Jina Modell works in Communications for a paramilitary organization, and she really likes it. She likes the money, she likes the coolness factor—and it was very cool, even for Washington, DC. She liked being able to kick terrorist butts without ever leaving the climate-controlled comfort of the control room.
But when Jina displays a really high aptitude for spatial awareness and action, she’s … and action, she’s reassigned to work as an on-site drone operator in the field with one of the GO-teams, an elite paramilitary unit. The only problem is she isn’t particularly athletic, to put it mildly, and in order to be fit for the field, she has to learn how to run and swim for miles, jump out of a plane, shoot a gun…or else be out of a job.
Team leader Levi, call sign Ace, doesn’t have much confidence in Jina–who he dubbed Babe as soon as he heard her raspy, sexy voice–making it through the rigors of training. The last thing he needs is some tech geek holding them back from completing a dangerous, covert operation. In the following months, however, no one is more surprised than he when Babe, who hates to sweat, begins to thrive in her new environment, displaying a grit and courage that wins her the admiration of her hardened, battle-worn teammates. What’s even more surprising is that the usually very disciplined GO-team leader can’t stop thinking about kissing her smart, stubborn mouth…or the building chemistry and tension between them.
Meanwhile, a powerful Congresswoman is working behind the scenes to destroy the GO-teams, and a trap is set to ambush Levi’s squad in Syria. While the rest of the operatives set off on their mission, Jina remains at the base to control the surveillance drone, when the base is suddenly attacked with explosives. Thought dead by her comrades, Jina escapes to the desert where, brutally tested beyond measure, she has to figure out how to stay undetected by the enemy and make it to her crew in time before they’re exfiltrated out of the country.
But Levi never leaves a soldier behind, especially the brave woman he’s fallen for. He’s bringing back the woman they left behind, dead or alive.
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Could not put book down till I finish it, no sleep. Would like to see other characters in books to have their story
This is her best book yet. It has humor, romance, breath taking action and some of the best people. You care about them.
I’ll ready anything written by Linda Howard!
Fantastic book. I love Linda Howard and this is up there with her best. I’ve reread it twice and have recommended it to all my friends. More like this, Linda. Please!
I enjoyed the interaction in this book between Jina and the rest of the team. I chose “steamy”, however, this book is more of an action packed/romance sort of running along side it and doesn’t get “steamy” until later on. Over all I liked it and it will be one of the books I “return” to read again one day
I have read her books before, but this has got to be the best. Loved the story and characters. I couldn’t put the book down.
I just loved Loved LOVED this book! I had to read it through to the end with as few interruptions as possible! (” what do you mean you’d like something for dinner besides PB&J???!!”)
Linda Howard is one of my favorite authors and the heroine and hero at times had me laughing out loud.
I suggest you get This book if you enjoy well written books with feisty tough gals and tough alpha males who have a ‘take no prisoner’ approach to the newest member of the Team.
I love Linda Howard– let me begin with that. But this book was hard to endure. Howard made me suffer right along with her character as she went through training. Of course, when the character triumphed, it felt like I did too. This was much more emotionally powerful than many recent romantic thrillers I’ve read– but what else would you get with Linda Howard?
Linda Howard is a great story teller. This book went in a direction I did not expect. From page one it held my interest and I couldn’t put it down. I have read every book she has written and I put this book at the top as one of her better book to read.
Just loved the main character. She is just a nerdy computer geek, but circumstances lead her to become a member of a black ops group. Her job is to deploy and control a special drone during missions, but she must be prepared for anything. And as expected, the mission goes sideways….
the interplay between the characters is great, especially the macho alpha types in the team, who do not want a nerd, much less and female nerd, on their team.
An exciting read, easy to image myself actually in the story.
Could’ve been better. I love reading about strong women but I didn’t feel this woman fit that bill. I also wasn’t that impressed with the love interest. And the ending sucked.
It was a good book, But I had a problem with Levi the main male character, he was so arrogant. Never explained anything, he just assumed how Jina should react to him.
I really enjoyed this book. I had a hard time laying it aside to get things done. Story line different and well thought out. Easy to identify with main character “Babe” Jina. Competition with brother’s in child hood prepared her for challenge of being accepted by the fellow male team members. The trials of proving herself. And of course romantic interest in the man off limits. Tense times being left in the desert by her team.
I have been reading this author for many years now, but I love this deviation from the normal. I found the book to be a page turner that I finished in one day. If you enjoyed the movie “G I Jane” you will enjoy this book.
Jina Modell is a computer geek, happy in her own little world working in communications for a paramilitary organisation until one day her bosses install some video war games in the break room. Along with several of her colleagues her skill with these games lead to her being press-ganged into being trained up as the eighth member of a Go-Team where her job is to operate a drone, providing extra surveillance for her team while they are out in the field. After being brought up the middle child in a family of five siblings, the one thing Jina isn’t is a quitter even if it kills her in the process and since her options are join the team or unemployment it just might. Levi “Ace” Butcher is the team leader. He doesn’t want Jina in his team and makes it clear that, as far as he’s concerned, she’s the most expendable member but if he’s got to have her he’ll make sure she’s up to scratch by taking over her training himself with the help of the rest of his team. The only problem is there’s an instant attraction between them but Ace is an honourable man, even though he can’t act on this attraction while Jina is under his command he doesn’t do anything to impede her training & reduce her chances of actually failing the course.
I loved the character of Jina. She’s a stubborn, larger than life character with a ‘do or die’ attitude and a mouth on her – something she needed to handle her fellow team members. She had two mantras throughout this book – ‘I’m not a quitter’ and ‘I hate them all’. She wasn’t fearless but she faced her fears head on, determined to succeed, especially the parachute training where a weaker person would’ve quit. The romance between her and Levi was definitely a slow burner, even though the sexual tension was there throughout the book. Other than a few furtive U-Rated encounters that were definitely spur of the moment, nothing really happened between them until the last couple of chapters but I don’t feel this slow build up lessened my enjoyment of the book. In fact it made a change to have the characters get to know each other instead of jumping into bed in the first chapter. The plot itself was well written with lots of suspense and action. I’ve been a fan of Linda Howard’s novels for years and The Woman Left Behind is definitely one of her books that is on my re-read list.
This is the second in the series and I enjoyed it almost as much as the first. Troublemaker. Shared some of the original characters but went in a totally different direction. Great read!
I finished the last page of this book, and immediately went back to page 1 and started it all over again – it’s THAT good.
Could not put it down!
Loved this book. Seldom read a book twice but will read again. Enjoyed the story of the character Jina somewhat forced to join a black ops team for her computer skills. Of course, all other members were males. Neither she nor they happy with the situation at first!!
This book was one of the best Linda Howard has ever written. I enjoy all of Linda Howard books but this one made you think what would I do in her place. Most Read Book.