Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: I-Team, Book 5
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Hero: Zachariah McBride
Heroine: Natalie Benoit
Sensuality: 4
Published on: May 3, 2011
Started On: May 3, 2011
Finished On: May 4, 2011
Oh…my…stars!
In the words of our heroine Natalie Benoit, that about sums up this delectable addition to the already 5-star plus I-Team series by Pamela Clare, in which each individual book in this series has rocked my world in so many ways. The 5th installment in the series has been a much awaited one by the thousands of fans of this series all over the world and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I have been on tenterhooks ever since Ms. Clare announced the release date of Breaking Point on her blog a few months back. The wait though an agonizing one has all been worth it as Ms. Clare once again proves her remarkable talent in delivering what readers like us truly want when we pick up a novel of the RS genre.
Breaking Point with its fabulously drool-inducing cover tells the story of the beautiful I-Team reporter Natalie Benoit and Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Zachariah McBride (Zach) who meet each other in the most trying circumstances. Zach is former Navy SEAL and has more than his fair share of battle scars, a testament to the Medal of Honor that he receives upon honorable discharge from the army. Now a U.S. Marshal who puts his life on the line day in and day out doing what he does best, Zach is betrayed by a fellow agent and wakes up in a hell hole from which he has no means of escaping.
Born and bred in New Orleans, Natalie Benoit moves to Denver after Hurricane Katrina brought with it tragedy into her life from which Natalie still suffers. Working for the Denver Independent on the elite I-Team for the past 3 years, Natalie finds herself signing up for a 3-day convention in Mexico because she needs a change of pace from the usual. However Natalie finds more than she bargained for when she finds herself a captive of the notoriously cruel Los Zetas who have their own nefarious agenda all lined up for her.
It is at the compound to which she is taken to and held captive that she meets Zach who is clinging on to his reserves of strength to stay alive amidst the torture that is dished out daily in order to break him. The surge of protectiveness that courses through Zach when he first sights the beautiful Natalie takes him unawares and Natalie’s tenacious efforts to escape infuses Zach with a slight ray of hope that they just might make it out of Mexico with their lives intact.
Thus begins a desperate race across a harsh and unforgiving desert to make it to the safety of U.S. soil, the desert providing its own sources of danger at each and every turn. As Natalie and Zach spend time depending on each other, the attraction that neither of them can deny heats things up to the most delicious levels, the scenes of passion that unfolds between the two done in classic Pamela Clare style, hot enough to skyrocket one’s inner temperature to eyebrow singeing levels. But back home does not turn out to be the sanctuary it promises as danger of the life threatening variety keeps after Natalie, bringing heroes from the previous I-Team books into the picture making this the most action-packed romance that Ms. Clare has written to-date.
There are so many things that makes this a 5+ star read for me. One of them being the unbeatable style with which Ms. Clare brings to life her characters who have the ability to imbed themselves into the deepest recesses of my memory and heart, rendering each and every one of them unforgettable for years to come. Likewise, Zach McBride is the type of hero who has the ability to fuel any woman’s dreams of the naughty as well as the non-naughty variety as he steps up and does what he is  best at – protect the woman he loves at all costs. His attention to detail in bed and out of it carves him a well-deserved notch in my unforgettable-hero list. Though Zach has his own demons that needs to be laid to rest before he can embrace his happily-ever-after, it is Zach’s take-charge attitude that appealed to me the most.
Natalie is a kick-ass heroine in her own right as she battles her own fears and overcomes them to escape the men who hold her captive. Natalie’s inner vulnerability makes her easy to relate to and the way she has the ability to draw Zach out of his shell and make his playful side come out to play was one of the most endearing qualities about Natalie. She has no qualms about expressing her love for a man who deserves all that and so much more and refuses to back down from the fight for her own happily ever after even if it means that the battle she wages is with the man who has earned her heart, body and soul.
And of course, let me not forget the impact the rest of the I-Team heroes bring to the novel as Marc, Gabe and Darcangelo come together and put their very own lives on the line to protect their own. The interactions between the 3 left me with huge grins on my face each and every time and found myself going “Aww!” at a scene towards the end of the book that shows the depth of the relationship between Julian and Marc. Gabe and Marc both get in on the action rendering me speechless a time or two, especially Gabe who seems to have gone up in my total-hottie-alpha-male list after reading this book, if it is at all possible!
