Investigative Reporter ("I- Team") Series:

Extreme Exposure

Hard Evidence

Unlawful Contact

I might be judging Clare a bit harder than I would other authors, because she is so much better at what she does than most other authors. The story was very good. The characters had depth. The romance was steamy. I really did enjoy this book. However, I can't honestly say I liked it as much as Clare's other work.

Tessa is a reporter for a small local newspaper. When she witnesses a murder...

Investigative Reporter ("I- Team") Series:

Extreme Exposure

Hard Evidence

Unlawful Contact

I might be judging Clare a bit harder than I would other authors, because she is so much better at what she does than most other authors. The story was very good. The characters had depth. The romance was steamy. I really did enjoy this book. However, I can't honestly say I liked it as much as Clare's other work.

Tessa is a reporter for a small local newspaper. When she witnesses a murder, she becomes determined to investigate and expose the killers.

Julian has been working under cover for several years to stop a huge child prostitution ring. He is just a step away from the final proof needed to bring down the criminals. The last thing he needs is for a nosey reporter to expose all of his hard- earned evidence.

When Tessa's articles capture the attention of the prostitution boss, her life is threatened. Julian has no choice but to keep her in hiding until he can arrest the criminals who are harming teens and who now wish to silence Tessa for good.

The heroine character in Hard Evidence, Tessa, seemed to copy the Extreme Exposure heroine in a couple of ways that made Tessa too predictable for the reader. First, she was over- the- top about doing her research as a reporter for a small local newspaper. She put herself in situations that were much more dangerous than an actual newspaper reporter would. "I have to do my job" was repeated several times, as it was in Extreme Exposure. Also, late in the tale, she becomes suspicious of the hero, Julian, and begins to investigate him even as she continues to live and sleep with him.

Tessa's character seemed immature and irresponsible. The police and Julian, an under cover officer, ask her not to continue writing in the paper about the things she uncovers because it will alert the bad guys about the case they are building to stop the crime ring for good. Tessa doesn't respect that these men know more about fighting crime than she does. She does irrational things like walking into a gang neighborhood, alone no less, to interview some dangerous gang members in an alley. It caused me to think that Tessa must be either insane or very stupid. Her actions cause the hero to be shot when he covers her body with his own during gang- related gun fire as he tries to get her out of gang town. She promises never to go back to that neighborhood, but continues to dig and research criminals who are even more dangerous than the gangs. She does eventually agree not to risk the police investigation any further, but by then she had lost my respect.

So why did I still give the book 5 stars? The writing and the core story are terrific. I had a hard time putting the book down. The hero character was strong, smart, protective, a bit soul- tortured from past experiences, and charmingly artless when doing romantic things for the heroine. The story as a whole was fast paced and engaging. These details, along with the fact that Tessa does show regret for the pain and trouble caused by her actions, kept the story at the top of the rating scale for me.

Want to read the series? Here is the link to the first and third books:
Extreme Exposure

Unlawful Contact (Berkley Sensation) (Best of the series so far!)

Pamela Clare's Historical Romance favorites:
Three Part Series:
Sweet Release
Carnal Gift
Ride The Fire (Leisure Historical Romance) --One of my personal all- time favorite historicals!

First in Clare's second historical series:
Surrender (Leisure Historical Fiction)

The Sequel, "Untamed" is scheduled for release in November 2008

If you enjoy romantic tales between protective men and modern women, try the "Bullet Catchers" series. Here are the first three of the series:
Kill Me Twice (The Bullet Catchers, Book 1)
Thrill Me to Death (The Bullet Catchers, Book 2)
Take Me Tonight (The Bullet Catchers, Book 3)

Hard Evidence, the second novel in the I-Team companion series, was another smashing hit by Pamela Clare. This romantic suspense novel was nothing short of sensational!

Hard Evidence was the fifth novel that I've read by Pamela Clare, and every single one of her novels have received a rating of 4 STARS or greater from me. That's impressive. In my opinion, it shows that 1) I really, really like Pamela Clare's style 2) She is consistently fabulous (which isn't as easy as it sounds). Most aut...

Hard Evidence, the second novel in the I-Team companion series, was another smashing hit by Pamela Clare. This romantic suspense novel was nothing short of sensational!

Hard Evidence was the fifth novel that I've read by Pamela Clare, and every single one of her novels have received a rating of 4 STARS or greater from me. That's impressive. In my opinion, it shows that 1) I really, really like Pamela Clare's style 2) She is consistently fabulous (which isn't as easy as it sounds). Most authors write at least one dud, but I haven't found one by Pamela Clare yet. Honestly, I'm running out of ways to compliment Ms. Clare.

I have zero complaints about Hard Evidence. It's sexy, sinful, suspenseful, and sweet! Julian and Tessa's chemistry was off the charts smokin' hot! My one and only complaint about Extreme Exposure, the first novel in the I-Team companion series, was that the hero was a little too perfect, which came across as unrealistic. Well, there's definitely no way anyone could make that same complaint against Hard Evidence. Julian, the hero in Hard Evidence, was far from perfect. Oh, he's sexy and charming. He was extremely sweet at times, but he was also a jerk at times, too. Julian had a dark side, and he had his flaws. In my opinion, his imperfections made him rugged and realistic.

Tessa was a strong heroine. She didn't make me laugh as much as Cara from Extreme Exposure did, but she kept me entertained, nonetheless. She's independent, confident, and brave, sometimes a little too brave for her own good.

I gave Hard Evidence by Pamela Clare 5 STARS. This action-packed suspense novel will have you frantically flipping the pages (or swiping your finger, in my case). I STRONGLY RECOMMEND this novel, as well as anything else Pamela Clare has written.

-XOXO

READING, EATING AND DREAMING

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