Review: Deadly Intent (I-Team #8)

Deadly Intent (I-Team #8)

by Pamela Clare

Blurb:

Secrets buried in the sand…

Former US Army Captain Mia Starr has built a new life for herself in Denver, far away from camel spiders and sand—and the terrible secrets of her first deployment to Iraq. She isn’t looking for a relationship, especially not with an intrusive photojournalist. Joaquin Ramirez might be sexy, but in her experience, photojournalists only want to make a buck off other people’s suffering. Still, the universe must have a sick sense of humor because it keeps throwing her together with Joaquin, making the desire she feels for him harder and harder to resist.

An undeniable attraction…

As a Pulitzer Prize-winning news photographer, Joaquin has everything a single straight guy could want—except the right woman. When he meets Mia while shooting a crime scene, he immediately sees beyond her cold exterior to the vulnerable woman beneath. Though the police consider her a suspect, he’s sure she’s innocent. Someone is killing soldiers—and trying to pin the blame on her. Unable to resist the pull between them, Joaquin stands by her only to find himself snared in the killer’s net as well.

A twisted soul hungry for revenge…

Mia can’t help it when the heat between her and Joaquin melts away her preconceptions. As their passion explodes, danger draws ever closer. When it becomes clear that Mia is the killer’s true target, she must trust Joaquin with a secret that could ruin her … or risk losing the love of a lifetime.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 Ok wow! So I knew that at some point Pamela would have to return to her flagship series and give us a proper conclusion for Joaquin in order to keep her readers happy.  We have watched as he supported the other couples in previous novels as they struggled through their issues to find their HEA with their loves and now we finally get to see him find his own.  I was a little skeptical of the choice in heroine when I heard about it, but as always Clare proves that she has the magic touch and knows her characters better than even her beloved fans.  IF you are a fan of the series, I can guarantee you will enjoy this story and seeing the couples from previous stories woven throughout the fabric of the romance and adventure.  If you are new to the world, however, Pamela weaves a beautiful tale of two people with unique backgrounds and experiences and introduces you to characters that the other of us have come to know and love, certain to make you run right out and grab the entire series for yourself to read from the beginning.  Joaquin is the kind of sensual, sweet, and caring man that we all look for in a mate, going so far as to boost his lover’s self-esteem when she has problems and remind her that she is the sexiest woman alive.  I loved getting to meet his family and see what made him into the great man he is today, but his part of the story wasn’t all fun and games; when he wasn’t dealing with a crazed killer after his woman, he had to deal with issues of his conscience and right vs wrong when making decisions, looking deep within to decide on the right path.  I think that getting to see just how deep his faith in Mia went so quickly reminds us that sometimes those that come into our lives are just meant to change us forever, for better or worse, and how we handle those changes is what defines our characters.  Mia is a brave woman that has had to deal with a lot of shit just to find her place in the world and gave entirely too much of herself to our nation when she enlisted and was mistreated.  I was heartbroken hearing her story and can only imagine the kinds of women that it takes to deal with that in real life and come out stronger and better on the other side—because no way do I think Pamela made that kind of thing up.  I loved seeing Mia interacting with Joaquin’s friends and family, finding her own niche in the group and in the end making them love her as much as they do him.  The heat between Joaquin and Mia was palpable from the very beginning and I when they unleashed that heat on one another I was afraid they would burn each other alive.  Thankfully Joaquin knows how to treat a woman, even when he is in serious lust, and tempers his passion in order to show her how much he has come to care for her and how deeply those emotions run.   Joaquin and Mia so obviously complement each other to perfection that I couldn’t imagine another woman for him now that I have seen them together.  I think this might have been a true conclusion to this series, but I can honestly say that with this as the ending I am not sad, but can instead rejoice in knowing that my I-Team friends will always be there for me whenever I want to return (yay, binge re-reads!).  In the meantime I look forward to continue Pamela’s other project (Colorado High County) and cannot wait for whatever she gives me to read next.  A magical addition to a series that continues to pull at my heart and send my body into overdrive… way to go Pamela!

*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.