The Edge of Courage (Red Team, #1)

May 19, 2012 Buggy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tortured-hero, shelf-12, scars-r-sexy, rom-susp, men-in-uniform-af-spc-op, cowboy-up, cryin-over-u, ebook, heartbreaking-hero

Opening Line:"He couldn't breathe, couldn't hear, couldn't stand, but his godammed eyes could still see. Everything."

Ladies if you’re looking for a new tortured hero to fall for then I’ve found him. Rocco Silas would have to be one of the most heartbreaking, damaged, seriously shut-off romantic leads I’ve come across since JR Ward’s Zsadist, and that’s not a bad thing. This is the first book from Elaine Levine’s new romantic suspense series Red Team and its a great read; filled with hunky, wisec...more Opening Line:"He couldn't breathe, couldn't hear, couldn't stand, but his godammed eyes could still see. Everything."

Ladies if you’re looking for a new tortured hero to fall for then I’ve found him. Rocco Silas would have to be one of the most heartbreaking, damaged, seriously shut-off romantic leads I’ve come across since JR Ward’s Zsadist, and that’s not a bad thing. This is the first book from Elaine Levine’s new romantic suspense series Red Team and its a great read; filled with hunky, wisecracking ex-counter terror operatives, smoking hot love scenes, a western vibe and a new addition to my top tortured heroes of all time list.

Rocco is broken; struggling to function as a civilian after spending the past 7 years deep undercover on special assignment in Afghanistan. He’s just been released from a military hospital but his PTSD is far from under control. Suffering from nightmares, hallucinations and a paralyzing fear of being touched (because of what he sees on his skin) he’s also keeping himself just on the edge of starvation so he can feel… something. At this point suicide is becoming a fairly reasonable option.

Enter Mandy Fielding, the half sister of one of his fellow Red Team operatives. Mandy is in the process of opening a therapeutic riding center but due to a string of weird accidents she can’t get any of her ranch hands to stick around long enough to actually get it open. She promised her brother that she’d take Rocco on but honestly she’s not thrilled with the idea of having a dangerous ex soldier on her payroll. One look into Rocco’s haunted eyes though and her compassionate side takes over, she always did have a soft spot for the wounded strays.

The first half of this story focuses almost exclusively on Rocco and Mandy’s blossoming romance, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch unfold. Because Rocco is such a mess (at times he’s almost more animal then man) witnessing him learn to trust, to touch, to feel again is just amazing.

“I’m not afraid of you.” His head lifted, his hard gaze levelling her. “You should be. I’m afraid of me.”

A couple of sigh worthy moments come to mind; There’s a very BDB reminiscent scene in the shower where Rocco is trying to scrub his skin clean and later a flashback that has Mandy finding him in town just staring down main street where he’s been for hours (the reason why is gut wrenching) My favourite scene though would have to be when Mandy finally gets him to eat, feeding him bite after bite from her fork. It is so raw, so sensual and heartbreakingly sexy. Yeah, The Edge of Courage gave me several re-readable moments. Oh the sexy time ain’t too shabby either!

Around the half way mark the rest of the boys from Red Team show up to help take out terrorist Ebsan Asir -He’s set up a faction in the US, seeking retribution for events in Afghanistan. And while I loved the first part of this book its here that the story begins to suffer from first-book-in series-syndrome. With our H/h getting lost between a massive influx of very witty, very sexy secondary characters, fading into the background while we get to know the heroes of future books. Its also when all the action takes place and while its exciting and non stop it also heads into OTT territory, and I had to just shut my brain off and enjoy the ride. We’re left with a couple of loose ends but even without those I would be excited about the next instalment from what promises to be a great series.

I received an e copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I should tell you though that I’ll be buying it in PB as well because this is one for the keeper shelf.

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May 15, 2012 Elizabeth - Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-read, romantic-suspense-read, favorites

4.5 stars!!

Let me just say, for a .99 ebook, this story packed one heck of an intensely emotional wallop!

The first half is particularly 5-star material, and an emotional and psychological exploration of PTSD that left me sad, angry, scared, and, ultimately, joyful. You could literally feel the hero's torment, anguish and confusion. This part of the story was utterly superb! The second half is much more action-oriented, and a bit over-the-top only in the enemy the team will be facing.

The writing...more

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May 13, 2012 ♡KarLynP♡ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, genre-suspense, steam-hot, hero-tortured, published-2012

Told primarily through the point of view of a hero who suffers with severe PTSD, The Edge of Courage is gripping and sexy romance suspense. If you like a damaged and tortured hero, and enjoy the fast pace of a military romance suspense, this is a must read. And for .99 cents, it’s a great bargain, too!

Rocco Silas returned to the US after spending seven years in deep cover in Afghanistan as an operative for the Army’s elite Red Team program of trained assassins. A cover so deep, he began to beli...more Told primarily through the point of view of a hero who suffers with severe PTSD, The Edge of Courage is gripping and sexy romance suspense. If you like a damaged and tortured hero, and enjoy the fast pace of a military romance suspense, this is a must read. And for .99 cents, it’s a great bargain, too!

Rocco Silas returned to the US after spending seven years in deep cover in Afghanistan as an operative for the Army’s elite Red Team program of trained assassins. A cover so deep, he began to believe it himself. The village he lived in was destroyed by explosives, and his memory of the events are not clear. Nightmares haunt him of dead loved ones, and now he is struggling to find ‘normal’ once again in hopes of being healthy enough to return to Afghanistan and find what his soul is calling out for: his son.

Wow, Rocco’s story was truly the best part of this book. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the romance and the action too, but his story took me by the throat. And I loved that the story was told through his POV! I don’t know much about PTSD, but his story felt so real and heart breaking. The author doesn’t sugar coat his disorder either, we see him break down on several occasions. In the early part of the book, his PTSD consumes him. But it is also what made Mandy such a great heroine for him, as she had the patience, understanding and fortitude to deal with his ghosts.

The suspense part of this story centers around Mandy and a string of odd accidents plaguing her construction project on her ranch. Her brother Kit, also a military member of the elite and secret Red Team, recommends she hire Rocco to help around the ranch and keep his eye out for any threats. We soon learn they were not mere accidents, but a terrorist revenge plot on her brother Kit. What unfolds brings all five members of the newly formed Tremaine Industries, a security firm that employees many ex-military guys with special skills. If Rocco joins them, there will be six.

The threats continue to escalate all the way til the end, even after you believe some threats have been neutralized. There are unsolved areas as well, so you know we will see more of some bad guys in future books. The author really puts her characters through the ringer, too! What happens to Mandy near the end was something I did NOT see coming.

The romance aspect of this story wasn’t as convincing for me, at least in the beginning, but by the end I totally bought it. Mandy is instantly attracted to Rocco, but at first I had a hard time understanding why. I don’t doubt she felt something for him, but initially he wasn’t nice and he clearly came with a boat load of baggage. I also had a hard time picturing this man as ‘tall, dark and handsome’ (as Mandy describes him) when we know he spent the last many months in a hospital on some strong meds, plus he still doesn’t eat or sleep, so I pictured him more of a sickly gaunt person based on his past. (Oh well, this is fiction so just roll with it, right?!)

The sex scenes were hot and plentiful too, although I felt they came surprisingly early as they barely knew anything about each other. Some of the sex scenes came at odd times too, but I have learned to expect that when reading sexy romance suspense books. As their relationship developed and intertwined with the suspense, I started to believe in these two and could see their attraction. By the end, I was convinced these two had what it takes for an HEA.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! As sexy military romance suspense books go, this was a good one. Maybe not as good as many by Suzanne Brockmann, but a still a fun and exciting read.

Lastly, I can tell this is going to be one of those series where you HAVE TO READ IT IN ORDER. The start of several other stories are already forming, including Kit and Ivy. And then there is Ty’s story, who is still dealing with the demons of his dead and abusive father. His story arc is left as a cliff hanger too! We meet many of the town folks as well, and I imagine many will figure more prominently in future books.

(((Thanks for the recommendation Anne and Buggy!!)))

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Mar 11, 2013 Kathleen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, series-opener

Mixed feelings. Some aspects of this book are sooo frustrating, other aspects are better. I liked Rocco, and sympathized deeply with him. His PTSD was portrayed vividly. I liked the team of nine special ops and the war room in the basement. Also, I liked the bromance, the bond between Rocco and his fellow ops (all male). The linguistics aspect was cool, too.

But I didn't like Mandy!! The idiot sees that Rocco, who suffered badly in an Afghanistan explosion, has a really bad case of PTSD. One day...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Judi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: amazon, contemporary-romance, e-book, kindle, 2012, may, tortured-hero, series, special-ops-spy, rom-suspense

This book was a steal from Amazon at just .99. You never know what you're going to get when you decide to try the cheap or freebie reads from Amazon and in this case a new-to-me author Elaine Levine, but The Edge of Courage was a great, surprise find.

Rocco Silas was a tortured hero. Suffering from a bad case of PTSD and on the verge of ending it all to escape his guilt and nightmares, Rocco decides to take his buddy Kit up on his offer to help his sister Mandy around her property where she’s in...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Shelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Shelly by: Elizabeth - Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews

Shelves: romance-contemporary, romance-suspense, set-in-usa-wyoming

There's probably nothing wrong with this book, let's blame this one on me. I'm am stuck in the mother of all ruts, and nothing is holding my interest. I'm reading sentences three and four times and still not retaining anything. Nothing is is sticking. This book has several things I usually am very excited to get my hands on, and even though it's been a few weeks since I picked up this book, (usually the details aren't this fleeting for me) but I can't even remember the hero and heroine's names.

T...more

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May 19, 2012 Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-book, elaine-levine, tortured-hero, red-team-series, mercenaries, special-forces

OMG Talk about a tortured hero. Your heart breaks for Rocco to the point that all you want to do is crawl into bed and cry because you know that PTSD is real and many of our service men are living with this.

Beyond the nightmare was a really good story that I really enjoyed. I look forward to reading the series. There is a cliff hanger at the end and I can't wait to find out what happened to Ty.

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May 17, 2012 Lady Heather rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: contemporary romance, broken men trying to find their way

Shelves: 1st-in-a-series, adult, adventure, domineering-alpha-lead, fiction, kindle, military-black-ops, romance, elaine-levine, read-in-2012, chick-lit

I REALLY wanted to like this story, but it fell short of my expectations. The characters were great, but the story was so busy (way too much going on for my taste).

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Jun 04, 2012 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for_review, rom-suspense

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 3.5/5

The first thing that came to mind as I was getting to know Rocco, was that this is one tortured guy. He's dealing with a case of PTSD takes over his life. He can't touch people, can't sleep, won't eat, all of the things he's doing make sense in his head, but even he recognizes that he's not acting like a normal person. The book opens with Rocco basically homeless, back in America after years of being deep under cover in Afghanistan where...more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 3.5/5

The first thing that came to mind as I was getting to know Rocco, was that this is one tortured guy. He's dealing with a case of PTSD takes over his life. He can't touch people, can't sleep, won't eat, all of the things he's doing make sense in his head, but even he recognizes that he's not acting like a normal person. The book opens with Rocco basically homeless, back in America after years of being deep under cover in Afghanistan where he infiltrated the inner circle of a warlord with ties to the Taliban. He gathered intel, relayed it to his handlers, Kit and Ty, and his cover included him marrying the warlord's daughter and they had a son. She found out about his double life and in the end, a bomb went off in the town, killing the wife he never loved and the son that he did, who everyone says died in the blast, but Rocco feels it in his gut that he's still alive. The only thing keeping Rocco going at this point is to get well enough mentally and physically so he can go back and find his son.

