Good book that started with heart-stopping intensity, moved to a fantastic, slow-burn romance, and finished with another bout of gripping intensity. The book opened four years earlier as Air Force pilot Andy is providing close air support for a Black Hawk helicopter in Afghanistan. The firefight is fierce and Andy watched as the helicopter ended up getting shot down just as she also took aircraft crippling fire. I was on the edge of my seat as Andy ejected into the middle of enemy territory. Fortunately for her, the Black Hawk pilot also survived and came looking for her. She and Dev teamed up and spent five days on the run before they were rescued. She never forgot the time she spent with him.

Fast forward four years. Andy left the Air Force and went to work for the LA Police Department as a pilot. A crash there left her shaken and longing to return home to Wind River. Word of a new air unit for the sheriff's department makes the move even more appealing. What she doesn't expect is to find that one of her bosses is Dev. Meanwhile, Dev is just as stunned to find Andy as one of the applicants for the pilots jobs. He thought of her often in the intervening years.

I loved the part describing their time in Afghanistan. Though he was surprised to find a woman pilot, Dev never looked down on Andy or treated her as less than capable. Having dealt with more than a few Neanderthal-like pilots, Andy was pleasantly surprised by Dev's attitude. Neither expected to feel drawn to the other, but their circumstances prevented anything personal from being explored. When Dev returned to his unit immediately after their rescue, they never had a chance to really talk.

Dev and Andy's surprise and pleasure at seeing each other again could not be denied. It was also clear that the connection they felt before was still there, but with the added obstacle of being boss and employee. I loved their decision to be friends, taking the time to get to know each other over a period of months. The connection that they forged during their five days in Afghanistan made it easier for them to share some of their deeper issues, such as Dev's grief over the loss of his young wife years earlier, and Andy's problems with trusting people after being abandoned as an infant by her mother. I enjoyed their mutual respect for each other's abilities and strengths as they worked together. I especially liked the scene at the truck accident, as Dev worried about Andy on a personal level, but was also proud of what she accomplished. I laughed out loud at the truck driver and his amazement at how such a "Squirt" was able to move him.

One of the things I liked most about Dev was his sensitivity. He is truly a 21st-century man, willing to express his emotions, including tears. I also liked how well he was tuned in to Andy. The way he was able to help her through the adrenaline crash and emotional firestorm after their near encounter with the drug smugglers was fantastic. There was also a sweet scene early on in the book as he surprised Andy with the arrival of two interviewees for the other pilots' positions. Dev fits in well with her family, too, I especially enjoyed his long talk with Gabe, and how much alike they seemed to me.

I loved Andy for her kick-ass abilities, but also ached for the vulnerability caused by her start in life. I really enjoyed the acknowledgement that women and men think differently, each bringing something different to a problem. I especially enjoyed how it was Andy who sensed approaching danger both in Afghanistan and in the mountains. I loved her close relationship with her family and the sisterhood with her fellow pilots.

The development of the relationship between Dev and Andy was fantastic. Because of the added complication of their work relationship, they had to make the extra effort to keep their working hours relationship professional, and save anything else for their off hours. I liked that they both felt that a solid friendship was a prerequisite to anything deeper. I loved the time they spent together doing things as simple as ranch work and hiking gave them the time to talk and really learn about each other. Not rushing into physical intimacy made the relationship feel much more realistic.

There was a nice bit of suspense included as the county's issues with drug smugglers continue to plague them. There was a little foreshadowing as Andy's first flight with Dev included visiting areas where drug drops were known to take place. Andy's brother Gabe, an undercover DEA agent, makes an appearance in this book. His conversation with Dev adds to the building feeling that something is going to happen. I was on the edge of my seat at the end when Andy and Dev had their close encounter with the smugglers, wondering if they would make it out safely. The resolution was very satisfying and felt realistic in the way it happened.

What a heart-pounding start! It makes for a frantic 5 day race to outrun a very dangerous threat. Then Andy and Dev lose touch. But it was interesting how they re-connect.
After that point I had mixed feelings about this book. While both of the main characters were strong interesting people I felt like the story kind of ground down to a super slow pace. I realized that at about 51% on my kindle that it had happened. There was a lot of angst that I felt like it kind of overtook the story. I do have to say at the point though there had been other people added to the story that made it a bit fuller. I also liked that the community of people pulled together to help veterans regardless of color or gender.
One of the things that caused mixed feelings for me was that it just seemed like several points were hammered on again and again. I got the fact that the issue of abandonment was a big one for Andy and her adopted siblings but it just felt like it went on too long. Over and over the SAME point about how it interfered with making any trusted serious relationships with the opposite sex. I just wanted to yell, "Enough of this, move on."
Both Andy and Dev seemed to run into trouble time after time, so that did provide some action.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Andy & Dev found themselves relying on each other for survival after a crash in enemy territory during the war. When they were rescued, they lost touch with each other. Now years later, they both are in Wind River & are drawn to each other. Both Andy & Dev have survived close calls & want to live a safer life while still flying. Helping set up a service at the new airport seems just the ticket. As they spend time together, the chemistry becomes stronger. When they unexpectedly find themselves in danger again, they rely on each other to get to safety.

This story was about second chances, survival & love. The characters are well developed. The scenery is well described & paints a picture as you read. The plot is decently paced & full of action. I enjoyed the character interactions & the situations they found themselves in. This was a well written, entertaining story.

You know, I’ve never met a Lindsay McKenna book that I didn’t like. Sure, some I’ve loved to pieces and cried happy tears over, and others I’ve simply enjoyed continuing on with the series so I liked them for different reasons, and that is true for any author that a reader has followed for years and years.

The same can be said for WIND RIVER PROTECTOR, I loved it for the couple and that it moves (or lets me go back to) the series that I’ve loved a bit further ahead. I cannot imagine the fear that Dev and Andy went through in Afganistan – but I can live through that fear, the adrenalin rush, the not knowing if this is the last moment on earth or not through Ms. McKenna’s words — and that is what makes her an amazing storyteller. The ability to have me believing, experiencing something I had not in my real life. I get that inclusion into her worlds every time I pick up one of her books, and that is why I return to her work time after time.

When Andy returns home seeking peace and a re-centering of her life priorities she’s hoping to fly once again with the sheriff’s department. She hadn’t expected to run into Dev again – or for her reactions to him be just as strong as they were the last time she saw him.

Dev’s thoughts also went back to those days of desperately trying to stay alive while they worked their way to safety when Andy showed up to interview for the pilot position. She’s certainly qualified, and he would like nothing more than to have her on the team. Yet that also means that any attraction he has felt or does still feel for her has to be set aside. Something he’s going to have to deal with.

All bets are off though when danger finds them once again and the reality of the moment becomes stronger than concern over what others think about them. They’re going to have to depend on each other once again, and this time the stakes are even higher for it’s not only their lives but their future together at risk.

I was easily caught up in WIND RIVER PROTECTOR and enjoyed Andy and Dev’s romance very much. I loved running into old friends from the series, meeting a new set of secondary characters and simply being back in the Wind River Valley world. If you love Romance, some Suspense, and a really good story that will keep you flipping pages, then I’d not hesitate to recommend this one to any Romantic Suspense reader.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

When the book begins, we see Andy, a female pilot, ejecting from her plane in enemy territory. Good thing that Dev survived his helicopter crash so that they could work together and evade capture. After they were rescued, they each had to go their own way and didn't get a chance for anything more.

Years later, Andy goes back to her childhood home and applies for a job only to find out that Dev will be interviewing her and would be her boss.

After a rough childhood and then being adopted by Steve and Maud, Andy has a hard time trusting people and has yet to find a man worthy to love. It takes her a long time to get there with Dev and he is such a great guy!

To add to the romance, there is the ongoing drug problem in the area that comes in to play and causes problems for Dev and Andy, but they get there HEA in the end!

I highly recommend this book, it is a intense summer read with a dose of romance. Andy and Dev have history, they worked together and saved each other’s lives. And then were whisked away from each other when rescued.
Four years go by and they were reunited once again they encounter a dangerous situation. This time they share true feelings.... read on for a intense summer read.
I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of this book.

The story begins with an engrossing story of a female pilot, Andy, being shot down in Afghanistan. This is also another survivor of a nearby crash, Dev Mitchell, the pilot. The two make it to safety and we are brought to the present time with a meeting of the two again in Wind River. The story is so emotional and heartfelt, I loved it as much as the other Wind River books in the series. In this book, the author shows her military knowledge and obvious love for veterans. She does make her feelings known about men and what kind of man a woman should want. I appreciate her views but think that she was redundant in expounding on those views. Still, great story and fabulous series!

WIND RIVER PROTECTOR is number 8 in the Wind River series and centers around Andy Whitcomb the oldest of four abandoned children adopted by Maud and Steve Whitcomb. Each of the Whitcomb children are now adults and have entered careers teeming with risks. Perhaps having a rocky start with absolutely no idea of who their birth parents are, much less any connection to any cultural background or family, has made each of the Whitcomb children independent and yet with an unsettled core.
WIND RIVER PROTECTOR begins at the end of Andy’s military career as a Warthog pilot, combat pilots who protect the ground troops. This mission had her protecting a Blackhawk helicopter dropping SEAL’s into Afghanistan. Andy’s plane was caught in the ground fire and crashed just as she watched the Blackhawk hit the mountainside. Only Andy and Dev Mitchell, a night stalker pilot and the lone survivor of the helicopter survived.
Now we revisit Andy and Dev as fate would have them meeting again, this time in Andy’s hometown of Wind River. Both these people share remarkably similar preoccupation with air travel. But their backgrounds are quite different. Doesn’t seem to matter much to either of them. It’s what they have in common and a rather strong attraction.
Normally that wouldn’t be a source of concern but Dev is actually Andy’s new boss. Upon returning to Wind River Andy will be working at the newly built airport multi-hub. Both Dev and Andy are part of the medivac unit using a Blackhawk helicopter to traverse a wide range of territory. In additional to the more mundane tasks both Dev and Andy’s quest includes trying to help agents get a handle on the drug smuggling operation right there in sleepy Wind River.
Could it just be a case of hero worship? Dev is the man who saved Andy during their five day flight from the enemy after their planes had crashed. Could Dev really live up to Andy’s very high expectations of a man who treats her as an equal partner in life? Neither had thought about any relationship. Andy still has lingering insecurities stemming from her abandonment as a baby. Totally brought up in a household built in love and respect Andy wasn’t really certain she could find that in a partner for her future.
Dev was more secure in his vision of a future even with some lingering memories of a young love lost. Both Dev and Andy come from strong homes. Great parents to emulate. Support and security never a question in either the Mitchell or Whitcomb houses. Anything worth having is worth fighting for.
Dev and Andy are two of the strongest characters and deserve a happy ending.
Lindsay McKenna keeps popping up with some really terrific tales about the Whitcomb family. McKenna’s description of this amazing family kind of says it all. The Whitcomb parents allowed their adopted children to unfold without trying to brand them into what they wanted them to be. Freedom to explore their own likes and dislikes and find their own strengths. If you are looking for a wonderful series to explore look no further than the Wind River series. And as each story stands on its own WIND RIVER PROTECTOR is an excellent choice to start with. Lindsay McKenna has a deep love for people it is very apparent in the characters this exquisite writer creates.

Wind River Protector starts out with an suspenseful situation in the hills of Afghanistan, then has another near calamity for the main heroine in the very next chapter. As for the action within the story these are the two greatest with everything Andy does after that based on these events. This is unusual for a Lindsay McKenna story. Typically the suspense builds up to a final moment in time. While the story works for the relationship progress of Andy and Dev, I will admit I kept waiting for the big save-the-day event. It just never really happened. Several of the area’s villains were alluded to in the story so this book must be laying the foundation for a show down to come.

As the series has been from the beginning returning vets is the focus of the book. The struggles of being in war that they bring back with them as they transfer into civilian life. While PTSD is still part of the story feminism especially women’s rights in the military is brought into focus. It was heavy handed on this with an almost preaching to the choir kind of effect for me. I get it but the ones don’t but need to are they going to be reading this book? However, I do like the shift in the series to include more of the Wind River community and the revitalization of the area.

Easily a stand-alone book with little of the past characters part of Andy’s and Dev’s story although several new characters are introduced.

Wind River Protector (Kindle Edition) by Lindsay McKenna This is a favorite series of mine and thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for letting me preview this book. Andy Whitcomb (ex Air Force Pilot..) Dev Mitchell (ex Black Hawk pilot) They survived five days together running from the Taliban in Afghanistan. They both have there own hangups and some things are hashed over and over. They end up working together again and are forced into survival mode with a run in with drug traffickers there are laughs, tears, memories, fear, danger and love all to get to a HEA. We also met some characters who may be in upcoming books. Looking forward to WIND RIVER UNDERCOVER.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Romantic Easy-to-read Happily Ever After Wonderful characters Scary Tear-jerker Entertaining Action-packed

Wind River Protector by Lindsay McKenna is another book in the series about the Wind River Valley in Wyoming. Once again, the landscape sounds beautiful and majestic and the people down to earth and hard working. The prior books were good - a little wordy to make their point about disabled vets and PTSD, but not unmanageable and the romances were good. I did not enjoy this book like I have the previous ones. I was disappointed. I felt that there was too much repetition about how Andy was adopted and about her parents and siblings. (ad nauseum) and too much repeating of the main point that Lindsay was obviously trying to make with men and woman in a fair and equal relationships.

Andy is a pilot who was shot down over Afghanistan. Dev was also shot down in his black hawk and together they managed over a five day period to find get themselves to safety, However, once back to the base they were separated and didn’t see each other again. Move ahead five years, Andy is applying for a job with the new support system for Wind River and it is Dev who is interviewing her. The two finally have a chance to figure out what they mean to each other.

I have enjoyed this series by Lindsay McKenna. I know she has showed her compassion and understanding of Vets with PTSD in the prior books. While she did touch on this, she really spent too much time on constantly repeating about Andy and Dev’s early life especially Andy and her siblings adoption. I did not enjoy the book and am hesitant to publish this review because of the negative nature. I will read another book in this series by this author and will hope this is an anomaly.

Lindsay McKenna brings us back to Wind River Ranch. We meet Andy and Dev while on a mission for the Armed Forces and they have to rely on each other to get to safety. After this experience, Andy decides to leave the Air Force and move to California. With another devastating experience, she finally decides that it is time to go home. Working for the county sheriff's office means that her new boss is none other than Dev. As they maneuver around working together once again, they each must figure out if what they felt during the few days they spent together all those years ago is something that was just because of the intensity of the situation or if they can build something lasting from it.

Lindsay McKenna brings two characters who bring their set of skills that complement each other and have similar mindsets. There were a lot of references and explanations of military acronyms and equipment so that readers understood what they were referring to in the story. Their feelings for each other appeared to be immediate because of the situation, but it felt as if they really took their time once they were reunited at Wind River.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for this privilege.

I asked for a review copy of this title from NetGalley because I love the Wind River area of Wyoming. For years I would take college students up to Lander, Wyoming and we would go out on the Wind River Reservation for volunteer work. We hiked the mountain trails around that area and all of us fell in love with the place.

Lindsay McKenna gives us a novel about several hot topics in today's culture. One hot topic is "the role of women in the workforce." Her character Andy is a feminist who wants equality in all she does. She feels that men should treat women as equal's, and she is so correct about that. What I truly appreciate about the character and the dialog of the issue is that Andy is not someone who you can't love because of her feminist qualities, but she is someone you fall in love with because she is a genuine, caring, loving, loyal and faithful friend, woman, worker, soldier, etc.

A second topic of the book is "Adoption." Andy and her three siblings are all foster kids who were adopted by Maud and Steven when they were just young children, either infants or toddlers. These "Adopted" kids were loved as you would think only a biologic parent would love their child. They were accepted without condition. Nurtured to face the trials of daily living as mature, well adjusted adults who love and care for their fellow human beings.

Another topic though is the adopted child's view of "Abandonment." Each of the four siblings had to struggle with the concept of having been "abandoned" or maybe their term is better, "tossed aside without regard." You feel their pain. You feel their sorrow. You feel their hurt.

The final topic would be "Trust." Each of the four siblings, because of their abandonment issues has a problem trusting other humans. They have to work hard at it. It doesn't make them unpleasant or boring or secessionist. But because of their adoptive parents good upbringing they are all well adjusted and are able to trust, it's just that the trust has to be earned.

Each of these topics makes the book awesome.

Now, the gist of the story. Andy, a woman, is also a Combat Warthog Pilot offering close-in air support for the troops on the ground in our current battles with the Taliban. She is driven, loyal, aggressive and determined to win at all costs. But when she is shot down she is thrown into a whole new world.

In the same conflict a battle helicopter is also shot down, but with only one survivor. Dev Mitchell finds Andy on the ground and together they outsmart and outrun the Taliban for five days to make it on their own back to a Forward Operating Base and safety. Along the way, Andy learns she can trust Dev. But once back at the base they are separated to never see each other again, or will they?

The story of their relationship is what all the topics are woven around and Lindsay McKenna does a fabulous job of drawing you in, teaching you truths and along the way, at least for me, helping me learn a valuable lesson that many feminists are not to be feared, but to be admired, cared about and someone you would want to work alongside.

I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

It's been a while since I have read a book written by Lindsay McKenna. The overall story was good, however the descriptive paragraphs about different settings and situations were too long and verbose. I have to admit to skimming over a lot of the passages about relationships as the author kept harping on the same subjects: their parents relationship and the fact that Andy was adopted.

The setting was great and descriptions of the terrain and town set the tone for the story. If you can overlook the verbose ramblings the bones of the story is worth the read.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher for my honest opinions.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion. I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked the characters however the storyline was lacking for me. It seemed like Afghanistan was rehashed over and over and everything was a backstory of either parents, siblings or short bits of their time together years ago.
I love this author though and will continue to read her stories.

Real love is worth every risk . . .

Ex-Air Force pilot Andy Whitcomb loves nothing more than the wide blue skies, but when a helicopter crash fighting forest fires in California leaves her injured and shaken, she’s ready to return home to the peace of Wind River Ranch. The good news is, there’s a chance for her to fly helos for the county sheriff’s department. The bad news? The person in charge is none other than Dev Mitchell, an ex-Army Black Hawk pilot—and the rugged, sharp-eyed man Andy has never forgotten after five days together running from the Taliban after a nerve-wracking near-miss in Afghanistan.

Dev can’t believe his eyes when Andy walks into the interview. She’s as strong and sexy as he remembers, and every bit qualified for the job, which she clearly wants. Unfortunately, if he’s going to be her boss, their relationship has to remain strictly professional—a regret Dev fights to keep hidden as they begin to work together. But when a chance encounter with violent drug traffickers forces them into survival mode, both of them will fight to hold on to the connection they can’t ignore—and the chance of a future together.

My thoughts:
Ratings:4.5
This is book 8 in her Wild River Valley series ,and while I haven't read the other books in this series after reading this one I differently want to , While it's a slow building romance ,I actually found out that I like it that way because this way you get to see the characters as well as the places come to life With that said I want to thank Nettgaley for letting me read and review in change for my honest opinion.

There’s lots to love about this romance – strong female character, solid family backgrounds, strong yet vulnerable male character. I adored both Andy and Dev. The author has written realistic characters, as well as a realistic depiction of military lives and specifically the bonding that develops between Dev and Andy as they work together toward rescue after being shot down behind enemy lines in Afganistan. We get a good understanding of the ramifications of such a major events to both characters, and how they move forward individually and as a couple. I loved how they lose touch for years and then find each other again in an unlikely place – which happens to be Andy’s home town.

While there is lots to love about this story, you will have to bear with the constant repetition. The author repeats both Andy and Dev’s personal stories, the military background, the shot down/rescue piece, the inner thoughts of each related to starting a romance with a co-worker. Over and over and over again. There was so much repetition that I found myself skimming quite a bit until we got back to a major plot event. I still recommend it as a good reach with the caveat to bear with the repetition as there’s good content to be had in this story. If you are a fan of military vets and romance, you’ll love it. If you don’t have the patience to get past the repetition, give it a pass.

I am new to this author and unfamiliar with the series. I was intrigued by a book with a female character with a military background. Andy and Dev were both interesting characters and the reader can see their attraction. There was a lot of repetition that frustrated me and made the book longer than necessary when the story didn’t progress much. That being said, there was a lot of material to explore and if I had read the previous books, I might know more about the characters and the situations. Wind River sounds like a town with plenty of excitement.

Another story set in the Wind River area. This one has helicopter pilot Andy, coming back home. She applies at the new airport, and finds Dev, her companion 4 years previous in Afghanistan. Overall I did like the story enough to finish it, although at times I felt like I heard the author's voice over the character's voices. Also, not sure how good of an idea it would be to start a new job, and then start a romance with your new boss. Just saying. Would have also liked to see more of the previous characters. They were mentioned a little, but would have liked to see more. Would recommend.

This was a sweet romance. It’s a story about an ex Air Force fighter pilot named Andy, and a ex army Black Hawk pilot named Dev. How they met, they battles they had to overcome before finally finding a love they never thought they would have.

I read this book as an ARC from NetGalley