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Elite Operators #1
Secure Target
"She s just an ordinary small-town girl until a killer makes her his next target. "
"Elite Operators, Book 1"
South African hostage rescue operative Bronnik Mason has been chasing a serial killer around the globe for over a year. Four women have already died, and he s sworn there won t be a fifth. Even if, this time, he has to offer up more than a few pints of his own blood.
But when it comes to safeguarding the killer s next target, Bronnik realizes this case could put his professional boundaries to the test.
Having grown up in the shadow of two delinquent brothers, dental receptionist Lacey Cross is impeccably well-behaved, dutiful, hard working and bored. Until Bronnik storms into the office to sweep her into protective custody. Suddenly, her nondescript life just got a lot more interesting.
Racing against a blizzard, dodging uncannily accurate bullets, Bronnik finds his concentration getting blown all to hell. Before he realizes Lacey s slipped under his skin, she becomes more than just a body he s sworn to protect. She is the woman he will risk his own life to save whether she likes it or not.
Warning: Contains a sexy South African cop with the heart of a lion and by-the-book determination, and a mild-mannered receptionist with a reckless streak a mile wide. Throw in love on the run, and it s full steam ahead! "
"Elite Operators, Book 1"
South African hostage rescue operative Bronnik Mason has been chasing a serial killer around the globe for over a year. Four women have already died, and he s sworn there won t be a fifth. Even if, this time, he has to offer up more than a few pints of his own blood.
But when it comes to safeguarding the killer s next target, Bronnik realizes this case could put his professional boundaries to the test.
Having grown up in the shadow of two delinquent brothers, dental receptionist Lacey Cross is impeccably well-behaved, dutiful, hard working and bored. Until Bronnik storms into the office to sweep her into protective custody. Suddenly, her nondescript life just got a lot more interesting.
Racing against a blizzard, dodging uncannily accurate bullets, Bronnik finds his concentration getting blown all to hell. Before he realizes Lacey s slipped under his skin, she becomes more than just a body he s sworn to protect. She is the woman he will risk his own life to save whether she likes it or not.
Warning: Contains a sexy South African cop with the heart of a lion and by-the-book determination, and a mild-mannered receptionist with a reckless streak a mile wide. Throw in love on the run, and it s full steam ahead! "
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2014
1 person is currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Crowley
30 books98 followersRebecca Crowley writes contemporary romance about good people doing their best, and never tires of the happily-ever-after. Having pulled up her Kansas roots to live in New York City, London and Johannesburg, Rebecca currently resides in Houston.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 7, 2014
I’ll just start by saying I didn’t like this book. I didn’t like how the suspense and romance played out. To briefly set it up, there is a serial killer named Hardley, that has killed four women in the past year. He goes all over the world and the victims have all been brunettes with green eyes who work at the front desks in medical and dental practices. Lacey fits this description and she was featured in her local newspaper for her charity work, which is why the police assume this killer targets her. Let me also note this killer is from Cape Town South Africa.
The hero is Bronnik, also from Cape Town and part of the Special Task Force of the South African Police. He has been hunting Hardley for a long time, almost getting him when he killed his last victim. The killer’s schtick is to call the victim and tell her she has three days – he then stalks her for two days and kills her on the third. Lacey gets a call – Bronnik and his partner along with the FBI move in.
The set-up worked for me and we meet the serial killer in the prologue and he is a creepy dude. All signs point to keep reading. Except it goes downhill fast. I don’t even know where to begin. I don’t know a lot about police procedure in a serial killer case – and as a reader I don’t think I should be expected to – but when I read romantic suspense books, I do expect common sense. I felt like that was missing in this book.
When Lacey is targeted, Bronnik and his partner take her into protective custody right in her hometown. They decide they want to lure the killer out of the shadows (they assume he is stalking her) so they take her to a mall to pretend to be shopping for protective custody supplies in hopes the killer will make an appearance. In a crowded public mall. With the victim right there. And he does! And starts shooting in this crowded mall. Does this make sense? At all? And to top it off – Lacey – who is set to die in two days has this reaction after the killer shoots at her in the mall:
“Yet you’ve handled the threat against your life like a seasoned professional. I have colleagues who couldn’t face down this situation as calmly as you have. In my mind, that means there’s quite a lot to you.”