Rocco's friend Kit, asks him to head to his sister Mandy's ranch and help her out. She's been having problems come up and Kit, being concerned for her safety, sends Rocco her way. He's also hoping that Mandy can work her magic on Rocco and snap him out of the downward spiral he's on. Mandy's working toward opening up a therapeutic riding center, but with all the delays and setbacks, she needs Rocco's help, and he desperately needs hers. Rocco's past has found him on Mandy's ranch as his best friends Kit, Ty and a newly put together team make Mandy's ranch their home base while they try to get a lead on the man from Rocco's undercover past who wants him to suffer.

Quite a few things stood out to me in this one - it's probably the worst case of PTSD I've read about a character having to go through. I don’t know anyone personally who has suffered with this, so I can’t tell you if the depiction of Rocco and his PTSD is an accurate portrayal, but I sure felt for him. Rocco is so tortured, he checks out at the smallest trigger and has not only nightmares but daytime terrors. He sees things that aren't there, relives portions of the day the bomb went off, but never remembers the whole day. I immediately wanted this man to just find some peace. Mandy's used to dealing with skittish horses, animals that have been abused and mistreated she rehabs back, giving them a second chance. She starts working her same magic on Rocco, but it's not an easy path - that's what made their relationship have nice depth. She'd go two steps forward and one step back with him for much of the story, but eventually she became his rock. Rocco would use her to help center himself and from there, they started falling in love.

"I don't share my toys. And I don't play nice with others."

Mandy lifted her chin. "I'm not a toy."

Something changed in his expression. Hardened. His eyes went glacial. The planes of his face grew rigid. He bent down close to her and spoke through clenched teeth.

"No, you're not. You know what you are?" he asked in a quiet voice. She braced herself for all the cutting things he would say, shocked by how much his opinion would affect her.

"You are sunshine and moonlight, laughter and joy, a life lived entirely without fear. You heard the call of a dream and made it a reality. You are everything I believed I was fighting for all those years."

Mandy and Rocco have some steamy sex scenes, and even thought their romance takes some time to build, I enjoyed them as a couple and loved seeing the effect Mandy has on Rocco and his recovery. As Rocco gets better, his alpha side comes out more and more and it was a nice progression for him.

I liked how the supporting characters were brought into the story just enough to get to know them and set up their stories, especially in the case of Ty and Kit, Rocco's best friends. Both men have angsty pasts, Kit being driven out of town after being accused of rape from the father of the girl he loved. Now he's back in town, Ivy, the woman he still loves is back, add to the mix their daughter and that is one story I can't wait to see unfold. Ty has what feels like the most painful past, growing up with an abusive father and Ty's story ends in a cliffhanger at the end of THE EDGE OF COURAGE. He's in tough spot when the book ends and I can't wait to see how he gets out of his current situation and how he starts to deal with the demons in his past.

A couple of things that didn't really work for me and the reason for my rating, the dialogue at times felt a little stiff and there were moments at the end, during the final fight that felt a little disjointed. A couple scenes had me thinking that the good guys were getting out situations a little too easily and the ending for Mandy and Rocco wraps up in a very happy ending...it's almost too much so. Which, yes I know, coming from a reviewer at a blog called Happily Ever After probably doesn't make sense, but it just felt too perfect and laid on a little thick. However, after everything Rocco went through, all the years of his life that he gave up being undercover and the people he loved and lost, it's hard to be all that critical about the happiness he's finally finding in life.

Overall, I found myself quickly drawn into this story, and Rocco's struggles and it was hard to put down. Rocco is a character that will have you aching for him and wanting him to start to find a reason to live again. This was a nice start to this series and I'm anxious to get the other men's stories. (less)

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May 09, 2012 AnneOK rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED

Holy Moly – I was flat-out gobsmacked by the intensity and emotional impact this one had on me by the end of the first chapter! The tears flowed. Elaine Levine has written an explosive military romantic suspense. This is a powerhouse completely overflowing with such courage, need and unbridled desire that it sometimes feels much too-close-to-the-real-thing.

After serving deeply undercover in Afghanistan for seven years, our hero Rocco Silas returns home a tortured, broken,...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Lee Anne - Give me a Good Romance rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, romance, soldier, suspense, for-review-not-lendable

Oh My Goodness! Oh My Goodness! This book has so many things that make a book wonderful! We have romance, soldiers (in and out of uniform), mystery, suspense, danger…….This book has it all!

Synopsis:

Rocco is a soldier back from Afghanistan suffering from PTSD. He shows up at Mandy’s ranch, at the request of his friend and her half-brother, to figure out why she’s having so many problems on her ranch. Along the way they get drawn into intrigue and danger, all while dealing with his PTSD.

Review:

I l...more Oh My Goodness! Oh My Goodness! This book has so many things that make a book wonderful! We have romance, soldiers (in and out of uniform), mystery, suspense, danger…….This book has it all!

Synopsis:

Rocco is a soldier back from Afghanistan suffering from PTSD. He shows up at Mandy’s ranch, at the request of his friend and her half-brother, to figure out why she’s having so many problems on her ranch. Along the way they get drawn into intrigue and danger, all while dealing with his PTSD.

