Hard Asset (Cobra Elite #2) by Pamela Clare-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 27, 2019

A perilous mission…

Shanti Lahiri’s tragic family history inspired her to fight for justice. Now a prosecutor with the International Criminal Court, she doesn’t have time for dating or relationships. When an investigation takes her to the Rohingya refugee camps in her father’s homeland of Bangladesh, the last thing she wants is an armed security team following her everywhere and frightening her already traumatized witnesses. But others who’ve tried to investigate these crimes have gone missing, and Shanti doesn’t want to be the next one to disappear. Despite her misgivings, she has no choice but to accept their protection. And, no, the fact that the team’s leader is lethally sexy has nothing to do with her decision.

An undeniable attraction…

Connor O’Neal left the Unit—Delta Force—after a decade of war, scarred both inside and out. Now an operative with Cobra International Security, he’s been tasked with protecting Shanti in one of the most dangerous parts of the world. He can handle anything the bad guys throw at him, but nothing prepares him for the instant attraction he feels to Shanti. From the first moment he sees her, he wants her. Too bad, because clients are strictly off-limits, and he’s a man who follows the rules—most of the time. Besides, he can’t afford any distractions when Shanti’s life is on the line.

A merciless enemy…

But something about Shanti breaks through Connor’s defenses, forcing him to confront his demons. As their mutual desire transforms into reckless passion, Shanti discovers evidence crucial to putting a mastermind of genocide behind bars. Connor knows her life is in immediate danger, but his plan to get her out of the country comes crashing down when a traitor strikes, leaving the two of them stranded in the jungles of Myanmar. Now on the run from a ruthless killer and his army, Connor and Shanti are fighting for survival—and a chance at the love of a lifetime.

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REVIEW:  HARD ASSET is the second instalment in Pamela Clare’s contemporary, adult COBRA ELITE romantic, military suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for the Black Ops Company known as Cobra International Security. This is former Delta Force Army soldier Connor O’Neal, and prosecutor with the International Criminal Court (ICC) Shanti Lahiri’s story line. HARD ASSET can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. COBRA ELITE is a spin-off from the author’s I-Team Series.

NOTE: Due to the story line content and detailed references to genocide and murder, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Shanti and Connor) HARD ASSET follows the Cobra Team as they are assigned to escort and protect ICC attorney Shanti Lahiri as she travels to Myanmar in an effort to gather information about the warlord responsible for the Rohingya massacre and genocide. But a betrayal will find Shanti and Connor on the run in the Mayanmar jungle, miles from civilization and the safety of the Cobra Team. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Shanti and Connor as they traverse a minefield of danger and death, and the potential fall-out as Connor believes himself unworthy of love and a happily ever after.

Shanti Lahiri is desperate to take down the man responsible for destroying so many lives, desperate enough to place herself at risk as well as the man with whom she is falling in love. Connor O’Neal knows that his primary concern is to protect Shanti Lahiri but trapped in the Maynmar jungle means survival at all cost.

The relationship between Shanti and Connor is one of immediate attraction but Connor knows better than to get involved with a client. On the move in an effort to stay one step ahead of the man in charge, Shanti and Connor find themselves pulled together towards their own happily ever after. The $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text but I have to question $ex in a dangerous, dirty and precarious environment, $ex that could ultimately get themselves killed.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including most of Connor’s Cobra Elite Security Team: Derek Tower, Malik Jones, Dylan Cruz, Elizabeth Shield, Quinn McManus, Doc Sullivan, Thor Isaksen, and Lev Segal; Shanti’s boss Bram Meijer, and UN project manager Pauline Montreux. The requisite evil has many faces.

HARD ASSET is a story of war and genocide; power and control; betrayal, vengeance, danger, friendship and love. Pamela Clare pulls her story from the nightly news and dramatic headlines in an effort to show the brutality that is life for those who are trying to survive against the odds. The premise is powerful and thought provoking; the romance is captivating; the characters are strong and energetic. HARD ASSET is an informative, heart breaking and detailed story line that is sure to bring your attention to the ongoing atrocities and the Rohingya massacre.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one HARD TARGET

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy