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The Woman Left Behind

A Novel

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

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 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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    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 15, 2018
      Howard (Troublemaker) delivers an exciting standalone romantic thriller, featuring nuanced characters in extraordinary circumstances who still feel relatable and warm. Jina Modell has a desk job in communications for a secret government agency; she’s surprised to be transferred to a black-ops group that needs someone to run its comms. Jina’s never been a quitter, but the training that team leader Levi Butcher puts her through makes her reconsider whether she wants this exciting new gig. Almost half the book covers her intense workouts and long runs while she learns to use a high-tech drone and proves herself a tough, capable member of Levi’s team. As the team travels the world to conduct surveillance and complete missions, she regrets that she can’t act on the intense attraction drawing her and Levi together. Howard skillfully delays Levi and Levi and Jina’s coming together until it feels like a well-deserved payoff, using the time to show relationships between the close-knit crew, who work seamlessly together. A subplot involving a crooked congresswoman is barely needed.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      In one day, Gina--code name "Babe"--goes from computer geek to drone operator in a non-military special forces unit. Narrator Saskia Maarleveld presents the horror and determination Gina feels as she drags herself through basic training and fights her attraction to team leader Levi "Ace" Butcher. Maarleveld delivers Gina's low Georgia drawl and Levi's curt commands with exquisite precision. The men on Gina's team emerge as frightening giants, speaking little and viewing her physical performance with disdain. But soon enough, Maarleveld exposes minute cracks in their stony demeanors, along with Gina's growing affection for "her guys." Narration and story exist in perfect synchronicity, continually daring each other to "top this." C.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      October 15, 2017

      Communication expert Jina Modell is assumed dead when her base is attacked, but her team leader, a crusty soldier in love, goes after her when he learns she escaped. With a 100,000-copy first printing.

      Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Library Journal

      Starred review from February 15, 2018

      Communications tech expert Jina Modell absolutely loves her cool "dark ops" job taking down terrorists from the safety of her Washington, DC, office, and the last place she expects to end up is in the field. But Jina's boss is experimenting with embedding drone operators into the action teams, and when her skills (assessed covertly via video games in the break room!) land her at the top of the list, Jina finds herself tossed into an accelerated program of physical training and assigned to a bunch of crack agents who aren't happy about having to deal with a geek--no less a woman. Quickly tagged with the annoying moniker "Babe," Jina is resolved to succeed, only she doesn't count on the attraction that flares between her and the no-nonsense team leader Levi "Ace" Butcher. A bloody mission, a vengeful traitor, and stunning, vivid descriptions (a desperate slog through the desert and Jina's parachute jumps are memorable) add grim realism to this absorbing romance. VERDICT A sassy heroine with grit and determination to match and a tough, battle-hardened hero struggle against impossible odds in a heart-pounding adventure that doesn't let up until the very end. Howard (Troublemaker) lives in Alabama. [See Prepub Alert, 10/15/17.]

      Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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