Review:

I love books with soldiers, whether they’re broken from war or all in one piece. There’s just something about a man in or out of uniform. Elaine Levine does a fantastic job of building a soldier who’s suffering from his time in Afghanistan. Others have given up on him but Mandy sticks by his side. She has a healing and gentle touch that works wonders with Rocco. She’s gentle and understanding while not letting him back down and hide from the horrors he needs to face. I fell in love with Rocco and I’m happily married! Elaine created a character so real and brought to life the many problems and horrors so many of our soldiers face when they come home. She also gave a glimpse into what happens to them when others don’t understand what it’s like for them. She also shows how a little understanding and patience can go a long way to helping them.

The story was fast paced and Elaine Levine painted a very real world. I could easily picture the area and everything going on around the ranch. The characters she created were realistic and enjoyable. I especially like how the team mates of Rocco were not all dreamy and gorgeous. She described them as real people with individual and distinct personalities.

Elaine Levine did an excellent job of taking current events and bringing them to life in the story. I held back on giving this one a five star rating as I had a hard time understanding Mandy. I completely understood Rocco and the problems he was facing. Mandy fell a little flat for me. She was patient and understanding but I didn’t get much of a sense of her past or why she was building the hippotherapy center. It was a long ways into the book before we learned she was a trained physical therapist.

Last but not least, Elaine Levine put my favorite thing in a book that is part of a series……a CLIFFHANGER! I can’t wait to read the next story in the series and find out what happens next. But sadly, the next book is not out yet and so I must wait……

Read more reviews at http://www.mysecretromancebookreviews...

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Apr 26, 2012 Sheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-contemporary, romance-suspense, romance-erotica, loved-it

First up, let me say that i bought this book on a whim from Amazon, after which i read up about Ms. Levine and realised this was her first foray into contemporary romantic suspense having previously written in the historical western genre.

Now, onto the review! A 5 star debut for sure!!! This book had ALL the elements i love; a kick-ass detailed story, a tortured hero and strong heroine and my favourite; lots of hot, sweaty smexing going on!

The Edge of Courage is the first book in Ms. Levine's Re...more First up, let me say that i bought this book on a whim from Amazon, after which i read up about Ms. Levine and realised this was her first foray into contemporary romantic suspense having previously written in the historical western genre.

Now, onto the review! A 5 star debut for sure!!! This book had ALL the elements i love; a kick-ass detailed story, a tortured hero and strong heroine and my favourite; lots of hot, sweaty smexing going on!

The Edge of Courage is the first book in Ms. Levine's Red Team series and by the looks of it, this is going to be an AWESOME series! Rocco Silas; an ex-Red Team operative, has come home from Afghanistan a broken man; haunted by extreme PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) brought about by being badly injured and losing his wife, child and unborn child in Afghanistan. He is sent to Mandy Fielding's ranch to help her out and keep an eye on her by his best friend Kit Bolanger (another ex-Red Team op), who also happens to be Mandy's half brother. He doesn't want to get involved with Mandy, knowing that he has too many demons to wrestle with, but Mandy see's beyond this and turns out to be his saving grace. Their relationship was beautiful to watch; how it developed, how Mandy helped Rocco overcome his demons and eventually how he opened up his heart and let Mandy in and in the process helped heal himself.

Mind you, while all this is going on there is still an extremely evil, bad guy/terrorist running around who is out to get Rocco (and by association, the other ex-Red Team ops) for something that happened back in Afghanistan and he won't stop. I'm guessing because this the start of a new series, it is for that reason that we will see more of him in the coming books.

We also get the meet the 2 other ex-Red Team operatives; Kit Bolanger and Ty Bladen whom i'm guessing the next 2 books will probably be based on...mmmmm...yummy... all that HOT, ALPHA-MALE deliciousness to come... CAN'T WAIT!!!

I'm sorry, i don't think i'm doing this book enough justice with my review, but suffice to say if you enjoy HOT, SEXY, romantic suspense, then you definitely need to check this book out!! You will NOT BE DISSAPOINTED!! And Ms. Levine, i CANNOT WAIT for the next book in you Red Team series!!!(less)

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Jan 17, 2013 Pat rated it 5 of 5 stars

Edge of Courage.........by Elaine Levine
This novel had an emotionally broken hero that tore at your heart. Rocco Silas is a former military Red Team operative, and lived deeply undercover in Afghanistan for several years.
He has seen the worst of humanity and carries the mental and physical scars with him no matter where he goes. After returning to the U.S. he is treated at Walter Reed for his PTSD. Drugs that left him numb, and unable to function were their answers for him. He pretended he was f...more

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May 10, 2012 Becs - Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: alpha-hero, contemporary-romance, kindle, military-romance, romantic-suspense, small-town-romance, tortured-abused-hero, cover-lust-i-has-it

Well, at only 77p from Amazon and following a stellar review by Buggy, how could I resist?

I love me a tortured hero and that is exactly what you get with Rocco Silas. He's home from serving with the US Forces in Afghanistan after being deep undercover with the 'Red Team'. He's suffered a harrowing experience and is now totally screwed up with PTSD. He's barely functioning, struggling to differentiate between reality and his brutal flashbacks and hallucinations. The only thing that seems real to...more Well, at only 77p from Amazon and following a stellar review by Buggy, how could I resist?

I love me a tortured hero and that is exactly what you get with Rocco Silas. He's home from serving with the US Forces in Afghanistan after being deep undercover with the 'Red Team'. He's suffered a harrowing experience and is now totally screwed up with PTSD. He's barely functioning, struggling to differentiate between reality and his brutal flashbacks and hallucinations. The only thing that seems real to him is hunger and he is practically starving himself.

Fellow Red Team mate Kit asks him to go stay with his half-sister, Mandy, who is trying to set up an equestrian therapy centre which is being hampered by sabotage and the first half of the novel is dedicated to Rocco staying with Mandy and them slowly getting to know one another and, of course, fall in love.

