Judith’s review of Down Range (Shadow Warriors # 2) by Lindsay McKenna
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 history and they have truckloads of it.
But the Afghan assignment might provide the discipline they need to finally get it together outside 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.
These two main characters do indeed have “truckloads” of personal history–going through their initial military training together, finding one another two years earlier, and now once again being assigned the same project. Both are skilled beyond the norm in a number of war skills needed for the task of finding the terrorist leader who has killed without regard for the value of human life, burned out whole villages, especially those who have been assisted by American medical personnel. Now Morgan and Jake have to find a way to work together with respect and benign friendship even though their past associations have been highly erotic and sensual.
This is a novel that is set against the backdrop of dread and pain, life lived in fear and the reality of death which can descend from the mountains in the form of a marauding terrorist band. Their attraction for one another has not lessened but they are both aware that they have walked away from each other twice before and now they must find a way not to complicate their personal lives as well as endanger their assignment. Add to that the fact that there are some secrets which could easily devastate one another and you have an emotional stew that will keep the reader involved from start to finish. Ms McKenna is certainly known as a fine writer and one who is a favorite of a large number of readers. She has earned that regard and here she once again demonstrates that she really knows how to tell a good story that is full of sensuality, sexual and situational tension, and who can make the words really work to draw mental pictures for readers. I would also add that I always appreciate writers who take the time and make the effort to use good grammar and spelling and who are working with editors who know what they are doing.
If you are a reader who enjoys contemporary romance, or perhaps you are a fan of Ms McKenna, or perhaps you like stories that are set within today’s Middle East conflict, then you are going to be vastly entertained with this book. I think you’ll be energized by the constant activity that keeps those soldiers on their toes, touched by the generosity of the Afghan people toward those who could and are viewed by many as invaders, and possibly be biting your nails when the war action gets awfully close to our hero and heroine. All in all it is a splendid read and one that deserves to be appreciated. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.
You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.
This title is available from Harlequin HQN. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
Leave a Reply