Protecting Olivia

Red Team, Book 2

By: Riley Edwards, Operation Alpha

Narrated by: Jason Clarke, Carly Robins

Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's Summary

When the daughter of a White House aide goes missing, the President calls in Zane Lewis and his team of former special forces soldiers to find the missing girl. The Red Team, having a well-earned reputation for being the best, discovers the true motive behind the kidnapping, and all hell breaks loose.

All Olivia Cox wants to do is escape her life. The harder she tries to break free from the pressure and obligations of her stifling family, the faster she sinks into a nightmare of her own making. This latest decision may be the last one she ever makes. Finding herself in a dingy room handcuffed and held prisoner, Olivia becomes an unsuspecting pawn in a game she didn’t know was being played.

Leo “Panther” Gillonardo is a former SEAL who thought he knew the game better than most. He's a professional, a tier one contractor. She’s the mission. Protecting Olivia should be his only objective. So why does he keep finding himself in her bed? Even if she's fully clothed and terrorized by memories of her kidnapping, he knows better and is desperate to keep Olivia at arm's length. As the days pass it becomes nearly impossible to keep his growing attraction under wraps. The stakes are high, and his heart is on the line.

With a drug cartel in hot pursuit, Panther and the Red Team have no choice but to take Olivia on the run. With time running out, Wolf and Abe offer them protection from the deadly warlord Gomez. Alone in Abe's mountain cabin, sparks fly. Giving in seems inevitable, and Olivia must decide if she’s all in or if she’ll fold as Panther plays a no-holds-barred game of the heart.

From the political corruption of Washington, DC to the sunny shores of California, follow Susan Stoker’s Navy SEALs, John “Tex” Keegan, Matthew “Wolf” Steel, and Christopher “Abe” Powers, on a thrill ride when they join the Red Team on an epic mission.

©2019 Riley Edwards (P)2020 Aces Press, LLC

Love the Operation Alpha world

Operation alpha is a very cool world. I love that so many authors are now interconnected within it. I wish all of the books in the series were easier to find and connect on platforms like audible.

Awesome Book!

This book was filled with action and plenty of sexy seals! Leo rescues Olivia and is assigned to protect her and instantly falls for her. I loved the interactions with Leo's Italian family - they were true to life and funny. I loved the sexy relationship between Leo and Olivia. I was surprised and very happy to have Wolf, Caroline and some others appear in this book from a prior Susan Stoker series I listened to. The narration was fantastic and I especially loved Jason Clarke's narration. I loved this book and wished it was longer! I am looking forward to listening to the next book in the series.

A Fun Ride

I received a code for the audio version of this book. It is a new to me author but I am quite familiar with the work of both narrators. This is book 2 in the series but they gave enough backstory I had no problem catching up.

This is an insta-love/under his protection/SEAL romance story. This has some great action and some pretty graphic details when it comes to wounds, smells, action scenes so if you like your gore behind the curtain you might want to skim. It's really not that bad, I just don't recommend reading it while eating (my bad). There are some fun action scenes and interesting backstory and ties to another series which I didn't know or expect when I started it (fun surprise for me as I am familiar with the crossover characters).

The story did feel a little thin in the action in some places and the conflict seemed to resolve quicker than expected, but I get the feeling we are dealing with similar conflict throughout the series so it's likely just this one particular branch in the tree of problems the Red team will be dealing with. There was a decent amount of focus on the relationship and we got a little steam and sex (could always use more IMO) but I felt like the whole story over all could have been expanded a little bit. There were a lot of story elements going on, possibly too many to be supported by the length of the book (protection story, his family dynamics, her family issues, romance, political/underlying root causes, etc.).

Jason and Carley both did a great job with the narration. There are quite a few scenes with many characters all talking over each other so the fact that I didn't get lost in them says a lot. Great job at distinguishing between characters and bringing in the emotional confusion that comes with the insta-love WTF is happening feel I would expect from characters that don't tend to fall hard and fast.

