Just what the heck is Special Ops! They are definitely military at least in organization, training, and structure. But, then again they are not military in that they are behind the curtain -- working in the fog -- trained men and women. For the most part it reminds me of Mission Impossible -- the IM Force -- where they get orders from important people but carry on the task without help from the government or military. Remember the famous close of each IM order -- the government will disavow any knowledge -- etc. Okay, so now you know I am an IM fan and it goes way back to the television show circa 1966.

So here's what Linda Howard treats us to in THE WOMAN LEFT BEHIND. An intimate look at these Special Ops guys and gals and let me tell you, it's a doozy. THE WOMAN LEFT BEHIND starts out with a hook that doesn't really become apparent until about midway through the story. The meat of this story is the development of a team. In this case it's the GO-Teams. A group of well-trained special guys that go places most of us hope never to see. Then they get their assigned task completed and high tail it out -- hopefully intact. Prior to accepting that task they have to go through a grueling training schedule. If you can get through the training the idea is that you have a better than average chance of making it back home.

Jina Modell works in communications and has a talent for computer/video games. According to Jina she was ill equipped to handle what the GO-Teams regularly did, which was commit mayhem on a massive scale (Jina's words not mine). But Jina's talents in working with or playing on complicated strategic games is just what this group was looking for. In fact, the plan was to train a group of techno geeks to be the eyes of these special teams. Drones. The future of many industries was now being tested as those eyes and gamers like Jina were being recruited to run them. Sounds simple but Linda Howard is driven by her need for realism and in THE WOMAN LEFT BEHIND she definitely meets her goals.

Jina is just a regular woman -- not necessarily special in any way that she can see and yet she finds herself part of a GO-Team who reluctantly take on the task of training her in the only way they know. Just like any new recruit to their team. No shortcuts, no special treatment because she is a female. Do or die trying -- or quit. That's the rub. For Jina, quitting is not an option. She has older and younger siblings which has made her adept at survival. Strangely enough Jina doesn't actually see her own strengths but she is going to have to dig deep to keep up with Ace's team headed by Levi Butcher.

Ace's team has a reputation for tough jobs. Jina's sees herself as a liability for Ace's team. Surely all they were doing was just a ruse to get her to quit. The harder they pushed the more caustic she became. Her words were her weapon of choice. And this is where Linda Howard injects so much of the humor in THE WOMAN LEFT BEHIND. Jina's internal conversations are the comic relief for this special ops training course.

The supporting cast here is the rest of Ace's team. Linda Howard assigns each guy a truly unique personality and they make a great team. THE WOMAN LEFT BEHIND is a study in team work and development and it resonates with heart throughout the book. The book is filled with things that could only have come about through careful researching and of course imagination. Well done.

Book Summary

A battle-hardened warrior will risk himself to help the woman he loves escape from deadly enemies in this thrilling, edge-of-your-seat novel of romantic suspense from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Linda Howard

Levi Butcher is singularly devoted to his work. As team leader for the GO-Team, his unwavering focus is on the mission. Levi knows all too well that one minor distraction can hold deadly consequences. But with the soothing, sensual voice of “Babe,” the team’s communication expert, constantly in his ear, keeping his concentration on the dangerous work at hand is becoming extremely difficult.

Jina Modell definitely doesn’t feel like a “Babe,” especially when she’s working with the gruff, no-nonsense Levi. When the base where she’s stationed is attacked, Jina manages to escape but the rest of the team, working some distance away, is exfiltrated, thinking Jina died in the explosion—leaving her stranded. To survive, she’s got to figure out how to get back to safety before she’s discovered by the enemy.

Levi would never willingly leave a soldier behind, especially a brave woman whose sweet voice haunts his every thought. Once he discovers Jina is alive, the tenacious warrior will walk into fire to save this intriguing woman who has captured his heart.