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Guardian Elite #5

Securing Willow

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Guarding her wasn’t his job, but he couldn’t let her die…even before she stole his heart.

Although Willow and Remi had only two nights together several years ago, the former Navy SEAL was pleased to discover that she was still working for the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela. In the politically tumultuous country to guard an oil executive during sensitive negotiations with the new president, Remi discovers the temptingly beautiful foreign service officer is being threatened. His protective instincts take over.

Willow Cardenas was receiving threats almost daily. Someone wanted her out of Venezuela. With a new ambassador, the country on the verge of civil war, and nowhere else to go, she couldn’t leave. The last thing she needed was an overprotective man in her life, even if she was drawn to Remi by memories of their steamy past.

Securing Willow is the fifth book in the Guardian Elite series. This story is a crossover with Susan Stoker’s SEAL of Protection: Legacy series and written in her Special Forces: Operation Alpha world.

236 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 12, 2019

255 people are currently reading
87 people want to read

About the author

KaLyn Cooper

60 books525 followers
KaLyn Cooper’s romances blend fact and fiction with blazing heat and heart-pounding suspense. Twenty-two years as a military wife has shown KaLyn the world, and thirty years in PR taught her that fact can be stranger than fiction. She leaves it up to the reader to separate truth from imagination. She, her husband, and bird dog live in Tennessee on a micro-plantation filled with gardens, cattle, and quail. When she’s not writing, she’s at the shooting range or on the river.

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5 stars
179 (66%)
4 stars
64 (23%)
3 stars
24 (8%)
2 stars
3 (1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
3,542 reviews14 followers
March 10, 2019
Securing Willow is an outstanding romantic suspense book by the talented KaLyn Cooper. This is a fairly quick read, perfect for those with limited time for reading. Ms. Cooper has once again impressed me with her storytelling abilities with this well-written, fast-paced book. Ms. Cooper has managed to weave enough current events into this story to make it totally realistic. The characters are fabulous and probably my favorite part of the book. Remi is a former Navy SEAL and now working for Guardian. Willow lives at the US Embassy in Venezuela since evacuations had started, where she works as the public diplomacy officer. Remi and Willow's story is packed with action, humor, sizzle and suspense. I enjoyed every word of this book and can't wait for my next book by KaLyn Cooper. Securing Willow is book 5 of the Guardian Elite series, but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from a third party. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Stacy J..
1,345 reviews12 followers
March 5, 2019
I have to say that I really enjoyed Willow in this book. She was a strong, independent and capable woman. However she also could enjoy the strength of a man next to her. I felt she could be both in charge but also be vulnerable when need be. In too many books I have read lately the woman has been either too strong or too weak. I liked that Willow was both. She knew when to take charge but also knew when to step back and let Remi or Remi and his team do their thing.

Remi was a great character to also read. He was a strong male who had found a new calling after he got out of the service. Working for Guardian was a nice fit for him. I liked the banter between teammates and that he was just a stand up guy.

I will admit when I started this book, I was a little confused with some of the terms. I don't usually follow foreign affairs so when Mrs. Cooper talks about individuals with their whole titles, I had to step back and remind myself if we like this character or not. After a while though, I was able to pick it up and it flowed really well.
Profile Image for Lesley.
2,453 reviews17 followers
March 6, 2019
Ex-Seal Remi Steel takes on a job with Guardian Elite that means returning to Venezuela and a chance to reconnect with Willow Cardenas, Public Diplomacy Officer at the US Embassy. What he doesn’t expect is that her life is in danger and when he realises that someone is out to kill Willow, he pulls out all the stops to protect her. A quick and exciting read that keeps you hooked.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Belinda .
1,292 reviews8 followers
March 15, 2019
A definite recommended read. Visiting with the Guardian Elite gang while mixing it up with Susan Stokers Seals Protection Legacy Series is a great fit. The Venezuelan story is timely and Ms. Cooper kept it interesting and intriguing. Remi & Willow reconnect after many years and find that the spark is still there. I loved how Willow was a strong, very capable woman, who could hold her own in a man's world but was receptive to Remi's friendship and later his protection. This book is a page-turner as you try to figure out who are the bad guys and who aren't. It is rare that I give a book 5 stars but this one deserves every one of them and more. I received this as an ARC for my honest review.
Profile Image for AYA Alminiana.
413 reviews3 followers
March 27, 2019
Remi Steel can guard me anytime!

Former Navy SEAL Remi Steel never forgot Willow Cardenas, a US Embassy official, whom he shared two nights with in Venezuela several years ago. A mission to provide protection for an oil executive brings them back together when he meets her again in the country, which is on the verge of civil war.

Remi's protective instincts take over when he discovers that someone was threatening Willow, and, as they rediscover their attraction to one another, he makes it his mission to ensure the safety of the woman he has decided as his for keeps.

KaLyn Cooper was a surprise for me. I have never gotten the chance to read her until she was introduced as one of the authors under Susan Stoker's Susan Stoker's Special Forces: Operation Alpha world. Securing Willow, the fifth book in the Guardian Elite series, is a crossover with Susan Stoker’s SEAL of Protection: Legacy series.

Well. How did I like the story? I googled some of her characters, and they are now waiting for me to read their stories.

Thanks to Susan Stoker, I have another author to follow!

907 reviews3 followers
March 8, 2019
Really enjoyed Willow and Remi's story. They get to reconnect and find there hea. Plenty going on and a couple of surprises will keep you reading. It is a recommend read
Profile Image for Rachael Bromley.
1,654 reviews17 followers
March 15, 2019
A great book to read

It was great reading about Guardian Elite again plus also adding some of susan stokers flare with her seals protection: legacy series. 

Willow is in Venezuela at the US embassy doing her job until the former Ambassador puts the whole country at risk. Remi, working for Guardian Elite is there to protect the main man from the petrol company. Feelings start to surface when he sees Willow again. With a plot for her death and Remi there to protect her can they take down the ex president and his lackeys? A great read from KaLyn. Loved all of the characters especially Remi and Willow.
1,260 reviews6 followers
July 16, 2019
I received an advanced copy and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Another great book by KaLyn Cooper. It will keep you turning the pages because you will want to know what is going to happen next. A wonderful second chance with lots of suspense thrown in to make it interesting. Remi and Willow only shared a few days together several years ago but neither one forgot the other. Now with Remi back in Venezuela they have a second chance if Willow doesn't get killed first because it becomes obvious someone is trying to kill her.
1,925 reviews5 followers
November 14, 2022
Willow and Remi had spent a couple of nights together. Now he is back. She can't believe he is there again.
Remi is working with Guardian. He is being sent to Venezuela. Willow is receiving pictures and now a dead rat. Can they figure out who is targeting her and why??
Profile Image for CarolKat.
2,280 reviews29 followers
March 12, 2019
Once again KaLyn takes us on journey fraught with emotion, drama and romance.
Remi is new to Guardian Security and this is his first opportunity for a long term assignment. An oil executive is traveling to Venezuela to prepare the reopening of oil wells and he needs protection. The economy has been going downhill as a civil war brews and he's surprised to see Willow was still listed as Public Diplomacy Officer, he would have thought she'd been evacuated earlier. They have a bit of history from his deployment a few years earlier and he looks forward to seeing her again.
Willow is very good at her job, and she along with the Ambassador present a public face for the US in Venezuela. Instead of being sent home they merely moved her to an apartment within the embassy.

Now things get a bit complicated right off the bat. Ambassador Vance has been recalled and replaced after some disturbing files reach the US from an anonymous source. He was far too close with former president Mendoza.

The new Ambassador, Mark Snyder, has no experience and he let Willow know right off the bat he'd be depending on her knowledge and expertise.

I love the way Willow handles Mark 'Bubba' Wright and Decker 'Gumby' Kincaide, Susan Stoker's SEALs, assigned to the new ambassador. The meeting with James Dunaway, the oil executive from Zon Petrol, also held many surprises for her. Not the least of which was Remi.

Planning oil well visits with heightened security would prove to be a challenge but with Blake 'Rocco' Wise and Remi working together it should be easier, at least for her.

With Willow keeping the threats against her a secret, I really wanted to scream at her.

Remi caught right away that something about the envelope on her desk had frightened her, but he lets it go figuring she'd tell him when she was ready.

So many interest characters in this book, some suspicious and some engaging. Willow's command of the language provides some insight to locals working at the Zon Petrol compound and I fell in love with all of them.

It was fun to see how KaLyn incorporated Susan Stoker's SEALs with her Guardian Security team. I was truly on the edge of my seat wondering how this would all resolve.

Plenty of intrigue, some laughs, sizzling romance and interesting twists make this a must read.
190 reviews
October 5, 2022
Remmington is sent in an overseas mission and his assignment is to protect Dunaway in Venezuela. The tension is high in the country with the newly elected President so the Guardian Security is taking great caution to keep them armed with weapons. Willow is the Public Diplomacy Officer stationed in Venezuela. As she walks to meet the newly elected US Ambassador Mark Snyder, the guards stop her from entering his office. Then, she learns that he has an upset stomach and he has no idea of what his work entails.
Remi and his team heads to the country as their main job is to protect Dunaway while he makes business negotiations. When he sees the gorgeous woman who has captivated his interest in the past, he reminisced about spending the night with her in his arms. The US Ambassador wants to visit the oil rigs and they need to take security measures before they allow him to go to the area.
Willow is surprised to see Remi again as she finds him in the US Embassy. After talking to the ambassador, she leads him to her office and gives a tour around the place. However, when she sees a familiar envelope, she is rattled about it. Then, he gives her comfort by hugging her to calm her nerves.
Despite of not seeing her for years, Remmington is still interested in Willow. However, there is a threat around the corner as someone threatens her life. He is willing to protect her at all costs to take a chance with her.
The story is well-written and it has a good plot packed with action, drama, romance, and
suspense. The characters have a great chemistry and I like the action scenes and the cohesiveness of the team. I enjoyed reading the book and I love that Willow and Remi have a HEA ending as
508 reviews8 followers
March 13, 2019
I love a good second chance romance and this book is just that, plus a whole lot of action and suspense. You get to meet quite a few of the Guardian Elite men plus Susan Stoker's Legacy SEALs mixed right into the story to make it even better. Willow and Remi had two hot and steamy night together years ago when they were both starting out their careers. Fast forward a few years, and while Willow is still working at the US Embassy in Venezuela, Remi has left the SEALs to work private security for Guardian Elite. When Remi takes a new mission in Venezuela, one of his first thoughts is of his good times with Willow. And when their paths cross once again, they find that the attraction and spark is still very much there. But danger surrounds them all and it will take both the Legacy SEALs and men of Guardian Elite to keep Willow secure so that her and Remi get their HEA.
1,124 reviews3 followers
March 21, 2019
CAPTIVATING ADVENTURE

A former Seal who now works for Guardian Elite is assignment to manage a team of men to protect one of the Agency's wealthy clients. His assignment is Venezuela and has been told it was a long term contract. Upon arrival he encounters a woman who he met briefly just for two nights several years ago and could not forget. The country is in turmoil and loaded with tension. Threats hang heavily in the air and secrets abound when the former Ambassador leaves without any explanation. It isn't long before he finds that Willow, his woman, is being threatened. A fast paced military protection detail; political figures, unknown enemies, keep this story highly entertaining.
Profile Image for Dawn Cruikshank.
1,123 reviews8 followers
March 22, 2019
Securing Willow

WOW! This story was intriguing! It is about Remi - love how KaLyn used the show's name for her character Remi. Willow and Remi reunited when Remi was assigned to protect an oilman in Venezuela. Remi becomes protective of Willow when he finds out someone tries to silence her. It all comes to a head at the end of the story when we find out who is behind the attempts on her life. Once the threat is removed, these two finally get a second chance at love and they take it. I am happy these two found each other again and are working on their happily ever after. FANTASTIC job KaLyn! I would recommend this book.
Profile Image for Teresa.
1,388 reviews3 followers
August 21, 2022
Securing Willow
By KaLyn Cooper

This is the fifth book in the authors Guardian Elite series and with characters from Susan Stoker's SEALs series as well as Ms. Cooper's Guardian Elite. This is Willow and Remi's story of love, danger and a fast paced finish to the end.

Willow loves her job as Public Diplomacy Officer to the former Ambassador of Venezuela who turned on his own county and now the new Ambassador. There's trouble brewing in the embassy and the country plus someone else in the office could be working against her and the USA. Remington Steel has been brought into to protect not only the new Ambassador but also a oil executive of Zoe Petrol. But

They'll they have loyalist to the former President willing to do anything to keep the new President from bringing the country back from ruin that it has fallen into. Fast paced, pedal to the metal finish to the end .
Profile Image for Catlou.
1,408 reviews14 followers
March 10, 2019
Willow and Remi have history together. Remi takes a Guardian Security assignment in Venezuela, where he’s reunited with Willow, but this time there’s more at stake. When Willow’s life is threatened, Remi takes steps to ensure her safety and bring her back into his life.

This is an extremely enjoyable romance filled with drama, intrigue and steamy passion. The characters are charming and appealing, and the storyline is interesting and engaging, keeping you involved from beginning to end. I recommend this very entertaining read.
3,054 reviews17 followers
March 13, 2019
Timely Venezuelan Romantic Adventure!!

Remi is sent to handle personal security at the US Embassy in Venezuela. Willow is a key resource for the new ambassador, and it turns out she needs Remi’s personal protection. Rekindling a prior encounter has these two going up in flames; but who is targeting her and is she safe inside the embassy?

An exciting read, relevant to today’s news and building a scintillating relationship!! A terrific read!

*** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book ***
Profile Image for warywolf3.
222 reviews5 followers
April 11, 2019
Excellent as always

I love KaLy n Coopers worlds and words. You can never go wrong with her books. I believe I've read all but one of her books and plan to read it soon. I love Guardian Elite and the black swan. Cancun series is fun and love in the sun. I haven't gotten all of my reviews for her books on kindle yet but I do have them in GR. Her Worlds are fully fleshed out and you fall in love with her characters. She is one of my top one click authors. She is simply amazing.
63 reviews
March 13, 2019
Willow and Remi made such an awesome second chance after their first very brief encounter. There was a lot of action in this one. Willow was certainly no wilting flower. Remi lived up to and surpassed the standards of a good Guardian Elite man as the hero. The Guardians were an absolutely awesome team and brought the action. Once again, Kalyn has reminded me why I cant wait to get my hands on her books.
331 reviews
March 13, 2019
Remi and Willow’s story is another win in the series for me! Willow is another strong female character that can hold her own (which is one of my favorite thing about KaLyn’s books) but also knows when to let someone help! Both Remi and Willow are strong leads and I love seeing the supporting group make appearances. As always, lots of twists and turns to keep you reading start to finish and on the edge of your seat!
829 reviews
April 20, 2019
Next outing in Guardian Elite series

This is Remi and Willow's story. Ex special forces alpha male reunites with his former fly. Like the previous books in the series, Willow is a strong, capable woman. Remi is a former SEAL with a romantic side. As this a spin off (Black Swan series) and crossover (SEALs of Protection) if you read those series, you'll recognize some of the supporting characters.
Profile Image for Beth Cotter.
371 reviews3 followers
March 11, 2019
Remi finds that he is the one that has to save Willow after she finds herself in trouble. Venezuela is not a friendly country to get caught in. Their connection is fierce. He will let nothing stop him from bringing her home. Lots of action heat the pages. You can't go wrong reading this book. Well done KaLyn, you did it again. I love your characters.
212 reviews3 followers
March 13, 2019
If you like alpha males, action, and romance, this is the book for you! Remi and Willow met two years prior when he was stationed in Venezuela and she worked for the US Embassy. Now he’s back working for a private security company protecting the head of an oil company as there is unrest and trying to negotiate with the new government to open the oil rigs again! Remi finds Willow is still working at the embassy and discovers someone is threatening her and wants her gone. And now the action begins!
38 reviews
March 12, 2019
KaLyn has done it again !! I give her 5 great, big, fat stars ***** for this "could not put down" book I love second-chance romance, and this one did not disappoint !! Had all the feel good vibes, with a kick-ass , swoonworthy Remi, and a smart, and honorable Willow. I will read anything that has LaLyn Cooper on the cover... romantic suspense at it`s finest !!
204 reviews
March 12, 2019
Absolutely loved this book! The Guardians are fantastic and I loved reading about one of the "outliers" that isnt in all the Guardian and Swan books. This book is not what I would call a 2nd chance book either. Yes, the H and h had met before and had no strings fun, but now its years later and things have changed. You have to read this book!!
Profile Image for Denise.
4,119 reviews12 followers
March 15, 2019
Whenever I get into one of this author's books I am delighted and not disappointed with this one also being as such. Her Special Forces will keep you going from start to finish. Willow and Remi will be the ones that do that in this. When drama hits her front he is one her front so to speak. As it pulls you to the edge you eat up every bit loving it all the way.
Profile Image for Marie.
1,420 reviews
March 15, 2019
5 stars for Securing Willow by KaLyn Cooper

I always buy a KaLyn Cooper ebook. Always a great read. I wanted more of Remi and Willow. Hot and sexy. Always great to read Susan Stoker's alpha seals and deltas by other authors. A great mix of Susan Stoker seals and Guardian Security. Can't wait for the next instalment of Guardian Security.
20 reviews
March 16, 2019
Suspenseful

Remi was put in charge of a new assignment for Guardian Elite that would take him back to Venezuela. He had good memories of his previous trip there was surprised to find out that the woman responsible for those good memories was still there. He was also surprised to find out that her life was in danger. Now he had two assignments.
Profile Image for Debra Smith.
192 reviews
June 18, 2019
Willow and Remi

Great story with characters who reconnect after meeting and spending time together years earlier. Remi first meets willow when he is sent to Venezuela as a SEAL. Remi returns to Venezuela as a body guard for an oil exc who is trying to help with re-establishing the oil industry getting the rigs back on line pumping oil.
7 reviews
March 13, 2019
I loved the story I also love that characters from past books are included in this story. Kalyn's stories are like an extraordinary TV series, I can barely wait for the next episode. Kalyn is extremely talented in telling stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews

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