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Shadow Warriors #2
Down Range
Trained to kill, but built for love
Captain Morgan Boland is at the top of her game, as is her former lover, Navy SEAL Jake Ramsey. Then a military computer selects them to partner in a special op. The mission can't be compromised by their personal historyand they have truckloads of it.
But the Afghan assignment might provide the discipline they need to finally get it togetheroutside the bedroom, that is. A lot has happened over the two years since they last went their separate ways. And there's way more to Morgan than Jake has ever given her credit for .
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 26, 2013
About the author
Lindsay McKenna
360 books2,509 followersI've lived six lives in one and it all shows up in the books I write, one way or another.
I was always a risk taker and broke mustangs at thirteen years old in Oregon. I learn to break them with love, not threat or pain.
At 17 years old, I picked night-crawlers (worms) out in our Oregon orchards from 9pm to midnight, every night. I earned enough money to buy my school clothes and book. I also plunked down $600 to a flight company at the Medford, Oregon airport and asked them to teach me...a girl...to fly. I soloed in 12 hours, which is average. From that time until I left for the US Navy at 18, I had accrued 39 hours of flight time in my Cessna 150 single engine airplane.
I was in the US military and was an AG3 (weather forecaster). There was no airplane club, so I couldn't fly when I was in the Navy. But I could look at the clouds in the sky ;-).
Later, I flew in a B-52 bomber for a day and night mission (18 hours total), a T-38 Talon jet, USAF, where I was riding in a "chase plane" on a test flight in a Dragonfly jet.
I was one of the first AFLA (American Fencing League of America) women fencers to fence with epee and sabre. These weapons were closed to women because they were too 'heavy' for a female to handle. I said baloney and fought the males and won half my bouts. I was part of a surge of women fencers on the East Coast in the 1970's to push for equality in the sport. Together, we changed the sport and changed the mind of the men. Today? In the Olympics? Women now fence in foil, epee and sabre, thanks to what we did as a vanguard showing the world it could be done.
I then became a volunteer firefighter when I was a civilian once more, the first woman in an all - male fire department in West Point, Ohio for three years. I became a local expert not only in firefighting, driving the engine and tanker trunks, but also had training in hazardous material (Reynoldsburg Fire Academy, Columbus, OH).
My books always reflect what I experienced. If you like edgy, gritty, deeply and emotionally intense love stories with sympathetic heroes and heroines, check out my newest series that will be available mid-Oct. 2015, and it incorporates much of what I have lived.
I was always a risk taker and broke mustangs at thirteen years old in Oregon. I learn to break them with love, not threat or pain.
At 17 years old, I picked night-crawlers (worms) out in our Oregon orchards from 9pm to midnight, every night. I earned enough money to buy my school clothes and book. I also plunked down $600 to a flight company at the Medford, Oregon airport and asked them to teach me...a girl...to fly. I soloed in 12 hours, which is average. From that time until I left for the US Navy at 18, I had accrued 39 hours of flight time in my Cessna 150 single engine airplane.
I was in the US military and was an AG3 (weather forecaster). There was no airplane club, so I couldn't fly when I was in the Navy. But I could look at the clouds in the sky ;-).
Later, I flew in a B-52 bomber for a day and night mission (18 hours total), a T-38 Talon jet, USAF, where I was riding in a "chase plane" on a test flight in a Dragonfly jet.
I was one of the first AFLA (American Fencing League of America) women fencers to fence with epee and sabre. These weapons were closed to women because they were too 'heavy' for a female to handle. I said baloney and fought the males and won half my bouts. I was part of a surge of women fencers on the East Coast in the 1970's to push for equality in the sport. Together, we changed the sport and changed the mind of the men. Today? In the Olympics? Women now fence in foil, epee and sabre, thanks to what we did as a vanguard showing the world it could be done.
I then became a volunteer firefighter when I was a civilian once more, the first woman in an all - male fire department in West Point, Ohio for three years. I became a local expert not only in firefighting, driving the engine and tanker trunks, but also had training in hazardous material (Reynoldsburg Fire Academy, Columbus, OH).
My books always reflect what I experienced. If you like edgy, gritty, deeply and emotionally intense love stories with sympathetic heroes and heroines, check out my newest series that will be available mid-Oct. 2015, and it incorporates much of what I have lived.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
December 16, 2013
Fantastic book. Morgan and Jake have a turbulent history. They met at the Naval Academy and grew close there, but misunderstandings tore them apart. They met again later and had three terrific days together before military commitments separated them and more emotional baggage kept them apart. When they were partnered for a special operation they had to leave that baggage behind in order to work together. They also had to learn to trust each other.
I loved the whole subject of the book. The idea that women who wish to participate in combat and are capable of doing so is something that's time has come. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the training and challenges that were faced. When it came to the mission itself, I loved the details that were provided. I could picture the guide, Reza, and his reaction to Morgan's gift. Morgan's care for the people of the village and her reactions to the poverty of their lives made a very vivid picture in my mind. Seeing the way that Jake and Morgan had to work together every step of the way made their differences of opinion so much more obvious. By the time that first attack was over, Jake's conversion was complete. When they started tracking Khogari I could feel the tension they were under and I couldn't read fast enough to find out what would happen. I could feel my heart pounding as I read what happened, and I was right there with Jake and his fears for Morgan's survival. I loved his actions when they arrived at the hospital and the lengths he went to for her. His feelings for her showed in everything he did during her recovery. When he had to leave for a mission I loved Morgan's realization of what the families left behind go through when their loved ones are gone and the difference it made to her outlook for their future. Jake's actions on his return were great and I loved the scene with the rings. The only thing left for them to cover was for Morgan to finally tell him about their daughter. That scene was one of the most emotional of the entire book.
Morgan is the daughter of two former military special operations people. As such she has always been aware of the dangers but it has been her dream to become one of them. As a midshipman at the Academy she worked hard to be the best she could be, earning her degree in engineering and linguistics. The linguistics got her foot in the door working in Afghanistan where her abilities were appreciated. When the military asked her to be part of an experimental unit training women for combat she jumped at the chance. For the past three years she has been working as a sniper with various special ops units. Getting selected for this operation, taking down a Afghani drug lord, is something she is ready to do. Finding out that Jake will be her partner is a surprise. She knows that Jake's opinion is that women are not capable of performing in combat and convincing him otherwise is going to be an uphill battle. She's right, and we can see his prejudice right from the beginning. I loved the way that she keeps things businesslike and is determined to show him that he's wrong. Starting with their arrival in the Afghani village her skills are obvious. She knows she has to prove herself to Jake and she does so by simply being who she is. I loved seeing her relate to the people of the village, fully participate in the backbreaking work of helping them in their work, and then be front and center in repelling an attack on the village. During this time she and Jake start to work through a little bit of their past. Morgan discovers that Jake isn't the same selfish jerk that he had been and that maybe there is a chance to move forward together. She also admits that she wasn't always in the right either. Her feelings for him have never changed but she still has trouble believing that he is done running from any kind of emotional commitment. I liked seeing the way that she begins to regain her trust in him.
Jake had noticed Morgan when they were at the Academy and they had a short time when they were very close. But Jake was young and pretty self-centered and made some mistakes that tore them apart. After leaving the Academy he became a SEAL and was very good at what he did. After a mission that nearly went very wrong he began to see his life in a new way and started to make some changes. He fell in love and married and was ready to leave the military when his wife and son were killed by a drunk driver. He retreated to his old life and the military became everything to him, his fellow SEALs were his family. Because his mother had been chronically ill while he was growing up, he always saw women as the weaker sex and didn't believe that they had any place in combat operations. Seeing Morgan again a few years later brought back the old feelings of attraction and he thoroughly enjoyed their three days together. But they argued again over their views on the subject and went their separate ways. Jake was furious when he found out he would be paired with Morgan on a special sniper operation. He really puts his foot in his mouth when he tells the (female) general that he won't "allow" a woman on his op. I absolutely loved her reaction and seeing his attempts to recover was great. Jake has a long way to go to make up for his blunder. Once they were in Afghanistan Jake got to see Morgan at work and he slowly began to see the changes she had been through. I loved seeing his eyes opened to just how good she was. Jake was able to show her just how much he had changed also. For the first time he actually let her see his emotions as he shared his feelings about their previous times together and told her about his wife and son. As they got further into their mission Jake got to know Morgan and her capabilities better. He also started seeing how the operative was such an important part of the whole woman. I loved seeing how the changes in Jake enabled him to show her the tenderness and care he felt for her without her feeling like he didn't respect her.
I loved the whole subject of the book. The idea that women who wish to participate in combat and are capable of doing so is something that's time has come. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the training and challenges that were faced. When it came to the mission itself, I loved the details that were provided. I could picture the guide, Reza, and his reaction to Morgan's gift. Morgan's care for the people of the village and her reactions to the poverty of their lives made a very vivid picture in my mind. Seeing the way that Jake and Morgan had to work together every step of the way made their differences of opinion so much more obvious. By the time that first attack was over, Jake's conversion was complete. When they started tracking Khogari I could feel the tension they were under and I couldn't read fast enough to find out what would happen. I could feel my heart pounding as I read what happened, and I was right there with Jake and his fears for Morgan's survival. I loved his actions when they arrived at the hospital and the lengths he went to for her. His feelings for her showed in everything he did during her recovery. When he had to leave for a mission I loved Morgan's realization of what the families left behind go through when their loved ones are gone and the difference it made to her outlook for their future. Jake's actions on his return were great and I loved the scene with the rings. The only thing left for them to cover was for Morgan to finally tell him about their daughter. That scene was one of the most emotional of the entire book.
Morgan is the daughter of two former military special operations people. As such she has always been aware of the dangers but it has been her dream to become one of them. As a midshipman at the Academy she worked hard to be the best she could be, earning her degree in engineering and linguistics. The linguistics got her foot in the door working in Afghanistan where her abilities were appreciated. When the military asked her to be part of an experimental unit training women for combat she jumped at the chance. For the past three years she has been working as a sniper with various special ops units. Getting selected for this operation, taking down a Afghani drug lord, is something she is ready to do. Finding out that Jake will be her partner is a surprise. She knows that Jake's opinion is that women are not capable of performing in combat and convincing him otherwise is going to be an uphill battle. She's right, and we can see his prejudice right from the beginning. I loved the way that she keeps things businesslike and is determined to show him that he's wrong. Starting with their arrival in the Afghani village her skills are obvious. She knows she has to prove herself to Jake and she does so by simply being who she is. I loved seeing her relate to the people of the village, fully participate in the backbreaking work of helping them in their work, and then be front and center in repelling an attack on the village. During this time she and Jake start to work through a little bit of their past. Morgan discovers that Jake isn't the same selfish jerk that he had been and that maybe there is a chance to move forward together. She also admits that she wasn't always in the right either. Her feelings for him have never changed but she still has trouble believing that he is done running from any kind of emotional commitment. I liked seeing the way that she begins to regain her trust in him.
Jake had noticed Morgan when they were at the Academy and they had a short time when they were very close. But Jake was young and pretty self-centered and made some mistakes that tore them apart. After leaving the Academy he became a SEAL and was very good at what he did. After a mission that nearly went very wrong he began to see his life in a new way and started to make some changes. He fell in love and married and was ready to leave the military when his wife and son were killed by a drunk driver. He retreated to his old life and the military became everything to him, his fellow SEALs were his family. Because his mother had been chronically ill while he was growing up, he always saw women as the weaker sex and didn't believe that they had any place in combat operations. Seeing Morgan again a few years later brought back the old feelings of attraction and he thoroughly enjoyed their three days together. But they argued again over their views on the subject and went their separate ways. Jake was furious when he found out he would be paired with Morgan on a special sniper operation. He really puts his foot in his mouth when he tells the (female) general that he won't "allow" a woman on his op. I absolutely loved her reaction and seeing his attempts to recover was great. Jake has a long way to go to make up for his blunder. Once they were in Afghanistan Jake got to see Morgan at work and he slowly began to see the changes she had been through. I loved seeing his eyes opened to just how good she was. Jake was able to show her just how much he had changed also. For the first time he actually let her see his emotions as he shared his feelings about their previous times together and told her about his wife and son. As they got further into their mission Jake got to know Morgan and her capabilities better. He also started seeing how the operative was such an important part of the whole woman. I loved seeing how the changes in Jake enabled him to show her the tenderness and care he felt for her without her feeling like he didn't respect her.
March 4, 2016
I didn't realise this was a Harlequin until after I was finished reading, though it does explain why it felt a lot like one at the time. If you like Harlequin novels then you'll probably like this one and if you don't then you won't, because honestly they're all pretty much exactly the same despite different characters and settings (and authors).
I found this one particularly boring and trite with incredibly bland and repetitive writing. I was also quickly exasperated by how the author would insert some common and well known military slang or abbreviation for some equipment, but then immediately follow it up by writing the full name or explanation in case I didn't understand from context (to paraphrase "I wore my NVGs, night vision goggles"). I was also not very impressed with how the characters could be on a top secret, rather tense mission in Afghanistan, and instead of the writing focusing on that and what was immediately going on it kept drifting off to rehash their mutual pasts and explore all their mistakes and regrets. .
Despite not enjoying this story or the writing, I do have to say that I liked the complete metamorphosis of Jake from a chauvinistic "alpha male" arsehole at the beginning to a pretty reasonable and understanding "family man" type at the end. It was a very gradual and (fairly) believable process that I wish I could see done in more stories.
I found this one particularly boring and trite with incredibly bland and repetitive writing. I was also quickly exasperated by how the author would insert some common and well known military slang or abbreviation for some equipment, but then immediately follow it up by writing the full name or explanation in case I didn't understand from context (to paraphrase "I wore my NVGs, night vision goggles"). I was also not very impressed with how the characters could be on a top secret, rather tense mission in Afghanistan, and instead of the writing focusing on that and what was immediately going on it kept drifting off to rehash their mutual pasts and explore all their mistakes and regrets. .
Despite not enjoying this story or the writing, I do have to say that I liked the complete metamorphosis of Jake from a chauvinistic "alpha male" arsehole at the beginning to a pretty reasonable and understanding "family man" type at the end. It was a very gradual and (fairly) believable process that I wish I could see done in more stories.
December 4, 2013
First I have to say in general... Holy crap why does every girl I've read about recently have RED HAIR!! There aren't that many red heads in the world!!
This is one of those books full of misunderstandings & misplaced blame & anger...
Morgan & Jake have a past spread over 9 years. They are thrown together in a black ops sniper mission & they have to trust each other. Morgan also has a secret. almost 3 years ago, they had a fling where she ended up pregnant & now they have a 2 year old daughter, Jake knows nothing about. Come to find out they know nothing about each other. That's all just about 10% of the story. The rest is borderline boring. A walk through of a sniper mission, with explanations of EVERYTHING! Over the top explanations... not descriptions, explanations about why things are done and how they effect the outcome. Of course, there is an HEA, but as soon as you think you're there... more explanations... it seems to repeat itself often, by using different words to reexplain the same thing later with maybe a tiny bit more added detail...
Don't get me wrong, it was a good book. It was worth the read. I still give it 4 stars even though I got tired of the mission walk through... and all the explanations.
This is one of those books full of misunderstandings & misplaced blame & anger...
Morgan & Jake have a past spread over 9 years. They are thrown together in a black ops sniper mission & they have to trust each other. Morgan also has a secret. almost 3 years ago, they had a fling where she ended up pregnant & now they have a 2 year old daughter, Jake knows nothing about. Come to find out they know nothing about each other. That's all just about 10% of the story. The rest is borderline boring. A walk through of a sniper mission, with explanations of EVERYTHING! Over the top explanations... not descriptions, explanations about why things are done and how they effect the outcome. Of course, there is an HEA, but as soon as you think you're there... more explanations... it seems to repeat itself often, by using different words to reexplain the same thing later with maybe a tiny bit more added detail...
Don't get me wrong, it was a good book. It was worth the read. I still give it 4 stars even though I got tired of the mission walk through... and all the explanations.
April 11, 2014
To put it honestly, this is not a good novel, in my opinion. I should've known better when I bought it, but I failed to notice that it was one of the Harlequin Books. The plot is OK. The characters are so-so. Much of the narration I found boring & trite. The inevitable sex scenes, as well as the lead-ups to them, go on for 3 or 4 stereotypical pages. Put it this way: I never felt in danger of my glasses fogging up! By the 3rd of 27 chapters I was not only aware of, but seriously annoyed at, such repetitious phrases as "he/she quirked" or "his/her mouth grimaced up".
I have great respect & appreciation for our men & women in uniform, especially folks like the SEALS, and especially for the women in the military who've, like the character Morgan Boland, proven their mettle equal to men. But I don't think this book, for all the periodic show of patriotism, does much to present a truly realistic picture of such people.
I have great respect & appreciation for our men & women in uniform, especially folks like the SEALS, and especially for the women in the military who've, like the character Morgan Boland, proven their mettle equal to men. But I don't think this book, for all the periodic show of patriotism, does much to present a truly realistic picture of such people.
December 4, 2013
3.5 Stars
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, Lindsay McKenna can write one hellva book with plenty action and lots of angst over relationships. On the other hand, maybe she writes too good (if that's possible) cause I blanked out a couple times with all the military talk and the repeating phrase of "chronically ill". I know as a military romance book there should be military jargon spoken, but it started boring me. And every time Jake's mother was mentioned except once toward the end she is always described as chronically ill. I get it, I really do. Trying to make a point of why Jake thinks every single woman on earth is weak based on his mother, but can't she sometime be refereed as something else? Even Morgan called her chronically ill and she was speaking to Jake. I don't know....maybe I'm nitpicking. The overall story is great and the big secret and reveal were done pretty well so I'd definitely recommend this book to people who like the genre of romance with a little military action thrown in.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, Lindsay McKenna can write one hellva book with plenty action and lots of angst over relationships. On the other hand, maybe she writes too good (if that's possible) cause I blanked out a couple times with all the military talk and the repeating phrase of "chronically ill". I know as a military romance book there should be military jargon spoken, but it started boring me. And every time Jake's mother was mentioned except once toward the end she is always described as chronically ill. I get it, I really do. Trying to make a point of why Jake thinks every single woman on earth is weak based on his mother, but can't she sometime be refereed as something else? Even Morgan called her chronically ill and she was speaking to Jake. I don't know....maybe I'm nitpicking. The overall story is great and the big secret and reveal were done pretty well so I'd definitely recommend this book to people who like the genre of romance with a little military action thrown in.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
Read
July 21, 2014DNR beyond page 129
Chief Michael Jaco's Dear Reader letter endorses the technical accuracy and core emotional truth of Down Range, which is packed with compelling personal conflicts and action. Main female character, Morgan, worked for me; Jake did not. He's such a condescending, patronizing, sexist, misogynistic donkey (apologies to the actual animal). This entrenched romance fiction theme of men who judge all women negatively based on some past trauma or betrayal is so bogus, immature, and insulting to men. Jake's narcissistic, supercilious attitude is overblown to the point of making him seem insecure, making it impossible for me to root for Morgan to end up with him.
Some recurring timeline inconsistencies and copyediting oversights (deserts/desserts) added to my decision to stop reading. The next two installments remain on my TBR list because L.M.'s writing is a pleasure to read.
Chief Michael Jaco's Dear Reader letter endorses the technical accuracy and core emotional truth of Down Range, which is packed with compelling personal conflicts and action. Main female character, Morgan, worked for me; Jake did not. He's such a condescending, patronizing, sexist, misogynistic donkey (apologies to the actual animal). This entrenched romance fiction theme of men who judge all women negatively based on some past trauma or betrayal is so bogus, immature, and insulting to men. Jake's narcissistic, supercilious attitude is overblown to the point of making him seem insecure, making it impossible for me to root for Morgan to end up with him.
Some recurring timeline inconsistencies and copyediting oversights (deserts/desserts) added to my decision to stop reading. The next two installments remain on my TBR list because L.M.'s writing is a pleasure to read.
September 23, 2016
A very good book. The hero made his mistakes in the past, but he redeemed himself. The heroine is a strong woman, with a daughter and no maternal istinct, IMO, because she leaves her daughter to go to war, and I'm sorry, and this is my opinion, but I cannot understand it.
Besides that, the story is good and both characters are really good.
Besides that, the story is good and both characters are really good.
February 5, 2014
Can a secret tear them apart or bring them closer than ever before? Will the thought of Morgan dying finally make Jake realize that he has been in love with her and that he can’t let her know?
Wow this read totally blew me away with the amount of action and chemistry that these two characters shared. There was one point in the story that totally had me aching and that was when Morgan and Jake made it to the village where they were waiting for Intel. My heart broke into a million pieces when all of the village kids come and surrounded Morgan and to see how much they loved her. I could see how much Morgan loved them also and how kind she was with them. Then when she took out these peanut butter cups and started sharing them with the kids that was just amazing to see the joy, the smiles on those kids faces. I love how Jake was taken back with her kindness and maternal instinct. Then when a little girl ran to her and hugs Morgan with so much love it was there are just no words to how I felt. How this little gesture of kindness could mean so much to these innocent children it was just wonderful.
Captain Morgan Boland and Navy Seal Jake Ramsey met nine years before reuniting again for a special ops assignment that will test their military expertise. When they were both in Annapolis in training they met and they had a relationship that ended up tragically. Morgan didn’t know she was pregnant and due to her having a very high fever she lost her baby. Jake was going through his own crisis and did not go see her at the hospital and Morgan never forgave him for that. Morgan met someone that she fell in love with and got married only that marriage didn’t last very long, her husband died in a special ops assignment and she vowed to get revenge on that person. Jake also got married and had a beautiful baby boy. Only that that marriage did not last very long since his family died in a car accident. Seven years later Morgan and Jake are reunited in Afghanistan and they had three days of passion that seemed to heal them from their tragic past.
Now Morgan and Jake are ready to go back to Afghanistan to assassinate the man that killed Morgan’s husband and she can’t wait to take him down. Only she has no idea that they are being put together and that Jake is going to be the lead sniper and she will be the spotter. Now as for Jake he can’t believe that Morgan will be covering his back in this mission she is a woman she should not be in combat, holding a gun killing people. When I read that I could not believe that Jake was such a jerk, I’m sorry but woman have the right just like men to be in combat, remember we are in the United States. I’m glad he was still going to take the assignment but he needed to get over it that she was a woman and that she was going to have his back. He needed to see her qualifications and make judgment from that not because of her gender.
When they landed in Afghanistan they needed to trust each other they needed to have an open mind and not think about the what if’s because that could mean their death. Jake saw a maternal side to Morgan that his reaction was a sucker punch to his gut, the way she treated the people of the village. He saw the respect that they had for this woman and how they loved her. When the village was attacked only after a couple of days Jake was able to see how Morgan was competent to be in combat how she was able to survive. She single handed took out three men with no help from no one and she was also shot at but her vest saved her. When it was time to face the mortal enemy Morgan showed bravery and had kept Jake safe from the enemy. The village they were in showed her and also him their thanks for keeping their family safe.
The worst happened when Morgan was wounded and it seemed that Jake was going to lose her, both of them were injured but Morgan’s injuries were a matter of life and death. When it seemed that a tragic medical decision had been made Jake went to bat for Morgan. The fury in him had him wreaking havoc in the hospital and saving Morgan from a devastating medical condition. The fear that Jake had had been gut wrenching but what he did had me wishing to hug him for caring so much for Morgan. I wanted to comfort him and let him know that everything was going to be okay that she was going to make it.
This was such a great action packed read that it was so hard to put down. The story was beautifully written so clear and focused. I love reading military stories especially when some of the story takes place overseas. I love to read about the terrain of other countries and also their culture. This story took place in Afghanistan and to read how these people survived so much violence was amazing to me. The part that was so amazing was no matter how little they had they were will to share with Jake and Morgan. They were not selfish with what they had and they welcomed Americans to their home. They knew that this would probably bring harm to their village but they were willing to help them in order to make their village safer. I was totally surprised with their culture in sleeping arrangements how the men slept in one room and the women in another room that was totally bizarre to me.
Down Range had very well developed characters and the sizzling chemistry that they had been so apparent. I could not believe that it took them that look to actually just kiss. The pace of this story was excellent at no point did I feel like I was getting bored. I do have to say I was a little disappointed with how it ended. I wanted to see Jake get angry because of the secret that Morgan kept for such a long time. Don’t get me wrong I wanted Jake to have a relationship with his daughter and after time thinking about his behavior come to the understanding of why Morgan did what she did. Only to me it seemed to happen so quickly. I wanted to see him more with his daughter and see how they were going to be a family. I love that Jake was able to understand so quickly but it just seemed too soon and a little unreal. I do have to say that even though this was a little disappointing I still loved the overall story and that is why I still gave it a high rating.
I totally recommend Down Range to any reader that loves action packed stories with a splash of romance. Since this is my first read by Ms. McKenna I know that I will be researching to see what other books she has published. Pick this up today you will not regret it!!
Thanks to NetGalley who provided me a copy of this ARC for an honest review.
Wow this read totally blew me away with the amount of action and chemistry that these two characters shared. There was one point in the story that totally had me aching and that was when Morgan and Jake made it to the village where they were waiting for Intel. My heart broke into a million pieces when all of the village kids come and surrounded Morgan and to see how much they loved her. I could see how much Morgan loved them also and how kind she was with them. Then when she took out these peanut butter cups and started sharing them with the kids that was just amazing to see the joy, the smiles on those kids faces. I love how Jake was taken back with her kindness and maternal instinct. Then when a little girl ran to her and hugs Morgan with so much love it was there are just no words to how I felt. How this little gesture of kindness could mean so much to these innocent children it was just wonderful.
Captain Morgan Boland and Navy Seal Jake Ramsey met nine years before reuniting again for a special ops assignment that will test their military expertise. When they were both in Annapolis in training they met and they had a relationship that ended up tragically. Morgan didn’t know she was pregnant and due to her having a very high fever she lost her baby. Jake was going through his own crisis and did not go see her at the hospital and Morgan never forgave him for that. Morgan met someone that she fell in love with and got married only that marriage didn’t last very long, her husband died in a special ops assignment and she vowed to get revenge on that person. Jake also got married and had a beautiful baby boy. Only that that marriage did not last very long since his family died in a car accident. Seven years later Morgan and Jake are reunited in Afghanistan and they had three days of passion that seemed to heal them from their tragic past.
Now Morgan and Jake are ready to go back to Afghanistan to assassinate the man that killed Morgan’s husband and she can’t wait to take him down. Only she has no idea that they are being put together and that Jake is going to be the lead sniper and she will be the spotter. Now as for Jake he can’t believe that Morgan will be covering his back in this mission she is a woman she should not be in combat, holding a gun killing people. When I read that I could not believe that Jake was such a jerk, I’m sorry but woman have the right just like men to be in combat, remember we are in the United States. I’m glad he was still going to take the assignment but he needed to get over it that she was a woman and that she was going to have his back. He needed to see her qualifications and make judgment from that not because of her gender.
When they landed in Afghanistan they needed to trust each other they needed to have an open mind and not think about the what if’s because that could mean their death. Jake saw a maternal side to Morgan that his reaction was a sucker punch to his gut, the way she treated the people of the village. He saw the respect that they had for this woman and how they loved her. When the village was attacked only after a couple of days Jake was able to see how Morgan was competent to be in combat how she was able to survive. She single handed took out three men with no help from no one and she was also shot at but her vest saved her. When it was time to face the mortal enemy Morgan showed bravery and had kept Jake safe from the enemy. The village they were in showed her and also him their thanks for keeping their family safe.
The worst happened when Morgan was wounded and it seemed that Jake was going to lose her, both of them were injured but Morgan’s injuries were a matter of life and death. When it seemed that a tragic medical decision had been made Jake went to bat for Morgan. The fury in him had him wreaking havoc in the hospital and saving Morgan from a devastating medical condition. The fear that Jake had had been gut wrenching but what he did had me wishing to hug him for caring so much for Morgan. I wanted to comfort him and let him know that everything was going to be okay that she was going to make it.
This was such a great action packed read that it was so hard to put down. The story was beautifully written so clear and focused. I love reading military stories especially when some of the story takes place overseas. I love to read about the terrain of other countries and also their culture. This story took place in Afghanistan and to read how these people survived so much violence was amazing to me. The part that was so amazing was no matter how little they had they were will to share with Jake and Morgan. They were not selfish with what they had and they welcomed Americans to their home. They knew that this would probably bring harm to their village but they were willing to help them in order to make their village safer. I was totally surprised with their culture in sleeping arrangements how the men slept in one room and the women in another room that was totally bizarre to me.
Down Range had very well developed characters and the sizzling chemistry that they had been so apparent. I could not believe that it took them that look to actually just kiss. The pace of this story was excellent at no point did I feel like I was getting bored. I do have to say I was a little disappointed with how it ended. I wanted to see Jake get angry because of the secret that Morgan kept for such a long time. Don’t get me wrong I wanted Jake to have a relationship with his daughter and after time thinking about his behavior come to the understanding of why Morgan did what she did. Only to me it seemed to happen so quickly. I wanted to see him more with his daughter and see how they were going to be a family. I love that Jake was able to understand so quickly but it just seemed too soon and a little unreal. I do have to say that even though this was a little disappointing I still loved the overall story and that is why I still gave it a high rating.
I totally recommend Down Range to any reader that loves action packed stories with a splash of romance. Since this is my first read by Ms. McKenna I know that I will be researching to see what other books she has published. Pick this up today you will not regret it!!
Thanks to NetGalley who provided me a copy of this ARC for an honest review.
May 14, 2020
In book 2 of the Shadow Warrior series follows two snipers who have known each other and had a personal relationship on and off for nine years. They met at Annapolis and Captain Morgan Boland is one of just a few women who were trained with SEALS to go undercover as a sniper or a spotter in black ops. Navy SEAL Jake Ramsey had not been convinced women belonged in combat but after he and Morgan were caught in a fire fight and Morgan protected a Jake like she as trained, he realized he had been wrong. This is a good story that gives great detail about the war in Afghanistan.
May 13, 2020
The two players in this book have a history, they originally trained together and fought the enemy together, and she was the higher ranking officer, but 2 years ago they split up. Captain Morgan Boland has a secret that her former lover knows nothing about. Eventually she tells Jake that she had his child 14 months ago, he has a daughter.
September 23, 2021
I LOVE this author. This book made me cry at 3 parts. Rare for me to do during a book but McKenna really made me feel the emotion! Wish I could find the first book in this series but apparently it's a hard find!
March 31, 2023
Like this author and this particular book was the best so far. It was hard to put down. Loved the introduction from a real Navy SEAL who confirmed the authenticity of this story. Gave me a new appreciation for our military heroes.
May 19, 2018
Detailed with plenty of action. Morgan and Jake are going to have to put personal feelings aside and work together on a deadly mission. If you enjoy military style books, you'll love this one.
December 1, 2019
What a great book about our special ops teams. Truly enjoyed it. Didn't read book one but I do not feel as if I am missing anything. On to book 3
June 4, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. It got to a point where I couldn't put it down. Ended slow.
July 17, 2026
Very trash book, never need to read one like this again. Military parts were decent though.
December 30, 2013
Military romance Down Range by Lindsay McKenna is not only passionate, but soul satisfying
I wonder how many readers have been introduced to the military romance genre through Lindsay McKenna's books? I know that when I began reading her Morgan's Mercenaries series (and related books) that I couldn't put them down. Although, I didn't serve in the military myself, I come from a family that has upheld and highly valued U.S. military service since the revolutionary war. (Not to mention the ancestors who came to this country as officers in the British army in the 1600s.) In her books, I found that McKenna provided a realistic view of the various branches of service that was melded with a philosophy and spiritual element I found absolutely intriguing.
Her newest series for Harlequin - Shadow Warriors - includes characters that you will find familiar from earlier books. This series will focus on the female ground troups - the Shadow Warriors - under the leadership of General Maya Stevenson from the Black Jaguar Squadron. My review today will focus on Down Range (Shadow Warriors Book Two), however I'll make the suggestion that you read Danger Close (Shadow Warriors Book One) first, although you don't have too. I found that reading these books in order provided me with a greater understanding of the characters, plus I felt like I had a mini-military history lesson about a shadow war I knew less than nothing about in Danger Close.
Down Range focuses on a mission that Shadow Warrior Captain Morgan Boland and her former lover, Navy SEAL Jake Ramsey, undertake in the mountains of Afghanistan to assassinate an Al Qaeda-backed opium dealer who obliterated the inhabitants of a village and killed Morgan's husband.
The history and passion that Morgan and Jake shared is evident from their first meeting outside of the Pentagon. It seems like they are to be forever star-crossed lovers who will be without a happy resolution in this lifetime - as their history provides both a depth of sadness, layers of mistrust, and deep emotional scars.
One of the reasons I really admire McKenna is that she is able to depict the rehabilitation of her character so completely and realistically. Although Jake's actions early on with Morgan seemed thoughtless and heedless, I never felt antagonistic towards him as I sometimes do with heroes who aren't quite heroic to their partners.
Morgan, the daughter of two warriors (yes, do read Danger Close first), is a highly independent, confident, and successful soldier - as well as a caring and compassionate woman. Her motivation for seeking this mission is many-layered and she is able to sweep aside Jake's skeptical and suspicious feeling about women in combat as he sees her on the ground.
The portrayal of the Afghan village - one seen in an earlier McKenna novel - feels spot-on. McKenna noted that she drew upon a book, The Intuitive Warrior: Lessons from a Navy SEAL on Unleashing Your Hidden Potential by Michael Jaco. In the past, many of her books have blended a spiritual and sometimes almost paranormal element with military precision. In Down Range, she uses Morgan's and Jake's highly developed intuitive awareness of danger to drive the storyline. All of which is quite realistic and lends itself to a true suspenseful page-turner.
I'm counting the days until the next book in the series, Risk Taker (Shadow Warriors Book Three), will be released in Februrary - and may in the interim find myself re-reading the Morgan's Mercenaries and associated series. There's something about these books that I find satisfying on a soul level. I know that may sound silly to some to consider "romance" books as soul satisfying, but that's what the best writers provide. And McKenna is one of the best in my opinion.
So, five stars for Down Range, the newest entry in Lindsay McKenna's Shadow Warriors series.
Fab Fantasy Fiction
http://www.fabfantasyfiction.com/2013...
I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley for use in this review.
I wonder how many readers have been introduced to the military romance genre through Lindsay McKenna's books? I know that when I began reading her Morgan's Mercenaries series (and related books) that I couldn't put them down. Although, I didn't serve in the military myself, I come from a family that has upheld and highly valued U.S. military service since the revolutionary war. (Not to mention the ancestors who came to this country as officers in the British army in the 1600s.) In her books, I found that McKenna provided a realistic view of the various branches of service that was melded with a philosophy and spiritual element I found absolutely intriguing.
Her newest series for Harlequin - Shadow Warriors - includes characters that you will find familiar from earlier books. This series will focus on the female ground troups - the Shadow Warriors - under the leadership of General Maya Stevenson from the Black Jaguar Squadron. My review today will focus on Down Range (Shadow Warriors Book Two), however I'll make the suggestion that you read Danger Close (Shadow Warriors Book One) first, although you don't have too. I found that reading these books in order provided me with a greater understanding of the characters, plus I felt like I had a mini-military history lesson about a shadow war I knew less than nothing about in Danger Close.
Down Range focuses on a mission that Shadow Warrior Captain Morgan Boland and her former lover, Navy SEAL Jake Ramsey, undertake in the mountains of Afghanistan to assassinate an Al Qaeda-backed opium dealer who obliterated the inhabitants of a village and killed Morgan's husband.
The history and passion that Morgan and Jake shared is evident from their first meeting outside of the Pentagon. It seems like they are to be forever star-crossed lovers who will be without a happy resolution in this lifetime - as their history provides both a depth of sadness, layers of mistrust, and deep emotional scars.
One of the reasons I really admire McKenna is that she is able to depict the rehabilitation of her character so completely and realistically. Although Jake's actions early on with Morgan seemed thoughtless and heedless, I never felt antagonistic towards him as I sometimes do with heroes who aren't quite heroic to their partners.
Morgan, the daughter of two warriors (yes, do read Danger Close first), is a highly independent, confident, and successful soldier - as well as a caring and compassionate woman. Her motivation for seeking this mission is many-layered and she is able to sweep aside Jake's skeptical and suspicious feeling about women in combat as he sees her on the ground.
The portrayal of the Afghan village - one seen in an earlier McKenna novel - feels spot-on. McKenna noted that she drew upon a book, The Intuitive Warrior: Lessons from a Navy SEAL on Unleashing Your Hidden Potential by Michael Jaco. In the past, many of her books have blended a spiritual and sometimes almost paranormal element with military precision. In Down Range, she uses Morgan's and Jake's highly developed intuitive awareness of danger to drive the storyline. All of which is quite realistic and lends itself to a true suspenseful page-turner.
I'm counting the days until the next book in the series, Risk Taker (Shadow Warriors Book Three), will be released in Februrary - and may in the interim find myself re-reading the Morgan's Mercenaries and associated series. There's something about these books that I find satisfying on a soul level. I know that may sound silly to some to consider "romance" books as soul satisfying, but that's what the best writers provide. And McKenna is one of the best in my opinion.
So, five stars for Down Range, the newest entry in Lindsay McKenna's Shadow Warriors series.
Fab Fantasy Fiction
http://www.fabfantasyfiction.com/2013...
I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley for use in this review.
March 10, 2015
A weird hybrid of realistic, gripping dark ops action and sappy, soap opera Harlequin style romance. This novel is quite different from the first in the series and fits more comfortable into the Harlequin fold. I am not big on Harlequin style romances so the romantic portion of the story line did not work for me at all, but I enjoyed the military drama.
I almost stopped reading after the first couple of chapters because there were so many editing snafus with bizarrely worded sentences like "She gave me a new prescription to ever prevent that from happening again." and "His shoulders were incredible broad, tight muscled, his chest darkly haired and well sprung." (What was well sprung - the chest or the hairs and really who looks at a hot guy and thinks his chest is well sprung?) Thankfully the editing issues didn't permeate the entire book and the rest of the writing was fine.
The setup for the character's conflicts was pure soap opera. They have a myriad number of secrets that they keep from each other and their revelation will allow them to finally understand each other. In the first few pages of the book we learn that Jake has lost a wife and newborn to a car accident but he doesn't want to let Morgan even know he was married for reasons that made little sense to me. Morgan has hidden the fact that she has a two year old that he fathered during one of her frequent birth control mishaps. But that is just the start, because they have even more unlikely secrets to reveal. Surprising, the relation that unfolds is sweet and easy, with all of the conflicts firmly in the past.
Without spoiling anything the actions of Morgan at the end of the book are jaw dropping unethical. Jake's response is strictly fairy tale crafted to appeal to a very specific taste because not only is there is no way in hell it would play out like that in real life, it is hard to imagine Morgan's hypothetical friends thinking her actions made any kind of sense.
I mostly enjoyed the story, even as I winched at the underlying message of the book. The old fashioned idea that all a girl wants is a strong man to care for her and her children has morphed into all a woman wants is to prove that she can do a man's job but really she would much rather be at home taking care of the children with the help of a man even stronger than her. A lot of contrived events conspire to get Morgan her traditional ending guilt free.
I almost stopped reading after the first couple of chapters because there were so many editing snafus with bizarrely worded sentences like "She gave me a new prescription to ever prevent that from happening again." and "His shoulders were incredible broad, tight muscled, his chest darkly haired and well sprung." (What was well sprung - the chest or the hairs and really who looks at a hot guy and thinks his chest is well sprung?) Thankfully the editing issues didn't permeate the entire book and the rest of the writing was fine.
The setup for the character's conflicts was pure soap opera. They have a myriad number of secrets that they keep from each other and their revelation will allow them to finally understand each other. In the first few pages of the book we learn that Jake has lost a wife and newborn to a car accident but he doesn't want to let Morgan even know he was married for reasons that made little sense to me. Morgan has hidden the fact that she has a two year old that he fathered during one of her frequent birth control mishaps. But that is just the start, because they have even more unlikely secrets to reveal. Surprising, the relation that unfolds is sweet and easy, with all of the conflicts firmly in the past.
Without spoiling anything the actions of Morgan at the end of the book are jaw dropping unethical. Jake's response is strictly fairy tale crafted to appeal to a very specific taste because not only is there is no way in hell it would play out like that in real life, it is hard to imagine Morgan's hypothetical friends thinking her actions made any kind of sense.
I mostly enjoyed the story, even as I winched at the underlying message of the book. The old fashioned idea that all a girl wants is a strong man to care for her and her children has morphed into all a woman wants is to prove that she can do a man's job but really she would much rather be at home taking care of the children with the help of a man even stronger than her. A lot of contrived events conspire to get Morgan her traditional ending guilt free.
November 7, 2013
This book masterfully portrays authentic details surrounding our amazing military SEALs. It is an action packed, nail biting journey. Although it is a stand-alone book, if you read Lindsay McKenna’s introductory e-book DANGER CLOSE, HQN, Sep 2013, you’ll like revisiting Captain Morgan Boland’s parents, Jim and Cathy Boland. It was also fun seeing commanders General Maya Stevenson and General Mike Houston reappear. They’ve played roles in earlier Lindsay McKenna books. Morgan is an integral part of Operation Shadow Warriors - Forty women volunteers from all military branches trained either in Rangers or Special Forces schools and now ready for ground combat. A program initiated by these generals.
A computer matches Morgan with a former lover, Navy SEAL Lieutenant Jake Ramsey. Their turbulent, painful past is a secret. It must be set aside in order for them to accomplish an extremely dangerous mission in Afghanistan -- Hunt down and take out the sinister Taliban opium drug leader Sangar Khogani.
Have they grown? Can they trust each other as partners fighting the enemy? It takes time for Morgan and Jake to see the strengths each other has developed. SEAL qualities are unique and fine tuned. They walk stealthily with a confidence that is unmistakable and can’t be duplicated. They are the fulcrum between the “bad guys” and the “good guys” and view killing as necessary for protecting and saving American lives as well as innocent villagers.
You learn how vitally SEALs stick together. They become a family and leave no one behind. Because of their heightened 6th sense (more like SEAL sense) they prepare for the best but heed Murphy’s law – what could go wrong, would go wrong. Nothing is left to chance.
During their years apart, Morgan has refined her skills and proves to Jake that she is a formidable partner. Each must call upon all of their resources to survive and complete the mission. This story tugs at your emotions as layers of the characters are peeled back and their raw feelings are revealed. In the end they admit that LOVE has always been there. It carried them thru to a safe, successful, heartwarming conclusion.
This is a real page turner you can’t put down!
I look forward to the next installment, RISK TAKER, HRS, Feb 2014.
A computer matches Morgan with a former lover, Navy SEAL Lieutenant Jake Ramsey. Their turbulent, painful past is a secret. It must be set aside in order for them to accomplish an extremely dangerous mission in Afghanistan -- Hunt down and take out the sinister Taliban opium drug leader Sangar Khogani.
Have they grown? Can they trust each other as partners fighting the enemy? It takes time for Morgan and Jake to see the strengths each other has developed. SEAL qualities are unique and fine tuned. They walk stealthily with a confidence that is unmistakable and can’t be duplicated. They are the fulcrum between the “bad guys” and the “good guys” and view killing as necessary for protecting and saving American lives as well as innocent villagers.
You learn how vitally SEALs stick together. They become a family and leave no one behind. Because of their heightened 6th sense (more like SEAL sense) they prepare for the best but heed Murphy’s law – what could go wrong, would go wrong. Nothing is left to chance.
During their years apart, Morgan has refined her skills and proves to Jake that she is a formidable partner. Each must call upon all of their resources to survive and complete the mission. This story tugs at your emotions as layers of the characters are peeled back and their raw feelings are revealed. In the end they admit that LOVE has always been there. It carried them thru to a safe, successful, heartwarming conclusion.
This is a real page turner you can’t put down!
I look forward to the next installment, RISK TAKER, HRS, Feb 2014.
December 4, 2013
Lindsay McKenna has long been a favorite writer of mine. I find her books to be well researched and believable. This story I had a hard time putting down.
Cpt Morgan Bolland is being given an opportunity to prove to a stubborn, rock headed man that she cares about, that women can handle themselves in difficult, stressful situations as well as men. She shows that she isn't weak or helpless and can carry her own weight. She proves that she can make intelligent decisions and is adaptable. She also proves she is deserving of respect as a fellow warrior.
Jake watches, assesses and reluctantly comes to the agreement that Morgan is worthy of his respect and that women are not always the weaker sex. Some of them are kick butt and take names later warriors.
The fact that Cpt. Morgan Bolland has had to work harder to prove herself to men is something that I can relate to as a female vet. Even though I served in the peacetime military, we trained as if we would see combat. Women have always found themselves on the front lines, whether they were allowed to be there or not and have shown that they can handle the stresses of combat situations at least as well as men. The fact that women are now being allowed into combat slots is reality reflecting fiction. Ms McKenna has written about women in combat for many years. This story is a fast paced, suck you in and won't let go read that I enjoyed from the opening paragraph. I highly recommend this book.
Cpt Morgan Bolland is being given an opportunity to prove to a stubborn, rock headed man that she cares about, that women can handle themselves in difficult, stressful situations as well as men. She shows that she isn't weak or helpless and can carry her own weight. She proves that she can make intelligent decisions and is adaptable. She also proves she is deserving of respect as a fellow warrior.
Jake watches, assesses and reluctantly comes to the agreement that Morgan is worthy of his respect and that women are not always the weaker sex. Some of them are kick butt and take names later warriors.
The fact that Cpt. Morgan Bolland has had to work harder to prove herself to men is something that I can relate to as a female vet. Even though I served in the peacetime military, we trained as if we would see combat. Women have always found themselves on the front lines, whether they were allowed to be there or not and have shown that they can handle the stresses of combat situations at least as well as men. The fact that women are now being allowed into combat slots is reality reflecting fiction. Ms McKenna has written about women in combat for many years. This story is a fast paced, suck you in and won't let go read that I enjoyed from the opening paragraph. I highly recommend this book.
February 4, 2014
***I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
Down Range by Lindsay McKenna is an intense and action packed love story set primarily in Afghanistan. Morgan and Jake have a troubled history filled with misplaced blame, misconceptions and many secrets. They fight to overcome their issues in the middle of a hunt for a terrorist and trying to stay alive in a war zone.
Morgan seems determine to prove herself as a soldier, so much so I think she puts other things on the back burner like being there for her young daughter.
Jake is fiercely protective and has this huge misconception about women and what they are capable of.
Personally I had a hard time connecting with Morgan. Her persistance in holding on to the past and refusing to believe that life can change people was a bit annoying. I think it took away from her maturity as a character. I would have liked to see her move past that issue a bit sooner than she did.
Overall the characters are very strong and well developed. The emotion between the two is very compelling, I could truly connect with the grief that was expressed as well as the love. The sexual chemistry was definitely there but was not the focus of the relationship, which I found very refreshing.
I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you enjoy military contemporary romance books. It was a very fast and enjoyable read.
Down Range by Lindsay McKenna is an intense and action packed love story set primarily in Afghanistan. Morgan and Jake have a troubled history filled with misplaced blame, misconceptions and many secrets. They fight to overcome their issues in the middle of a hunt for a terrorist and trying to stay alive in a war zone.
Morgan seems determine to prove herself as a soldier, so much so I think she puts other things on the back burner like being there for her young daughter.
Jake is fiercely protective and has this huge misconception about women and what they are capable of.
Personally I had a hard time connecting with Morgan. Her persistance in holding on to the past and refusing to believe that life can change people was a bit annoying. I think it took away from her maturity as a character. I would have liked to see her move past that issue a bit sooner than she did.
Overall the characters are very strong and well developed. The emotion between the two is very compelling, I could truly connect with the grief that was expressed as well as the love. The sexual chemistry was definitely there but was not the focus of the relationship, which I found very refreshing.
I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you enjoy military contemporary romance books. It was a very fast and enjoyable read.
September 19, 2013
My Review: Down Range
5 STARS
Down Range just really hit the spot for me today. Their were strong characters, drama, romance, cute kid, trials in their past they had to work through. I cared about them. Their is a couple of love scenes that I skipped over too.
What pressure the black Ops for them and their family. Thank you military for all you do for our freedoms.
The setting for this book is Afghan village and up in the mountains for most of the book. It seemed real to me like I could see and smell it at times.
The pacing was good. I hated it when I had to put the book down. Things did not stay calm for too much of the time.
I look forward to reading more in the Shadow Warriors series. As a woman I want to think we can do anything but as a mother I don't want my girls in combat. But if I had boys I probably don't want them their either.
When they are in the Afghan village it seemed real. I take food for granted and all other luxuries we have compared to others.
Down Range is entertaining, informing and lets you catch a look at how others are living and some of their trials.
I look forward to reading more of Lindsay McKenna's books in the future.
publication: November 26th 2013 by Harlequin HQN ISBN :9780373778218 384 pages
January 2, 2014
stunningly masterful example of writing!, January 2, 2014
By cjr
This review is from: Down Range (Shadow Warriors)
I have to say that if I could give this book a 10, I would. I have read quite a few of Ms. McKenna's books over the years, but it had been a while when I saw this one and picked it up. Best move I've made in a while. This book is about 2 armed forces Spec. Ops characters. The woman, Morgan, is a Captain in a special, covert division of females. The man, Jake, is a Navy Seal. Both of them are placed together in a covert mission to Afghanistan. The problem is that these 2 have a 7 year hx. of getting together, then apart, then together, then apart. Many things have happened in these years that neither knows about the other, so that makes it harder for both of them to work together. That and the underlying sexual tension. This is the type of book that you literally don't want to put down until you're finished. The suspense, the nonstop action, the distrust and hx. between these 2 people, the fascinating storyline and characterizations are amazing! This is a book that you most definitely want to read. You will NOT be disappointed!
By cjr
This review is from: Down Range (Shadow Warriors)
I have to say that if I could give this book a 10, I would. I have read quite a few of Ms. McKenna's books over the years, but it had been a while when I saw this one and picked it up. Best move I've made in a while. This book is about 2 armed forces Spec. Ops characters. The woman, Morgan, is a Captain in a special, covert division of females. The man, Jake, is a Navy Seal. Both of them are placed together in a covert mission to Afghanistan. The problem is that these 2 have a 7 year hx. of getting together, then apart, then together, then apart. Many things have happened in these years that neither knows about the other, so that makes it harder for both of them to work together. That and the underlying sexual tension. This is the type of book that you literally don't want to put down until you're finished. The suspense, the nonstop action, the distrust and hx. between these 2 people, the fascinating storyline and characterizations are amazing! This is a book that you most definitely want to read. You will NOT be disappointed!
January 4, 2014
Down Range (Shadow Warriors) by Lindsay McKenna
Release date: November 26, 2013 | Series: Operation: Shadow Warriors (Book 1)
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/Donna
Rated: 3.5 Stars
Blog Post: http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-Vl
REVIEW:
If you like special ops romances heavy on the military action, then this is one to read. I thought the author did a good job of bringing us up to speed on their history together and how they overcome their obstacles. Morgan is a strong capable black-ops soldier but is able to show her softer side. I liked that but there were some things about her actions that I couldn’t warm up to for a while. Jake’s opinion of women in combat made my teeth clench but that was true to real life and I liked him immediately in spite of it. This was an action packed story showing how two people mature and how time helps you realize what is important
***ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
BUY LINKS:
Kindle $5.99 http://georiot.co/3iPl | Amazon Paperback $7.19 http://georiot.co/2NzG | B&N (Paperback $7.99/ Nook $7.49 http://bit.ly/194uBnA | Kobo $6.59 http://bit.ly/19HV4YP
Release date: November 26, 2013 | Series: Operation: Shadow Warriors (Book 1)
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/Donna
Rated: 3.5 Stars
Blog Post: http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-Vl
REVIEW:
If you like special ops romances heavy on the military action, then this is one to read. I thought the author did a good job of bringing us up to speed on their history together and how they overcome their obstacles. Morgan is a strong capable black-ops soldier but is able to show her softer side. I liked that but there were some things about her actions that I couldn’t warm up to for a while. Jake’s opinion of women in combat made my teeth clench but that was true to real life and I liked him immediately in spite of it. This was an action packed story showing how two people mature and how time helps you realize what is important
***ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
BUY LINKS:
Kindle $5.99 http://georiot.co/3iPl | Amazon Paperback $7.19 http://georiot.co/2NzG | B&N (Paperback $7.99/ Nook $7.49 http://bit.ly/194uBnA | Kobo $6.59 http://bit.ly/19HV4YP
January 30, 2014
An intense love story set in the wilds of Afghanistan and played out against the backdrop of intense fighting and the frenzied hunt for a terrorist leader who has killed without quarter. Both these main characters have been a part of one another's lives on two other occasions and now they are paired again, both dreading this togetherness and both remembering clearly the attraction that overwhelmed them in the past. There are secrets here and their renewed involvement is within the context of great pain and the challenge to trust one another with their very lives. It is a very intense story and one that will not be the kind of story one reads for light entertainment. It is profoundly emotional and will take all the concentration a reader can muster to keep the story straight. It is written by an author who is a favorite of many and a tried and true story teller, one that knows how to make the words jump off the page and assume the shapes of the characters she crafts. Just a wonderful story and a terrific read.
April 6, 2015
Very well done second story in the Shadow Warriors series by McKenna. Capt. Morgan Boland has been a part of the Shadow Warriors (female high-level combatants) since its inception. She's now been assigned to pair with Navy SEAL (and former lover) Jake Ramsey in order to take out a high-value target. Both snipers, they need to work together to accomplish their mission.
They both have history with and without each other, and they need to lay their ghosts to rest. After an intensely suspenseful and emotionally draining interlude in Afghanistan, they return home to mend their fences, and their relationship. There is more at stake than either of them know, and it's to McKenna's credit that they are allowed to make their amends. It probably would have been easier to allow them to continue their battle, but making peace, while the obvious choice, was harder to invent, I think.
Highly recommended.
They both have history with and without each other, and they need to lay their ghosts to rest. After an intensely suspenseful and emotionally draining interlude in Afghanistan, they return home to mend their fences, and their relationship. There is more at stake than either of them know, and it's to McKenna's credit that they are allowed to make their amends. It probably would have been easier to allow them to continue their battle, but making peace, while the obvious choice, was harder to invent, I think.
Highly recommended.
May 6, 2014
This is a much more interesting and complicated book than I expected, since it's listed as a romance. The author does a great job of highlighting the complexities of being a female soldier who's also in combat.
There is great detail about the practical side of being an American soldier in Afghanistan. How the elite units work with the local people and the price those people often pay for helping out the Americans, but also the reasons why they would offer the help to begin with.
The author doesn't shy away from the challenges that women in combat face and the sexism that they have to deal with, but this book also shows the ways that women do overcome those huge challenges.
At its heart, this book is a romance, but not a shallow one. There's a good deal of complexity in the relationship that the main characters work through and not once does the guy ride in on a metaphorical white horse.
I really loved this book.
There is great detail about the practical side of being an American soldier in Afghanistan. How the elite units work with the local people and the price those people often pay for helping out the Americans, but also the reasons why they would offer the help to begin with.
The author doesn't shy away from the challenges that women in combat face and the sexism that they have to deal with, but this book also shows the ways that women do overcome those huge challenges.
At its heart, this book is a romance, but not a shallow one. There's a good deal of complexity in the relationship that the main characters work through and not once does the guy ride in on a metaphorical white horse.
I really loved this book.
December 3, 2013
Very heavy on the military, this romance was a bit different than the ones I usually read. It seemed much more serious and detailed oriented. Not that this is a bad thing, it just made the story feel more like a military mission than a romance.
Captain Morgan Boland and Navy SEAL Jake Ramsey are some of the best the military has serving. They have also been involved in the past. Now they are coming together to serve on an important mission. Will this mission draw them closer together or will it tear them apart for good?
Now I do love military romance novels. My husband served in the Navy and I am so proud of him and the rest of the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces. So I do enjoy reading books where military personal fall in love. This one was just a bit too military for me but enjoyable all the same.
Captain Morgan Boland and Navy SEAL Jake Ramsey are some of the best the military has serving. They have also been involved in the past. Now they are coming together to serve on an important mission. Will this mission draw them closer together or will it tear them apart for good?
Now I do love military romance novels. My husband served in the Navy and I am so proud of him and the rest of the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces. So I do enjoy reading books where military personal fall in love. This one was just a bit too military for me but enjoyable all the same.
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