Mandy helps Rocco bring himself back to life through her love and caring and it's beautifully done. Rocco has some very dark moments - in particular I remember him staring down the main street of the nearby town for hours and him scrubbing himself so hard he bled in the shower. I enjoyed the parallels between Mandy's progress with her skittish horse, Kitano, and her progress with Rocco.

The second half of the novel is given over to the rest of the Red Team descending on Mandy's farm to deal with the threat which turns out to be more of a Homeland Security style danger and this is where it starts to feel fairly reminiscent of Cindy Gerard's BOI's with a whole host of alpha heroes all waiting for their forever girls!

Mandy's brother reconnects with the girl he got pregnant when they were teenagers, Ty meets Eddie/Eden in a biker bar and Kelan gets fiercely protective over a very young Fee whom they abducted when investigating her step-father. All future Red Team stories, I suspect.

The suspense plot gathers pace and does get rather far-fetched but it's all good and certainly nowhere near resolved - we leave Ty in quite the predicament at the end of this one.

Anyway, a great start to a new suspense series with a collection of mouth-watering alphas to keep us entertained for a fair few books yet.

4 stars contemporary romantic suspense.(less)

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May 10, 2012 Christi Snow rated it 5 of 5 stars

FULL review coming soon, but OMG, this book was so good. I cannot wait for the rest of this series!

My Review:

OMG, what an amazing, wonderful book and start to this series. I am a HUGE romantic suspense fan and this book is right up there with the best of the best. Such a good book and you all are going to LOVE Red Team...

This book is Rocco's book. He's been deep undercover in Afghanistan for years. Unfortunately, that ended and everything went to hell. There was a massive explosion in the villag...more FULL review coming soon, but OMG, this book was so good. I cannot wait for the rest of this series!

My Review:

OMG, what an amazing, wonderful book and start to this series. I am a HUGE romantic suspense fan and this book is right up there with the best of the best. Such a good book and you all are going to LOVE Red Team...

This book is Rocco's book. He's been deep undercover in Afghanistan for years. Unfortunately, that ended and everything went to hell. There was a massive explosion in the village where he was living, costing him everything...even seemingly his sanity. He's back in the US and managed to fake his way out of the military's health care, but he was covering up a ton to do it. He is nowhere close to being healed. PTSD seems too mild of a description for the hell that he's going through (I know, right?!?) OMG, my heart simply ached for this guy.

Then there's Mandy. She's building a therapeutic equestrian center in Wyoming. She's Kit's (part of Red Team) sister and he's sent Rocco to her to help...help Mandy because someone is sabotaging the work on the Center and help Rocco because Kit knows that Rocco is in a really bad place and Mandy can help him recover.

I loved both of the main characters, but I absolutely fell in love with every other character in this book...and there are a bunch of them. You get glimpses into several of their stories and I am so excited. This was an amazing first book, but already the basis is there for many more books to come. There are a total of 9 guys on this team and each and every one of them has a great story to tell. Closest to Rocco are Kit and Blade. Kit's story is already so intriguing, but Blade's had a bit of a cliffhanger in this one so I am dying as to whose story is coming next.

The setting for this series is Wyoming ranch country...so gorgeous and it provides such amazing ambiance for the series. As a Texas gal, I love the ranch settings here.

Everything about this book was well-done. The suspense was fabulous. The romance was breathtaking...Really, really gorgeous, emotional, and beautiful. The story provided so many gorgeous moments full of emotion. I laughed and I definitely cried. Such a great book. Elaine Levine, you have a new fan!!!
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May 12, 2012 Keri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, reviewed, ntm-author, 2012-read, romance-contemporary, romance-military-special-ops, elaine-levine

Since seeing all the buzz about this book from my GRs friends, I thought I would give it a try. I am so glad I did. The price was awesome, but the book was even better. I liked Roco and Mandy. Roco was a very damaged hero after being undercover for the last 7 years. Now he is through and trying to love with PSTD and not doing very well. Then Kit his friend asked him to go help Kit's sister out, where someone seems to be trying to sabotage her riding school. The suspense part of the story isn't a...more

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May 19, 2012 Yvonne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-suspense, 2012-may

Fantastic romantic suspense read, with an amazing hero and a strong heroine.
FYI...smoking hot scenes too!!

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Jun 06, 2012 ❀Ꭱėɳee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: military-and-paramilitary

Holy Crap! This book was amazing! Rocco Silas was such a beautiful character. So emotionally traumatized – at times he was just a mere shell of himself. But through his pain and anguish, he was capable of such strength, love, devotion, and… yes, courage. Mandy was a wonderful heroine. She possessed the same qualities as Rocco and when those two got together it was beautiful, passionate, and hot.

I truly enjoyed the action, the suspense, the banter, and the humor. The bar scene and the moments at...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, first-in-series

Usually I find characters that are TSTL are female but this book has not only one but two men in it that I would consider TSTL.

Rocco is supposedly suffering from PTSD but it just didn't ring true to me with his actions. He is so messed up that he has been dismissed from the service and Walter Reed has discharged him. He doesn't like to be touched but he lets the female lead touch him. He seems to get over much of the PTSD within a matter of a few weeks. I guess its the love of a good woman. The...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: free-reads, romance

Elaine Levine held a blog giveaway via twitter last week, and I snagged a copy of this book for free!

The premise, Rocco, a linguist savant, had been working undercover in Afghanistan for years when his world explodes - literally, his cover blown. Upon waking up in the hospital, memory spotty, he is discharged from service and eventually released to go home, masking his PTSD symptoms. One of his handlers asks him to go look after his half-sister in Wyoming as she's having some trouble getting he...more

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May 02, 2012 Eggletina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another book I don’t know how to rate because it is such a mix of elements I liked and didn’t like, so I’ll start by noting my reaction to the individual elements:

I liked the couple, Rocco and Mandy. I think Levine is good at creating couples who really pull you into the story, you root for them to overcome their personal battles as well as come together, and the dynamics of the relationship are often very intense. Rocco is a character type I’m often attracted to. Suffering from PTSD after servi...more Another book I don’t know how to rate because it is such a mix of elements I liked and didn’t like, so I’ll start by noting my reaction to the individual elements:

I liked the couple, Rocco and Mandy. I think Levine is good at creating couples who really pull you into the story, you root for them to overcome their personal battles as well as come together, and the dynamics of the relationship are often very intense. Rocco is a character type I’m often attracted to. Suffering from PTSD after serving on a special undercover assignment in Afghanistan, he’s broken and struggling just to function as a civilian after being released from a military hospital. His battle with PTSD, particularly the psychological effects, is sensitively drawn and one of the most compelling elements in the story. I’d rate Rocco’s battle with himself and his burgeoning relationship with his friend’s sister, Mandy, a solid four stars.

I liked the rugged and wild Western setting which paired well with the thrillerish elements of the story.

I also happen to like the bromance effect. Rocco’s fellow Red-Team members are also returning to civilian life and have formed a private company where they can use their special, military skills. I often enjoy stories where we see how male bonding and friendships develop during extreme situations. This is mostly pre-existing to the story and only developed as far as it supports the plot and general atmosphere in this book, but has potential for further development as the series continues.

I had a mixed reaction to the motley crew of the Red-Team members that we’re introduced to. It’s very much in the style of action/adventure thrillers like the A-Team, GI Joe or Ocean’s Eleven, or any number of comic book hero squads where each member brings a special skillset to the team. But often that skill gets used as short-hand for their character and they don’t really stand out from their role (until, of course, they get their own story).

There is quite a bit of sequel baiting with the cast of Red Team members and a few other characters who will probably turn out to be their love interest in future books. Tolerance for just how much of a set-up for sequels you like will probably vary from reader to reader

As you might expect in this type of book dominated by a large cast of alpha males (there are no females as yet on the Red Team), the testosterone load gets quite thick, which leads to one of my biggest criticisms…

Too many elements are over-the-top: the villains, the emotional level, the plot itself at times, and many of the character traits assigned to the supporting cast (but this is in keeping with oft-used conventions in romantic thrillers, so I suppose I can’t be too critical). It felt incongruous next to the careful and sensitive handling of Rocco’s slow recovery and personal struggles.

Re the resolution (SPOILERS):
(view spoiler)

Finally, while the immediate threat to the main couple was resolved, this book ends on a cliffhanger for a fellow Red Team member Ty “Blade” Bladen (remember sequel baiting above?).

Despite my criticisms, I will be onboard for Ty’s story. This was a bargain ebook, and for the price and the standard conventions expected for romantic thrillers these days, I do think it achieved what it set out to do as a guilty pleasure steamy action/adventure thriller.(less)

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Jul 06, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

4 Stars – A very solid read!

The Edge of Courage is my first Elaine Levine book and I am NOT disappointed. I loved it! This book deals with the story of Special Forces soldier Rocco Silas and is also the first in her Red Team series.

Rocco Silas has returned to the United States after spending seven years in deep under cover in Afghanistan as an operative for the Army’s elite Red Team program of trained assassins. Our hero was in so deep that he readily admitted that he was more Afghan than Ameri...more 4 Stars – A very solid read!

The Edge of Courage is my first Elaine Levine book and I am NOT disappointed. I loved it! This book deals with the story of Special Forces soldier Rocco Silas and is also the first in her Red Team series.

Rocco Silas has returned to the United States after spending seven years in deep under cover in Afghanistan as an operative for the Army’s elite Red Team program of trained assassins. Our hero was in so deep that he readily admitted that he was more Afghan than American by the time he returned back to his native country. Nightmares haunt him of dead loved ones, and now he is struggling to find normality(and sanity) once again in hopes of being healthy enough to return to Afghanistan and find what his heart is calling out for: (view spoiler)

Rocco’s story broke my heart. Seriously, it was heart-wrenching! Levine does a wonderful job portraying this war-torn hero who is suffering from PTSD. His story felt so real and heartbreaking as we see him breakdown on several occasions. Rocco enters into Mandy’s world as a favour to his Red Team member/brother, Kit, who is Mandy’s brother. Mandy is a great heroine. She is strong and sweet and had the patience, understanding and fortitude to deal with Rocco, his PTSD and the ghosts he is dealing with.

The suspense part of this story centers around Mandy and a string of odd accidents plaguing the construction project on her ranch. I won’t say much more about this other than Elaine Levine did a great job with this aspect of the novel.

The romance was sweet and, yes....a little hot. Ok, a lot HOT! Mandy is instantly attracted to Rocco despite him being an ass to her at the beginning. Rocco is instantly attracted to Mandy as well. I had a little bit of a hard time believing that Rocco would want to jump into a relationship because of how messed up he is; however, Levine does pull this off and I bought him and Mandy as a couple. As their relationship develops and intertwines with the suspense, we see that Mandy and Rocco have what it takes for an HEA.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! Pick it up and read it! :)(less)

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Jun 21, 2012 Crystal (Redheads Review It Better) Cuffley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, suspenseful-romance, military-romance

Where to start. Let’s start with this…Grab a blanket, pillow and a box of tissues and crawl into bed. Make sure you lock your door so no one can bother you and just get comfy with the idea of getting no sleep. Sleep is overrated when you read this book. You won’t want to stop unless either forced or for pee breaks. Who am I kidding? I even read it on bathroom breaks.

Rocco is fresh out of the war and is beyond messed up. He was just released from the hospital from injuries and is suffering for a...more Where to start. Let’s start with this…Grab a blanket, pillow and a box of tissues and crawl into bed. Make sure you lock your door so no one can bother you and just get comfy with the idea of getting no sleep. Sleep is overrated when you read this book. You won’t want to stop unless either forced or for pee breaks. Who am I kidding? I even read it on bathroom breaks.

Rocco is fresh out of the war and is beyond messed up. He was just released from the hospital from injuries and is suffering for a bad case of PTSD. He goes home to see that there is nothing left for him there. He gets a call from one of his brothers in arms asking him to go to his sister’s ranch and help her out. She has been having way too many issues trying to get it up and running. Rocco decides to at least stop by and check things out. What he wasn’t prepared for was Mandy and how she will change his life for the better.

Mandy’s dream is to open her therapeutic riding center. It seems as though the world is working against her with this project from all the bumps in the road she is experiencing. She calls her brother, Kit, and tells him about her latest worker quitting. Not even three hours after that call, she finds a dangerously sexy soldier with haunted eyes standing in front of her. Mandy knows instantly that there is more to him than meets the eye. After experiencing an episode of Rocco’s PTSD, she wants nothing more than to fix this broken shell of a man. Her heart depends on it.

I have found my new favorite author. No joke. I have literally been glued to my Kindle nonstop while reading. I love romantic suspense books with military elements. I love me a man in uniform and nail biting scenes. Elaine hit those elements plus many, many more. Mandy and Rocco together are the perfect explosive pair. Their love is the intense kind of love that lasts through a lifetime. Another thing that got me with this book was the heart wrenching scenes. I have heard stories of PTSD from close friends and know that it is not something to mess around with. I felt so much towards Rocco. He is such a strong person but has been torn down to almost nothing. All my nurturing feelings were pushed to the forefront when it came to him. I am just thankful that Elaine gave him his own personal angel to see him out of his own personal Hell.

I cannot wait until the next in this series comes out. I will be stalking Elaine’s blog to find out when it goes on preorder everyday! Loved, loved, loved it!! (less)

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May 08, 2012 Jacqueline rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: amnesia, angsty, disabled-hero-or-heroine, kindle-reads, owned, romantic-suspense, seals-spec-ops-mercs, widow-widower, hero-tormented, available-for-kindle-loan

4-1/2 stars. Very well done story of a man with extreme PTSD. He had some MAJOR problems and he didn't get over them in a hurry. He was very well written. The heroine was not as well developed and that is really where the story lost the half star. We knew almost nothing about her other that she was a nice woman. They fell in love sort of fast but I'll buy it since she helped him get his head back on straight. I would like to see them somewhere down the road to make sure that they will stay toget...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Patricia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Elaine Levine delivers a non stop, adrenaline pumping, top notch romance that is definitely high in the wow factor. I've found a new favorite author and series and boy I can only say, you'll be thrilled reading this book and not waiting long to dive into the next book in line after you finish this book. It hasn't been like this since readinding Cindy Gerard's BOI series or Christy Reece's Last Chance Rescue series or even Pamela Clare's I-Team series (which wasn't a military series but delivered...more

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May 10, 2012 Michelle [Helen Geek] rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Not really sure ..

Recommended to Michelle by: AnneOK 4.5 Stars and Gobsmacked!

Shelves: tbr-kindle, military-twist, ntm_authors_2012, less-than-3

2 Stars

I first want to say, I know others have really enjoyed this book. It is not my intent to “author bash”. I only want to explain my rating through my review.

A big “did not finish”. I write this and am a bit pissed. PTSD is not a simple matter. Many people suffer in silence, until they just can no longer do so. Others, the trigger for them, is too huge, they fight it daily. And others lose the battle. This is epic right now .. a very terrible thing. I’ve had personal experience with this and...more 2 Stars

I first want to say, I know others have really enjoyed this book. It is not my intent to “author bash”. I only want to explain my rating through my review.

A big “did not finish”. I write this and am a bit pissed. PTSD is not a simple matter. Many people suffer in silence, until they just can no longer do so. Others, the trigger for them, is too huge, they fight it daily. And others lose the battle. This is epic right now .. a very terrible thing. I’ve had personal experience with this and was very hopeful this book could shed the light on this particular disorder for many. I really wanted to like this book. And, it started out well enough to keep me reading until I just couldn’t anymore. I got a bit more than halfway through the book; about 60%.

I find as I read a book and compare my likes and dislikes with others, a huge reason I may not like a book others enjoy is my deep need to create a human character. Many times, my dis-satisfaction with a book, isn’t necessarily due to poor writing, it is because the author gives me a character, they paint a person a certain way, then they deviate from this in a way I can’t connect. A way, given the character I’ve drawn for myself, through their telling, that is either out of character completely and disappointingly, or just stupid and/or unbelievable. This is exactly what happened for me with this book with Mandy’s character. Her behavior became a big disconnect for me and I couldn’t get past it. And, in the end, if I have to struggle to enjoy something, I just don’t.

The scene that clinched it for me was when Mandy and Rocco visited the local honky-tonk. Either the author forgot that Mandy was painted as an empathetic person, deeply in touch with Rocco’s issues, or she was hit head on with the STUPID club! WTF!! Let me paint the scene a bit… Mandy is putting together a ranch to house horses to help people with disabilities. She has a deep desire to help others who have special needs and wants to use her animal sense and skills to do it. To further draw this picture for us, the author uses a severely abused horse. Mandy works with him daily to try and get him reacquainted with people – hoping he will one day be one of the horses she can use. Her brother asks her to use Rocco, an Afghan vet suffering severe PTSD. Rocco needs a safe place, and Mandy can use Rocco’s skills. Enters Rocco… I must say, I like Rocco, I like Rocco quite a bit actually and he kept me trying with this one long after I should have called it quits. I hated leaving him...

Rocco doesn’t like to be touched, nor does he like to touch people. Remember this, it will be important later… Early one morning, Rocco was standing in the middle of main street staring at the sun as it floated overhead. This was disconcerting to the populace because he was just standing and staring, and would ignore, to the point of rudeness, any passersby. The deputy rode out to Mandy’s house to tell her, the “hired hand” could potentially be tasered, if he continued this behavior – could she come see what she could do. So, Mandy went to Rocco. She learned the reason he was doing this was a deep promise he made to himself while he was held as a hostage in an isolated, dark place. Now, let’s skip ahead a very bit and Mandy decides she and Rocco will meet friends in the local watering hole. Rocco has an aversion to crowds, and he doesn’t like to be touched, and just a short bit ago, he was doing something very disturbing to many of the townspeople, but now, because your friend wanted to meet this hunky cowboy, you decide to take this poor guy to a bar. You can just imagine he following scenes and won’t be off too far I’m bettin’.

Now, others may be able to overlook this, but I have real issues with it. I just couldn’t proceed with the book much beyond this point. I had a serious dislike for Mandy at this point. And, through the remaining bit I read, I just kept thinking – doesn’t jive or make sense and then I lost all respect for the characters.

I really wanted to like this book. Maybe you will. Rocco is worth your time to give this a shot. I hope this works for you.

Happy Reading … MAYBE?
(less)

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Jan 14, 2013 Wendy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, men-in-uniform, romantic-suspense

3.5 stars.

I found the writing a little hard to get into at first and the pace a little slow. But the reading groove finally kicked in at 40%, then it just flowed.

This is a little action packed read both with romance and nice amount of heat. There's nothing like a Special Ops man to get the hormones going! ;)

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Jul 08, 2012 Leslie Mesmer rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have never read this author before but am now scrambling to read some more of her books.
This book (the first in a new series) is about Rocco, a special ops guy who is stateside fighting nighmares and flashbacks of something he can't remember.
He is sent by a fellow team-mate (Kit) to go check on his sister Mandy and finds himself in the middle of a revenge plot.
I could not put this book down and read it in less than a day. I just can't wait for the next book in the series to come out.
I fou...more

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May 29, 2012 Ruthie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, erotica, read-2012, series, man-in-uniform

Who: Rocco & Mandy
Other; Rocco's team members and several of Mandy's friends
Where: Wyoming and flash backs to Afganistan

My thoughts: The book had the potential to be a good story but it just didn't hold my attention. The events of each scene simply moved one to another with completely unbelievable ease. We are lead to think there is an HEA for the two main characters but because there is a cliffhanger at the end we don't really know because we the next book will pick right up where this one...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Liz at Fictional Candy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, romance, military, favorites

I love it when a book can catch me by surprise – and The Edge of Courage certainly did that, in spades! This book tells the story of a military man, Rocco, and this is his journey to find out who he is, come to terms with who he has been, and realize the man he can be. I laughed, I cried, I squirmed, and I cried in joy. The Edge of Courage is book one in the Red Team series, and it is definitely one hell of a start.

Rocco suffers from PTSD pretty bad after returning home from Afghanistan. He has...more I love it when a book can catch me by surprise – and The Edge of Courage certainly did that, in spades! This book tells the story of a military man, Rocco, and this is his journey to find out who he is, come to terms with who he has been, and realize the man he can be. I laughed, I cried, I squirmed, and I cried in joy. The Edge of Courage is book one in the Red Team series, and it is definitely one hell of a start.

Rocco suffers from PTSD pretty bad after returning home from Afghanistan. He has nightmares, depression, guilt… he’s not in a great place. In fact, horrible would be an upgrade from the hell he is living in. Right away you know he is a real man, even though he is a bit down. He’s a fighter, he fights for what is right. He protects his own. He was deep undercover overseas for the better part of a decade. When the shit hit the fan, no one came for him. Well, that is, except Kit and Blade. Bros. The government didn’t really help him as well as they should have when he got home. But when the government fails him, that’s when his friends step in. So he owes them one. One day Kit says his sister needs help on her horse ranch, and Rocco is off to meet her.

“She smiled slowly, still trying to figure him. He wished her luck.”
Mandy is Kit’s sister, and she is trying to start up an equestrian ranch to help rehabilitate the disabled. She is a breath of fresh air, as far as leading women go. I really loved her. She has a good heart, and she can read people. When she meets Rocco the tension – all the good kind of tension – was thick between them. Her persistence works well for her, and I often found myself cheering her on.

I really loved the way the author built this world and the characters in it. You can practically feel the dewy grass between your toes in the early morning as you walk the ranch with Mandy and Rocco. You can see the farm house, and the ornery horse that needs healing just as much as everyone else. The characters are so well fleshed out; it was a pleasure to learn about them. Even when the secondary characters are introduced later, you find yourself falling for them each in turn. Personally, I am crossing my fingers a man named Kelan gets a book soon and I can’t wait to learn about the girl who is able to steal Val’s heart. And Ty’s book is coming up next, and trust me – after meeting him in The Edge of Courage I am eagerly waiting to read it!

There are some steamy scenes in this book too! Hooray!! And trust me, they are excruciatingly hot. I love them. Rocco and Mandy are such a perfect pair. As they fell in love, I fell in love with them. They heal each other. Rocco grows by leaps and bounds. Your heart will break for this man as he struggles to overcome his past.

There is definitely some action in this book, and not all of it is the between-the-sheets kind. Remember, these guys are from an elite military team. And just like a businessman, sometimes your work doesn’t end when the workday does.

I can’t recommend this story enough. Elaine is a fabulous writer, and this world will suck you in quickly. So check out this book right away, and then check out Shattered Valor, which is Ty’s book. It’s just been released at Amazon and B&N. Happy Reading!(less)

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