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MWSA Review
Born in Blood by Megan Michelle features Rachel Ryker, a.k.a. Skylark, a female former Navy SEAL who cares deeply about her female intelligence assets in a male-dominated culture in the Middle East. Rachel and her retired Navy boyfriend, Christopher Williams, have bought a home in D.C. so Rachel can start a new job—on a desk—overseeing her team in the field. Christopher is at loose ends, trying to find his calling in the civilian world. He watches from the sidelines as Rachel orchestrates her SEAL Team activities. Christopher no longer has his security clearance to help or advise Rachel in her new job. However, he and Rachel have worked closely for eleven years. He knows what she needs, when she needs it, and he helps anyway because of his intuition.
The story has dark underpinnings, illustrating the ravages of PTSD. Christopher encourages Rachel to go to a counselor to deal with her urge to self-harm and her occasional uncontrollable rages. Rachel finds in Catherine someone who listens and can direct Rachel’s urges in a more positive manner. The story reveals Rachel’s acting out, her need for rough sex, cussing like a sailor, rage at a patriarchal society, and lack of patience with bureaucracy.
Tracking a notorious Al-Qaeda leader who kidnaps the son of Rachel’s intelligence asset is a test of her faith in her team. They uncover a child-trafficking ring planning the most heinous attacks one can imagine, and one with Rachel as the target.
This fast-paced novel will have you on the edge of your seat.
FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY
Review by Nancy Panko
Author's Synopsis
Desk duty was not what Rachel Ryker had in mind when she became the first female Navy SEAL, but if finding love with her former teammate, Christopher Williams, was the trade off, then fine. Adjusting to life in D.C. after being pulled from combat was difficult enough, but when Khalid Khan, a notorious Al-Qaeda leader, kidnaps the son of Rachel’s intelligence asset, she learns just how much harder it is to rescue a kid from a desk. She’ll need to get creative and learn to trust others to get the job done. Caught between duty and her thirst for revenge, Rachel must navigate a treacherous path to rescue the boy and uncover a dangerous conspiracy involving her old enemies. Can she save the child and bring justice to those who wronged her, or will her past catch up with her?
Christopher is adjusting to retirement, trying to find a new purpose since he chose Rachel over his career as a SEAL. The rules of engagement have changed. Rachel’s keeping secrets and chasing terrorists without him, keeping him in the dark. Respecting that boundary proves more than difficult for them both. When Rachel goes on a path Christopher can no longer follow, will their relationship be strong enough to survive, or did he give up everything for nothing?
Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction
Pages/Word count: 447 / 135,635