When Badger Horley, a SEAL, and the rest of his eight-man unit hit an antitank landmine on a routine reconnaissance mission, all were badly injured, but one of his men died. Having only joined a year before, he’d been the youngest member of the squad. Mouse left behind unanswered questions about his life…along with seven team members who aim to see that his tragic death is brought home to those … those responsible.
Badger’s path back to health is a long and difficult one, but revenge drives him out of bed every single day of his life. Someone modified orders the morning of the incident, sending his unit straight over that landmine. At the time the altered route had been given to him, he’d been curious but not unduly concerned. What happened to his squad has brought unwavering clarity: Those last-minute changes and the explosion that shattered his team were deliberate–and he means to catch the perpetrator if it’s the last thing he ever does.
Kat Greenwald watches the man she’s falling in love with fester a little more each time they’re together. Refusing to give himself time to heal, not surprisingly he hasn’t taken to his prosthetic well. As a prosthetic designer, she’s dealt with men and women in endless physical and emotional states. Badger is different. He’s driven, determined and deadly, but she can’t help her feelings despite the negatives. She’s hooked on a man whose sole concern seems to be in getting retribution for the incident that left his team in shards…while all she wants is a future happily-ever-after with him. But when her life explodes, and she’s kidnapped, it’s Badger who steps in to save her…
Still, Kat has a long road ahead of her to convince Badger a life filled with love is always preferable to answers that can only be gained at the risk of dying to get them.
Author note: For your reading pleasure, this series must be read in order.
SEALs of Steel Reading Order:
1.) Badger
2.) Erick
3.) Cade
4.) Talon
5.) Laszlo
6.) Geir
7.) Jager
more
Currently reading the next in the series. I don’t always read series books. But really enjoyed this one and can’t wait to find out what happens next!
Thank you for having your lead character be a Vet with a disability. You brought forth not only the “demons” he had to overcome.. but the strength of character that it takes to fight those everyday little battles. No pity.. just awe for our amazing heroes.
Characters were well developed. Enjoyed the plot.
Kept me wanting to read more….. It is like a soap opera in literary form where you want to find out what, where, why, and the intertwined relationships. Enjoyable escape reading!
Great read
I need more. Next book! I wanted to know more about the characters and to learn the resolution of their search.
Was a bit flippant for my liking
A great fictional read delving into the lives of these servicemen who have survived the loss of limbs keeping our country safe by fighting insurgents. Sad but also a reality as to the many honorable men who have had to put their lives back together.
I liked the characters but the dialogue and plot were boring.
In this great suspense by Dale Mayer, there were two compelling mysteries to solve and lots of secrets to reveal. When a last minute change of orders re-routed Badger’s team when on active duty, their truck was blown up, killing one man and changing the lives of the other 7 forever. Two years later, Badger still couldn’t let it go. He HAD to find out who changed the orders. His body was still healing but he wouldn’t slow down enough to let it actually finish the healing process. Because he lost a leg in the blast, he was fitted with a prosthetic. Kat was the designer who developed the prosthetic so she worked with Badger to make sure it fits properly. She encouraged him to have another surgery before it was too late. But he didn’t want to give up on his mission to get revenge and find out the truth about what happened to change their orders. As Kat began to care for Badger, she was worried about his physical and mental health.
Kat has her own problems. Someone wants her dead! I liked that the other men from the team were there when she was kidnapped, jumping right in to save her as SEALs do.
I loved that Ms. Mayer has skillfully penned a crazy good mystery as her writing kept me attentive, on-edge, and highly curious. Even though I enjoyed this book, there was something I didn’t like. That was that one of the mysteries was not solved. You have to read the next book to find out what happens. I really don’t like cliffhangers. If you don’t mind them, then you will love this book.
Love, love, love Dale Mayer!!
I first discovered Dale Mayer in a wonderful group of authors telling a connected tale in Sleeper Seals. I loved that book so much I had to go find more by her.
Badger is first in the SEALs of Steel Series, and even though it is kind of connected back to the SEALs of Honor Series, I thought I’d start here and then go back. These are going to come fast and furious over the next few months, so here’s my take on Badger.
Kat Greenwald is a prosthetic designer, and she has been working with Badger and his team to get them all functioning as normal as possible. Even though she finds herself falling for him, she fights giving in. Badger is on a quest of sorts, and isn’t listening to the medical professionals around him. This is detrimental to his physical well-being and Kat can’t seem to break down his resistance to the facts.
Badger and his team lost limbs and one lost his live when a landmine blew up their truck two years ago. Now some of his team is doing much better, he however is not doing as well. He keeps pushing too hard, too fast and if he doesn’t start behaving and doing the right thing he could lose his chance at having a prosthetic, forever.
Problem is, something really stinks about what went down that day and finally some things are shaking loose.
After her brother has her kidnapped and wants her dead, Badger decides Kat should accompany him to England. Perhaps not the brightest of moves but it will give them time together and keep Kat mostly out of harms way.
Things really heat up in more ways than one in England. I couldn’t put this book down as it weaves into a tale full of intrigue and romance.
This is a well-written, fast-paced action story. Great characters and a strong plot. You don’t want to put it down and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and loved it so much that I purchased a copy.
I have loved all of Ms. Mayer’s books and this is no exception. Reading about the explosion that is setting up the main plot for the entire series as well as the sub-plot of Badger’s and Kat’s story, kept me glued to my e-reader. I so thoroughly enjoyed meeting these two and the few other SEALs that appeared in the book. I look forward to each book and reading their stories and uncovering the who and why of the main plot of the series.
If you love military heroes and meeting their strong counterparts, then you will want to grab this book up. I can’t wait to read more of this intriguing series.
I love all of Dale Mayer’s books. They are great. This one was great, too and I plan to read as many of her’s as I can!
Badger has good characters and a good story line. Really made me think of our wounded veterans and what they go thru to hopefully recover from the traumas they suffered. I really felt for every character in the book and know there are real life veterans who have suffered the in the same ways. Really made me think.
SEALs of STEEL is a new series recently begun by Dale Mayer. It differs from the SEALs of HONOR and HEROES FOR HIRE in that each SOS book contains clues and information that will come together in a later book to solve the ongoing mystery and identify the villain responsible for the crimes identified in the individual books.
BADGER, Book 1:
Badger is a member of an eight-man SEALs unit that was decimated when their truck hit a landmine two years ago. One member of the unit, Mouse, was killed. The remaining seven members have spent the past two years healing from wounds and injuries that have left them with missing limbs and internal organs, plus pins and plates supporting the bones and muscles with which their bodies now function. Because of their wounds were so severe and specialized, the individual members of the team were rehabbed in hospitals all over the United States. Three have now come together in Santa Fe, NM, where Kat Greenwald, a genius prosthetic designer who herself has a prosthetic leg, continues to provide new and different supports that improve Badger’s, Erick’s, and Cade’s ability to live as normally as they can. They all love Kat, but it is Badger who is in love with her. When Kat is stalked and kidnapped by hired hit-men, Badger and his cohorts rescue her and set about finding the person who wants to kill her.
Badger reveals to Kat, Cade, and Erick that over the past two years he has harbored suspicions that the “military accident” in which they were so badly injured may have been intentionally set up. Instead of keeping off his mid-thigh stump so he can use his prosthetic leg without pain and the risk of infection, he decides that keeping Kat safe requires that she accompany the group of them to London to meet up with 4th unit member Talon and an informant. From here on, it’s continuous excitement that builds in each book. (Book 2 Erick will be released on May 22, and Book 3 Cade will be released on June 5.) Can’t wait to read them all. For those of you who need instant gratification, especially in the first book of the series, the SEALs of STEEL will solve Kat’s mystery, and you’ll have to read the book to find out how.
Love all her books!
Badger by Dale Mayer
SEALs of Steel Series Book One
Badger Horley had nothing more to live for than finding out what happened to his unit when they were on a simple mission. His drive for vengeance had him ignoring his own body and the healing it needed. He would finish his mission…one way or another.
Dr. Kat Greenwald saw many patients and wanted to help all of them to the best of her abilities. But Badger…well, there was something special about him and she just had to find a way to get through to him to finish his surgeries so she could fit him with a prosthetic that wouldn’t cause him so much pain.
When Badger and some of his former team find out that Kat’s been getting threatening letters…he veers from his mission to help her. It doesn’t distract him for long. Now, he has his mission and Kat to protect. Meanwhile, he’ll have to let his former team pick up the baton and go on the next leg of the journey to find out who betrayed them.
**Sexual content and language
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I just love how this is a new series but still interlinks to the other characters from SEALS of Honor and HEROS for Hire. Badger and his team where all injured during their last tour however only 7 of the 8 got out with their lives. While recuperating Badger is stuck on finding out why things went horribly wrong unfortunately this is hindering his recovery much to Dr Greenwalds chagrin but she has her own issues going on. Then both their worlds come together and now Badger and his team mates Erick, Cade and Talon are looking out for her as well as following their own lead. There are plenty of emotions, some laughs along with twists you don’t see coming and of course a little bit of love. I can not wait for book 2!