For Lexi Carmichael, hacker and geek extraordinaire, this is an event worthy of a heart attack. She’s faced down multiple dangers, her life has been in threat more times than she can count and she can hack her way in and out of any system but nothing presents a challenge like taking her new boyfriend to dinner with her parents.Lexi’s mother is a former beauty queen now society wife who wants nothing more than to see Lexi settled and married. And although she now has a boyfriend (perhaps her very first one), she’s not entirely sure that Slash fits the image her mother has for her future husband. For a start, his job title is entirely too vague – and that was before dinner was interrupted by gunfire and smashing glass. And then Slash disappears.The man behind the attack is Johannes Broodryk, a South African terrorist that Lexi has gone up against before. Not satisfied with the outcome of that last meeting, Broodryk has gotten Lexi’s attention and he lets her know that he has something she holds very dear. And the only way he’s going to give it back is if Lexi comes to get it. He’s somewhere in Africa and if Lexi can find him and get there, she just might save her best friend’s life.But Slash is not on board with Lexi’s plan to get involved on such a level. She has no training for this sort of mission and he doesn’t want to see her put herself in danger. But Lexi has to do this – she’d prefer to do it with Slash’s approval and support but if he won’t give it then she’s going to have to go it alone.No Woman Left Behind is the sixth book in this series about Lexi Carmichael and it definitely steps things up a lot, both professionally and personally. Lexi and Slash have been ‘dating’ for a little while now but most of that has happened in between books. In the beginning of this book, Lexi is taking Slash, he of many secrets and connections, to have dinner with her wealthy parents. Lexi’s mother is a bit of a pushy society type, always attempting to introduce Lexi to eligible men, seemingly utterly oblivious to the fact that her daughter is incredibly uncomfortable in company, socially inept and not really very life experienced. Although Slash is significantly more adept than Lexi at many things, he understands the life of a socially awkward person, a computer geek. Lexi isn’t convinced her parents will approve of him (the name might be the first thing that raises eyebrows) and she’s basically hyperventilating at the prospect of this dinner.Although this was amusing (and it’s good to see Lexi and Slash simply being) my interest in this began to wane a little as the dinner went on. The gangbusting scene has the potential to be really cheesy (and probably just skated this line) but when all of the various organisations who investigate begin to put the pieces together and Lexi realises who is behind this, why and what they want, things pick up a lot and I couldn’t put the story down after that.Although Lexi is frightfully intelligent and very, very good at what she does with computers, she’s also the sort of person where it’s easy to imagine yourself as her. She’s an everyday kinda girl, she’s mid-twenties but still mostly lives like a uni student. She has a core group of very good friends, but that’s it. She doesn’t really do acquaintances but the friends she does have, she’ll do anything for. And that’s why Lexi agrees to undertake this mission to go to Africa, to figure out the cryptic codes herself. She’s quite frankly, shit scared but she’s going to do it anyway. Thankfully she doesn’t go alone and she has an elite SEAL team to back her and I found that the way in which Lexi endears herself to them is so much like her. They know she has no physical skills, they know she’s scared but she is smart and she’s gutsy and they come to really respect that.Lexi and Slash face their first real issue as a couple over the mission. Although Slash is a computer geek he has some sort of elite military training – this is always sort of vague. He knows that Lexi has none and that the odds of this being a suicide mission for her are pretty high. Obviously he’s not cool with that and there’s a moment where he can’t be part of it and leaves, which means Lexi is kind of on her own to prepare and feels that she’ll be leaving with things with Slash very much in a bad place. For me this conflict between them unfolded very naturally. Lexi is determined and rather stubborn and as I mentioned earlier, intensely loyal. She wasn’t going to risk someone she cares about very much being killed because she refused to do all she could in order to save them. Slash feels relatively helpless I think, because he can’t go with her and help keep her safe. What I did like was that although they had their differences and it escalates into what is almost but not really a fight or a break up, it’s something that obviously eats at both of them and neither of them are too stubborn not to want to sort it out prior to Lexi leaving. I feel as though this places them very much on an equal footing within the relationship and that Slash, although he might be a bigger badass, is probably more willing to be the one that shows his hand first. Slash is confident in his own feelings whereas Lexi is still figuring hers out and there’s quite a sweet scene between them where she finally realises not only her feelings but his as well.There was a lot of action in this one and I enjoyed the plot probably the most of all of these books so far. But I think it was Lexi’s character that made this one really shine as my favourite so far. I can’t wait for the next one.
Not long ago, Lexi and one of her best friends, Elvis Zimmerman, stopped a madman and cybercriminal intent on using a special high school and the internet to bring down part of the U.S. infrastructure. While they stopped the current mission, Johannes Broodryk, said madman, got away. But right this minute, Lexi has a much more dangerous mission to complete—a dinner with her parents and her new and only boyfriend. Dinner doesn’t go quite as planned, unless you are expecting bullets with your salad. As that nightmare becomes clear, Lexi discovers that Johannes Broodryk isn’t about to accept defeat from a couple of young geeks. He is issued an invitation that Lexi cannot refuse: to solve his clues and to save the life of Elvis, who has been kidnapped. With Elvis’ life on the line, Lexi sees no other way than to go on this hunt, even when her boyfriend, Slash, is adamantly against it. Lexi is now off on a mission with the help of the U.S. government and her own team of Navy Seals. The government wants Broodryk and his latest attempt to destroy the U.S. and other nations brought down. Lexi is going to save Elvis and if she can also bring down Broodryk at the same time, then it’s a double score. On her hunt, Lexi comes to respect all that it means to be a Seal and sees herself and the Seals as a team as she places herself and them in danger to solve the clues that will get her to Elvis. It all comes down to who has the best moves, Lexi and her Seals or Broodryk and his assassins. When it comes to who is smarter about computers and the internet… Do you really want to vote against Lexi and her friends? When a self-addressed girl geek must decide to rescue a friend or stay safe, there really is no question of going after the friend—especially if her name is Lexi Carmichael. In No Woman Left Behind, Lexi and all of those around her will learn just how far good friends will go to keep those they love safe. While I could see why Slash was so against Lexi taking up the challenge of rescuing Elvis, I was very happy to see how this first fight between Lexi and Slash worked out. I have loved watching Lexi grow during the previous books in this series, but I truly believe that she grew the most during her adventures in No Woman Left Behind.Not only did Lexi accept that she was putting her life in danger, but also that both she and Elvis could be killed at any time. I really enjoyed watching as Lexi came to know the Seal team that was assigned to her and then seemed to just automatically put them within her friend-shield to keep safe, if possible. She really didn’t care that they were trained to be in dangerous situations; If she saw a way to lessen the danger then that was what Lexi did. There are so many places in this book that I would love to discuss in detail, but, in the end, I decided that anything more would just give too much away. All I can say is, I read this book in one sitting and did not regret the lost sleep. There are many aspects of love within Lexi’s adventure this time, she’s surrounded by deadly danger, and there’s just the right touch of humor to keep things from getting too tense. I can’t recommend this story enough, even by Joyfully Recommending it as a must-read—for those who have fallen for Lexi and for those who love military stories—No Woman Left Behind has something for everyone, I believe.Link: http://bit.ly/1KuohG7Reviewed by Jo for Joyfully Reviewed
What do You think about No Woman Left Behind (2015)?
This story was book 6 in the Lexi Carmichael series. I have loved the series from the beginning and recommended it to several friends. I was beyond thrilled when Net Galley provided me with an early copy for review. After reading the story, I'd have to say it was my favorite so far. Book 6 features the cyber terrorist who managed to escape in book 5. He is out for revenge, and although Lexi isn't his only target, she is his main focus. Having learned a good bit about Lexi's personality and skills, he has designed a macabre game for her to play in order to protect those she loves. Lexi's relationship with Slash undergoes some emotional ups and downs, but their chemistry never wanes. Slash is the ultimate sexy mystery man with the ultimate accent as an added benefit. Lexi grows and changes a lot in this book. Don't get me wrong, she's still the hilariously geeky, klutzy, and completely literal girl she always was, but she gains more depth and connections. The storyline was full of suspense, action, and definitely humor. My whole family was laughing at me as I couldn't help laughing out loud at Lexi's misadventures with a certain " handle". It really was too funny! I can't wait to see what kind of craziness Lexi might stumble into next. I love that she is such a totally out of the normal suspense heroine box character. She makes this series stand out among all the other series I read. This was a great addition to a great series.
—Sparkymom
Grittier and more suspenseful than previous Lexi books, "No Woman Left Behind" still has the heart and geeky charm that fans love best. New readers who enjoy thrillers can easily pick this book up and follow the characters and previous books as Moffett does a fantastic job catching readers up, without slowing down the book. Basically, "No Woman Left Behind" is a cross-genre mystery that will appeal to all!Thank you to Carina Press and NetGalley for providing a galley to be used for honest bookseller/ review purposes.
—Senator
Great Series!This is a great series; this is the sixth book in the Lexi Carmichael series by Julie Moffett. I have only read a couple books in this series, but once you read one you will want to go read them all. Lexi is a geek and socially clueless, when she brings home her first boyfriend the sexy Slash, she is having trouble explaining all of the questions her parents are asking so when bullets start flying at the dinner table, she thinks it can’t get much worse. Now she has to work with the Navy Seals to find the man behind the attack. If you are looking for a book that will keep you reading all night, that has romance, humor, and mystery then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.
—Laura
