Where Should You Start Reading Elaine Levine's Books?
Elaine Levine is highly regarded for her ability to write intensely emotional romantic suspense featuring rugged, protective heroes and independent heroines who aren't afraid of a challenge. If you are new to her work, your starting point depends entirely on your preferred romance subgenre:
- For Contemporary Military Romantic Suspense: Start with The Edge of Courage, the first book in her fan-favorite Red Team series. This series features ex-special ops warriors dealing with real-world trauma, PTSD, and dangerous missions.
- For Historical Western Romance: Start with Rachel and the Hired Gun, the opening novel of her Men of Defiance series. Set in post-Civil War Colorado, it offers a gritty, evocative look at love on the American frontier.
- For Sci-Fi / Paranormal Romance: Start with Liege, the first installment of the O-Men: Liege's Legion series, which follows genetically modified cyborg soldiers navigating danger and romance.
The Red Team Series: Recommended Reading Order
The Red Team series is Elaine Levine's signature contemporary romantic suspense saga. It details the lives, struggles, and romances of former special operations veterans who operate a elite private security group. A unique feature of this series is the insertion of "wedding novellas" between major releases, which check in on previous couples and advance the overall universe timeline.
For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read this series in order of publication, ensuring you do not miss the emotional evolution of the team members:
- The Edge of Courage (2012) – Focuses on Rocco Silas, a veteran battling severe PTSD, and Mandy Fielding.
- Shattered Valor (2012) – Follows ex-Navy SEAL Ethan "Ghost" Devane and Sarah McKinley.
- Honor Unraveled (2013) – The story of ex-marine sniper Ty "Sling" Savage and Eden McKinley.
- Kit & Ivy (2014) – A Red Team wedding novella (often referred to as Book 3.5).
- Twisted Mercy (2014) – Follows Max "Mad Dog" Cameron and Hope Townsend, who has infiltrated a outlaw motorcycle gang.
- Ty and Eden (2015) – A Red Team wedding novella following the couple from Book 3 (Book 4.5).
- Assassin's Promise (2015) – Features former black ops assassin Angel "Halo" Martinez and Wynn Farenholtz.
- War Bringer (2016) – Follows former operative Greer "Scythe" Temecula and Remi Montague.
- Rocco and Mandy (2016) – A wedding novella checking back in on the couple from Book 1 (Book 6.5).
- Razed Glory (2016) – Follows Red Team operative Beckett "Dagger" Vance and Mallory Morgan.
- Deadly Creed (2017) – Focuses on ex-assassin Creed "Scythe" O'Donnell and Nola Vance.
- Forsaken Duty (2017) – Follows Owen Tremaine as he discovers his former fiancée, Addy Jacobs, and their son are alive and in danger.
- Max and Hope (2018) – A wedding novella following the couple from Book 4.
- Owen and Addy (2018) – A wedding novella following the couple from Book 9 (often numbered as Book 9.6 or 14).
- Greer and Remi (2019) – A wedding novella following the couple from Book 6.
- Angel and Wynn (2019) – A wedding novella following the couple from Book 5.
Men of Defiance Series: Historical Western Romance
If you prefer sweeping historical landscapes and rugged frontiersmen, the Men of Defiance series delivers stories of redemption and love in post-Civil War Colorado. The historical setting is beautifully researched and evokes the raw, dangerous reality of the era. These books are best read in publication order:
- Rachel and the Hired Gun (2009) – Rachel Bailey hires a dangerous gunslinger to protect her ranch.
- Audrey and the Maverick (2010) – Follows Audrey Ryan and a rugged rancher looking to escape his past.
- Leah and the Bounty Hunter (2011) – Explores the romance between a determined woman and the hunter sent to find her.
- Logan's Outlaw (2012) – Features a lawman and a woman branded as an outlaw's bride.
- Agnes and the Renegade (2014) – Follows a town reformer and a man seeking vengeance.
O-Men: Liege's Legion Series
Taking a turn into science fiction and paranormal romance, this trilogy centers on the O-Men, genetically engineered cyborg supersoldiers fighting to reclaim their humanity while navigating romantic relationships. The order to read this trilogy is:
- Liege (2018)
- Bastion (2019)
- Merc (2020)
Multi-Author Collaborative Series Contributions
Elaine Levine has lent her talent to two highly popular multi-author military romantic suspense universes: Sleeper SEALs and Shadow SEALs. Each book in these shared universes can be read as a standalone, but they are loosely connected by a shared premise of elite military veterans conducting covert operations. Levine only authored specific books in these series:
Sleeper SEALs Series
The Sleeper SEALs series features former Navy SEALs recruited by a covert CIA division. While the full series has 13 books by various romance authors (such as Susan Stoker and Sharon Hamilton), Elaine Levine specifically wrote one entry:
- Freedom Code (2018) – This is Book 11 in the overall Sleeper SEALs series, focusing on a covert mission that sparks romance under pressure.
Shadow SEALs Series
The Shadow SEALs series follows disgraced former SEALs who are recruited to seek justice in the dark. Elaine Levine contributed two stories to this shared universe:
- Not My Shadow (2022) – This is Book 9 in the collaborative series order.
- Shadow and Steele (2022) – A companion novella in the Shadow SEALs series (Book 13 in some lists).