Laura and Javier’s meeting, the rescue, and the main storyline all occur on different years, the time jumps and shifts in action would’ve necessitated two prologues. Rather than forego all mention of their passionate weekend together, Pamela cut it from the prologue, expanded it, and released it as a short erotic prequel novella, FIRST STRIKE. Pamela normally writes very hot love scenes, so I didn’t really notice a drastic difference with FIRST STRIKE, other than more explicitness and frequency. Because, whew, Laura and Javi have a LOT of sex over two days and three nights! FIRST STRIKE is not gratuitous smut, however: it’s as poignant as any of Pamela’s other work, and it gives us keen insight into how much Laura and Javi have lost and have to struggle with & overcome in the main story. As Pamela is sure to note in the foreword, FIRST STRIKE is not a complete story: it ends with a cliffhanger, where STRIKING DISTANCE picks up. While it is not necessary to read FIRST STRIKE to understand or enjoy STRIKING DISTANCE (Laura and Javi’s history is mentioned in the main story), I found that it added an extra dimension to the hero and heroine and their developing relationship that made me connect with and feel for them more.

Normally, Pamela’s I-Team novels feature a fast-developing romance against a backdrop of nonstop, pulse-pounding action. The most action-heavy part of STRIKING DISTANCE is the prologue, detailing the raid on the al Qaeda compound and Laura’s unexpected rescue. The story then fast-forwards two years to the present, with Laura back Stateside working as a member of the Denver Independent’s elite investigative I-Team and talking about her captivity at the trial of terrorist Abu Nayef Al-Nassar, in hopes that it will help her heal and truly move on with her life. Javier is in Colorado visiting his buddy Nate (another I-Team series hero), on medical leave from the Teams after his decision to let a shepherd and his sons live resulted in an ambush that killed 18 soldiers and severely wounded Javier downrange in Afghanistan. Nate’s wife is good friends with many of the I-Team reporters, and so Javier and Laura unexpectedly reconnect at a backyard barbeque. Despite some attempts on Laura’s life following her testimony at Al-Nassar’s trial, the action is sporadic and the story slow-moving, with the focus being heavily on Javi and Laura and their (re)blossoming relationship. Javi has a major case of PTSD from the shepherd incident that he initially refuses to acknowledge and then (somewhat magically) overcomes thanks to Laura. He’s an engaging character shaped by his upbringing, an interesting mix of Latino machismo that precludes any admission of weakness and a burning need to prove himself and atone for the actions of his gangbanger teenage self that resulted in his younger brother’s death. Self-recrimination—over his brother’s death, over the ambush that killed his teammates, over his inability to stop Laura’s abduction despite being half a world away—is a huge part of who he is and why his identity is defined by being a SEAL, and watching him learn to let go of some of that guilt as he falls deeper for Laura is incredibly rewarding. Despite being an avid romantic suspense reader, I like my heroes with a touch of beta so Javier’s overt uber-alphaness and cultural machismo initially rubbed me the wrong way a bit. But his slow, purposeful wooing of Laura, letting her be in control, and the way he lays it all on the line for her quickly changed my mind. That last ~40% of the book? Be still, my heart.

A lot of people read romance for the deliciously sexy heroes, but I cannot enjoy a story—even if it features the most perfect hero ever—if I don’t connect with and feel for the heroine as well. Pamela does a fantastic job with Laura, creating a realistic, emotionally complex character in whose emotional arc you cannot help but become deeply invested in. Pamela takes a strong, intelligent, sexually-confident woman and subjects her to 18 months of harrowing emotional and sexual abuse before yanking her out of that hell and making her face the seemingly simple task of leading a normal life. Laura does a fairly good job of gathering the pieces of her life and putting on a front of normalcy whilst being torn apart by self-loathing and blame for a secret she’s keeping from almost everyone (don’t want to spoil what it is, even if it is quite easy to guess and revealed very early on!). Her developing relationship with Javier helps her learn to forgive herself, and watching her rediscover herself as a woman and reclaim the sensuality that was such an integral part of her character before her abduction is one of the most satisfying and heartwarming things I’ve witnessed. Despite their history and the lingering scorching attraction, the romance between Laura and Javi is an extremely slow build, which is rather unusual for an I-Team novel but is extremely appropriate given Laura’s trauma. Anything else would’ve felt unrealistic. Laura (and, by extension, Javier and us readers) is put through the emotional wringer, and that incredibly difficult, heartrending (but ultimately right) decision she makes near the end had me near tears. And again during the second part of the incredibly poignant epilogue, where everything comes full circle and we get a glimpse of what follows the HEA.

Overall, FIRST STRIKE and STRIKING DISTANCE are fantastic additions to what is already one of the best romantic suspense series around. Though slower-paced and more character-driven than previous instalments of the I-Team series, it’s Pamela Clare at her (already impressive) best. I-Team fans will delight in the cameos by series favourites Julian Darcangelo, Marc Hunter, and Zach McBride and the always-enjoyable bromance banter. Romantic suspense readers unfamiliar with Pamela’s work should definitely give the I-Team series a try (the first book, EXTREME EXPOSURE, is one of my personal favourites)—I cannot recommend this series, or this author’s work, enough, and am already looking forward to the next one. Here’s to hoping it won’t be another 2.5 years for more of the I-Team!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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A Ruined Dinner Party...with Juliana Gray and Giveaway

A Ruined Dinner Party on Christmas Eve - Juliana Gray

JULIANA GRAY is the award-winning author of the Affairs by Moonlight trilogy. Her debut, A Lady Never Lies, is a nominee for 2012 Book of the Year by RT Book Reviews. The trilogy concludes with A Duke Never Yields, which has won starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist and a 4 ½ star rating from RT. She enjoys dark chocolate, champagne, and dinner parties, and despises all forms of exercise except one.

Places to find Juliana:

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ARC Review: Parts & Wreck by Mark Henry

Wade Crowson finds his hands full with his new partner, Lucid Montgomery. Lucid is smart, sexy, and sassy and cursed. These two form a very interesting pair. Wade needs an assistant and when Luce shows up for the interview he knows that there is a reason for them meeting.

Sister Mary-Agnes Albright warns Luce that Wade will do all he can to keep her alive. Although Luce is not affected by the statement Wade seems to have his experience in demonic infestations. Most notably his former partner, Rachel. Rachel is the victim of an exorcism gone wrong.

Although this is not usually the type of book I would enjoy I found the writing to be interesting and very creative. There is a sense of humor throughout the entire demon-catching scenario that Wade is engaged in. These scenes bring a lot of paranormal elements and chasing to the story.

Luce believes that she needs to be a part of The Parts Department with Wade, she believes that it is her duty to stop the demonic uprising. Although she keeps it a secret, or tries for the most part, she sees and speaks to “spirits”. Besides the growing attraction between Wade and Luce they form a partnership to chase down the demons. That is until Luce falls victim to one and her body is the victim of demonic possession.

This was a fun and interesting read full of paranormal demonic occurrences and a dash of romance.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Working It by Kendall Ryan

One glance at this cover and I knew I had to read this one. I have been looking forward to reading about Ben and Emmy ever since. This story immediately sucked me in and I absolutely devoured it. I really loved the way that Working it was written, and I thought that the Dual POV absolutely made this book. It was great to get Emmy's thoughts but also Ben's. I also thought that it was very interesting that the prologue starts in the present day and gives us some knowledge that we wouldn't normally have at that point in the story. Although it doesn't look good for what is to come, it draws you in because you just know that there are two sides to every story and that you have to read all of it to really see everything that has happened. This book is hot and sexy and keeps you invested in the characters. There were a few things that I personally didn't care for, but all in all this one was a great read for me and I am already anxious for the next book in this series!

Emmy is a sweet southern girl who finds herself in NYC working for a model management company as it's owner Fiona's personal assistant. Fiona is notorious for not only not getting along with women, but putting her employees through hell before dismissing them quickly. Working for Fiona is stressful, but the perk of working with such hot men is what keeps Emmy showing up everyday. She meets the company's golden boy Ben Shaw and there is an instant attraction between them. But Ben isn't just a pretty face, and soon Emmy and Ben are developing a connection despite their obvious differences. Knowing that Ben doesn't do commitment and that they will only be in Paris for a few months for the season, Ben and Emmy begin a secret affair. Ben has a past tied to Fiona, and with Fiona's dislike of Emmy they both agree that seeing each other should be kept a secret. But as their feelings grow and things become more serious, will they take the risk of letting their relationship be known and seeing where things can really go? And what will happen when everything finally comes out?

I liked Ben. I thought that he was not only sexy and sweet, but also a little bit dominant and possessive. Even though he wasn't used to wanting more from a girl or relationship, he knew that Emmy was different and wanted to keep her all to himself. I also loved that he was a dirty talker. It was great seeing him pull Emmy out of her shell, and I loved their texts and banter. Ben had some issues and was a little bit damaged, but Emmy was a great balance for him. I really liked Emmy most of the time. There were a few times that I felt like she should have been a bit stronger and that she needed to grow a backbone, but otherwise she was a lot of fun to read about. Emmy was sweet and caring, and I loved how she really took care of Ben. She didn't treat him like a model or a famous person, but as just an average guy. I also really liked that although she was hesitant to get involved with Ben at first, that she decided to go ahead and take the risk. Emmy and Ben had a great connection, and their chemistry was off the charts. They were super hot together and you could almost feel the steam they generated coming out of my Kindle.

Without giving too much away and spoiling it, there is something that happens that I was not okay with. I know that Ben is the victim as well as Emmy, but I thought that the way that Ben handled everything was almost inexcusable. I couldn't believe what had happened, and it was really heartbreaking. I felt so sorry for Emmy and I wanted to strangle not only Ben, but also Fiona. I just can't understand why Ben allows Fiona to get away with so much. I really hope that Fiona gets what is coming to her and that Ben wises up and really does cut all personal ties with her. I also felt like Emmy sort of just let Ben off the hook way too easily. After everything that she had been through, it just seemed like she was way too understanding. I'm sure that if it would have been me in the same situation I wouldn't have given in like she did. Overall though, I really did enjoy Ben and Emmy's story. I can't wait to get more of these two and I just hope that Kendall Ryan will make sure that all the characters get the endings that they deserve. I have to admit that although I really liked Ben and Emmy, Braydon sort of stole the show for me. I really enjoyed all the scenes he was a part of and I really hope that we get a lot more of him! I think that Working it is a great read, and that romance fans should definitely give this one a shot. We are left with some questions and there are still some things unresolved, but I loved how there was no huge cliffhanger. The next book in this series is called Craving Him and is set to release in June 2014. Hopefully time will pass quickly while I wait for more Emmy and Ben.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

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Caught in a Compromising Position...with Maureen Driscoll and Giveaway

Caught in a Compromising Position on Christmas Eve - Maureen Driscoll

Maureen Driscoll is an Emmy-nominated writer/producer working in Hollywood. She is the author of the Kellington series of Regency romance novels and a happily struggling actress.

Places to find Maureen:

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