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Morgan's Mercenaries #31
Dangerous Prey
Expert pilot Kelly Trayhern thrives on risk--and nothing's more exciting than fighting fires, dropping water from her helicopter onto the blazes below. But on one especially perilous mission, the furious flames change her life in a way she never expected....
Raptor rehabilitator Sky McCoy had his own dreams of flying, dreams that were brutally crushed when he was a teenager, and only the quick actions of fearless Kelly Trayhern saved his life. He had to leave her then, but he's never forgotten her--and when she needs him most, nothing will keep him away.
Now the mysterious Native American is determined to heal Kelly's spirit as he heals his birds of prey. But can he save her life despite the evil threat he knows is looming, waiting to destroy everything he loves?
Raptor rehabilitator Sky McCoy had his own dreams of flying, dreams that were brutally crushed when he was a teenager, and only the quick actions of fearless Kelly Trayhern saved his life. He had to leave her then, but he's never forgotten her--and when she needs him most, nothing will keep him away.
Now the mysterious Native American is determined to heal Kelly's spirit as he heals his birds of prey. But can he save her life despite the evil threat he knows is looming, waiting to destroy everything he loves?
374 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2007
29 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay McKenna
360 books2,503 followersI've lived six lives in one and it all shows up in the books I write, one way or another.
I was always a risk taker and broke mustangs at thirteen years old in Oregon. I learn to break them with love, not threat or pain.
At 17 years old, I picked night-crawlers (worms) out in our Oregon orchards from 9pm to midnight, every night. I earned enough money to buy my school clothes and book. I also plunked down $600 to a flight company at the Medford, Oregon airport and asked them to teach me...a girl...to fly. I soloed in 12 hours, which is average. From that time until I left for the US Navy at 18, I had accrued 39 hours of flight time in my Cessna 150 single engine airplane.
I was in the US military and was an AG3 (weather forecaster). There was no airplane club, so I couldn't fly when I was in the Navy. But I could look at the clouds in the sky ;-).
Later, I flew in a B-52 bomber for a day and night mission (18 hours total), a T-38 Talon jet, USAF, where I was riding in a "chase plane" on a test flight in a Dragonfly jet.
I was one of the first AFLA (American Fencing League of America) women fencers to fence with epee and sabre. These weapons were closed to women because they were too 'heavy' for a female to handle. I said baloney and fought the males and won half my bouts. I was part of a surge of women fencers on the East Coast in the 1970's to push for equality in the sport. Together, we changed the sport and changed the mind of the men. Today? In the Olympics? Women now fence in foil, epee and sabre, thanks to what we did as a vanguard showing the world it could be done.
I then became a volunteer firefighter when I was a civilian once more, the first woman in an all - male fire department in West Point, Ohio for three years. I became a local expert not only in firefighting, driving the engine and tanker trunks, but also had training in hazardous material (Reynoldsburg Fire Academy, Columbus, OH).
My books always reflect what I experienced. If you like edgy, gritty, deeply and emotionally intense love stories with sympathetic heroes and heroines, check out my newest series that will be available mid-Oct. 2015, and it incorporates much of what I have lived.
I was always a risk taker and broke mustangs at thirteen years old in Oregon. I learn to break them with love, not threat or pain.
At 17 years old, I picked night-crawlers (worms) out in our Oregon orchards from 9pm to midnight, every night. I earned enough money to buy my school clothes and book. I also plunked down $600 to a flight company at the Medford, Oregon airport and asked them to teach me...a girl...to fly. I soloed in 12 hours, which is average. From that time until I left for the US Navy at 18, I had accrued 39 hours of flight time in my Cessna 150 single engine airplane.
I was in the US military and was an AG3 (weather forecaster). There was no airplane club, so I couldn't fly when I was in the Navy. But I could look at the clouds in the sky ;-).
Later, I flew in a B-52 bomber for a day and night mission (18 hours total), a T-38 Talon jet, USAF, where I was riding in a "chase plane" on a test flight in a Dragonfly jet.
I was one of the first AFLA (American Fencing League of America) women fencers to fence with epee and sabre. These weapons were closed to women because they were too 'heavy' for a female to handle. I said baloney and fought the males and won half my bouts. I was part of a surge of women fencers on the East Coast in the 1970's to push for equality in the sport. Together, we changed the sport and changed the mind of the men. Today? In the Olympics? Women now fence in foil, epee and sabre, thanks to what we did as a vanguard showing the world it could be done.
