Breaking Point By Pamela Clare (I-Team Novel-Book 5)
Romantic Suspense
May 3, 2011
Paperback
Berkeley Sensation
Helyce is back to guest review!! Find her on Goodreads.
I had been counting the days toward the release of Breaking Point when Mandi offered it to me for review, and my response was a very loud “Hell Yes!” I am a huge fan of Pamela Clare’s I-Team series. Centering around a group of journalists who work for the Denver Independent, Breaking Point is the story of Natalie Benoit and Zach McBride and if you are a fan of romantic suspense, you will not be disappointed.
Originally from New Orleans, Natalie moved to Denver after losing her parents and fiancé after Hurricane Katrina. She’s made a nice home for herself, has a great job and wonderful friends but years later she is still sad, missing her parents and especially her fiancé, Beau. She’s dated a little but watching her friends meet, marry and have children have opened old wounds and she’s feeling like it’ll just never happen for her. On top of that, her job as an investigative reporter is pretty high stress and the combination of her personal and professional life has her needing a break. That break comes in the form of a journalist convention that takes her across the border into Juarez, Mexico. The intent of the convention was to bring Mexican and American journalists together to learn more about the issues of immigration, the drug trade and human trafficking. Unbeknownst to Natalie, she is about to get up close and personal with many of those issues when her bus is ambushed and she is kidnapped at gunpoint.
Zach McBride is a Chief Deputy U.S. Marshall working deep undercover when he’s betrayed by a fellow operative and is kidnapped by the Zetas, Mexican bad guys headed by Arturo Cardenas-the very man Zach was in Mexico trying to bring down for drug and weapons trafficking and the deaths of several young women. Repeatedly tortured over several days, he’s in his cell, just waiting for death, when he hears Natalie’s voice. Calling on the last of his strength, he calls out to her. Natalie tells Zach how she came to be there and Zach, careful to keep his cover, grimly and honestly tells Natalie the depressing and frightening facts of her fate when she asks:
“What do you think Cardenas will do with me?” She sounded so vulnerable. Zach found it hard to answer her, regret at what he had to tell her forming a knot in his chest. “I imagine he’ll…rape you repeatedly over a period of days or maybe even weeks and then…sell you…or kill you.”
Zach, weak from repeated torture, beatings and not enough water and food, digs deep and finds some inner strength so that when the opportunity presents itself, he and Natalie are able to overpower Cardenas’ men and make their escape. At first, Natalie is very suspicious of Zach. She doesn’t understand why they can’t just go straight to the authorities but she knows she can’t do this on her own. Zach tells her that the Zetas leader has eyes and ears all over the place and even the Mexican authorities cannot be trusted. From what little Natalie has said, Zach suspects that there is much more to her kidnapping then the obvious. He comes up with a plan that will take them on a trek through the desert and across the border back into the U.S.
Unfortunately, the trouble in Mexico follows Natalie and Zach across the border back into the US. While Zach is in DC being debriefed, he learns that Arturo Cardenas has sent men into Denver to kill Natalie. He’s on the phone trying to warn her when he hears an explosion. Defying orders, he leaves DC to rush to Natalie’s side. What follows unveils a partnership, decades long, that ends in a hail of bullets where the good guys win, but not completely unhurt.
Of course we cannot overlook the romance part of this story. True to form, Ms. Clare gives us a sexy hot stud in the form of Zach McBride. Just check out the cover, model Jed Hill does Zach major justice! Natalie Benoit is not only beautiful but a very strong woman and their attraction to each other once they are free is immediate. Both Natalie and Zach have pasts that they have to come to terms with before either of them will be free enough to give each other their hearts, but it doesn’t stop them from fooling around and taking comfort in each other after their horrible ordeal. Zach tries to fight his attraction to Natalie at first. He’s got “rules” and he doesn’t like to break them. Natalie hasn’t been with anyone since her fiancé and after what she’s just been through, she’s of the mindset that life is too short and Zach is there, sex on a stick. She knows want she wants and she takes it.
Pamela Clare does an awesome job of taking actual current events and weaving them into a story full of adventure and suspense. You will feel horror, disgust and disbelief that these things actually happen to people in the world today. While keeping you at the edge of your seat, she also brings huge emotions into the story. You feel the pain of the guilt Zach suffers from what has happened in his past. You know it’s holding him back from taking that last step to happiness with Natalie. There is no doubt you will feel many emotions when reading this book. And when you least expect it, humor:
She watched, puzzled. “You’re going to take a shower—with your guns?”
“I’m not actually going to take them into the shower. I just want them close by.” Then he turned, a grin on his face, some of the playfulness returning. “You know, if you’re going to hang with me, you need to learn the correct terminology.”
He held up the AK-47, the muscles of his arm bunching against the weight. “This is an assault rifle.” Then he held up the handgun. “This is a semi-automatic pistol.”
Then he gave a little thrust of his hips and looked down at his penis. “That is my gun. As you’ve discovered, it’s pump-action like a shotgun, but it doesn’t fire bullets.”
One of the things I love about this series is that Ms. Clare does a great job of bringing back previous characters and including them in the current book. If you’ve read the previous I-Team books, then you will be happy to hear that Marc, Julian and Gabe get some page time. These men are protective of Natalie and aren’t too sure about Zach at first, but are quick to jump in and support him when Natalie’s life is in danger. It is clear that each and every one of them would take a bullet for the other and they’ll do whatever is necessary to get the job done.
I loved Breaking Point and it is a fabulous addition to this series. If you are a fan of romantic suspense, you must read Pamela Clare. She will not let you down.
Rating: A
Recent Reviews:
Fiction Vixen – 4.5/5
Dear Author – B
Love to Read for Fun – 4/5
All About Romance – B+
Swept Away Again – 3/5
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I love Pamela Clare’s writing and her I-Team books!
I think you must start reading this awesome series, Mandi!! :D
I know! This sounds like MY type of book! :)
Great review Helyce :)
I have just started reading Breaking Point and am so hooked. The detail and depth of the story is awesome. Can’t wait to go back and read the rest of this series.
Hi Chris-I started with Naked Edge and was hooked! Immediately hit the used bookstore for the other books in the series. It’s worth it!
I’ve never read Pamela Claire but whoo weee-that is sure one pretty cover model. :) Wonderful review Helyce.
Hey Tori, she writes historicals too! I’ve only read Ride The Fire, but it was really good! She does romantic suspense really well-and yes, Jed Hill is gorgeous. According to her blog, Pamela was able to pick her cover model, something I’ve learned is almost never allowed when a cover is being designed! Not by the author anyway. She’s posted numerous photos-he’s quite pretty!
Nicely written review, Helyce! I’ll have to check this one out!
Hi Cheryl, thanks for stopping by-even while you’re on vacation! :)
I’ve heard great things about this book-I must look into this series. Great job reviewing, Helyce!
Thanks Buckeye Girl! I think of all her I-Team books, it was the most anticipated release. There was a lot of build up on her blog along the way! :)
Awesome Review!
People have been Recommending this book like crazy to me and after your review, I am SO going to buy!
I love that funny quote about his ‘Gun’ being pump-action just like the pistol ! lol!
And it seems like the book will touch on some dark issues and induce lots of emotion from me while reading! I love books that do that!
Squee, can’t wait!
YAY! Thanks again! (and Welcome back Helyce)
Hey HRJ Rita, thanks so much! If you like RS, this book has it all; humor, emotion, male bonding, smexytime, and yes, it does deal with some actual now in the news issues. Ms. Clare is a journalist in CO (?) so she’s probably got a wealth of investigative stuff to draw from and she really does a great job of weaving a story around it.
I love Pamela Clare’s I-Team series. I had read the series and then gave the books away. Then I bought and re-read them all again – and thought I gave them away again.. I wanted to re-read them before I got into Breaking Point, but couldn’t find them (looked a dozen times) and couldn’t afford to buy them all again. One day I was passing my bookshelf again and there they were, just as pretty as can be!! I’m now ready to re-read them (’cause you can never get enough of the I-Team) get into Breaking Point – so happy! Great review, thank you.
Hey Karen, wow-that’s dedication to an author! You’ll love it! The only person I missed was Horny Holly-she had only a little page time. I don’t know who’s book is next…but I know Holly’s is last. I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait!
I am more into romantic suspense lately, and I love your review Helyce. I will check this author out very soon.
Thanks Aurian. After reading paranormals almost exclusively, I needed a change and started with the romantic suspense. There is a lot of good stuff out there! This series really is well done!
If I haven’t read any others in this series, is it OK to start with this one? Is this book very violent? I have heard good things about this series, but I don’t like very violent stories. What do you think?
Penny
Hi Penelope-hmm, it is somewhat violent. There are several gun battles with point blank shooting. In the beginning, Zach is being tortured with electricity. While Ms. Clare is descriptive-it’s not overdone so that you picture blood and guts everywhere. While necessary for the type of story it is, I’d say it’s tastefully done-on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d say probably around a 5-6. But my threshold for violence might be higher than yours…so factor that in. And Yes, it certainly can be read as a stand alone. I actually started with Naked Edge, the previous book, and then worked backwards.
Thanks, Helyce!
Great review and I hear ya loud and clear Helyce; must read on in PC’s I-Team series :D
Hey Leontine-thanks for stopping by! Yep, as long as they continue to be this good, I’ll keep reading them.
I do hear they are good :D My fingers are itching, and it’s not like I need more books…though I DO want more books
I hear you Blodeuedd! If I die in my sleep it’ll be because my TBR fell over on my head and I suffocated.
I recently picked up the first book in this series. LOVE IT!! Can’t wait to finally catch up!
And they get better with each subsequent book! Seriously!
If Pamela Clare (both historical and romance-suspense) wasn’t already on my auto buy list, I would have been persuaded by your most excellent review to give it a try:) Can’t wait to buy this one — in paperback;) I’ve been reading her books since 2005.
This one is getting good reviews everywhere. I really want to give this author a try. Great review!
Fantastic review!!!! I really want to start reading this series. I’ve heard so much about this series and read so many awesome reviews like this…I know I’m missing out. Plus look at that hottie on the cover! I would by it just to stare at that every day. :-P ;-)
Love the pump action penis quote, (very rare for author’s to use penis these days instead of cock). It’s nice for a hero to be playful in that area.
I love Pamela Clare’s historicals, but I’m not so into romantic suspense…it’s a bit too realistic for my tastes, but people everywhere rave about these books. I may have to try them.