Her lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. “Would it be weird to say I’m almost having fun?”
Um – yes Lacey. That would be weird. Since you know – a serial killer is targeting you.
Next, Bronnik thinks it would be fun to take Lacey to a shooting range. You know – a little fun outing while they are being stalked by a serial killer. They get a call from the FBI that the killer is in the vents of the shooting range building and they are coming as backup – so guess who falls out of the ceiling vents? The killer. The FBI come. Instead of surrounding the place and securing it (isn’t that the first thing you do?) they storm in with smoke bomb things and Hardley escapes. Most likely through the ceiling vents he just fell out of. HUH??? Say again? Meanwhile, right after this, Bronnik is all smiles for Lacey in the parking lot. Except the serial killer you have devoted your life to catching just got away – again.
After this, they go back to the hotel where Lacey gets pouty because Bronnik almost sleeps with her but then decides against it.
The best part is this - spoiler.
At this point I didn’t even care anymore. I totally knew where this was headed – another confrontation with Hardley. I don’t care. They both deserved to be caught by Hardly at this point.
The hero is Bronnik, also from Cape Town and part of the Special Task Force of the South African Police. He has been hunting Hardley for a long time, almost getting him when he killed his last victim. The killer’s schtick is to call the victim and tell her she has three days – he then stalks her for two days and kills her on the third. Lacey gets a call – Bronnik and his partner along with the FBI move in.
The set-up worked for me and we meet the serial killer in the prologue and he is a creepy dude. All signs point to keep reading. Except it goes downhill fast. I don’t even know where to begin. I don’t know a lot about police procedure in a serial killer case – and as a reader I don’t think I should be expected to – but when I read romantic suspense books, I do expect common sense. I felt like that was missing in this book.
When Lacey is targeted, Bronnik and his partner take her into protective custody right in her hometown. They decide they want to lure the killer out of the shadows (they assume he is stalking her) so they take her to a mall to pretend to be shopping for protective custody supplies in hopes the killer will make an appearance. In a crowded public mall. With the victim right there. And he does! And starts shooting in this crowded mall. Does this make sense? At all? And to top it off – Lacey – who is set to die in two days has this reaction after the killer shoots at her in the mall:
“Yet you’ve handled the threat against your life like a seasoned professional. I have colleagues who couldn’t face down this situation as calmly as you have. In my mind, that means there’s quite a lot to you.”
Her lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. “Would it be weird to say I’m almost having fun?”
Um – yes Lacey. That would be weird. Since you know – a serial killer is targeting you.
Next, Bronnik thinks it would be fun to take Lacey to a shooting range. You know – a little fun outing while they are being stalked by a serial killer. They get a call from the FBI that the killer is in the vents of the shooting range building and they are coming as backup – so guess who falls out of the ceiling vents? The killer. The FBI come. Instead of surrounding the place and securing it (isn’t that the first thing you do?) they storm in with smoke bomb things and Hardley escapes. Most likely through the ceiling vents he just fell out of. HUH??? Say again? Meanwhile, right after this, Bronnik is all smiles for Lacey in the parking lot. Except the serial killer you have devoted your life to catching just got away – again.
After this, they go back to the hotel where Lacey gets pouty because Bronnik almost sleeps with her but then decides against it.
The best part is this - spoiler.
At this point I didn’t even care anymore. I totally knew where this was headed – another confrontation with Hardley. I don’t care. They both deserved to be caught by Hardly at this point.
September 8, 2016
Serial killers always have a certain image of their victims, yes one the images being of the victim bleeding all over the place whilst begging for their lives, but before that comes the right hair color, the right job, the right car what ever it may be the falls right into my victim slot" image is there first.
Of course which ever reason they have for acting out their sick, twisted and delusional fantasies never makes any sense to us normal people, and getting involved on any level is the furthest thought from anyone's mind.
That is unless you're trained to bring down these type of scum that roam earth without a second thought. In this read from author Rebecca Crowley she tells the story of such a hero. Bronnik is always focused , it's get in, secure the target, bring down the bad guy.
