Personal Protector

Piper Ryan is a leading Atlanta news reporter and her new camera man Ric Martinez has her in an emotional uproar. His dark sexy Latino looks is a major distraction for Piper and she is determined to see him bumped from his position before she succumbs to her true desires. Ric is an agent for Colby Agency and is working undercover to protect Piper from a dangerous threat to her life. This assignment is the most important of Ric's career, and his life, as he falls hard for the gorgeous reporter. Wow....I have never enjoyed a Harlequin Intrigue more!! The story practically oozes sexual tension with satisfying scenes of abandonment and the explosive "on the edge" plot twist will astound you. Plus, I adore foreign heroes so Ric Martinez had my temperature rising from the minute he appeared. He is one hot tamale!!

If you're looking for a hot read with edge-of-your-seat suspense, then PERSONAL PROTECTOR is the book for you. The characters in this story are larger than life and I particularly loved the heroine in this story. Webb, unequivocably one of the best romantic suspense authors to hit the Harlequin scene in more than a decade, has a strong voice, a hot hand with plot, and is notorious for her incredibly drawn heroes. Ric Martinez, gentle readers, is DEFINITELY one of those heroes and Webb matched him perfectly with Piper Ryan, an in-your-face, independent, headstrong heroine who compliments him perfectly. I won't give away plot here--there's one zealous reviewer who has a nasty habit of doing that and I've learned to studiously avoid her posts--because I don't believe that's the point of these reviews. I enjoyed this book tremendously. As with all of Webb's books, it's a keeper.

Debra Webb's Colby Agency takes on another case in "Personal Protector," when Ric Martinez is called in to protect Atlanta reporter Piper Ryan. A terrorist group is killing reporters who aired negative stories on them, and Piper is on the list. Ric goes undercover as Piper's cameraman to keep close to her. Can he save the life of a woman he's also drawn to with a fierce passion?This is another expertly written tale by Webb, an author with a strong, sure voice and a true way with words. The characters and the romance in "Personal Protector" are flawless. Ric and Piper are both fully-fleshed, realistic people who come to life for the reader. There is real character conflict they must overcome and strong development in their relationship. The sexual chemistry is high and the love scenes sizzle. This is a romance to thrill.At the same time, the suspense in "Personal Protector" is so frustrating that I had to keep putting the book down to keep from getting too annoyed. From the start I had basic questions about the premise that went unanswered for a long time. For instance, it was almost a hundred pages in before Webb revealed that this was a domestic terrorist group and what their cause was. It could be a sign of our times that I would assume that a terrorist group would be foreign. This does seem to be a basic element that should have been spelled out at the start. The biggest problem with "Personal Protector" is that the plot development is too contrived. This isn't a story where we wonder how the villains will strike next. It's one where we wonder how the heroine will put herself in danger this time. It bothered me to no end that so many of the threats to Piper were avoidable. The only reason they took place was because of Piper's insistence on putting herself in dangerous situations. Ric tells her over and over that she should not be doing certain things. He keeps warning her about safety and makes suggestions that make perfect sense. She never listens. I wanted to shake her and say "Listen to him!" Perhaps I'm not driven enough to think a career is more important than staying alive. I couldn't work up much sympathy for a woman who thought that way. When he's trying to keep her alive and all she cares about is getting an interview, my patience ran out. The best and worst example comes near the end. The climax of "Personal Protector" is very creative and exciting, but again, Ric saw it coming. It was avoidable. He made a specific point to Piper that would have prevented it from happening. But no, Piper blows off his concern. While very tense and frightening, I couldn't completely get into the final action sequence because I kept thinking, "This didn't have to happen." If Piper hadn't been so stubborn, it wouldn't have. There's a problem with a suspense plot when the heroine does more to set up the danger than the villains do. She reminds me of those dumb girls in horror movies who are always running right toward the

This book was a scorcher!! Fabulous sexual tension and one of the hunkiest heroes I've read in a long time. Normally, I don't get into stories where the hero and heroine are such beautiful people, but Martinez and Piper were also vulnerable and sensitive and funny--iow, real people. I compliment Ms. Webb on her in-depth characterizations.Plus, the suspense in this book is dynamite. Secretly assigned to be reporter Piper Ryan's bodyguard after terroristic threats are made against her, Ric Martinez is savvy and fearless and a force to be reckoned with. Bad guys beware. This book has an intricately-woven plot, but smart readers will be able to pick out the clues--however, there's still a surprise at the end!Loved it!