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.
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I love all Pamela Clare I-Team books. Romantic Suspense at its best!
Who knew the photographer could be such a bad*ss. You’ll love how the two work together to protect and save one another.
This is a wonderfully crafted romantic suspense that had me sitting on the edge of my seat throughout. I love it when I am totally captivated by a book right from the beginning to the very last page. I absolutely loved this story! If you enjoy a good suspense that has you glued then this is the book for you. Pamela Clare spins romance with such skill and finesse that it is difficult to put this one down until the end. Joaquin and Mia totally stole my heart and the storyline is full of intrigue, humor and romance. I highly recommend this one, it is worth more than five stars!
Joaquin Ramirez is the Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist on the Denver Star’s investigative team (I-Team) who is called to what looks to be a crime scene of a missing veteran. Former Army Captain Mia Starr is also on the scene and soon becomes a suspect after it’s revealed that she was the last person to see the missing soldier and it wasn’t a friendly encounter. Joaquin is immediately intrigued by Mia who isn’t a fan of photojournalists. But, he becomes her champion when it looks like the case is on the wrong track.
I’m so glad to be back with the I-Team and listening to the fabulous Kaleo Griffith tell another of their stories. I became a fan of Joaquin from the earlier story where he was part of a disastrous Mexican trip where a fellow team member was abducted right before his eyes. His professionalism at that time led to his prize-winning work. What I loved about this story is learning much more about the man and his family. His generosity towards Mia further endeared him to me (and Mia!). Also, the sexual harassment of women in the military is explored here and the ugliness of it is on full display. It’s a relevant issue and Mia is the right character to portray what some women in the armed forces endure and how they cope.
It’s an interesting but challenging case as other soldiers are slain. Finding the connection wasn’t initially clear but the suspense certainly was always in the background. There’s an almost perfect balance between the action and romance, which was extremely sensual. And, I love how past characters are woven into this story. It’s only been three months since the Christmas assault and the aftermath is captured here. Mark Hunter and Julian Darcangelo figure prominently in the investigation, too. It’s a really good story narrated expertly by Griffith. Welcome back, I-Team! This is one of my most favorite series and this is on par with the rest.
(Thanks to Tantor Audio for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Another entertaining story in the I Team series. She’s being framed for murder and then it happens again. He’s a photo journalist and has a family connection to her friend. They’re thrown together and sparks fly. She’s no weak victim though having been in the military. The suspense and action kept me glued to my kindle. Great book, I thoroughly enjoyed it
Deadly Intent, the 8th book in the I-Team series by Pamela Clare, was so yummy. Joaquin Finally got his book, and I am so happy about it. Joaquin has been a strong, sweet and supportive secondary character all through this series and I really wanted him to get a HEA! I have to say I was a little worried that Joaquin wouldn’t stand out in a series full of sexy alpha males like Julian, Zach, Nate and super sexy Marc(my fav), but he totally held his own, while staying true to his character.
Joaquin was so sensual, passionate, and loyal. He didn’t all of a sudden become a super alpha, but he was still brave, strong and protective. I loved how different he was from the other heroes in this series. When all the others were law enforcement or military, he was artistic, and creative. A photographer looking at life though his camera. I also loved having a sexy salsa dancing Latino hero. It’s nice to have a hero of a different ethnicity for a change. Mia was strong, honest, and brave. I loved that she was a former Army Captain. I also loved that the author had Mia’s character deal with sexual harassment while in the Army, but power through and stand up for herself. I love Strong heroines and Mia was very strong, but she was also vulnerable and sweet.
Joaquin and Mia had a strong almost instant connection. I loved that Joaquin didn’t rush Mia because he wanted more than sex. There was tons of sexual tension in this book and Joaquin was sexy as hell. I loved how strong Joaquin was for Mia while not trying to undermine her, like she was some “helpless” girl. The plot of this book was good too, but I found it slightly predictable, as I figured out who the killer was within a few chapters. That didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the read at all. I loved getting to see all of my favorites from past books. I love how close all the characters are and how attached I feel to them. I also want to say I really liked that Pamela Clare had Sophie still dealing with issues from the last book’s terrorist attack. PTSD is very real and it was nice that everyone wasn’t just all better in a blink of an eye. I am so glad I got this book from Netgalley. It was nice to live in the I-team world and see Joaquin find love. I really hope to get Matt’s book soon!!!
I received an advanced copy of Deadly Intent from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The following review contains my opinions and mine alone.