If I were to continue rehashing what made this book work for me, I would never reach the end of this review and would probably end up boring you all to tears. But the flowery gushy tone just comes out to play when I end up loving a book to bits as I did with this one. If you are already a fan of the I-Team series and haven’t read this yet, my question would be, what on Earth are you waiting for? Like me, just put your entire life on hold for a couple of hours and indulge in Zach and Natalie’s story as it will sweep you off your feet right from the very beginning. If you have never heard of Pamela Clare and have no idea what the I-Team series is all about, I say its high time that you educate yourselves on this fantastic series. You can find reviews of all the books in the series here if you are interested and I dare you to pick a book and give yourselves a couple of minutes with the story that unfolds. I assure you, time and money well spent!
Favorite Quotes
He felt empty, broken, defeated.
He wrapped his arms around her, refusing to let go, his head dropping to rest against her chest.
Without a word, she enfolded him in her embrace, holding him to her breast like a mother comforting a child, her fingers curling in her hair, her heartbeat steady in his ear. And he clung to her.
“Shh.” He pressed his finger to her lips. “When I realized I was going to die, the only thing I could think about was you and what an idiot I’d been for not telling you how I felt about you. I think I’ve loved you from the moment you lifted that awful blind off my face. I opened my eyes, and there you were, the bravest, most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. You set me free, Natalie. In so many ways, you set me free.”
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo | Diesel Ebooks
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
So, with the publication of this review, I’ve decided to take things a tad further and do my first giveaway for two reasons. One being that my blog just surpassed the 10,000 hits mark and second because I just adore Ms. Clare as an author and what she can do with her stories. So to celebrate in style, I will be giving away a 20$ Amazon gift certificate to one will be picked out from a random draw which will be held 4 days from now, on the 9th of May 2011. To enter you have to do the following:
- Like this review post if you are on Facebook and spread the word to your friends who might be interested.
- If you are on Twitter, share this and tweet about the giveaway!
- And last but not the least, leave a comment with the post stating your email address and if you are already a fan of the I-Team series I would like to know your favorite hero from Marc, Julian, Gabe, Reece and Zach and why. If you haven’t read the I-Team series yet, I would like to know your favorite romantic suspense novel that you have read to-date. And if you have tweeted or shared the review on Facebook, please mention it on your comment as well as your name would be entered 5 times into the draw. Even if you do not share this review on Facebook or Twitter you can still  leave a comment behind and enter the draw. Good luck fellow readers!
A Maldivian's Passion for Romance 
I have not read BP but my favorite was always Marc followed closely by Julian…ok maybe Reece and Gabe and do not forget Will…ok so I love them all…Pamela makes all her heros come to life…
seachele71@hotmail.com
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Chele,
Thanks for stopping by.
You are a woman of my own heart ^_^
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Julian is my favorite of the I-Team, I think Unlawful Contact was the first I-team book i read found it at a used book store and after reading it i searched for the EE and HE, read those and waited impaiently for Naked Edge. All the while wondering how someone could give up a copy of UC ?????
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Thank you for stopping by Tresa,
As you said, how can someone give up a copy of UC? *aghast look*
Julian definitely is one sexy hero!
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Great review! I can’t wait to hand in my Uni work on Friday and sit down and read this book it’s been sitting on my kindle since the 3rd and I’ve been so desperate to read it.
Thanks for always writing such great reviews, you are quickly becoming one of my favourite blogs!
I don’t know if I can enter as I’m UK but I thought I’d still share that Marc is by far my favourite hero, I loved his story with Sophie but I’m thinking Zach may beat him with this read!
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Hi Ally,
Thank you so much for your encouraging compliments. I always love hearing from visitors to my blog.
Of course you can enter if you are willing to shop on Amazon.com? Or are UK customers only allowed to shop from Amazon.co.uk? I have no idea.
I will still enter your name into the contest.
And Marc is my favorite hero too. So high five!!
And I hope that you enjoy Zach’s story cos I definitely did!
