Veena’s review of Down Range (Shadow Warriors, Book 2) by Lindsay McKenna
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin HQN 26 Nov 13
Captain Morgan Boland is a woman who is dedicated to getting women’s boots on the ground in combat zones. She is a Shadow Warrior, part of a select secret organization in the US Military which inserts women into combat teams to prove how well these women can perform under fire. Clearly you can already see the conflict that this might create for the rough-and-tough SEALs and Delta Force teams who perform top-secret missions under very harsh conditions behind enemy lines. This is an extremely well-written story of military action in Afghanistan and brings a whole new perspective to women warriors.
Jake Ramsey and Morgan Boland have a history. They first met at Annapolis as third-year students. He had great sex and moved on. They met again at a remote village in Afghanistan, passing ships in the night, except their night left consequences that she never shared with him. Now they meet again at the Pentagon, teamed up to go out on a top-secret mission behind enemy lines. Will this third time be a charm?
They are already starting off at a disadvantage, notwithstanding their shared personal history. Jake does not believe that women have any place in combat. He tries to argue his case to General Maya Stevenson, architect of the Shadow Warriors, and is shot down for his troubles. At least he is the senior member of their team on this mission.
But Jake is in for a big surprise, especially as they arrive at their destination to find out that Morgan is known, loved, and respected by these poor Afghan tribes people, both men and women. And, boy, does she prove it to him again and again. For the first time since they met, Jake stops to take a good look at who Morgan really is and finally the walls start to come down. They are on a mission and he has a bad feeling that it’s not going to end well.
I think their story is very well told against a very realistic vision of the mission that they executed. Being a woman myself, I really appreciate the strong role models portrayed in the book, both in the form of General Stevenson and, of course, Morgan herself. As Jake does his 360 to really respecting her as his partner, he wants to ensure that she’s granted the same respect when he sees skepticism and surprise by the medevac personnel.
As always, stories like these give me a greater appreciation for the men and women who face untold dangers to keep our way of life safe, and I want to take this opportunity to recognize and thank them for their service. I love the word pictures the author painted of life for the simple Afghan people and the danger that they face every day and the American service men and women who go out of their way to help make it better.
Grade: A
Summary:
Captain Morgan Boland and her former lover Navy SEAL Jake Ramsey have truckloads of personal history. Selected to partner for an Afghan assignment they need to get it together. A lot has happened in the two years since they went separate ways. And there’s way more to Morgan than Jake has ever given her credit for…
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