I then became a volunteer firefighter when I was a civilian once more, the first woman in an all - male fire department in West Point, Ohio for three years. I became a local expert not only in firefighting, driving the engine and tanker trunks, but also had training in hazardous material (Reynoldsburg Fire Academy, Columbus, OH).
My books always reflect what I experienced. If you like edgy, gritty, deeply and emotionally intense love stories with sympathetic heroes and heroines, check out my newest series that will be available mid-Oct. 2015, and it incorporates much of what I have lived.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 12, 2009
This was a moderately good book. I liked it, but I also thought it could have been better. The characters and the situation were interesting, but neither quite sucked me in. There were a lot of times during the book where my mind wandered.
Dangerous Prey is about two people who are both battered emotionally and physically. Kelly Trayhern first flew helicopters in the military, but after being shot during a bad mission she didn't meet their physical requirements anymore. After a bout with serious depression and PTSD, she takes up flying firefighting helicopters. But then fate strikes again and she is seriously wounded in a crash. This time the depression is worse and her parents fear for her life. So her mom goes to Sky McCoy, a childhood friend of Kelly's, and asks him to help Kelly.
Raptor rehabilitator Sky has his own demons to fight. Growing up part Native American, he was the subject of bullying and beatings. One boy in particular had it out for him - his vengeance forever changed Sky's life. Now he lives in seclusion, always fearing further retaliation. But after all the help the Trayherns gave him, he can't say no to helping Kelly. He just has to get her away from him before the final showdown with his enemy.
Neither counted on the fact that the bond they'd had as children would return...and then some. Both want each other, but Sky pushes Kelly away, not wanting to put her in danger. Kelly will have to fight for him if she wants a relationship.
SERIES NOTE: this book is part of McKenna's long-running Morgan's Mercenaries series - which I hadn't known prior to reading. When I was reading the book, I got the sense that there had been stories for other characters. Not in the sense that I felt like I was missing something important in THIS story, but that other characters had backstories. So I researched it and found that this book is the 42nd in the MM series, and the 4th book in the sub-set about Morgan Trayhern's children. But it is possible to read this book as a stand-alone. It made sense without reading other books.
For the most part, I enjoyed the overall set-up in this book. Sky helps Kelly get over her injury and trauma by teaching her about rehabilitating raptors...and later, Kelly ends up being there for Sky after a certain incident. And the bird stuff was interesting. There was just a really great dynamic in place for this book. But for me, it fell a bit short overall.
The biggest flaw, I thought, was the pacing. At times the story really dragged along as the characters didn't do anything other than take care of the birds, talk, fight off their lust, and worry. Then a big event happened and I thought it would pick up, which it did for a chapter, but then it got dragged back down into the mundane. Plus, huge chunks of time would be skipped over. I think the book takes place over a full year. So you'd at times start a chapter and realize a month or two went by. I didn't really care for that.
On the romance front, the book is also very slow in developing. For most of the book, the two want each other, but nothing happens. Sky won't let it and Kelly thinks he wants her to go away. Then when they finally do start kissing, that's about all you get until the very end. And I just don't mean sex...they share their first kiss, then the next chapter jumps ahead again so you miss out on the newness of it and that "glow" of accepted love. It took something away from the romance.
So I found this book to be a bit disappointing, but not a total write-off. Part may be that McKenna's style of writing isn't entirely to my liking, but the book in general could have had a bit more kick to it. It's very slow moving, kind of plodding along. But even though this one didn't quite do it for me, I may still look for the other Trayhern siblings books...I'm interested in reading her brother Jason's story. Sounded good.
Dangerous Prey is about two people who are both battered emotionally and physically. Kelly Trayhern first flew helicopters in the military, but after being shot during a bad mission she didn't meet their physical requirements anymore. After a bout with serious depression and PTSD, she takes up flying firefighting helicopters. But then fate strikes again and she is seriously wounded in a crash. This time the depression is worse and her parents fear for her life. So her mom goes to Sky McCoy, a childhood friend of Kelly's, and asks him to help Kelly.