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My favorite Hero and favorite suspence romance is….Reece from Extreme Exposure.It’s so hard to pick just one,all of Pamela’s heros(and heroines!) Are amazing! I know Reece doesin’t have a huge following like the other I-team heros,but he was my first and my favorite! I love how kind and caring he is,how good he is with Conner and how loving he is toward Kara.Plus nothing like a sexy man in a sexy suit!
Thank you for the awesome review and givaway,super generous!!!
(I’ve also tweeted the link to this review,and liked it on FB and my name is Landin(twitter name Landipan)
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@Landin: Thanks for stopping by to share your thoughts and enter the giveaway. I agree with you, Reece is such an enigmatic, sexy and compelling hero. I fell head over heels in love with him and the I-Team series because of him. In him lies Pamela’s ability to craft alpha men who appeal to us. So yes, Reece is definitely a favorite!
@Johanna Jochum: You really should give the I-team series a go. I haven’t managed to read the Tara Janzen series yet. Should really rectify that soon!! Thank you for stopping by and joining the giveaway! ^.^
@Meggerfly: Ah, another I-Team newbie? Start with Reece (Extreme Exposure) and find out what he can do for you. *winks* And I love Nora Roberts as well. My self challenge for this year is starting her In-Death series to meet and greet the infamous Roarke!
@Twinkle: So glad that you like my little corner on the world wide web! And yes, you should definitely put your life on hold and read Zach and Natalie. So very worth it!
@Rachel: The same thing happened to me afterwards. And here I was thinking I was the only one with the reeling head syndrome ^_~. And thank you for stopping by! I have to admit I love all of the I-Team heroes as well!!
@Betty: Gabe is a remarkable hero. And I think in fact your love for Gabe might just skyrocket once you read this novel. Happened to me.
@ScorpioM: Hope you enjoy Zach and Natalie’s story. ;)
@Ren: Hi Ren *waves in excitement* Thank you for tweeting and Facebooking about my giveaway! And you definitely should read Zach’s story ASAP!
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I have not read the I-Team series yet but it they are on my wish list! Breaking Point sounds Smokin’ Hot! I can’t wait! I love romantic suspense and one of my favorite authors is Tara Janzen and her Steele Street series. Loose and Easy is one of my favs. Thanks for sharing with us today!
I shared on facebook. I have a lot of crazy book addict friends!
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I haven’t read any of the books in this series but I hear that they are great! As far as other Romantic Suspense novels go i pretty much love Nora Roberts book. Well all except for High Noon. I also like Heather Graham’s work.
Liked and shared on FB
rootml1 AT hotmail DOT com
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I’m seriously thinking of putting my life on hold and indulge in this new I-team installment. Your review excites me more about Zach and Natalie and of course to revisit old I-team favorite heroes specially Marc.
This is actually my first time in your blog and i just bookmarked your page as i have a lot of back tracking to do :)
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I JUST finished Breaking Point and my mind is still a whirligig of thoughts, scenes replaying on an enjoyable loop. Resounding thought is: LOVED IT. I completely fell in love with Zach during part 1, and he was quickly working his way to the number one I-Team Hero position. And then act 2 came along…and brought back my other favorite hero’s! This is such a hard call to make, but I THINK…Julian is still my favorite. But…damn…Zach is such a close second. Marc used to be #2, which I guess means he’s now #3, and that sucks, lol. And while I didn’t care for Kat (in book 4) seeing Gabe in this book made me suddenly fall harder for him too! And poor, poor Reece get’s left out since he’s not an action man, but I really did love him too. Ah, forget it. I want them all.
BTW, Thanks for running this Giveaway, I “liked” your review and posted it at Facebook.
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I left a comment with the post when I liked it, and I also shared. I’m all about Gabe right now, but once I get done with Zach, that may change.
bessieinthewell@yahoo.com
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I agree with the others, great review! I am a fan of the I-Team series. It’s the best romantic suspense series on the market in my opinion. I loved Naked Edge the most, so it’s easy for me to call Gabe my favorite. I just loved how he made his way back from broken-hearted daredevil to the good guy he really was. And Kat, she was just a great heroine, really unique.