Joaquín Cristián Delgado Ramírez. If you’re looking for a hot latinx lover who burns up the dance floor, takes prize-winning photos, and is prepared to defend himself and others, look no further. Joaquín meets Mia at a crime scene of a former co-worker and is instantly captivated by her. And despite everybody believing Mia’s a murderer, Joaquín is steadfast in his belief that the former Army Captain is not only innocent but a target of the real killer. Joaquín goes out of his way to help Mia Starr out, to the point where he becomes a secondary target in the killer’s quest for ‘revenge’. What I love most about Joaquín is that he’s loyal, even risking his job and his reputation as a photojournalist to keep his promise to Mia.
Mia is a complex woman when you really look at her. Joaquín must work overtime to make her see herself how he’s seen her from the moment they met, beautiful. It all stems from harassment from her superior officer and the rest of the men in her company after she refused and reported her commanding officer’s advances. At the same time, she’s a strong independent woman who put in the hard work to get her degree and now works at her dream job at the Botanical Gardens. One of my favourite things about Mia is that she sees that Joaquín’s family is bilingual and tends to use Spanish more than English and instead of asking everybody to just speak English, she takes the time to start teaching herself Spanish so that she can communicate with his family who’s basically adopted her after learning she trained Joaquín’s younger cousin in the Army.
I really enjoyed reading Deadly Intent because Ms Clare created characters that felt welcoming from the get-go. I immediately trusted Julian and Marc and now I really want to get my hands on their stories. And let’s not get started on the Wests, I felt like they wouldn’t mind if I came over and hung out for a weekend with my camera. The way the other characters from the previous books just easily popped up in the book made me want to know more about them as well since they were so varied in nature.
I was a teensy bit confused at one period in the beginning – mostly because this was my first book of the series. It was quickly made clear to me that I just wasn’t understanding things. You can read this as a standalone, but I do recommend you check out the earlier books to understand what all is going on and who’s who.
I was glad to see that Ms Clare tackles not only non-combat PTSD but also sexual assault and harassment in the military. She tastefully works Sophie’s problems into the story without making things a spectacle. It’s great that, even in a book centred around a veteran, the author makes a point to say you don’t have to have served to develop PTSD. I’m also glad that Mia’s assault and harassment wasn’t just a storybuilder, it had a story of its own throughout the book – and it gets a satisfactory ending.
To finish things off, I’m going to give Deadly Intent 4 out of 5 stars and 2 spicy flames. It actually takes a while before sexy times begin and even then, they’re not majorly in-depth or story-killing. I’m already planning on going back and reading the rest of the I-Team series and I hope y’all give Deadly Intent (and its seriesmates) a chance.
Having read Pamela Clare’s Colorado High Country series, I was quite eager to read Deadly Intent. Although this is the eighth title in the I-Team series, it can be read as a standalone. I haven’t read the previous titles in the series, and didn’t struggle to follow the story line in this title.
Joaquin is a swoon worthy, sensual, passionate alpha hero. He’s artistic and creative, a photojournalist, with Latin heritage. He’s incredibly proud of his background, and is a loyal and loving friend, who inspires his friends to do whatever they can to come to his aid. He’s sweet, sexy, protective, brave and strong.
Mia is strong, brave, honest, resilient, capable and intelligent. When she’s framed for a crime she didn’t commit, Joaquin and his friends come to her aid.
The banter and dialogue is witty, fun and flirtatious and flows seamlessly throughout this title. The sexual tension between this pair is palpable and when they connect it’s hot, passionate and steamy.
This fast paced read is entertaining and engaging, full of action, suspense and intrigue and I look forward to future titles in the series, and going back to the beginning of the series to read the previous titles.
Delightful
How have I not read this series before!!! It’s really superb and my wishlist has increased again…sigh!!
Joaquin Ramirez is not your typical hero. He is a photo journalist, so whilst used to being in hotspots he is usually the one taking pictures of the news, not being in the news. But when things got hairy at his workplace he and the rest of the team got deeply involved and became heroes themselves.
Mia Starr is former Army. She loved her men but sadly that didn’t make her immune from the leech’s in command or from being envied and loathed by those who couldn’t measure up to her or her standards. When she meets Joaquin at a crime scene involving a former subordinate, they have a bot of a rocky start. But she later sees him in a family setting when she visits a friend and she realises that she may have been quick to judge him. He is very much family orientated and downright yummy!!!
From teaching her the Salsa, Joaquin ends up getting more involved than he thought he would be when someone starts lining up Mia to take the fall for a rash or murders. But he and the rest of the I team are not willing to roll over and let Mia take the fall!
I loved that Mia is strong, caring and a great role model. She wouldn’t look the other way and she tried her best to have Army brass take care of her problems but it just became untenable. Joaquin is a great blend of alpha male and caring partner, I especially loves how he didn’t want to use his links to Mia for the story.
I’m now backtracking to read the rest of the series!
It had been awhile since I last read a book in this series and decided to give this one a try. As I expected, Ms Clare did not disappoint us.
This one centers around Joaquin Ramirez, and Army Captain Mia Starr.
Joaquin has been around for other stories. He is a photojournalist and artistic. Not the usual guy we have had in other books.
Mia is a complex woman. Bright, gutsy and now a suspect in a murder. Who comes to her rescue, but Joaquin.
The author gives us a plot that though not as action packed as other stories, it’s engaging. The main characters are not only complex but have a heart. I love when authors give us strong women like Mia.
You will get to laugh, be on the edge of your seat with the suspense, and not only will the main characters fall in love with each other, but you will fall in love with them as well.
Another great addition to this already successful series.
I was gifted this copy by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
At long last, Pamela Clare has brought back the I-Team! Reading this one reminded me how much I love the series and frankly I feel the need to go back and reread the series just because it is that good. As much as I loved this series, this book can definitely be read on its own but with all of the hints at past stories concerning the other characters it is sure to have the reader wanting more I-Team.
A perfect balance of romance and suspense, this book is one that will have you staying up past your bedtime! I certainly hope we can expect more from this series since the book ended with a new member on the I-Team.
ARC – I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are hones
Mia is trying to build a life for herself, but danger does not want to let her go.
Joaquin is glad that he is able to protect Mia.
I loved the storytelling + the characters
The storytelling + the character’s build were awesome!
The after effects of the trauma from Dead By Midnight left some with PTSD and forever changed Joaquin Ramirez – the I-Team’s investigative photojournalist. Even though he is no longer naive to the horrors of the world, he is still an empathetic man with strong family ties. Its this trait that draw him to Mia when he first meets her even though she is hostile to him due to his profession.
Even though this is a I-Team novel the prominent story is about Mia Starr who served in Iraq as a US Army Captain – where she suffered sexual harassment, abuse by fellow service members and these things covered up by her chain of command.
Mia doesn’t know it but someone from under her command in Iraq is out for revenge and killing her former team while also setting it up to look like she is the killer. For most of the book Joaquin is the only one that fully believe she is innocent. While they are trying to figure out who is killing the men Joaquin slowly wraps Mia up with friendship, family and eventually his love – something she hasn’t had in a long time.
Plenty of the I-Team makes appearances through out to help Joaquin and Mia in different capacities. There is also the person who isn’t dealing well with what happened with the terrorist in Dead by Midnight. Not going to spoil who but its both sad and heartbreaking – and understandable.
As I get to this point of the review it hit me that this story reminds me of Nate and Jack West’s stories which were more about past traumas of characters and emotions – not that there isn’t suspense in this book – the final showdown is crazy but things aren’t as intense as previous books in the series. Honestly after Dead by Midnight I dont think I could have taken anything too deep myself..
I’ve always wanted Joaquin to have a HEA and the author ended up writing him a spectacular heroine who within the first few chapters you felt like you’d known her as long as him and you were rooting for her just as hard.
I wasn’t sure how Joaquin would fit the role of leading hero when he’s always been the supportive backbone for others. Joaquin isn’t the badass like Darcangelo or Hunter, nor is he the outdoorsy, thrill-seeking type like Gabe; instead our salsa dancing hero is the artist, capturing the passion and heartache of human nature with a click of a button. Have no fear, because he fit the role of protective hero to a T! I could drag a list out, but I’ll just say my favorite was his open honesty with Mia, even when it landed him in hot water at work. It’s just so unusual for a character to simply lay it all out there from the start, but it avoided needless drama and allowed more focus on the developing relationship-win/win as far as I’m concerned!
Mia was a good fit for Joaquin. She had brains, a good eye for detail, and was a little bad ass herself. She also fit into the I-Team group like a long lost friend and I got a kick out of who ended up basically being her bestie! The suspense wasn’t as intense as previous stories, but it worked out because the level suited Mia and Joaquin’s capabilities. Besides, the hard stuff definitely called for appearances by Darcangelo and Hunter;)
As to the romance, I liked the development even if it happened quickly. It was also sexier than I expected, but still fell in the realm of sweet. For example, when I think of Zach or Darcangelo’s stories, they bring raw sexuality to mind..or maybe that’s because of the adrenaline rush, lol.. Joaquin reminded me of Reese. They both have the kind of subdued sexiness that tends to catch people by surprise when something happens, and Joaquin… he caught me by surprise.
The I-Team series has been a longtime favorite and when I saw Joaquin’s name in the blurb, I clicked it without finishing the summary. I had no clue what the story was about and discovered I didn’t care! I simply knew Joaquin would finally get his story and I would catch glimpses of favorite characters. Overall, I was happy with the end result and will keep my figures crossed for future stories, long or short!