But as we all have learned from the press, serial killers always have a trick up their sleeves and sometimes they succeed in their vicious killing sprees for years before they are caught and the good guys hunting them don't always get to the victims in time, they lose focus and the end result is another score for the killers hit-card.
So when Bronnik is assigned to keep the next intended victim Lacey safe he goes all out and vows to make no mistakes, he refuses to let the killer score yet again. But Lacey entrances him like no other woman and once he has her in his arms he promises to never let her go, that is if he can stay focused long enough for her to not end up dead.
This was one of the best action, kick-ass, car chasing, guns blazing , heart pounding, race to finish line reads I have ever read. The characters were simply amazing and so well written they seemed to leap from the pages and straight into my heart.
The author made sure the read contained everything a action romance lover like myself needs. I was kept on the edge of my seat at all times, completely addicted ! The author kept me entertained with twists and turns and the killer popping up everywhere, and every-time I did not expect it, there was no way I could anticipate the next move.
The backdrop settings were stunning, some set in Kansas and others in Cape Town, each location was described by the author to a perfect mirror image and with vivid clarity. The dialogue was all action packed laced with beautiful romance. The author does every now and then use a few Afrikaans words, which is the preferred language of the hero, which made this read extremely special for me.
It is not everyday I get to read about a delicious hot sexy hero saving a damsel in distress whilst using the humorous wording of my own language, I found this to be refreshing and simply awesome! Nor will I ever look at my local law enforcement in the same way again, the author certainly did her research and showed that South African Law enforcement hero's are every bit as hot and kick -ass as the other hero's we find in romance reads from other parts of the world.
If you think you will not fully be able to understand the odd Afrikaans word here and there, do no fear, just as in other reads where authors use a French or Italian phrase but with clarity shining through in the rest of the sentence with the wording, backdrop and scene being played out, you will be able to understand what is happening.
I highly recommend this read for all fans who love a kick-ass, loaded with action, oozing passion and breathtaking romance book! In fact I highly recommend everyone to go out and pick up a Rebecca Crowley book, once you get into her reads you will be begging her with your very last dying breath to write more !
5/5 Star Review
"This is one target he intends to secure and keep forever"
Of course which ever reason they have for acting out their sick, twisted and delusional fantasies never makes any sense to us normal people, and getting involved on any level is the furthest thought from anyone's mind.
That is unless you're trained to bring down these type of scum that roam earth without a second thought. In this read from author Rebecca Crowley she tells the story of such a hero. Bronnik is always focused , it's get in, secure the target, bring down the bad guy.
But as we all have learned from the press, serial killers always have a trick up their sleeves and sometimes they succeed in their vicious killing sprees for years before they are caught and the good guys hunting them don't always get to the victims in time, they lose focus and the end result is another score for the killers hit-card.
So when Bronnik is assigned to keep the next intended victim Lacey safe he goes all out and vows to make no mistakes, he refuses to let the killer score yet again. But Lacey entrances him like no other woman and once he has her in his arms he promises to never let her go, that is if he can stay focused long enough for her to not end up dead.
This was one of the best action, kick-ass, car chasing, guns blazing , heart pounding, race to finish line reads I have ever read. The characters were simply amazing and so well written they seemed to leap from the pages and straight into my heart.
The author made sure the read contained everything a action romance lover like myself needs. I was kept on the edge of my seat at all times, completely addicted ! The author kept me entertained with twists and turns and the killer popping up everywhere, and every-time I did not expect it, there was no way I could anticipate the next move.
The backdrop settings were stunning, some set in Kansas and others in Cape Town, each location was described by the author to a perfect mirror image and with vivid clarity. The dialogue was all action packed laced with beautiful romance. The author does every now and then use a few Afrikaans words, which is the preferred language of the hero, which made this read extremely special for me.
It is not everyday I get to read about a delicious hot sexy hero saving a damsel in distress whilst using the humorous wording of my own language, I found this to be refreshing and simply awesome! Nor will I ever look at my local law enforcement in the same way again, the author certainly did her research and showed that South African Law enforcement hero's are every bit as hot and kick -ass as the other hero's we find in romance reads from other parts of the world.
If you think you will not fully be able to understand the odd Afrikaans word here and there, do no fear, just as in other reads where authors use a French or Italian phrase but with clarity shining through in the rest of the sentence with the wording, backdrop and scene being played out, you will be able to understand what is happening.
I highly recommend this read for all fans who love a kick-ass, loaded with action, oozing passion and breathtaking romance book! In fact I highly recommend everyone to go out and pick up a Rebecca Crowley book, once you get into her reads you will be begging her with your very last dying breath to write more !
5/5 Star Review
"This is one target he intends to secure and keep forever"
April 8, 2014
Autry‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
2.75 STARS
Review copy provided for an honest review
Secure Target is the first book in Rebecca Crowleys’ Elite Operators Series. Crowley has suspense built within the first chapter, bullets flying by the second, and romance budding in the third.
Lacey is living a very low-key life; she’s a hard worker, who obeys the rules; a small town girl simply trying to make ends meet while working as a receptionist at a local dentist office. Little does Lacey know she is now the target of killer and he has given her days to live. Her only hope is to seek protection with a man from another country.
Bronnik is an Elite Operator on the special task force for the South Africa Police, and has been chasing a killer who just named his fourth target. He has a personal score to settle with this killer and hopes to even it by bringing him down before he strikes again.
Lacey and Bronniks’ worlds collide; as she has become the intended fourth victim for a killer he’s chased from country to country. Bronnik is looking to catch a killer who slipped by him and managed to one up him in the process. He has learned to anticipate the killers’ moves but he wasn’t anticipating falling for the victim. Lacey and Bronnik have been given days to try and draw the killer out and take him down before he strikes again. With a plan in place the action is almost automatic, just a quickly as the action begins their plans begin to unravel. They continue to devise new plans and ultimately head back to Bronniks’ home turf in hopes of catching their killer.
This book was an okay read, but left me asking a lot of questions….
*SPOILER*
How does Lacey fit into the killers’ profile? How did Bronnik know Lacey was selected as the fourth target? Was he alerted somehow? How does the killer escape custody? And then manage to flee back to his home country? *END SPOILER*
I felt as if there could have been more added to the book, the chemistry never really felt like it was there. At points I almost felt like Lacey was acting as if she was on vacation and not being chased by a murder. Secure Target is packed with action, suspense and romance but left me frustrated with lack of details.
2.75 STARS
Review copy provided for an honest review
Secure Target is the first book in Rebecca Crowleys’ Elite Operators Series. Crowley has suspense built within the first chapter, bullets flying by the second, and romance budding in the third.
Lacey is living a very low-key life; she’s a hard worker, who obeys the rules; a small town girl simply trying to make ends meet while working as a receptionist at a local dentist office. Little does Lacey know she is now the target of killer and he has given her days to live. Her only hope is to seek protection with a man from another country.
Bronnik is an Elite Operator on the special task force for the South Africa Police, and has been chasing a killer who just named his fourth target. He has a personal score to settle with this killer and hopes to even it by bringing him down before he strikes again.
Lacey and Bronniks’ worlds collide; as she has become the intended fourth victim for a killer he’s chased from country to country. Bronnik is looking to catch a killer who slipped by him and managed to one up him in the process. He has learned to anticipate the killers’ moves but he wasn’t anticipating falling for the victim. Lacey and Bronnik have been given days to try and draw the killer out and take him down before he strikes again. With a plan in place the action is almost automatic, just a quickly as the action begins their plans begin to unravel. They continue to devise new plans and ultimately head back to Bronniks’ home turf in hopes of catching their killer.
This book was an okay read, but left me asking a lot of questions….
*SPOILER*
How does Lacey fit into the killers’ profile? How did Bronnik know Lacey was selected as the fourth target? Was he alerted somehow? How does the killer escape custody? And then manage to flee back to his home country? *END SPOILER*
I felt as if there could have been more added to the book, the chemistry never really felt like it was there. At points I almost felt like Lacey was acting as if she was on vacation and not being chased by a murder. Secure Target is packed with action, suspense and romance but left me frustrated with lack of details.
March 5, 2014
I started this thinking that things were moving awfully slow... BUT somehow as I kept turning the pages, I got more and more engrossed in the story and I admit Bronnik Mason... (OH GOD, EVERYTIME the man spoke, I kept thinking of Leonardi DiCaprio's accent in Blood Diamond!!! *SWOON*).
By the end, Bronnik; a strong, tough ALPHA, and an elite operator from the South African Special Task Force
had me reduced to a HOT MESS 
over how much he cared for and how he laid his love out on the line for Lacey... *LE SIGH*. This book MAY NOT be close to romantic suspense perfection for some people but for me... it was!!!! 
By the end, Bronnik; a strong, tough ALPHA, and an elite operator from the South African Special Task Force
had me reduced to a HOT MESS over how much he cared for and how he laid his love out on the line for Lacey... *LE SIGH*. This book MAY NOT be close to romantic suspense perfection for some people but for me... it was!!!! 
February 26, 2014
Wow! This book was awesome! It's one of those books you end up reading when you're not supposed to be reading and supposed to be working. The suspense was nail-biting and had me reading for more. Rebecca's descriptions and vocabulary are a delightful treat. She chooses the perfect words for each sentence - words that work together like a stunning artwork. Oh, how I wish I could write like her! The romance was touching, awesome, and had me tearing at the end. It truly is one of the best romantic suspense novels I've ever read.
I also loved that it was partly set in my home country. She wrote about South Africa with respect, sensitivity, and great detail!
I also loved that it was partly set in my home country. She wrote about South Africa with respect, sensitivity, and great detail!
July 26, 2016
I enjoyed it. It was a good read. Nothing too spectacular, but it was far from bad.
I enjoyed the fact that the heroine went to U of M (I'm in Minnesota :0) ) and then the hero was based in Cape Town. There's a lot of references there as well as some Afrikaans words.
One of my good friends is from Cape Town so I may push her to read this so I can get her take on it :0) I want to know what some of those words mean, lol. And her take on the places that were mentioned in the book.
I enjoyed the fact that the heroine went to U of M (I'm in Minnesota :0) ) and then the hero was based in Cape Town. There's a lot of references there as well as some Afrikaans words.
One of my good friends is from Cape Town so I may push her to read this so I can get her take on it :0) I want to know what some of those words mean, lol. And her take on the places that were mentioned in the book.
November 10, 2015
I think this book has promise for a relatively good series of books. However, my biggest gripe with this book is the unbelievable way the villain appears and disappears. I'm sorry. If the FBI/Police Task Forces/Undercover Agents were this useless, honestly the world would be in a bloody mess.
March 2, 2014
If you adore great storytelling, nail-biting suspense and lots of romance, then this book is for you. With a sassy heroine, a take-no-prisoners hero and a really bad villain,you can't help turning the pages faster and faster while holding your breath.
Ms Cowley manages to seamlessly incorporate believable romance with a well thought out plot to grip her readers from the first page. You quickly come to care for the characters and the writing style is such that you want just one more page to read.
This is definitely a read I would recommend for all lovers of romantic suspense.
Ms Cowley manages to seamlessly incorporate believable romance with a well thought out plot to grip her readers from the first page. You quickly come to care for the characters and the writing style is such that you want just one more page to read.
This is definitely a read I would recommend for all lovers of romantic suspense.
March 23, 2014
Thank you to the author for portraying South Africa and Cape Town so honestly. I could picture the scenes the author was describing because I can identify them as a Capetonian. The story kept me interested and wasn't slow. Loved the Afrikaans slang, was priceless. Bronnik seemed very real which doesn't always come across with heroes. Lacey has believable internal dialogue and the banter was good.
February 25, 2014
This author had me at the first word. Bronnik. What a delicious name for a hero! From there on, the tension never subsides, the pace is fast, the attraction between hero and heroine explosive, the sex scenes hot, the baddie very bad - a delightful read!
March 20, 2016
Good read! Serial killer was a little lame but it was interesting. It was never explained why he killed. Romance took off right away with no built up.
January 15, 2015
It was a nice easy fantasy romance read. I love a man in uniform
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews