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Navy SEAL Romances #2

The Protective Warrior

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A daughter escaping, a Navy SEAL sent to protect her, and the beautiful island that might prove more dangerous than her father.

Ally, daughter of the Duke of Gunthry, has spent her life terrified of her father and dreams of the day when she can escape his tyrannical rule.

When her mum helps her escape to the beautiful island of Kauai, Ally thinks she’s found paradise and maybe more with the handsome River who keeps crossing her path.

But there are unexpected enemies lurking in the shadows. And no matter how tough River seems, no one can withstand the army her father will send when he discovers her location.

River Duncan is part of an elite security task force of ex-Navy SEALS. Little does he know his first assignment might prove irresistible to resist and protect. When he finds himself falling for the fun-loving Ally he plans to resign his position so they can join forces in their common goal of fighting human trafficking. River has never underestimated the enemy before, but is he fully prepared to protect and love Alexandria Gunthry?

Will River’s protection and Ally’s love be enough to conquer a lifetime of fear and responsibilities? Or will they be forced to give up on their dreams in the face of her sadistic and powerful father?

198 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 9, 2018

641 people are currently reading
275 people want to read

About the author

Cami Checketts

298 books1,132 followers
Cami Checketts is a USA Today Bestselling author of over a hundred clean romance novels. Her journey began on an Idaho dairy farm daydreaming book ideas on her bike or tractor and landing herself in the hospital numerous times for head wounds. She settled down after college (retired the bike at least) to raise four crazy boys and write down all those fabulous ideas. Cami's life is busy but she thoroughly enjoys rarely living in reality.

Cami loves the Savior, her husband, her boys, her daughter-in-law, her grandson, traveling, chocolate, and exercise.

Get a free book when you sign up for Cami's VAP (Very Awesome People) list - www.camichecketts.com

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5 stars
406 (60%)
4 stars
195 (28%)
3 stars
59 (8%)
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10 (1%)
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5 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
Profile Image for Katie (hiding in the pages).
3,523 reviews332 followers
March 12, 2018
If you were escaping a controlling and overbearing father, where would you go? Ally hides out on the beautiful island of Kauai and in an attempt to keep her safe, River is hired as a bodyguard, of sorts. Hello, Channing Tatum! Uh um, I mean...Channing "River" Duncan. There's not much better than a big, strong, protective guy.

I absolutely love the way Cami Checketts is able to sweep me away to an exotic location, completely immersing me in the story. She always adds an element of suspense that keeps me on my toes and I was almost looking over my shoulder while hiking the lush trails of Kauai this afternoon. Okay, not really, but I really felt transported right into the middle of this book. There are a few surprise twists that further engaged my interest. And thanks to Daylight Savings Time, I dozed off for a few minutes and I dreamed about this story, with me starring as a main character.

And while I'm speaking of toes (kind of), the romance is toe-curling, swoony, and hot, while still staying clean. I love the connection and tension that swirled around River and Ally. They are each great in their own ways--strong characters--but obviously benefit from each other. I don't think I'm going to recover from this story any time soon--it's definitely in my top favorites by this author.

Content: steamy clean romance (swoony kisses); mild violence and moments of peril
Profile Image for Kathy.
2,741 reviews5,975 followers
March 23, 2018
What a fun new series. Love the concept of these Navy Seal Romances and enjoyed reading this one. We got a quick peek at a couple of the characters in this book in the prequel novella The Resolved Warrior. It's not necessary to have read that first but I felt it added to the background of this storyline. 

This book kept me turning the pages and held my interest.  Watching this likable hero and heroine interact while trying to escape from the heroine's loathsome father made for great storytelling. Looking forward to more books in the series. 

Content: Clean
Profile Image for Aimee .
3,072 reviews298 followers
March 19, 2018
What a Fun Adventure!