Looking forward to Zach & Nat!
jenma76 at hotmail dot com
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Hi MBR :D
Great review, and you make me impatient to read Breaking Point (and drooling to the cover :P).. I already read all I-Team books (except the novella) and I love them all! My favorite must be Unlawful Contact. And that make Marc Hunter is my favorite hero too ;). Just wait until I read BP, I want to know if Zach will make me turn from Zach *lol*
I like your page in Facebook (under name Ren Bones Fuentes), and share this review in FB and twitter too. Here’s the link :
Facebook :http://www.facebook.com/ReND26/posts/226111530737506
Twitter: http://bit.ly/mbSDXt
Thanks for the giveaway ^_^
sawamura_foxman AT yahoo DOT com
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Wonderful review! I havin’t read Breaking Point yet but I am soooo anxious to do so,I’m more excited than ever!
As for my favorite I-Team hero,I am fully committed to Gabe from Naked Edge(Which is also my fav book ever) I think he is so amazing and wonderful he makes my heart flutter LOL.The ending to Naked Edge was so powerful and heart warming I adore it and could read it ten times(which I’ve almost done at this point lol)
My email is cgcook64@aol.com and I’ve shared/liked this review on facebook(under Bella cook) and tweeted/retweeted it on twitter.Thanks for doing such an awesome giveaway!!
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Hi Christie C.: Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Its always good to hear from fellow lovers of the I-Team series. Gabe is a hero well-deserving of all our love! And I was more impressed with him after reading Breaking Point. So you should definitely read it ASAP! I agree about the ending to Naked Edge. Pamela writes the most powerful epilogues. Love em’
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I am a huge fan of the I-Team series. I have read the first four books and absolutely loved them. Then I went back and read some of Pamela’s older historical romances. They were amazing too!
My favorite I-Team hero is Marc. He won me over in the sweet prologue of Unlawful Contact. But Gabe has a special place in my heart because Naked Edge is my favorite I-Team novel so far.
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Hi there, my favourite I-Team hero so far as Gabe, but I think Zach is going to give him a run for his money. Of course, then there’s Hunt and Julian and Reece… so hard to decide. Gabe. Today it’s Gabe! :)
I tweeted!! (@Kaetrin67) and also liked on Facebook.
hanktsATinternodeDOTonDOTnet
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Amy: I absolutely love Marc as well!! :D
Kaetrin: Hi there! I just visited your blog. Awesome site you have there. It is mighty difficult to pick a favorite amongst the I-Team heroes ain’t it? So glad you stopped by!
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Haa.. heard about this book from all of My friends.. made me curious… and now.. I read your review.. haha.. I did enter all I-Team series on My ‘to-do Read’ list… try to read it.. even I have a Bad english language.. hmpffth…
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Hi Videl,
You should definitely give them a go! I have loved all of them. Thank you for coming by!! :)
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Totally AWESOME review, MBR!!! Love your review! You explained so well what I loved about this, too. Bravo! You do this book and Pamela Clare proud!! *HUGS*
CONGRATs on getting over 10,000 hits, sweetie!!
As for my favourite I-Team hero…I love them ALL, but Marc Hunter has a special place in my heart. I love his protectiveness and loyalty, how he would do anything for the the ones he loves, how sweet and tender he is with Sophie and how he calls her is “fairy sprite”… But I love Gabe, Zach, Reece and Julian, too! They are all AMAZING heroes! Pamela Clare writes to-die-for heroes!!! Love her!
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Thank you Jayne for ALL the compliments. Makes me feel so very happy ;) *HUGS*
Hmm.. I guess you and me both Jayne, I too love Marc Hunter. But as you said, each of the I-Team heroes are to die-for.
And you are absolutely right. PC kicks major butt with her heroes! Love em’ ALL!
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My favourite hero is Reece becuase of how kind he was in the book to connor.
I have shared the review on fb :)
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Hi elizabeth,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing my review on FB.
Reece is a favorite of mine as well ;)
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I have only read one of pamela’s book and that is Extreme Exposure so Reece will have to be my favourite hero :)
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I totally agree that Reece is a yummy hero! ;)
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