Kickass Hero

She walked away once…
When ER nurse Kristi Chang met former Army Ranger Malik Jones in Antarctica eighteen months ago, they agreed to sex with no strings. She had no idea that Malik would turn out to be the most fun she’d ever had. Or that a big, bad soldier could be so sweet. Or that she would still be thinking of him more than a year later.

Now working with an international aid organization in Nigeria, Kristi regrets letting him go. When gunmen suddenly attack and tear her from her medical unit and force her at gunpoint to care for their leader, she knows she’ll have to use her wits if she wants to stay alive. She warns her captors that she’s married to a Ranger named Malik who will kill any man who touches her. If only that were true…

Now he’ll do anything to free her…
Malik hasn’t forgotten a single incredible moment he spent with Kristi. When he gets the news that she’s been abducted, he is gutted and wants to get Cobra’s guns into the fight to free her. A veteran of more than a few rescues, he knows only too well how brutal captivity can be for a woman and wants to get her out of there as soon as possible. But the State Department decides to let local authorities handle the situation and gives Cobra a different assignment, leaving Malik no choice but to quit the job he loves to go after Kristi himself. But locating her in an area bigger than the state of Texas and freeing her from a band of ruthless killers by himself isn’t going to be easy.

But the threat is greater than they realize…
When Malik appears out of nowhere and saves her life, Kristi thinks she’s dreaming. As she recovers from her ordeal, the heat between them once again flares into passion. This time, however, it’s not just about lust and physical pleasure. Their hearts are on the line. But in rescuing Kristi, Malik has kicked the proverbial hornet’s nest, unleashing the wrath of a ruthless criminal organization bent on revenge. It will take all of their strength and skill to survive—and turn this second chance at romance into the love of a lifetime.

When Kristi Chang and Malik Jones had their not-so-secret fling in Antarctica in Thor Issaksen’s book (the previous one), I easily dismissed this couple as a frivolous pastime (and never as protagonists of their own story) to be ignored.

I’m glad to be proven wrong here, in ‘Hard Pursuit’.

Pamela Clare brings the action to Nigeria, following up from ‘Hard Line’ where it was mentioned that Kristi was making her way to Nigeria, leaving Malik doubtful and concerned for her safety. Many months later, the memory of their time together remains strong and upon learning Kristi’s abduction by Nigerian bandits, Malik doesn’t hesitate to play saviour in a mission that puts his entire career on the line.

With a straightforward plot, the spotlight falls on Kristi/Malik as a couple whose strong personalities help carry the story, who are solidly written as characters who are resourceful, quick-thinking and full of chutzpah; their easy camaraderie and determination never to give up on each other throughout made ‘Hard Pursuit’ a joy to go through without the bumps of having to deal with TSTL moments (thankfully missing here).

My only complaint is the somewhat easy and quick way it was all resolved: when Kristi and Malik find themselves in an unsolvable bind, resolution and saving grace come from the Cobra team who insert themselves just at the right time, and a somewhat ‘offline’ end to the whole conflict driven by a very large cartel that’s got its fingers spread around the world in human trafficking.

But it’s this wrap-up that enables Clare to deliver a satisfying HEA all around with all loose-ends tied up and a glimpse into a future between a brilliant couple I never thought I could like at first .