Not only is this a sparky romance, but a fun adventure. I loved being transported to Kauai and I also loved the build up in both the relationship and the story. The bit of suspense was perfect. I read through this so quickly and I can't wait to read more in this new series.
Profile Image for Teya Teya.
Author 9 books103 followers
March 25, 2018
I loved it! Hot navy seal guy falling in love with the one he's protecting oh yea. I just loved it.
2,391 reviews17 followers
March 15, 2018
A page turner

This story was really a page turner. The characters were great and I loved the suspense. This was a sweet, clean romance.
Profile Image for Tamera Westhoff.
1,100 reviews6 followers
March 19, 2018
Great Clean Romance

Ally is scared and running from her Dad, River is on a new assignment to protect her. I love that Ally is so sweet and naive, even though her father was miserable. River is a fantastic bodyguard and saves her from a rapist. I love how River solves the problem! Talk about thinking outside the box!
Profile Image for Jo-Anne.
1,758 reviews39 followers
May 16, 2019
River Duncan was a retired Navy SEAL who worked as security with some other SEALs. He has been assigned to protect the daughter of an English duke as she travels in Kauai, Hawaii. Nobody knows why she's travelling or that the duke is abusive to his daughter and wife.

With her mother's help, Ally has escaped from her father and went to Hawaii. When she found out River had been assigned to protect her, she thought that her father hired him to bring her back so she tried to run away from him.

Will River gain Ally's trust and be able to protect her or will the duke's henchmen find her and take her back to England to marry the man her father picked out?

I loved the descriptions of the places Ally and River hiked and swam. For the most part, it was a peaceful time. But a couple of times, it wasn't.

I liked how skilled River was. Protecting others was part of him, who he was. He was a good guy but unfortunately Ally didn't trust him. Ally was an over-the-top free spirit - hiking every trail and swimming every waterfall in the area. I didn't get how she was in such good shape when she had led such a sheltered life. It didn't make sense that she would be so comfortable going places with River since she didn't know him. After all, she was running from an abusive man so I would have thought she'd to be more cautious.

I love Cami Checketts books so I was sure I would love this one too. But it was not like her other books. Don't get me wrong. I liked it, just not as much as I thought I would. From the cover and title I expected more action. Which we got toward the end.
Profile Image for Christina.
800 reviews34 followers
March 21, 2018
3.5 Stars

This book had a lot of fun elements that I enjoy, including romance, adventure, and suspense. There were many satisfying moments, but others continued to frustrate me. I felt that things were rushed a bit, and the ending left a lot of things unexplained. The romance was sweet at times but very unbelievable at others.
1,097 reviews2 followers
March 26, 2018
A SEAL’s work is never done, even if he is an exSEAL. I really enjoyed “watching” him to try to keep up with my strong woman. I look for a strong woman in most of the stories I review. The strange characters that passed by the main characters were a little scary.
1,640 reviews15 followers
March 25, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. Ally was running from her dad and River was hired by her mum to protect her. Things got hot and heavy, she got kidnapped, thought River was dead. Tons of action. I posted a full review on Amazon. I will have to look for more of Cami Checketts books.
Profile Image for Glenda Parker.
Author 14 books21 followers
March 17, 2021
A Great Read

I really enjoyed this book. Her characters were fun and yet full of drama. The story is well written and full of twists and turns. I know you are going to love it.
Profile Image for Lisa Swinton.
Author 27 books197 followers
July 2, 2022
I don't know why I waited so long to read this. I love Ms. Checketts work.

I'm not a necessarily a sucker for military men as leads but this book might convince me otherwise. I love the banter and chemistry between Ally and River. Goodnes that girl gets him in a lot of trouble.

The characters aren't cliche or stereotypes. They have dark and painful places that need light and healing. I kept hoping it was time for bed so I could get back to the story.

And now, I want to go to Hawaii and hike. Get a taco. And swim in a waterfall.
Profile Image for Sue Stinnett.
1,374 reviews3 followers
March 18, 2018
Totally Awesome

I loved this book! It was romantic and quirky as well as swoon worthy. I have been to several of the places the book featured and they are just as beautiful as described.
305 reviews
March 17, 2018
Ahhhh, Kuaui!

We went to Kuaui on our honeymoon so of course this book would be a winner for me. Loved the descriptive dialogue. Makes me want to go back. River and Ally are a perfect match in a perfect place.
Profile Image for Love.
1,747 reviews5 followers
March 18, 2018
Adventurous Romance

This is a book that will have you on the edge of seat from the very beginning til the end and the characters are charming adorable and heartwarming too.
577 reviews1 follower
March 16, 2018
A great book

Camille Checketts writes well and engages the reader with her stories. Even though the endings are always predictable, the stories see still fun to read and are never boring. Can hardly wait for the next book in this series.
1,070 reviews23 followers
March 17, 2018
Cami Checketts has managed to write a clean, sizzling romance. I loved the main characters, the fierce protectiveness of River, Ally's willingness to suffer to save her mum, and those kisses, oh my!
Profile Image for Jessica.
311 reviews1 follower
March 17, 2018
What happened to Mum?

Loved this story. The characters were lovable....even the hippies in the end. Can’t wait to find out what happens to Mum.
32 reviews
March 15, 2018
AMAZING!!!LOVED THIS STORY!!!

I really loved this story! Great characters throughout, paced well, story kept moving,lots of action,humor,romance,cleverly written! What more can you ask for?? What a great book!!
33 reviews
March 15, 2018
So good!

I have ready quite a few of Cami's books and she did not disappoint this time either. I immediately feel in love with Rivers character and enjoyed reading his and Ally's story. I would definitely recommend this book to others.
29 reviews
March 14, 2018
Great story

About a body guard and the girl he is protecting. The story captured me from the beginning. The only complaint I have is what happens to alley’s dad
Profile Image for Kimberly Krey.
Author 100 books1,669 followers
April 12, 2018
The Protective Warrior is the perfect balance of sweet romance and on-your-toes suspense. I loved Ally and her spunky, free-loving personality, and the fact that she could remain positive in the face of so much affliction in her life. River was strong, swoon-worthy, and the perfect SEAL hero! The Hawaiian setting really added to the story as well; even the small details really made me want to go there one day! The engaging storytelling, combined with the interesting characters and swoony romance, kept me turning those pages! Such a fun read!
Profile Image for Courtney.
4,298 reviews
September 11, 2019
Excellent

Love, love, love!! ❤
Wow, and I do mean wow! This novel was excellent and thorough without becoming explicit! I love romantic novels and this one had a wonderful storyline to keep me entertained! Fabulous!
Profile Image for Pam.
4,625 reviews68 followers
April 13, 2019
The Protective Warrior: Cami’s Navy SEAL Romance Book 1 is by Cami Checkers. This great book begins a series based in England with ties to America. It is realistic and the plot is believable. River works for Sutton in his protection business. He is given a mission that he isn’t sure about; but because Sutton asked him to do it, he would. He is to find the daughter of his client and instead of bringing her home, he is to keep her out of trouble and out of the magazines.
Ally has finally gotten away from her Father. If she is never found, that would be just fine with her. Her Father plans on her marrying someone she doesn’t know just for the monetary connection. She would be content to stay away forever if her Mum were here with her. Without her Mum, she wouldn’t be here now. Mum had gotten the paperwork Ally needed to get away. However, her Mum chose to stay behind to give Ally a real chance to get away. Ally and her Mum were both gorgeous and wealthy. They had some sway over James while Grandpa was alive. With his death, things begin to get worse. So, Ally finds herself alone on Kauai, Hawaii.
This is a beautiful island with loads of trails to hike and waterfalls to swim in and Ally has been able to enjoy it; but she is also a little lonely. Ally trusts her instinct for people. She just knows if they can be trusted or not when she first meets them. Hopefully this will keep her out of trouble. She sets out for a hike, not knowing she is being watched.
River has just gotten into town when Ally decides to eat. River manages to set up a conversation with her as he shares her table. Ally invites him to join her on a hike and after changing, meets him at the trail head. As they walk, River becomes concerned when Ally begins to flirt with him. He sees why her family thinks she needs a keeper! He angers her when he stops her flirting and begins to tell her why she shouldn’t do what she really wanted to do. River shows her how much trouble she can get into by being so friendly, Just what lesson is he going to show her?
Profile Image for Heather Green.
Author 9 books11 followers
June 21, 2018
I wanted to give this one a higher rating, but I had a hard time liking Ally. I had to keep reminding myself that she was a 24 year old woman and not an 18 year old teenager. She was immature and had such a flippant attitude about her life and the lives of those around her. There's a fine line between stupidity and recklessness and having fun. She danced around the line too often. Didn't care for it. I also didn't care for the flirting with the morality line. It was clean (There was a scene of attempted rape, and scenes with naked hippies). No swearing. No sex. But the characters pushed the line. River tried to respect Ally and not cross the line, but Ally kept pushing him and then got offended when he thought she slept around? Didn't make sense. There again was the immaturity thing. I didn't like the attitude she had about her Mum. It seemed like she felt her mother was weak and almost blamed her for the troubles in their lives, but she obviously didn't know her mum as well as she thought she did. I didn't feel like the mc's knew each other well enough to profess love. Granted, they'd been through some harrowing stuff together, but that survivor stuff always brings people together. Doesn't mean they have enough in common to make a relationship last. It felt more like a physical attraction than anything else, even though Ally commented a lot about feeling protected with River. The story line as a whole was good. I guess I didn't like the execution of it. I like River. I wouldn't read this one again.
Profile Image for Amanda Caswell.
293 reviews24 followers
March 19, 2018
Cute, but annoying

I found Ally a little annoying and unbelievable. An abused woman, on the run, isn't at all leary about going somewhere isolated with a big man she's never met before? She's so reckless through much of the novel I had a hard time liking her. River was fine, though a little one-dimensional. I'm still excited to read the other books in the series--especially the one about Sutton. I did enjoy the island highlights, but again I had a hard time believing she could do so much physically when her dad has kept her on such a short leash recently. They human trafficking stuff was interesting, but it was thrown in almost as an afterthought, rather than an integral part of their characters. Again, I liked the book and will probably read it again, but this was not my favorite Checketts novel for characters and writing.
Profile Image for Rocky.
209 reviews9 followers
May 16, 2018
Ally and River

River Duncan is a retired Navy SEAL who now works to eradicate human trafficking. However, he also works, with some of his SEAL buddies, as security. He has been assigned to protect the daughter of an English duke, who has a reputation as a wild child. What the world doesn't know is that the duke is an abusive jerk to his wife and daughter.
Ally has escaped from her father and has gone to Hawaii in hopes that her father won't find her. When she finds out that River has been assigned to protect her, she thinks that her father hired him and she tries to sneak away from him.
Will River gain the trust of Ally and be able to protect her or will the duke's henchmen find her and take her back to England to marry the man her father picked out, a spineless sycophant?
Profile Image for Kelly.
444 reviews2 followers
May 18, 2018
I didn't want to put it down.

What a great story, and grabs you from the get go. I love stories that do that. Then, this one never let me go.

Ally is something else, but I'll agree with River's assessment... she's cute, not just in her beauty. She's fun, she's spontaneous, she's adventurous, a little naive, but River handles that right quick.

Oh, and River!!! Whew! That man can rescue and protect me anytime! And he's definitely not someone you want to mess with!

Absolutely worth 5 stars! Such a sweet romance that kept me a bit on edge, and definitely kept my interest! I highly recommend and I look forward to reading the other Warrior's stories, as well as more by Cami Checketts!
Profile Image for Cheryl.
696 reviews
November 1, 2018
Wow, what is not to love in this lush tropical setting? I adored Ally and River. Their adventures made me miss my honeymoon in Kaui. Such a beautiful and exhilarating place! Cami Checketts is great at coming up with athletic characters that are ready to take on the world. Yet, the world has a way of throwing incredible forces of evil at them. These characters bravely stand up for what they believe in and fight for their own personal freedoms. Ally and River are strong both physically and emotionally. Their commitment to one another and their exciting adventures really drew me it. Now, of course, I can't wait to read the next book about Ally's Mum.
3,543 reviews14 followers
July 27, 2020
The Protective Warrior is a fantastic romantic suspense by Cami Checketts. Ms. Checketts has provided readers with a well-written book populated with outstanding characters. Channing "River" Duncan is a former Navy SEAL and now part of a security firm and his first assignment is to watch over Alexandria Gunthry. Ally's mom helped her escape her father and she's now exploring Kauai. Ally and River's story is loaded with drama, humor, sizzle, action and suspense. I enjoyed reading The Protective Warrior and look forward to reading more from Cami Checketts in the future. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews

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