Raptor rehabilitator Sky has his own demons to fight. Growing up part Native American, he was the subject of bullying and beatings. One boy in particular had it out for him - his vengeance forever changed Sky's life. Now he lives in seclusion, always fearing further retaliation. But after all the help the Trayherns gave him, he can't say no to helping Kelly. He just has to get her away from him before the final showdown with his enemy.
Neither counted on the fact that the bond they'd had as children would return...and then some. Both want each other, but Sky pushes Kelly away, not wanting to put her in danger. Kelly will have to fight for him if she wants a relationship.
SERIES NOTE: this book is part of McKenna's long-running Morgan's Mercenaries series - which I hadn't known prior to reading. When I was reading the book, I got the sense that there had been stories for other characters. Not in the sense that I felt like I was missing something important in THIS story, but that other characters had backstories. So I researched it and found that this book is the 42nd in the MM series, and the 4th book in the sub-set about Morgan Trayhern's children. But it is possible to read this book as a stand-alone. It made sense without reading other books.
For the most part, I enjoyed the overall set-up in this book. Sky helps Kelly get over her injury and trauma by teaching her about rehabilitating raptors...and later, Kelly ends up being there for Sky after a certain incident. And the bird stuff was interesting. There was just a really great dynamic in place for this book. But for me, it fell a bit short overall.
The biggest flaw, I thought, was the pacing. At times the story really dragged along as the characters didn't do anything other than take care of the birds, talk, fight off their lust, and worry. Then a big event happened and I thought it would pick up, which it did for a chapter, but then it got dragged back down into the mundane. Plus, huge chunks of time would be skipped over. I think the book takes place over a full year. So you'd at times start a chapter and realize a month or two went by. I didn't really care for that.
On the romance front, the book is also very slow in developing. For most of the book, the two want each other, but nothing happens. Sky won't let it and Kelly thinks he wants her to go away. Then when they finally do start kissing, that's about all you get until the very end. And I just don't mean sex...they share their first kiss, then the next chapter jumps ahead again so you miss out on the newness of it and that "glow" of accepted love. It took something away from the romance.
So I found this book to be a bit disappointing, but not a total write-off. Part may be that McKenna's style of writing isn't entirely to my liking, but the book in general could have had a bit more kick to it. It's very slow moving, kind of plodding along. But even though this one didn't quite do it for me, I may still look for the other Trayhern siblings books...I'm interested in reading her brother Jason's story. Sounded good.
September 28, 2010
Vague communication, inaccurate assumptions, too much pondering, and characters being stupid/careless for the sake of the plot.
STORY BRIEF:
Kelly was a Marine helicopter pilot flying in Afghanistan. She was shot down and suffers post traumatic stress issues. She had to leave the marines due to some nerve damage in her hand. She then flew helicopters with water tanks fighting fires in Arizona. During a fire fight the winds caused her helicopter to crash. The crash caused permanent leg damage and severe depression because the two passengers with her died. Kelly has no will to live. Her mother asks Sky to spend time with Kelly, hoping he will bring her out of her depression. Sky was her best friend in childhood. Sky rehabilitates wounded raptors (owls, hawks and falcons) and then sets them free. Kelly loves seeing the raptors and starts helping Sky work with them. Being with Sky and the raptors gives her the will to live, and she regains her health. Meanwhile Sky has an enemy Billy Jo who plans to kill Sky. Billy Jo is in jail because he previously killed Sky’s parents, but he will be released within the year. Sky is reluctant to have Kelly around because he fears Billy Jo will hurt Kelly or anyone else close to him.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The best part of the book was learning about the raptors. The rest of the story did not work for me. Through much of the story Sky and Kelly deny their attraction to each other. Sky won’t tell Kelly about the Billy Jo threat, so she believes he doesn’t like her or want her around. These conflicts are due to vague communication and inaccurate assumptions which are not a favorite for me and are overused in romance novels. There was also too much pondering and too many repetitive thoughts by Sky and Kelly about wanting to be with each other and why they couldn’t. Some of the dialogue felt dated - 80’s style writing. I also didn’t care for the characters doing some stupid things for the sake of the plot which are described in Spoilers below.
