Extreme Exposure (I-Team Series, Book 1) by Pamela Clare

Title: Extreme Exposure
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: I-Team
Format: Paperback; 352 Pages
Publisher: Berkley (August 2, 2005)
ISBN-10: 0425206335
ISBN-13: 978-0425206331
Author's Website: http://www.pamelaclare.com/
Notes: The f-bomb is dropped in this one as well as one or two other such words.

Kara McMillan is a well respected reporter for the Denver Independent. She's also a single mom doing her best to juggle her career and motherhood. For the past five years those two things have dominated her world. Her son's father is a deadbeat dad and severed his relationship with her when he found out she was pregnant. She's shied away from a relationships since then. When she meets Reece Sheridan, a respected Colorado Senator, at a local bar, things could not have gone worse. A little tipsy she finds herself sticking her foot in her mouth. Luckily, the two had talked prior to ever meeting and her faux pas does not deter him. He'd already been intrigued with her because of the phone interview, and subsequent article she'd written which helped him get an alternative energy bill passed. When Kara's latest story lands her with death threats, it's Reece who comes to her aid putting his own life in jeopardy as well. That's when Kara finally decides that maybe it's time she took another chance at love.

My husband often makes fun of my romance books. He jokingly says they're no better than chewing gum for the mind. You get no real substance from them and, in affect, are not beneficial to one. Well, I always beg to differ with him, and this is truly a book he can't make that claim about. This story could have stood on it's own without the romance, but what fun would that have been? The main story blew me away with it's intensity. It reminded me a bit of the 2000 movie, Erin Brockovich, which featured Julia Roberts. The chemistry between Kara and Reece is sizzling. The characters are lifelike. I loved watching Kara's investigation go from research to the point where she could publish an article with enough evidence to support her claims. I always thought being an investigative reporter would be fun, but now I'm a bit glad that was never part of my career path. It's dangerous. Pamela Clare should know. She's actually a reporter for a Colorado based newspaper, and is one of the few, if not the only, romance author who can claim to have had a mad man hold a gun on her. Yikes! So to all the investigative journalists who make our world a better place, and rarely get the recognition you deserve, thank you.

So where does the series get it's name? From the fact that the group of individuals who work on a big story are called the I-Team (aka Information-Team). Where does the title come into play? Well, I not exactly sure, but I believe it's due to the fact that those living near to or working in the factory that's been called into question are exposed to extreme environmental hazards.  My rating for this one is 5 out of 5 roses.