Overall it was a fun ride 😊 3/5 story, 4/5 narration. I've already picked up book one!
❤️🎧❤️

Fast moving and steamy

Leo saves Olivia from a drug cartel, and then is assigned to protect her during the fallout and subsequent events of the kidnapping, but he only finds himself drawn more and more to her. Olivia is immediately taken with the SEAL with green eyes who looks like a black panther when he rescues her. Their love story definitely moves quickly, but to be fair, Leo states that once he decides he want something he moves quickly, and he isn’t kidding. The kidnapping and cartel story that drive their narrative is a bit incomplete, and seems a bit disconnected at times, but it serves their story well enough. The way that Leo protects and cares for Olivia is very charming and sweet, so it’s really no surprise that when she discovers that he feels the same as she does, she wastes no time moving their relationship forward as well. Their chemistry and attraction is strong, and the steam level is pretty high as well, even though there are some things teased at that we unfortunately don’t get more info on. Overall, a quick, passionate love story.

A Rescue Leads To Commitment

2nd book in this series..and you wouldn’t need to read book one, but it fills in the secondary characters.
Leo, part of an ex-military elite force, is in the private sector but often works with the president.
Secrets, kidnapping, ransom, state secrets...and the rescue of a girl who has more secrets in her past ( involving her family) then she realizes.
Action romance, alpha protective males and an Italian family..fun, action and excitement.
Loving this series..also characters from a Susan Stoker series, which I also love.
Fantastic narration and I’m hoping to listen to the rest of the series..pure entertainment.
I received a free audiobook for an honest and voluntary review.

Love this series!

Riley Edwards knows how to keep me entertained with her romantic suspense! The Red Team is a series I love to visit and this one is no exception! Leo is off to rescue the daughter of a government aide. When he finds her in conditions of dehydration and squalor, it doesn't stop the instant protectiveness he feels. Olivia is enamored with her hero, but is that the attraction? This good looking, special forces operative is warm and compassionate, but there is more there than meets the eye. Once safe, we are taken into a world of lies and deceit with twists and turns we don't see coming. It's on the edge of your seat thrills, unbridled passion, family, forgiveness, redemption and love all brought to life. Edwards kept me engaged and invested in the outcome and now I can't wait to listen to the next in this series.

Jason Clarke and Carly Robins are a fabulous team. Clarke has that commanding, alpha hero voice and the warmth he adds in when speaking to Olivia is just heart melting. Robins creates Olivia with strength and courage as she comes through tragedy and gives her a personality that is easy to love and relate to. I enjoy this team and will always pick up their narrations!

Loved it

A love story in the midst of murder and mayham. Full of action from beginning to end. I can't wait to listen to the next in the series

both narrator's did an amazing job with their narration.

I received this audible free and I'm thrilled to be able to provide my honest review.

somewhat short, but a great listen

loved this addition to the series, but wish it had been longer. Clarke and Robbins do a great job bringing the book to life!

Action filled from the first word!

Riley Edwards does not waste words building up to the action. The book starts with Olivia kidnapped and Leo, along with his teammates, working to save her. Add to that the insta-attraction between the two and the story is loads of fun! If you are a fan of Susan Stoker's Seal of Protection, you will love revisiting some of those characters as well, though you don't need to know their stories to enjoy this book.

Despite all of that, I just wished a little more time was spent on Olivia and Leo's relationship. Their relationship is explained as fast-paced but, in my opinion, a few details would not have gone amiss. For instance, there are hints about Leo's interests and practices in the bedroom which are not fully explored in this book.

Overall, this story is adventurous, romantic and fun! Cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

short but good

I had originally read the book a while ago and now enjoying the audio version. Good action from the beginning. Its insta-love but they had good chemistry. Simple but good plot.

Was written in the SS world so the addition of her characters wasn't appealing to me as I didn't know who they were but you can still follow along.

Narrators were great especially Jason Clarke

Fast paced action & love

I read the ebook last year & thoroughly enjoyed the story so jumped at the chance to listen to the audiobook & wasn’t disappointed.
Second book in the Red Team series written by the fantastic Riley Edwards. Student Olivia is a pawn in a much bigger game when she is kidnapped. Leo & Red Team swoop in to rescue her, he was the one to free her & they have an instant connection. Leo continues to protect Olivia as he tries to fight his feelings - but once the danger is lifted both are ready to go after what they want. Leo is definitely full on alpha & will stop at nothing to both protect Olivia & make her his. Olivia is likeable, a good girl who lost her way & went off the rails a little, she is honest with herself & her feeling.
The story & action is fast paced & well written, very enjoyable especially when narrated by the delicious voice of Jason Clarke, both narrators we’re great but Mr Clarke’s sexy tones just add that extra something.