DATA:
Story length: 366 pages. Swearing language: moderate. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: one, 5 pages long. Setting: current day Montana and Arizona. Copyright: 2008. Genre: romantic suspense.
CAUTION SPOILERS:
As Sky was preparing for Billy Jo’s release from jail, he installed security equipment around his home. Morgan (Kelly’s father) said that as soon as Billy Jo was released he would arrange for security personnel to guard Sky’s home. But this never happened. When Billy Jo got out of jail Morgan never provided any security guards. This left Sky unprotected, and Billy Jo easily attacked him. I don’t understand why Sky stayed there alone. This was doing something stupid for the sake of the plot.
One thing I did like was how Kelly escaped when she was kidnapped. But I did not like the carelessness of Kelly and Sky after Kelly escaped. They let their guard down. The enemy was still out there. They should have continued being on alert, but they didn’t. Instead, the kidnapper walked in on them with a gun, again.
Another carelessness bothered me. Earlier in the story, Sky was in hiding so Billy Jo couldn’t find him. Kelly wanted to talk to community groups about the work he was doing with raptors. Sky didn’t want her to, but Kelly insisted, so Sky agreed as long as she kept his name a secret. What does she do? At her very first talk, she tells them Sky’s name. Billy Jo’s mother is in the audience. Of course, she tells her son where Sky is. Kelly apologizes to Sky saying it accidentally slipped out.
STORY BRIEF:
Kelly was a Marine helicopter pilot flying in Afghanistan. She was shot down and suffers post traumatic stress issues. She had to leave the marines due to some nerve damage in her hand. She then flew helicopters with water tanks fighting fires in Arizona. During a fire fight the winds caused her helicopter to crash. The crash caused permanent leg damage and severe depression because the two passengers with her died. Kelly has no will to live. Her mother asks Sky to spend time with Kelly, hoping he will bring her out of her depression. Sky was her best friend in childhood. Sky rehabilitates wounded raptors (owls, hawks and falcons) and then sets them free. Kelly loves seeing the raptors and starts helping Sky work with them. Being with Sky and the raptors gives her the will to live, and she regains her health. Meanwhile Sky has an enemy Billy Jo who plans to kill Sky. Billy Jo is in jail because he previously killed Sky’s parents, but he will be released within the year. Sky is reluctant to have Kelly around because he fears Billy Jo will hurt Kelly or anyone else close to him.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The best part of the book was learning about the raptors. The rest of the story did not work for me. Through much of the story Sky and Kelly deny their attraction to each other. Sky won’t tell Kelly about the Billy Jo threat, so she believes he doesn’t like her or want her around. These conflicts are due to vague communication and inaccurate assumptions which are not a favorite for me and are overused in romance novels. There was also too much pondering and too many repetitive thoughts by Sky and Kelly about wanting to be with each other and why they couldn’t. Some of the dialogue felt dated - 80’s style writing. I also didn’t care for the characters doing some stupid things for the sake of the plot which are described in Spoilers below.
DATA:
Story length: 366 pages. Swearing language: moderate. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: one, 5 pages long. Setting: current day Montana and Arizona. Copyright: 2008. Genre: romantic suspense.
CAUTION SPOILERS:
As Sky was preparing for Billy Jo’s release from jail, he installed security equipment around his home. Morgan (Kelly’s father) said that as soon as Billy Jo was released he would arrange for security personnel to guard Sky’s home. But this never happened. When Billy Jo got out of jail Morgan never provided any security guards. This left Sky unprotected, and Billy Jo easily attacked him. I don’t understand why Sky stayed there alone. This was doing something stupid for the sake of the plot.
One thing I did like was how Kelly escaped when she was kidnapped. But I did not like the carelessness of Kelly and Sky after Kelly escaped. They let their guard down. The enemy was still out there. They should have continued being on alert, but they didn’t. Instead, the kidnapper walked in on them with a gun, again.
Another carelessness bothered me. Earlier in the story, Sky was in hiding so Billy Jo couldn’t find him. Kelly wanted to talk to community groups about the work he was doing with raptors. Sky didn’t want her to, but Kelly insisted, so Sky agreed as long as she kept his name a secret. What does she do? At her very first talk, she tells them Sky’s name. Billy Jo’s mother is in the audience. Of course, she tells her son where Sky is. Kelly apologizes to Sky saying it accidentally slipped out.
