Veena’s review of Breaking Point (Shadow Warriors, Book 5) by Lyndsay Mckenna
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin HQN 29 Apr 14
I’ve been thoroughly enjoying meeting the women who are part of Operation Shadow Warriors, serving on the battle fronts where our troops are deployed. It’s now time to meet Bay Thorne, who’s been assigned as a medic to Seal Team 6 in Afghanistan. You can well imagine how the announcement of her assignment and introduction goes over with the team.
Fortunately for her Gabe Griffith, who will be her partner and show her the ropes, is more receptive to her arrival than the rest of his teammates, some of whom are openly hostile. It’s interesting to join Bay and Gabe as they head off to get her outfitted like the rest of the SEALs so she can blend in when they’re out on assignment. Bay is so apprehensive about wearing the signature knife and sheath and other accoutrements that the SEALs wear as a part of their uniform since she hasn’t earned some of these by shedding her blood, sweat, and tears.
Nevertheless, prove herself she does time and time again until even the most vocal of her detractors change their tune and make her a part of the team. This story is less of a romance and more of an adventure story about life as a part of a SEAL team on the frontier. Everyone talks about the SEALs in hushed tones of awe, and the author gives us stories that allow us to paint a better picture of what their lives are like day in and day out and how stoically they put their lives on the line to keep the world safe for the rest of us.
This is not a classic love story in that the hero and heroine do not get horizontal the first chance they get. Its a slow, simmering development of feelings and emotional attachment on which neither of them really act until they’re back stateside. I also learned about the mountain people that I knew very little about before reading the book.
Perhaps the only regret I have is that each book in the series seems very stand alone. We don’t get to meet any of the characters from the other books again once their story is told. It would be good to hear what’s happening with them.
Grade: B
Summary:
In the line of fire…
OPERATION SHADOW WARRIORS
An ongoing U.S. military experiment to test the integration of trained female military operatives in live combat scenarios…
The Alpha Platoon. A unit of Navy SEALs stationed in the unforgiving dryness of Afghanistan…who just learned that their newest team member is a woman. But Bay Thorn has a spine of steel—and the chops to prove it. Without a team to back her up, however, she’s dead in the water. And her only ally is Gabe Griffin, a lone SEAL who is lethal, dangerous and unbearably attractive….
Between the open hostility from her team and the harsh al Qaeda territory, Gabe is a lifeline for Bay. But mutual respect quickly grows into mutual attraction. And with each day and every assignment, the longing only deepens.
They mustn’t speak of it. Mustn’t act on it. Because in this line of work, falling in love can get you killed….
Other books in this series:
