Girl Soldier

by T.R. Horne

Rain Wilson thought she knew where she came from. A small farming town, forgotten and missed by everyone. After learning that her estranged mother is missing, she embarks on a daring journey to find her. Unfortunately, she uncovers a trail of lies and deceit that makes her wonder...how far will she really go to save her mother? Before long, Rain realizes that even motherly love has its limits when America is at stake.

"Plenty of action ensues, and Rain transforms into a “blonde bombshell” who fills out a sequined dress nicely, becomes well-versed in espionage and torture, and learns that she can trust no one. The plot is exaggerated, yet fun in a Scandal sort of way." - Kirkus Reviews

"A page-turning action and adventure novel with heart. Fans of high-octane action novels will enjoy the twists and turns of Girl Soldier. While there are plenty of heart-pumping scenes to keep diehard fans of thrillers engaged in the story, this is also a heartfelt novel. Rain isn’t unlike many teens, even if she has an unusual life. It’s her humanness that makes her a memorable character and transforms this novel into more than a spy thriller." Self-Publishing Review, 4½ Stars

"Tension, action and suspense spill out of these pages – a story that would translate to film well." Grady Harp, Top 100 Amazon Reviewer

"... a mystery suspense novel that takes you in from the beginning, the way it is written makes you want to keep reading until the end." - Amazon Reviewer

Genres: Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

Published February 26, 2016

About the author

Hey ya'll!

I'm an avid reader (and author). I host a book review blog at www.ragingbookreviews.com and I also do video reviews, share book hauls and do book giveaways on my YouTube channel under Yoshima Books. Make sure to subscribe to never miss a review or a giveaway. I read a bit of everything so you'll get a diverse set of reviews and updates on lots of advanced readers by following my blog or vlog. Also, I love interacting with my followers so let's chat together on one of my platforms. ;)

For the love of all things bookish,

T

Reviews

[AudioBookReviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My original Girl Soldier audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

T.R. Horne crafts an incredibly suspense story with an interesting main character.  Rain Wilson is a girl with a missing history.  She has no idea who she is or where she came from.  All she knows is that she is on the trail to finding her estranged mother and will stop at nothing to find her.

Holly Lindin provides the narration for Girl Soldier and does a really nice job with it.   Production quality and narration style worked really well with this book, adding to it instead of taking away from it.  I will be keeping an eye out for other books that Lindin narrates.

I'm always a little skeptical when a book lists some of your favorite books or movies in their description. Sometimes this is just a play to get you to read a subpar book that is slightly similar.  Girl Soldier was not one of these books.  It was compared to The Bourne Identity and it really does draw some parallels and similarities from that series.

Thankfully Horne understands that readers sometimes need a break from the non-stop action that this book has.  The author was able to place little bits of humor and light-heartedness into the story keeping it a little bit lighter.  Horne's writing when it came to the action scenes was perfect.  It really reminded me of the best in the business.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm a male and I know who my parents are.  Or if it's because I'm not a trained assassin with no memory, but I found it hard to related to Rain.  Don't get me wrong, she was an absolute BA, but sometimes it's hard to follow a story that you have little to no understanding of where the main character is coming from.  Thankfully Horne's writing style was so good and the book was so action packed that this didn't really take anything away for me.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.

This has a lot of well-written action and the plot moves along nicely and stays interesting. It isn't always very believable, especially in the beginning when she is immediately accepted into CIA training, but it is all very exciting. It doesn't have the most conclusive ending and seems to be open to a sequel.

It is a bit over the top sometimes, with things like Rain wailing and her quaking body crumpling to the floor. There are also some random point of view changes in the middle of the earlier chapters. It seems like limited third person from Rain’s point of view, but every now and then a few sentences will be another character’s point of view, then switch right back to Rain.

Overall, it is an enjoyable, dramatic read with lots of action. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in strong young women in action thrillers.

[Donna Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an impressive book that I did something I never do when reading a book - I paused in the middle and flipped to the ending because I just had to know.

[B.A. Spicer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An action-packed thriller, this book is an exciting, fast-paced read. Rain is a young girl living on a farm with her father at the beginning of the book. Life seems idyllic. What she doesn’t yet know is that her parents are CIA agents, one in retirement and the other presumed a traitor and a threat to national security.

When Christopher Dalton, an important figure in the CIA, demands that Tolly come back into the service to find his wife, Rain’s life changes dramatically. She rises to the challenges she faces, even when she has difficulty deciding whom she can trust. She is a courageous and sensitive young woman, who we want to succeed.

The ending is left open for a second book, although I’m satisfied that this is a stand alone story. There is no frustrating cliff-hanger with a blatant link to find out what happens next, just a feeling of pleasant curiosity that might well encourage me to purchase the follow-up to Rain’s career as an agent, if and when it comes out.

The writing is fluid and there are very few errors. Sometimes, American usage was at odds with my grammar school perception of what I’d been taught to be correct, but that’s my problem! There is a great sense of place, with some fine imagery, and characters are fully developed – even the men in Tolly’s team are interesting in their own right. It’s not a literary masterpiece, it doesn’t pretend to be, but it certainly reads well and has enough depth to interest more demanding readers.

As the author states in her synopsis - anyone who likes The Bourne Identity series will enjoy Girl Soldier too.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[G.J. Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl Soldier is an action-packed thriller with plenty of twists and turns and an intriguing plot. I found the central protagonist, Rain, likeable and suitably complex for me to care about and root for right to the end. She has thoughts and emotions which this reader could believe in considering the dramatic events and situations, amazing revelations and various love interests that come her way and into which she plunges. The dialogue was real and believable throughout the story, except for the very beginning when Rain is readily recruited into the CIA, based pretty well upon the shock news (to her) that her farmer father was once one of their best operatives and has taught Rain how to shoot well.

Later, we find out that the evil CIA chief has underlying motives for her acceptance into training. To me this was pretty well OK as an ongoing motive for much of the ensuing excitement, treachery, torture and killing. But the initial simplicity of the reasoning for Rain joining the CIA, fundamentally against her father’s wishes, bothered me all the way through the book. This was a pity as it is extremely well-written and leaves you wanting more in a subsequent sequel. Girl Soldier is a very enjoyable shoot ‘em up thriller with a powerful, intelligent and emotional female hero at the centre of the action.
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is T.R. Horne’s second novel and is quite different than Breaking Mobius, her first novel. Girl Soldier begins calmly enough on a quiet farm but quickly elevates to an intense, fast-paced novel about a woman whose faith and love allow her to accomplish things she would’ve never dreamed possible.

There is a humanity with which Horne crafts her novels. Throughout college my literature professors would discuss what it means to be human - the human experience. Horne’s characters are human. Rain, the protagonist of Girl Soldier, has dreams, she experiences heartache, she stumbles upon a tough world that shatters some of her ideals. Rain doesn’t deny what she encounters, nor does she run away from what she discovers. She displays the kind of courage that is nothing short of inspirational.

For as wild of a ride as Girl Soldier is, the novel contains an authentic wisdom. It is a humble yet confident wisdom, the kind of wisdom that makes sense at the literal levels as well as the deeper, more figurative levels, the kind of wisdom that contains a fresh perspective, the kind of wisdom that contains a balance of spiritual, emotional, social, and intellectual truth.

My favorite novels flow with the power of a great river. And twice I have read novels from T.R. Horne that flow. My senses are invigorated, but more importantly, my soul is touched with the humanity with which Horne approaches the art of storytelling.

Rain discovers what some of the characters already know - that sometimes the only thing you can do amid the chaos and craziness that is sometimes life is to rely upon humor to keep yourself from losing your mind.

Despite having an amazing talent, Rain is far from a super hero; yet she lives her life like one, choosing to embrace her fears, to make peace with painful memories, and to reconcile her ideals with the harsh realities of the world. She refuses to give up on discovering who she is and her purpose in life. She does not let the negativity and nastiness deter her from believing in the power of love. And she refuses to let people or circumstances shake her faith, no matter how trying they may be.

[carlita_is_probably_reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Won in a GoodReads Giveaway**

This was a thriller that sucked me in from the prologue! It had just the right amount of action and a little bit of a budding love interest between Rain and her second shot partner Willow. This is not my typical go to genre but I actually enjoyed the action!

I wasn't expecting that particular ending and it left me thinking if there will be a continuation of the story...I would definitely read it should the author decide to pursue what happens next!

Thank you GoodReads!

[Mattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. I honestly have never heard of this book or author before so I was very skeptical about entering the contest and winning the book. My copy came with a notecard of the authors previous books and she did sign my copy of "Girl Soldier." I wish she did send me a letter or something to prove the authenticity of the book. This book only had 300 pages, it was a quick read for me and I rather enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

This book is basically about Rain living in a small town in Colorado and her mother leaves her at a young age. Her father, Tolley, ends up raising her by himself. He teaches her how to survive on her own and how to be independent. Little does Rain know, Tolley used to be a Spy with the CIA. The CIA end up telling Tolley that his wife has been working for them in Russia and she finally has gone rogue. They want to find her and question her and ask Tolley if they will act as a sniper for them as the CIA search for his wife. Tolley says no and Rain ends up searching for him.

I personally like Rain as a character, she is a bad ass. Not only is she good with a firearm but she is very witty and has a lot of street smarts. She reminds me of Catness in the Hunger Games because she wants to prove to the world that is independent and she can help bring her mother back. She shows herself as someone who is kind and caring but she also understands that not everyone can be trusted.Tolley, he dad is such a likeable character. He cares about his daughter, doesn't want to relive his past to protect her and he is trying to create a new life for himself. I also like the character Sergeant Willow, he is a two timer. It's hard to tell his intentions but I am not a fan of him. CIA Agent Dalton confuses me in the beginning, he is a nice person but he is trying a little too hard to find Rain's mother. It made me really question his motives and why he was searching for her so badly. Come to find out, Willow and Dalton are tag teaming and it seems like they're best interests on Rain are questionable. That is all I will say to avoid spoilers. :)

T.R. Horne has a writing style that I particularly like. Her action scenes are great and I can easily follow them. Sometimes when I read I get lost in action scenes because there is so much going on. With her, they’re fast paced but you can easily follow along. I love how she goes into detail about little action scenes like in the first chapter when Rain goes out shooting with her father. She explains how Rain loads the firearm to the final shot. I think that is very important in storytelling because you get an idea of what the character is thinking and feeling.

I gave this book four stars. It was a good book, but I was not overly excited about it. Throughout reading this book, there were parts where I was on the edge of my seat reading while other times I was just trying to get through the pages. Some parts I got bored and other parts I didn't. When I ended the book, I didn't have any shocked or excited emotions about it. Normally, I would not pick up this book at a store. I am happy I won it because I don't think I would have read it. One thing that still bothers me is that we never know how old Rain is. She keeps on saying that she is not a child and it's reminded throughout the book. I am just curious on her age. This is not the genre I really go for but the execution of the book and the way it was written is really good.

[Jeremy Reppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up on a Colorado ranch, Rain Wilson's biggest worries were making sure the animals did not escape and trying to thwart the efforts of Rebecca, the young widow at the neighboring ranch, from insinuating herself in the life (and hopefully the bed) of Rain's father, Tolley. However, everything changed the day her father took her to the shooting range and had her try out a sniper rifle, which she was surprising adept at using; her father had taught her to use a hunting rifle quite well, but a sniper rifle was a different beast. As they were leaving the range, a black SUV drove up and out stepped two men who approached them and referred to her father as "Agent Wilson", a moniker that displeased him greatly. Her world is turned upside down when she learns her father is a former CIA agent and her mother, Dahlia, who left when Rain was eight, is also a CIA agent who has allegedly gone rogue. Pretty soon she finds herself at CIA headquarters where she meets Christopher Dalton, CIA Chief of Staff. Mr. Dalton wants Tolley to help him find and apprehend Dahlia. However, Tolley wants nothing to do with Dalton or the CIA and refuses. Much to Tolley's dismay and Dalton's surprise, Rain volunteers to take Tolley's place and help find her mother. Rain undergoes sniper training with the CIA, but when training is completed, she finds herself dumped in Iraq as an Army sniper, instead of tracking down her mother. When she next crosses paths with Dalton, everything goes to hell and she calls upon her father for assistance. He gathers his former team and they come to rescue her, quickly discovering that things were even messier and more complex than expected.

This book is well worth the read. The characters are well-developed with interesting back stories. There is a good mix of action, suspense, and mystery. The plot utilizes past and present geopolitical issues such as the Iraq war, al-Qaeda, and illegal transfer of nuclear technology to make the story contemporaneous and reasonably plausible. The story is well-paced, keeping the reader engaged. The book's ending sets up the possibility of a sequel.

I received a copy of the ebook from Reading Alley in exchange for a review.