November 25, 2021
Kelly Trayhern thrives on risk--and nothing's more exciting than fighting fires, dropping water from her helicopter onto the blazes below. But one one especially perilous mission, a furious flames change her life in a way she never expected... Raptor rehabilitator Sky McCoy had his own dreams of flying, dreams that were brutally crushed when he was a teenanger, and only the quick actions of fearless Kelly Trayhern saved his life. Now the mysteriousvNative American is determined to heal Kelly's spirit...
November 9, 2013
Bullied as a child by Billy Jo Talbot, Sky McCoy goes into hiding after he testifies at Talbot's trial following Talbot's murder of Sky's parents and becomes a raptor rehabilitator. Following a deadly crash of the helicopter she was piloting during a vicious wildfire which left her unable to fly again, Kelly Trayhern has sunk into a deep depression until Sky comes back into her life with his raptors. Childhood friends, Sky introduces Kelly into another way of experiencing the freedom of the open air through the hawks and owls he rehabs in his mountain retreat. However, Sky knows that they can only be friends because a day of reckoning is coming when Billy Jo gets out of prison.........
A very good story which teaches the reader a lot about raptors and their place in the world. The secondary characters are Luna and Bella, raptors who play critical parts in the story and teach us a lot about owls and hawks. The romance between Sky and Kelly is hinted at but never explicit as the events of the story get in the way.
A very good story which teaches the reader a lot about raptors and their place in the world. The secondary characters are Luna and Bella, raptors who play critical parts in the story and teach us a lot about owls and hawks. The romance between Sky and Kelly is hinted at but never explicit as the events of the story get in the way.
April 5, 2010
I just finished reading this and the beginning was really good but somewhere along the line things started to fall a part. I appreciate the author attemp to acknowledge the hero's Native American hetitage but it wasn't realistic. I felt that it was more stereotyping than combining the reality of the world today with cultural traditions. Also the information about raptor rehabililation was super interesting and informative. As the romance progress the dialogue lost it's realism. The heroine's and hero's character development contradicted the words that they spoke after they began to acknowledge their love for each other. I'm glad I read it but I was dissppointed with the second half of the book.
November 13, 2011
I was given this book by a friend. I wasn't sure I was going to like. I got pulled into the story rather quickly. I couldn't put it down. I loved the detail given to the training and care of the raptors in the book. It blended very well with the storyline. There were numerous references to events from previous books written by the author but the storyline was still easy to follow. One thing that had me scratching my head was the complete recovery from brain injuries. Just from experience from my day job, complete recoveries are almost unheard of for people with brain injuries. All in all it was an interesting read. I'll happily read another of Ms. McKenna books.
November 23, 2009
I learned in reading this book that we do not know what many people may have suffered or are suffering in their life, but some have the strength and determination to come out as best as they can with hard work and determination and that we should accept the love and help of those in our lives. I hope that I am there for those who need me, and that should I go through difficulties that those I love will be there for me as well.
August 1, 2016
Dangerous Prey
Kelly Trayhern is injured in a helicopter crash (another military family member) and cannot get over the death of 2 of her men. Her mother sends her to a ace to heal Sky knows the family and heals birds of prey but has a enemy that is out to get him. You have to read his and Kelly's story to see if they survivor an evil past.
Kelly Trayhern is injured in a helicopter crash (another military family member) and cannot get over the death of 2 of her men. Her mother sends her to a ace to heal Sky knows the family and heals birds of prey but has a enemy that is out to get him. You have to read his and Kelly's story to see if they survivor an evil past.
May 31, 2012
3.5 to 4 stars.
Love the overall series.This was easy to read and love the birds of prey!
Love the overall series.This was easy to read and love the birds of prey!
July 30, 2014
Highly OK!!!
April 12, 2013
It's a pity. The book opens with a plane crash and that's the most engaging part of the story. Bad writing, bad editing and pathetic whiners for both characters and villains.
June 3, 2014
The story was good, but dragged...too much repetition.
January 8, 2015
Review lengkap bisa dibaca disini : http://read-book-and-review.blogspot....
July 7, 2015
Not as exciting as some of her other books but still enjoyable. I was in the mood to see a relationship develop...
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews