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The Specialists: Heroes Next Door #2
Heart of a Hero
Trapped with a madman…
Trail guide Charly Binali is alone in the Rockies with a madman and his armed mercenaries, and he's demanding she lead him to a powerful, hidden device. And when help comes in the unexpected form of her very hot neighborhood mailman, Charley discovers the "nice" guy she gave her heart to isn't who she thought.
Undercover CIA agent Will Chase hated lying to Charly, but getting to that dangerous device first is a matter of national security. It's seven bad guys against him and Charly, but between his training and her survival skills, they just might beat the odds—if he can get her to ever trust him again.
Trail guide Charly Binali is alone in the Rockies with a madman and his armed mercenaries, and he's demanding she lead him to a powerful, hidden device. And when help comes in the unexpected form of her very hot neighborhood mailman, Charley discovers the "nice" guy she gave her heart to isn't who she thought.
Undercover CIA agent Will Chase hated lying to Charly, but getting to that dangerous device first is a matter of national security. It's seven bad guys against him and Charly, but between his training and her survival skills, they just might beat the odds—if he can get her to ever trust him again.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 16, 2015
About the author
Debra Webb
557 books2,503 followersDEBRA WEBB is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 180 novels, including reader favorites the Finley O'Sullivan and Devlin & Falco series. She is the recipient of the prestigious Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Romantic Suspense as well as numerous Reviewers Choice Awards. In 2012 Debra was honored as the first recipient of the esteemed L. A. Banks Warrior Woman Award for her courage, strength, and grace in the face of adversity. Recently Debra was awarded the distinguished Centennial Award for having achieved publication of her 100th novel.
With more than ten million books in print in numerous languages and countries, Debra’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood when her mother bought her an old typewriter in a tag sale. Born in Alabama, Debra grew up on a farm. She spent every available hour exploring the world around her and creating her stories. She wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the Commanding General of the US Army in Berlin behind the Iron Curtain and a five-year stint in NASA’s Shuttle Program that she realized her true calling. A collision course between suspense and romance was set. Since then she has expanded her work into some of the darkest places the human psyche dares to go. Visit Debra at www.debrawebb.com.
With more than ten million books in print in numerous languages and countries, Debra’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood when her mother bought her an old typewriter in a tag sale. Born in Alabama, Debra grew up on a farm. She spent every available hour exploring the world around her and creating her stories. She wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the Commanding General of the US Army in Berlin behind the Iron Curtain and a five-year stint in NASA’s Shuttle Program that she realized her true calling. A collision course between suspense and romance was set. Since then she has expanded her work into some of the darkest places the human psyche dares to go. Visit Debra at www.debrawebb.com.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 12, 2015
Very good book. Will is the second operative to be assigned to a special, long term mission (The Hunk Next Door was the first). He is a former Navy SEAL, now working undercover as a mailman. He finds he likes the work, the town and the people. He likes local trail guide, Charly, even more and has been enjoying getting to know her. When he discovers that the party of hikers she's about to take out are wanted criminals, he knows she's in trouble.
Charly has lived in those mountains all her life and is an excellent tracker and woodsman. A few hours into the trip the leader of the group has killed her partner and tied her up. He is determined to get to the device he's looking for and nothing is going to stop him.
I loved Charly. She was incredible. When her partner was shot and killed she didn't panic, but kept her head and made plans to get away. She is confident in her abilities and it shows. Seeing her get away that first night showed just how good she really is. I loved her encounter with Will after he witnessed her escape and came to help her and get her help. Once she is convinced that he is who he says he is, she's as committed as he is to the mission. They work together like they've been doing it for years.
Will likes the job that he's doing, as it fits his solitary lifestyle. He's closed himself off emotionally ever since the death of his younger brother, who followed him into the military. His parents blamed him and he's been dealing with his grief on his own ever since. Since arriving in Durango he's gotten to know Charly pretty well and enjoys being with her. When he recognizes the man she's getting ready to take on the trail, it isn't just the mission he's thinking about as he prepares to follow her into the woods. When he found her, she had already gotten away on her own. One of the things I liked best about Will was how much he respected Charly's abilities and how he would follow her lead on certain things.
