Hard Target

❤

And she’s back on top form!

I am a huge fan of Pamela Clare’s romantic suspense series the I-Team. When she was forced, due to extenuating circumstances, to write contemporary romances for a while I have to admit that I wasn’t a fan. It’s not a genre I’m comfortable with. However, Ms Clare is back writing romantic suspense and this series promises to be every bit as good as her I-Team books. Loved the romance, adored the characters (so well drawn!), and the action scenes – well, they had me on the edge of my seat.

What a brilliant start to a new series. I will wait, not so patiently, for the next in the series.

My expectations were very, very high...and Ms. Clare met those expectations magnificently

Ms. Clare returns to Romantic Suspense with this first book in her Cobra Elite series. This series is a spin-off from her captivating I-Team series, without doubt the best Romantic Suspense series I have read. Pamela is a must-buy for me and she never disappoints. Both her historical and her contemporary romance series are excellent. So, yes, my expectations were very high, and yes, those expectations were fully met. In a nutshell, she knocked this one out of the ball park. Ms Clare tackles an extremely sensitive topic with her usual insight, understanding, and caring.

Derek Tower is co-owner, along with Javier Cobray, of Cobra Elite security. They and their operatives put their lives at risk to save the lives of others. Jenna is a midwife working in Afghanistan with pregnant women, and training local women as midwives. When Derek is asked by Jenna’s father, Senator Hamilton, to go to Afghanistan to persuade his daughter to return home, by any means fair or foul, Derek is forced to reluctantly agree.

Ms Clare’s research is, and has always been, meticulous. In Hard Target, she uses that research together with her amazing writing skills, to take the reader into the reality of life in Afghanistan, particularly that of women and children. The book highlights the dangers for those who, like Jenna, put their own lives at risk to offer help. At times the story is heart-breaking, at times full of tension and danger as the plot unfolds. And, of course, there is humour, which Pamela does so well, to help lighten the tension for her readers and her characters alike.

Pamela shows us the camaraderie that builds and is so essential among teams that operate under danger. We see the trust and love that builds between those who go into horrific situations to offer help and those they are there to help. We are taken through plot twists and turns, betrayals, corruption, lots of action, and some very sexy scenes. And, we get to watch as Derek and Jenna learn to overcome past hurts and to trust and love each other. This is, after all, a Romantic Suspense story.

Those who have read the I-Team series already know Derek and several other characters in Hard Target. If you have not read the I-Team series, you really should.

This book is very hard to put down once started. It is a top-notch read. I have no hesitation in recommending Hard Target to any lover of romantic suspense.