Book Review: Failed Protocol by Cindy Bonds

About the Book:

Olivia Lloyd left the U.K. to work in Texas as head of security for a tech firm. Her training in the British Army gave her a chance to get into the SAS—Special Air Service. But she washed out, with the help of her uncle and his contacts. Now, here at her uncle’s request, she’s lonely and miserable after running away from her last life-altering loss.

Kenton Matthews’ recon days are over. He now works as a detective in Dallas, offering assessments for security when high-value targets come to town. But a request from an old friend has his heart pounding, as the threat to the large tech firm holds more than just a breach of security.

Kenton is determined to battle the failed mission from long ago and will do everything he can to protect Olivia from facing the same torturous man her uncle faced. But can Olivia trust the one man her uncle deems more than worthy?

| Goodreads |

My Review:

Failed Protocol by Cindy Bonds
Rating: 4/5
Pages: 286
Published: April 8, 2025
Series: N/a

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher/author. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

I won a printed copy of this in a giveaway a couple of months ago around release day, and since I’ve been wanting to read some of Cindy Bonds’ books recently anyway, and I’m working through my unread printed TBR, this seemed to be the perfect. And the timing worked out just right! I’ve been finding lately that a lot of the books I’ve read recently tend to be sharing themes between them, and it’s interesting to see that this one did too, as unexpected at it was.

This story was well written and I loved getting to know Kenton and Olivia, and Bruno and Marcus honestly. This was such a fun cast with some dramatically different personalities that made for some interesting scenes. Kenton and Olivia were a dramatic duo, and I adored seeing them work through their issues and learn to work together over time.

***SPOILER ALERT***
There was a lot of mentions of him wanting to touch her, hold her hand, and of course kissing. I honestly didn’t mind it so much in context, but… I do wonder if it was a bit over used? (As in, a good portion of the story was probably just him [or her, at times] reminding themselves why a relationship, or kissing/holding hands/hugging wasn’t the best idea at the moment, or ever?) It wasn’t really anything over-the-top or really problematic for the most part, just repetitive and made it clear the the physical aspects were definitely there, but might have taken away from the faith elements in the story. It also meant that some of the other non-physicals aspects of their relationship were often overlooked, although it was clear that there was more than just physical attraction, but also a mutual trust and respect growing between them as they began to really notice and appreciate each other’s strengths and unique personalities and traits along the way.
***END SPOILER***

The story was a delightful and action-packed read, and well written. I would love to have a spin-off or companion story of sorts, but even as a stand alone I really enjoyed this one and am so glad I got to read it!

Other books in the series:
_{(Below is a list of the other books I’ve read & reviewed for this series)}

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