Skin Deep - Pamela Clare

Book Blurb:
Broken on the inside

...
Megan Hunter has worked hard to get back on her feet, leaving the nightmare of her teenage years behind. The last thing she wants or needs in her life is a man. But when she is attacked by someone from her past, a scarred stranger intervenes, saving her life and that of her little girl. Looks can be deceiving, for despite the man’s rough appearance, she feels safe with him. And for the first time in her life, she knows the stirrings of desire.



Broken on the outside

...
Nathaniel West paid a high price serving with the Marines in Afghanistan. He returned to his family’s ranch in the Colorado mountains to heal—and be alone. Disfigured as he is, he has put all thoughts of sex and romance aside. But something about Megan brings him back to life, heats his blood, makes him feel like a man again. As danger pursues her, and the truth about her past is revealed, he vows to protect her—and to heal her wounded spirit.

But confronting the past is never easy—especially when it’s carrying a gun. Megan will have to learn to trust Nate to survive and to claim a passion that is much more than … Skin Deep.

In My Own Words:

Megan Hunter overcame a dark and scary world to land on her feet with a beautiful daughter a loving brother and friends that she considers family.  The one thing she wasn't prepared for was Nate West.  A vet that is overcoming his own inner and outer demons.  Being visibly scarred, he comes home to Colorado to heal and move on.

When Megan's creepy and dangerous ex shows up and demands money, it is Nate that is there to rescue her, and from there, the relationship and trust begins to grow...slowly.  With the initial rescue, comes a feeling of worth and a fierce protection for Megan that Nate can't explain even to himself.

When Megan feels the need to get out of town for just the day, to clear her head and get away from the mess of police, ex boyfriends, and gangsters the first person she calls is Nate.  Neither of them imagined  a day trip would lead to passion, honesty and trust. 

Review:

I am a HUGE fan of the I-team series, and have come to expect a lot of the author, and I wasn't disappointed.  Skin Deep has it all, and from cover to cover it was impossible to put it down.  Knowing of Megan's troubles from reading her brother, Marc's, story, it was refreshing to be able to see a woman who has had so many wrongs happen in her life to see it being righted.  The connection between Nate and Megan was evident from their first meeting and his gentle touch with her and her daughter was a treat to watch play out.  The story had an amazing flow, and I can't find one criticism about the story.  I do have to add, I REALLY enjoyed my man Julian in the Beer Run short story at the end ::sigh::

Surrender - Pamela Clare

Synopsis:
Iain MacKinnon and his two brothers, powerful Highland warriors trained in native American warfare, are falsely accused of murder and forced to take up the banner of their enemy King George in the French and Indian War. While on patrol, Iain rescues a Scots woman who calls herself Annie Burns from the French and Abenaki soldiers who raided her home. Annie, who hides a tragic past of family betrayal and indentured servitude, struggles with her newfound freedom and the mixed feelings she has for her saviors-so much like the Jacobite warriors who cut down her Loyalist father and brothers in battle. 

Review:

Surrender is the first in the MacKinnon Ranger series.  Iain MacKinnon, the leader of the MacKinnon rangers, had been forced to serve the British crown, but compassion urged him to save the lovely girl facing certain death at the hands of the Abenaki indians. He defied his orders, endangered his brothers, his men and his mission, all for a woman whom he had never met before. But when he held Annie’s sweet body in his arms, he could feel no regret. Though he sensed she was hiding something from him, it was too late to hold back his heart. Annie with her secrets and longing for a life of freedom becomes the wild card in a land and livelihood she knows nothing of. At first she survives purely on instinct and having the luck of Iain by her side. Slowly you see a woman who grows into her own and learns which battles in her life are worth waging. You would almost think with so much horror surrounding a woman she becomes detached but through her own actions she gains the loyalty with the Rangers and ultimately the man she has set her heart on. With so much going against her at the beginning I loved to read the journey of Annie and Iain.  I loved getting to know the whole cast of characters and was surprised by Annie's unlikely ally in the end.

Notable Quote:
She was solace. She was beauty. She was life. And the wanted her. (Iain's thoughts of Annie)

Rating:

I am not a person who usually enjoys historical romance, but I thoroughly enjoyed Iain and Annie's story.  This isn't your typical historical, there is no frill and no lace.  Annie has grit and spunk and is loyal to the core and will fight for anyone she deems fit.  Iain is resigned to his fate, does his job and does it well until...Annie.  All that is left is to SURRENDER!!!  The historical accuracy was meticulous, flawlessly woven into the tale, never appearing as though it were flung up like scenery in the background. Creating a Battle of Ticonderoga scene sufficiently convincing and captivating that one is not tempted to skim through on the way to the good stuff is quite a feat.  I am very much looking forward to Morgan's story "Untamed".

Breaking Point - Pamela Clare

Synopsis:

While investigating border violence in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Denver journalist Natalie Benoit is caught in a bloody ambush and taken captive. Alone in the hands of ruthless killers, she will need every ounce of courage she possesses to survive. 

Betrayed by another operative, Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride has endured a week of torture and interrogation at the hands of a bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartel. Ready to give his life if he must, he remains unbroken—until he hears the cries of an American woman.

Although Natalie is only a voice in the darkness of their shared prison, her plight brings renewed strength to Zach's battered body. With her help, he overpowers their captors, and they flee through the desert toward the border, the attraction between them flaring hotter than the Sonoran sun.

But past loss and tragedy leave both of them reluctant to follow their hearts, even when the passion between them reaches its breaking point. Faced with feelings neither expected, they fight to stay ahead of the danger that hunts them as forces more powerful than they can imagine conspire to destroy them both…

Review:
Breaking Point is the 5th book in the I-Team series, and I seriously hope that Ms. Clare is prepared to keep the series going. When Natalie and Zach end up in the same prison, Zach has all but given up in his mind, it is Natalie who wraps her brain around the escape.

I love that Zach is an Alpha in every way but that he also has a soft side especially for all things Natalie, but he has such a dangerous job and can never see them being together past what they have already shared.

Natalie lost her parents and her fiancée all in one day and feels the weight of the world on her shoulders. She feels it is her own fault that they died and doesn't think she will ever be able to love again. Will they ever break free from their own guilt to see what is in front of them? I loved this book from beginning to end.

Notable Quote:
"...you are under arrest for the distribution and sale of schedule one narcotics, human trafficking, the murders of US nationals on US soil, the kidnapping and attempted murder of and American journalist....and a whole lot of other sick shit."

Rating:
I totally wish I had a rating for above 5 cause this book would deserve it. Breaking Point is nonstop action, just when you think they were done....there is more. The action parts put you on the edge of your seat, the love scenes were HOT, and I couldn't wait to turn the page to see what would happen next. I laughed, had a giggle or two, I was upset a time or three and shed several tears. It was great to see our old friends from the other I-Team books, it was like catching up with old friends, and meeting new ones. I hope we catch up with Rowan in the future, she seemed like she could be a lot of fun!!