Never Surrender (Hqn)
In the seventh book in her Shadow Warriors series, McKenna continues the story of medic Bay Thorn and her SEAL fiancé, Chief Gabe Griffin, introduced in Breaking Point (2014). When Bay returns to Afghanistan, she is captured by the Taliban. Forced to tend to their wounded and ignore the injured children seized for sex trafficking, she is wounded herself and finally escapes after being viciously raped by the Taliban leader. Gabe helps find her and kill the Taliban responsible. He then accompanies her through her hospitalizations until he can take her home to her family in Kentucky, while hoping that someday she will recognize him again. The story of Bay’s painful recuperation, nightmares, flashbacks, and PTSD, despite endless support and patience from Gabe, who himself is often driven to exhaustion and despair, makes up the bulk of this truly memorable story, which does conform to the romance genre’s requirement of a happy ending. While there are other romance titles about rape survivors finding love, this one has a special, heartbreaking resonance. --Mary K. Chelton