Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsSurprised Me in the Best Way Possible
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 3, 2022
I read the first book in the Elite Guardians series when it released, and didn't like it at all. Thus, I didn't originally intend to read Driving Force. But the intriguing premise of an Elite Guardians heroine guarding a high-grade military dog, and falling for his witty, wheelchair-using handler, drew me in. And from that point, I had to know how everything turned out even if it meant reading late into the night.
Christina and Grey are my favorite kind of couple, in that they have great chemistry but stand alone as well-developed characters. I loved their banter and time together, but I also enjoyed their personal development. Christina is one of the few female soldiers I've met in fiction, and I applaud both Lynette and Kate for tackling how she processed emotions, without making her into a typical, tomboyish soldier who has to "be one of the guys" if she wants to be taken seriously.
As for Grey, I'll get to him more in a minute. But as a person with cerebral palsy, a disability rights advocate, and a writer--bravo and thank you, Lynette and Kate. In Grey, you created a hero with a disability who is a real hero and a real person. It's not easy to avoid the traps of creating a disabled character who is bitter, a perpetual victim, or hokey (inspirational, always happy, whatever). Grey is instead optimistic, yet realistic. He "rolls" with his limitations, so to speak, but yeah, they get under his skin sometimes. And he's great at what he does *with*, not in spite of, the wheelchair. As I said, more in a minute, but I really can't say enough, because do you know how rare this kind of character is?
I also loved the suspenseful thread, or rather, the way Lynette and Kate put it together. I did figure out the non-obvious villain about 70% through, but considering that readers shouldn't be left in the dark, I think that's reasonable. Plus, I loved the stakes and the connections woven throughout the story. The Russian connection reminds me of Susan May Warren, but has a distinct Lynette-and-Kate flavor. And considering the last two years, I applaud both authors for the chemical warfare thread. It was legit scary in the best way, and I found myself rooting for Christina and Grey harder because of that. Best of all, I didn't get lost in the intricacies of military protocol, foreign connections, and professional jargon. Kate and Lynette clearly did their homework, keeping their explorations both true and simple without making me feel dumb.
I would have liked to see more of the spiritual and romantic threads, especially because in a book like this, they tend to get lost. That said, I enjoyed what I did see. Grey's journey in particular kept my interest and rang true to both his manhood and unique experience as an Air Commando who had also grown up around other potentially dangerous jobs. Additionally, his journey convicted me. I'm a Christian, but I admit to having moments where I said to God, "You're not listening" or "Why are You ignoring me?" This book was a great reminder that, if we are His, God does listen. He even intercedes for us--especially on the days we don't get what we think we need.
Finally, yes, I do want to talk about the representation of disability in this book. For the most part, Kate and Lynette got it right. I found myself cringing along with Grey and saying out loud, "Dude, what is your *problem?*?" when a law enforcement official grabbed his wheelchair without permission, and continued exhibiting a superior, ableist attitude. I nodded along as Grey accepted his disability and lived with modifications, but also struggled with asking for help or owning up to what he couldn't do. As the authors point out, that costs us disabled folks *big time,* because we know that even though "most people are kind," abled is the ideal, and we--are not it. And I found myself battling my own emotions, as Grey's journey reminded me of my past and present. I found myself hoping that someday soon, civilians could have access to the kind of technology Grey does. And I found myself hoping and praying, again, that soon, the concept of people with disabilities having real, reciprocal relationships with abled people will be treated as a matter of course.
There were a few places the representation sustained some holes. For instance, there's a place where Grey says something like, "Do you mean my height from the chair or standing like a real person?" My reaction was, "Okay, I get it, but also, not exactly appropriate." I also disliked the almost constant idea of Christina seeing past Grey's disability or "not seeing" it. I admit, that's a fine line to walk--or roll, or otherwise. I know I personally want to be seen as a whole woman, and that means, if CP is all you know about me, that's not cool. But saying or implying you don't see, see past, or love someone in spite of, disability is saying, "I see you, and we should both disregard the part that makes us both uncomfortable." Not to preach, but we don't say this kind of thing about other minorities--or if we do, we get corrected. Why is this okay for disabled people?
I did notice a few other problems, such as telling over showing, and some weird repetition. For example, once, there's a phrase along the lines, "Quinn's body blocked Grey's view of the body." There's also an attempt at a red herring that, while interesting, doesn't quite work because he's eliminated quickly and by then, there's only one possible villain left. But overall, Driving Force has been the best surprise of my year so far. I'm definitely sticking around for the other installments.
