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A review by jess_78
Skin Deep by Pamela Clare
5.0
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 4.5/5
It's always good to get back to the I-Team world and it's finally Megan's turn to get some happiness in her life. She more than deserves it after her past that was filled with torture, pain and hopelessness (Unlawful Contact). She's trying to keep her life steady and stable for not only her own benefit but most importantly for her 4 year old daughter, Emily. But a man from Megan's past, Donny who's also Emily's father, knows she recently came into money from a settlement and starts threatening her for money. Megan turns first to her brother, Marc, for help and eventually finds herself at Nate West's ranch.
Nate West, a former Marine who was horribly scarred on one side of his body during an explosion, was in the right place at the right time when he first met and helped Megan during a run in with Donny. He gives her an open invitation to bring Emily to his ranch to see his horses any time she wants. Megan takes him up on his offer and heads to the ranch, only to be caught there for a few days during a snow storm. Nate, Megan, Emily and Nate's dad Jack all spend a few days getting to know each other, and relationships are formed start to heal Megan and Nate.
"When a man touches me, I feel...revulsion. I instantly feel sick to my stomach...What those men did to me - it's a part of me. I can't shake it."
(...)
"I'm sorry. If I'd known..." Nate's frown deepened. "Did I make you feel that way just now when I held you?"
"N-no." Warmth rushed to Megan's cheeks.
(...)
His gaze locked with hers. "And last night - when I kissed you?"
"No." She rushed to explain. "But we were interrupted, and I... I think maybe there just wasn't time for me to react."
Nate set his drink down on the coffee table. "Do you want to test that theory?"
Megan's heart took off at a sprint. "Wh-what do you mean?"
"I could kiss you again just like I did last night-soft and easy-and since we're not going to be interrupted this time, you'll be able to see whether that sense of revulsion kicks in. If it does, we stop."
"And if it doesn't?"
He gave her a lopsided grin. "We'll know you just needed to kiss the right man."
Nate and Megan are both dealing with issues that are keeping them from moving forward and living life. Nate has a hard time letting people get close, especially women. He doesn't come across a lot of people who are able to look past his skin and really see him. Megan does that from the start - she truly sees Nate for the man that he is and looks at his scars as signs of his courage, nothing more or less. It felt incredibly emotional to read from Nate's POV because he was finally able to just be himself and feel accepted.
For Megan, she has a hard time touching men, which is understandable due to a past that was filled with abuse and having people she thought she could trust turn their backs on her. She's only ever had Marc and now she's trying to be a good mom to Emily, but she can't imagine ever feeling comfortable enough around a man to be with him, kiss him, have sex, get married. These are all things that she never dreamed of. Nate knows her entire past and like he tells Megan, "...Who you were then is not who you are now, and I'm interested in the woman you are today." Even though their story takes place over the course of a little more than a week, their romance and the progression of it worked. They went from simple kisses that rocked Megan completely, to a sweet sex scene that allowed them both to let go of the past and think about what a future together could be like.
Little Emily and Jack were so sweet! Emily is so adorable and her random comments and actions had me smiling every time she came on page. Nate's dad Jack was also a great character to get to know. He balanced out the family and I enjoyed his talks with Nate. The I-Team men show up briefly and it doesn't take much from them to have me laughing out loud. Just the thought of a criminal trying to kick Julian, or Marc being the protective older brother, it's the little moments with these men that pack a big punch.
This short story reads well as a stand-alone, but if you're not familiar with the I-Team series, all the books are definitely worth a read. I enjoyed seeing Megan get her happy ending and I fell in love with another hero that Pamela Clare brought us. Nate is a strong man who comes alive when he finds a woman that loves him, scars and all. I loved getting to know this couple and seeing them get their happy ending.
Blog rating: 4.5/5
It's always good to get back to the I-Team world and it's finally Megan's turn to get some happiness in her life. She more than deserves it after her past that was filled with torture, pain and hopelessness (Unlawful Contact). She's trying to keep her life steady and stable for not only her own benefit but most importantly for her 4 year old daughter, Emily. But a man from Megan's past, Donny who's also Emily's father, knows she recently came into money from a settlement and starts threatening her for money. Megan turns first to her brother, Marc, for help and eventually finds herself at Nate West's ranch.
Nate West, a former Marine who was horribly scarred on one side of his body during an explosion, was in the right place at the right time when he first met and helped Megan during a run in with Donny. He gives her an open invitation to bring Emily to his ranch to see his horses any time she wants. Megan takes him up on his offer and heads to the ranch, only to be caught there for a few days during a snow storm. Nate, Megan, Emily and Nate's dad Jack all spend a few days getting to know each other, and relationships are formed start to heal Megan and Nate.
"When a man touches me, I feel...revulsion. I instantly feel sick to my stomach...What those men did to me - it's a part of me. I can't shake it."
(...)
"I'm sorry. If I'd known..." Nate's frown deepened. "Did I make you feel that way just now when I held you?"
"N-no." Warmth rushed to Megan's cheeks.
(...)
His gaze locked with hers. "And last night - when I kissed you?"
"No." She rushed to explain. "But we were interrupted, and I... I think maybe there just wasn't time for me to react."
Nate set his drink down on the coffee table. "Do you want to test that theory?"
Megan's heart took off at a sprint. "Wh-what do you mean?"
"I could kiss you again just like I did last night-soft and easy-and since we're not going to be interrupted this time, you'll be able to see whether that sense of revulsion kicks in. If it does, we stop."
"And if it doesn't?"
He gave her a lopsided grin. "We'll know you just needed to kiss the right man."
Nate and Megan are both dealing with issues that are keeping them from moving forward and living life. Nate has a hard time letting people get close, especially women. He doesn't come across a lot of people who are able to look past his skin and really see him. Megan does that from the start - she truly sees Nate for the man that he is and looks at his scars as signs of his courage, nothing more or less. It felt incredibly emotional to read from Nate's POV because he was finally able to just be himself and feel accepted.
For Megan, she has a hard time touching men, which is understandable due to a past that was filled with abuse and having people she thought she could trust turn their backs on her. She's only ever had Marc and now she's trying to be a good mom to Emily, but she can't imagine ever feeling comfortable enough around a man to be with him, kiss him, have sex, get married. These are all things that she never dreamed of. Nate knows her entire past and like he tells Megan, "...Who you were then is not who you are now, and I'm interested in the woman you are today." Even though their story takes place over the course of a little more than a week, their romance and the progression of it worked. They went from simple kisses that rocked Megan completely, to a sweet sex scene that allowed them both to let go of the past and think about what a future together could be like.
Little Emily and Jack were so sweet! Emily is so adorable and her random comments and actions had me smiling every time she came on page. Nate's dad Jack was also a great character to get to know. He balanced out the family and I enjoyed his talks with Nate. The I-Team men show up briefly and it doesn't take much from them to have me laughing out loud. Just the thought of a criminal trying to kick Julian, or Marc being the protective older brother, it's the little moments with these men that pack a big punch.
This short story reads well as a stand-alone, but if you're not familiar with the I-Team series, all the books are definitely worth a read. I enjoyed seeing Megan get her happy ending and I fell in love with another hero that Pamela Clare brought us. Nate is a strong man who comes alive when he finds a woman that loves him, scars and all. I loved getting to know this couple and seeing them get their happy ending.