Nowhere to Run
by K.L. Donn
My review:
“Nowhere to Run” is book three in the ‘Task Force 779’ series by K. L. Donn. On multiple levels, it’s an emotionally powerful story. The books in this series center around members of a highly secretive Special Ops team that reports directly to the President of the United States. You don’t need to have read the previous books in the series in order to enjoy this one, but they’re both very good so you really should consider checking them out.
Lola is the much younger sister of Nix, the team leader of the task force. She’s an adult and finishing up her nursing degree but the other members of the team still view her as a ‘little sister’ … all except for Theo, the elite sniper who is also her brother’s best friend. Theo has been in love with her for a couple of years but has kept his distance and kept quiet about it because he wants to finish college and establish herself before he expresses his romantic interest in her. He’s clueless to the fact that she feels the same way about him. If you now think this is simply a ‘forbidden little sister’ or ‘brother’s best friend’ story, you’re very much mistaken because it’s so much more than that!
During her life, Lola has had to cope with a lot of tragedy and stress. I’m not revealing anything that’s not already in the book blurb when I mention that in addition to everything she’s already dealt with and must continue to handle, she now discovers the lifeless body of her best friend. It’s a crushing blow that shatters her soul. She starts to doubt and question everything about herself. Theo doesn’t hesitate to immediately prioritize her over everything in his life so he can be there for her in any way possible. This is a story about the meaning of life and death, the rippling effect of the choices we make, the burden of guilt and regret, and the transformative power of unconditional love. Lola and Theo are wonderful, multi-dimensional characters. The secondary characters include the other members of the Team, Theo’s parents, the parents of Lola’s best friend, and a sweet service dog. All of them contribute to really rounding out the story.
I frequently warn other readers when I think they should have a tissue ready before reading a particular book. Well, for this story I suggest you get a whole box of tissues! Don’t let that make you think this is a depressing story, because ultimately, it’s actually uplifting and inspirational. The author does a great job weaving in just the right amount of humor, sweetness and passion to balance the tougher emotions. There are hints given that the next book will be about Nix, and I’m really looking forward to it!