Striking Distance

I-Team Series, Book 6

By: Pamela Clare

Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith

Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

TV reporter Laura Nilsson, known as the "Baghdad Babe," spent eighteen months in an Al-Qaeda compound after being kidnapped live on the air. Two years later, she's still wondering why.No mission in Javier Corbray's fourteen years as a Navy SEAL affected him the way Laura's rescue did.

No woman had stirred his protective instincts the way she did. And he wants her more than he's ever wanted anyone. As Laura and Javier's passion ignites, so does Laura's need to discover the mystery of her past. Especially when she learns that her abduction was not random - and that she's still a target for a killer with an impenetrable motive. Now Javier will have to rely on his skills to keep the woman he loves from being struck down before she dares uncover the truth.

©2013 Pamela Clare (P)2013 Tantor

Heroism, survival and a poignant tearjerker

This is an unforgettable book telling the tale of survival, strength, enduring passion, and outright heroism on both male and female parts.

Pamela Clare's I-Team series carries the badge of authenticity of a real investigative reporter and editor and the clean smooth writing and pacing of a career writer. The original and realistic tales the I-Team reporters are ramped up by the intense hot romances of the amazing men they team up with.

But this one was a little different, and dealt with really hard subjects. I don't want to give anything away, but the word "Epic" kept coming to mind as I listened. For the second time. I bought the book last year when it first came out, and just re-listened a second time and am struck by the sweeping nature of the story. We get the usual happy ever after, but not the one we were necessarily expecting.

This book is bang for your buck as you'll be able to come back to it again fresh, and you'll be able to appreciate the twists, turns, complexities and the choices the characters will have to make.

Get this book--its worth every penny or credit.

Strange Twist

While author Pamela Clare is obviously very talented, she needs to research her books more thoroughly, especially when her plots concern sexual violence.

Striking Distance, as several previous books in this series, feature a female survivor of sexual assault and torture. Rather than accurately portraying the trauma of sexual violence and the healing process necessary to recover, the heroine (Laura) is instantly cured by hero Javier. In a strange twist, Laura starts fantasizing about having rough, degrading sex.

Although the majority of the plot and characters were entertaining and engrossing, the romance between Laura and Javier was disappointing and unbelievable.

Awesome Story and Narration

Where does Striking Distance rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Striking Distance Ranks Number One in my Audio Book Collection. It has intrigue, passion, mystery and all the elements needed for a great romance. The leading charterers Javier and Laura are strong passionate people. Laura survived at brutal kidnapping, 18 months of torture, many attempts on her life, yet through it all show great strength and a strong will to live and survive. Javier is just what we all would expect of a SEAL, he is a protector, the one who strives to right the wrongs. In Striking Distance you will get a little in sight to other favorite characters from Ms. Clare's I-Team Series. This is Kaleo Griffith 6th I-Team Book. His versatility in portraying the characters in this book make him a joy to listen to. I have rated Striking Distance with 5 stars only because there were not 10 stars to give it.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved how patience Javier was towards Laura as she healed from the trauma of captivity. The Teddy Bear quote was the best of all times.

Have you listened to any of Kaleo Griffith’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes I have and he just gets better with each recording.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Even though I did not get to set and listen in one sitting it was one I wish I could have.

Liked it!

4/5 rating: An enjoyable listen. Some negative points, but nothing significant.

I recommend this book for... fans of crime mysteries with romance.

On the plus side... the narration is excellent; the plot is interesting; the characters are engaging; I like the series very much.

On the negative side... the relationship sub-plot is fairly standard for the romance genre; the story did plod along in certain spots - it felt like it went on for too long.

Love the entire I-team series

Where does Striking Distance rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I love all Pamela Clare/Kaleo Griffith audiobooks!

What other book might you compare Striking Distance to and why?

Pamela Clare's other I-team books. Lots of suspense, mystery and hot romance!

Which scene was your favorite?

When Laura is skyping her Mom and Grandma and Javier walks in the room totally naked!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It gave alot of emotions, laughing, crying.....etc.

Any additional comments?

I hope Pamela Clare writes more of these types of books. I also think Kaleo Griffith is a very talented narrator.

Well researched :)

Loved it. Loved it.
Normally books that include my culture (I'm Puerto Rican) don't really depict a "real" picture of a traditional big family, but this author did a great job in researching and the narrator did great at getting the pronunciation correct.
Fantastic love book!

PAMELA CLARE CAN DO NO WRONG!

The I-team series continues to be one of my favorite action/romance series. I fell in love with this book before chapter one ended--I knew it would be good! This installment, like the others, deals with some rather gut-wrenching circumstances that, sadly, are a very real part of life for some people. Thankfully, there's a happy ending, but not without some bumps, bruises and super tough decisions along the way. It's a really fantastic drama with action, sweet romance, and a touch of humor. And best of all, you will love Javier, love, love, love him! If you've listened to the preceding stories, Javier will be just as adored as all the rest of the phenomenal male lead characters Clare introduces. Luckily one of the best features of this series is how Clare weaves the other characters into each of the subsequent stories, it's like a family reunion of sorts! Striking Distance is absolutely credit-worthy and could be a stand alone book but the whole series is superb, and I can't wait until there's another book.

One of the best

Would you listen to Striking Distance again? Why?

I don't listen to many more than once. That isnt because it isnt good.

Have you listened to any of Kaleo Griffith’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I dont like the way he does women's voices. Not his fault. Some men can do it some cant.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I have read almost all of this series and have been a romantic suspense addict for decades. I seldom write reviews but the depth of this particular story appealed to me on many levels. If you like a book that provides multi dimensional story lines, reaches deep into a character to explain motivation and why/how they became who they are, then check this one out. Pamela's storyline reaches into our current lives. The men who service this country pay an incredibly high price and so do their families. The female lead had a life experience that forever changed her and one that most women can relate It is one we can relate to based on the headlines in our 21st century life. They are both wounded, found each other, and were able to help each other. EXCELLENT writing and story line. Thank you.

Eh

I'm struggling here. My best response is, "OK, not horrible, narrator is passable and the story has with some plot twists. " But overall, I tended to roll my eyes, hard (which is dangerous when listening while driving) because sooooooo much just didn't work for me.

Too many coincidences in the action line -- not to mention that her work environment simply does not match the real world -- and, frankly, I just didn't buy how two people from such diametrically opposed lifestyles melded, the head hopping was difficult to follow and SPOILER ALERT: I'm not convinced that two people who kept saying they did not want commitment or kids kept fighting so hard for both. Especially the female lead.

I guess what I'm saying is ... I wish I hadn't wasted an Audible credit on this.

The best series in this genre that I have read yet

This review is really for the whole series, as I loved all of them. Pamela Clare did a wonderful job developing the characters...both the men and the women. I think what I enjoyed most is that the the series moved through the different members of the I-team while keeping the characters I already fell in love with part of the story. And Kaleo Griffith is now, by far, my favorite narrator for this genre. I love how he used such distinct, but subtle, voices for everyone, so I always knew who was talking. I was so disappointed when I discovered I had listened to them all. Since then, I have been searching, with no success, to find another series with such great writing, strong & lovable characters, intriguing plots, and steamy sex!