[Ivory R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked Rain from the beginning, she's snarky, brave, courageous, stubborn and naive as often the young can be. She starts out wanting to find her mother after not having seen in her ten years. As the story progresses, Rain is drawn ever deeper into the world of espionage and shadows. She learns secrets about her parents that make her do a double take and realize how sheltered her life has been. She also realizes that the quiet life she disliked is definitely a better place for her to be.

I think the characters were realistic for example, like Rain feeling sick after her first kill and freezing up when faced with real danger. I love the Mission Impossible and Jason Bourne movies but it doesn't show very many novice agents and the types of mistakes they would make. The story line moves pretty quickly and is action filled with the barest hint of romance between Rain and Prescott. Rain struggles with her attraction to him while being confused by his motivations and unsure where he stands. I hope that the author plans on writing a second book about Rain. Overall, great read for anyone who loves international mystery thrillers filled with action.

[Pegboard · Rating 5 out of 5]

From having a family, to working a full time job, and working on her doctorate T.R. Horne still has time to write novels that keeps you flipping the pages. She states her life is lackluster, but you would never guess that from the characters that come alive in her books.
Soldier Girl is full of suspense, hope, revenge, and waiting for the next book. Rain is a young woman who lives on a farm with her father dreaming of a time her mother will come back to them. She didn’t quite understand why her mom had to leave when she was just eight years old. Rain’s life moves to the fast track when she trains to be a sniper for the CIA to find her mom. But life is never simple when Dalton, from the CIA, is calling the shots. He is always two steps ahead of Rain and driving her mom further from her. With her Dad’s old team together and Rain’s friend, Prescott, they find a way to stop Dalton. But it looks like more of her missions will be told.

[Dermot Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story that started off quietly and very quickly accelerated into an action-packed read. I really liked the main character, Rain. Only eighteen years old, she was like an old soul and wonderfully wise for her age. Because her dad was an ex-CIA agent, she also got to learn amazing skills for survival and self-defense. Her main skill was with a rifle and it is this talent that takes her places, quite literally. Although she makes some dangerous and life-threatening decisions to use her skill for her country, I sympathized with her because she was really in search of her mother who may or may not be on the right side of national security. When Rain is quickly transferred to the middle east I worried for her safety and not without reason considering the gun fights and tight scrapes she gets herself into. This was an edge of the seat read at times and never got boring or dragged its feet.

[Charmaine Pauls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rain embarks on a mission to find her estranged mother, but can never guess the depth of danger, deceit, crime, and lies her journey will bring. Ultimately, her chosen path will either get her killed, or turn her into a great soldier.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, but even more so getting to know and spending time with an entertaining cast of characters. Each of them is unique, authentic, and loveably flawed. Tolley, for all his fatherly heroism, courage, and wisdom, is my favorite. The heroine is strong and likable. I admired her from the word go. The pace is perfect. The narration is strong, flowing, and descriptive enough to entice all of the senses without slowing down the story. I found myself on the edge of my seat, hanging onto every word until the nail-biting end.

I hope T.R. Horne will give us more of Rain and Prescott in the future. Girl Soldier is an action-packed suspense with a sweet dose of romance that is well worth the read.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Suspense, lots of action, betrayal, mystery everything you need to keep you glued to a really good book.

Every family has secrets, but Rain's family secrets put her on a path that take her into the world of the CIA.

Holly Lindin did a great job narrating the story. The pace, clarity of narration, different character voices, everything was great.

Very entertaining book. This is a book that I will listen to repeatedly and recommend often.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator or publisher at no cost for an unbiased review courtesy of audiobookboom.com

[Danessa Violette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jaw dropping!
Beautifully written. This book was actually recommend to me through my book club. We all agree that this book is one of the best we ever shared. We had a virtual standing ovation!!
From the first page I was mesmerized by the story. Without spoiling the outcome, what a stunning ending. Bravo* I'm hooked, looking forward to reading more from the author!

Review copy kindly provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review!

[One-Click]

Audiobook - Narration Holly Lindin, ok

Right now, I can't finish this. It's too rediculously unbelievable. I feel like after an hour and forty minutes I should be enjoying this but I'm just not, so for now, I'm throwing in the towel.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took the long commute into the office so that I could finish this book -- I refused to put it down!

Horne does a fantastic job of creating characters I immediately care about.

Can't wait to read her next effort!

