I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Release date: August 27, 2019
Rating: 3.75/5
Hard Asset is the second book in Pamela Clare’s Cobra Elite series, but it can be read as a standalone. This is actually my first Pamela Clare book and I really enjoyed it. I’m even more excited to dive into her backlist now.
Hard Asset is a fast-paced survival romance. Shanti is an attorney working for the International Criminal Court. She has to go to Bangladesh, the country where she was born, to investigate war crimes committed against the Rohingya refugees. Others who tried to investigate these war crimes have been captured by the Myanmar army, so the Cobra Elite team is hired to accompany and protect her. Shanti and the head of her security, Connor, have this instant connection that is tested to the limits when they become stranded in the jungles of Myanmar. They are forced to rely on each other to survive and to make it to the border to Bangladesh all while escaping the Myanmar soldiers who are after them.
The plot was thrilling and exciting, often leaving me at the edge of my seat. The romance was pretty good as well, though I will confess that I was more into the whole survival aspect than the romance itself. My favourite thing about the romance is how the hero and heroine are both so mature, but disagree on a moralistic stance regarding the use of violence and weapons. This disagreement led to some level of tension between them, but not too much. I think sexual tension was definitely missing for me. There was sexual attraction, but not too much sexual tension because the characters seem to get along for the most part. There was also not much resistance, even though the hero constantly emphasized he could get fired for sleeping with the heroine.
Some of the chapters ended rather abruptly. The writing is crisp and sharp, perfect for the action and survival part of the story, but Clare’s prose is not emotive enough for me. There is significant emotional development, but not too deep or detailed. The emotional depth only seemed to shine through in the last 20% and I think that’s the main thing that’s off about the book. I wanted to feel the love between Shanti and Connor a lot more than I did. I think Clare nailed the emotionality when it came to describing the struggles and trauma of the Rohingya refugees. But when it came to the romance, the emotionality was basically bland, except for the very last part of the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, even if I did enjoy the action more than the romance. I’m a little anxious to read the first book in the series because Afghanistan is such a controversial setting…we’ll see. But I’m definitely psyched to read the I-Team series!
P.S. I love how much Connor loves elephants
Romance Library 