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by TR Horne. I have two things to say...WOW!!! Wow!!!! I could not put this book down!!!! From start to finish I felt like I was right there with the characters. Rain is a total badass and I wanted to smack Prescott or give him a hug depending on where I was at in the story. This is one of those books that you don't want to end and I hope there are others to follow with these characters in them.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl Soldier is a wonderfully intriguing, tense read that keeps you tangled in the story until all the secrets are revealed.Rain is a beautifully written leading character, that struggles through emotions and trials with true strength. The only distraction I could find was the changing point of views as you read, which became confusing at time, otherwise, I would highly recommend this story.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you to T.R. Horne for my autographed copy. This was a good book. There is lots of suspense and some surprises along the way. I can imagine that it would make a good movie as well.

[Francais Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

World Building: A
Mythology: N/A
Plot-Twists: A
Villains: B
Girl Power: B+
Guy-Hero: B
Love-Interests: B+
Suspense: A+
Feels: A

For you clean-readers: this book does NOT have mature content.

[Kevin Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl Soldier is an action packed novel that begins innocently enough with a young Rain Wilson living on a farm in Colorado with her father, Tolley. Her simple life is suddenly turned upside down when she finds out that her father is a former CIA agent, and that her mother (also an agent) who abandoned her when she was a child returned to the field and is now M.I.A. with fears she may be a rogue agent. When Tolley refuses to help CIA chief of staff Christopher Dalton find his wife, Rain steps up; a decision that not will only change her life forever but will also shake her belief in what is good and bad in this world.

As Rain’s relentless search continues, Tolley and his old team find themselves on a journey that takes them to Iraq, Japan, Russia and back to the U.S. all the while being stalked by the deceptive and ruthless Dalton and his thugs who will do whatever it takes to get their hands on their target, Dahlia.

I found this book to be very entertaining and a real page-turner. The writing is wonderful and you really get a feel for Rain as a hard-nosed young women who can take on the men while also being the sensitive girl who is desperate to be reunited with her mother. There are some parts in the book which seemed a little off to me such as Rain being able enlist in the FBI training so easily and Prescott’s betrayal being overlooked by a team of specialist spies/agents. I also felt the ending stretched a little too long, but none of these things stop the book from being a great read! I really hope there will be a sequel to this novel.

[S.J. Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding novel I highly recommend!
It was the synopsis of this book that caught my attention right away. The story and beautiful writing kept me riveted. How far would you go to rescue your mother? How far would you go to find the truth?
“Rain Wilson thought she knew where she came from. A small farming town, forgotten and missed by everyone. After learning that her estranged mother is missing, she realizes there is a lot she doesn't know about the man who has raised her. She's waited for her mother for ten years. Now eighteen and full of curiosity, she embarks on a harrowing journey to find her mother. She uncovers a trail of lies, deceit and quite possibly a plot too scary to fight against. How far will she really go to save her mother? Girl Soldier is for readers who enjoy books such as The Bourne Identity meets James Patterson-style of novels, then you will love this action-packed, heartfelt suspense novel masterfully created by T.R. Horne.”
Looking for a great read that you’ll pick up more than once? May I suggest Girl Soldier?
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Reading Alley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Terry Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of Girl Soldier in a giveaway on goodreads. It has in no way nor would I allow it to influence my review.

For a thriller, this book hit the spot for me. Rain , the protagonist in the story, is easily likable . Packed with action and suspense, the story was interesting, had a good flow and didn't disappoint me except that I had the feeling there is something missing toward the end , like the story wasn't finished. Maybe there's to be a Soldier Girl #2?

[Donna K · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a book. I enjoyed this book tremendously. This is the type of book you get lost in. Rain, Prescott, Tolley, and all these characters were easy to visualize and journey with. The locations that this book took place in were easy to imagine. This was the type of book that makes me think I should find another book by this author.
I read this book for Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review. ow what a book

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."


Lots of action, lots of adventure, some of it unbelievable some of it frightening. It left me wanting more.


The narration was well done. The characters were excellently portrayed.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading give-aways. They are usually from new authors or at least new to me and they expand my book options. This was a good book, one I was thinking my teenage daughter would like and I think I was right. I enjoyed reading it and I have passed it on to her.

[Artemis]

Excited to read this!

[Hazel]

This is suspenseful and fast moving. The hero has no idea
Who her family is. Her moto is trust no one. She is accepted
Right off as a CIA. This is a very interesting book.
I received this book as a advance goodread book.