There was definitely some serious attraction between Charly and Will. Much of it was seen during their encounters in town. Once they were in the woods together, the intensity of what they were going through ramped up the heat. Charly was determined to follow through on it, sure it would be her only chance to experience something like that with Will. She doesn't have much confidence in her own appeal, and fully expects him to disappear when the mission is over. What Will feels for Charly is unlike anything he's experienced before. After everything they go through, both realize that life is too short not to pursue what they want. I loved the ending, even as Charly almost messed things up. The only thing missing was see if Will and his parents really do get together.
The suspense of the story was fantastic. You could see that the bad guy was going to be trouble from the beginning. His intensity was pretty scary, and just the idea of what he was after is pretty chilling. After Charly's escape, his actions just got worse. I enjoyed seeing the way that Charly and Will were able to evade them and also work on taking out some of the bad guys. The final confrontation was nerve wracking as power shifted from person to person. I loved seeing how it all went down.
Charly has lived in those mountains all her life and is an excellent tracker and woodsman. A few hours into the trip the leader of the group has killed her partner and tied her up. He is determined to get to the device he's looking for and nothing is going to stop him.
I loved Charly. She was incredible. When her partner was shot and killed she didn't panic, but kept her head and made plans to get away. She is confident in her abilities and it shows. Seeing her get away that first night showed just how good she really is. I loved her encounter with Will after he witnessed her escape and came to help her and get her help. Once she is convinced that he is who he says he is, she's as committed as he is to the mission. They work together like they've been doing it for years.
Will likes the job that he's doing, as it fits his solitary lifestyle. He's closed himself off emotionally ever since the death of his younger brother, who followed him into the military. His parents blamed him and he's been dealing with his grief on his own ever since. Since arriving in Durango he's gotten to know Charly pretty well and enjoys being with her. When he recognizes the man she's getting ready to take on the trail, it isn't just the mission he's thinking about as he prepares to follow her into the woods. When he found her, she had already gotten away on her own. One of the things I liked best about Will was how much he respected Charly's abilities and how he would follow her lead on certain things.
There was definitely some serious attraction between Charly and Will. Much of it was seen during their encounters in town. Once they were in the woods together, the intensity of what they were going through ramped up the heat. Charly was determined to follow through on it, sure it would be her only chance to experience something like that with Will. She doesn't have much confidence in her own appeal, and fully expects him to disappear when the mission is over. What Will feels for Charly is unlike anything he's experienced before. After everything they go through, both realize that life is too short not to pursue what they want. I loved the ending, even as Charly almost messed things up. The only thing missing was see if Will and his parents really do get together.
The suspense of the story was fantastic. You could see that the bad guy was going to be trouble from the beginning. His intensity was pretty scary, and just the idea of what he was after is pretty chilling. After Charly's escape, his actions just got worse. I enjoyed seeing the way that Charly and Will were able to evade them and also work on taking out some of the bad guys. The final confrontation was nerve wracking as power shifted from person to person. I loved seeing how it all went down.
July 25, 2019
3.5 stars.
March 5, 2017
Charly is a trail guide in Colorado who is hired by Reed Lancaster for what appears to be a typical trek in the Rockies. However, he and his team have ulterior motives - Reed is after a device that is some sort of reverse-engineering contraption that can unlock security codes at the highest national level. Or something. The book doesn't go into too much detail!
Luckily for Charly, the mailman she has a crush on is actually an undercover agent! Will Chase follows her and the team into the Rockies to capture Lancaster and keep Charly safe.
Heart Of A Hero gets off to a good start, slowly but surely building the tension as you become aware that Charly's seemingly normal hike is about to go south in the worst possible way. As Charly and Will race through rough terrain to try and find the device first, it isn't quite as successful. I can't fully put my finger on it! But it just wasn't quite as exciting and suspenseful as I though the scenario should be. Plus, the two manage to find the time for a bit of sex! And for a book under the "Intrigue" banner, there wasn't a lot of it! Just Lancaster and his team trying to get their device back. No plot twists or turns to be found at all, really.
However, Charly may just be my all-time favourite Intrigue heroine. Calm and collected in the face of terrible danger, able to defend herself and keep herself safe, she was a breath of fresh air in this genre! One of her actions brought a genuine tear to my eye. So she was smart and compassionate as well! Will is a decent character too and he isn't too much of a martyr in relation to the standard "I've-lost-people-in-the-past-and-now-I'm-afraid-to-love-again" backstory that just about every alpha hero comes with these days.
All in all, it was above average, and I could see it being turned into a movie even!
Luckily for Charly, the mailman she has a crush on is actually an undercover agent! Will Chase follows her and the team into the Rockies to capture Lancaster and keep Charly safe.
Heart Of A Hero gets off to a good start, slowly but surely building the tension as you become aware that Charly's seemingly normal hike is about to go south in the worst possible way. As Charly and Will race through rough terrain to try and find the device first, it isn't quite as successful. I can't fully put my finger on it! But it just wasn't quite as exciting and suspenseful as I though the scenario should be. Plus, the two manage to find the time for a bit of sex! And for a book under the "Intrigue" banner, there wasn't a lot of it! Just Lancaster and his team trying to get their device back. No plot twists or turns to be found at all, really.
However, Charly may just be my all-time favourite Intrigue heroine. Calm and collected in the face of terrible danger, able to defend herself and keep herself safe, she was a breath of fresh air in this genre! One of her actions brought a genuine tear to my eye. So she was smart and compassionate as well! Will is a decent character too and he isn't too much of a martyr in relation to the standard "I've-lost-people-in-the-past-and-now-I'm-afraid-to-love-again" backstory that just about every alpha hero comes with these days.
All in all, it was above average, and I could see it being turned into a movie even!
January 22, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. The suspense of the story kept me on the edge of my seat. Will Chase is a undercover agent working as a mailman. He likes the town, and enjoys flirting with Charly Binali. Charly is a tour guide leading groups into the mountains. She knows the land, and trails like the back of her hand. Will just found out the group of men that Charly was about to take into the mountains for days was a group of criminals. Will knows he has to call in sick, and follow the group.
Not long into the hike Charly realizes that this group of men are not there for the mountain views, or vacation. They killed her partner, and tied her up. They need her ability, and her knowledge of the land to lead them to where a plane crashed. They are looking for a small beckon.
I loved Charly throughout the story. She never showed fear. Even tied up, she knew she was not defeated, she waited, and planned her escape. After she escaped, Will found her, and the two teamed up. Both had skills, but the other guys had guns. There were times they had to dodge bullets while climbing mountain walls.... Like I said the suspense was Awesome. The action, and romance was also really good.
Not long into the hike Charly realizes that this group of men are not there for the mountain views, or vacation. They killed her partner, and tied her up. They need her ability, and her knowledge of the land to lead them to where a plane crashed. They are looking for a small beckon.
I loved Charly throughout the story. She never showed fear. Even tied up, she knew she was not defeated, she waited, and planned her escape. After she escaped, Will found her, and the two teamed up. Both had skills, but the other guys had guns. There were times they had to dodge bullets while climbing mountain walls.... Like I said the suspense was Awesome. The action, and romance was also really good.
August 17, 2020
Mix of romance, adventure, and intrigue
Fresh, exciting adventure with two main characters from different cultures, joining together to track criminals in the mountains. Edge of your seat, dramatic story. Loved it!
Fresh, exciting adventure with two main characters from different cultures, joining together to track criminals in the mountains. Edge of your seat, dramatic story. Loved it!
October 29, 2017
Twists & turns but finally a happy ending. Easy to read - recommend it and others in series.
May 12, 2015
This is my first encounter with Debra Webb and Regan Black, two of Harlequin Intrigue’s category romantic suspense authors.
Heart of a Hero is a short read and the second book in The Specialists series by these authors. At 217 pages, it’s packed with a strong, capable heroine and plenty of action. While I haven’t read the first book in the series, The Hunk Next Door, I was able to follow this book easily enough since this story focused specifically on the romance.
It took me a while to get into this book, hence, why it’s taken me so long to review it, but once I read past the half way point, I couldn’t put it down.
I’m not a huge fan of opening a romance novel in the point of view of neither the hero and heroine, but to connect it to the rest of the series, I understood it was a necessity.
The heroine, Charly, captured my interest immediately. She’s completely independent, intelligent, physically strong, and knows exactly what she wants and is happy with her life. It was quite refreshing to have a heroine that can literally go toe-to-toe with the hero and hold her own.
Will, our hero, is of course an ex-Navy SEAL now recruited into a special task force, although I’m not clear on what agency the task force resides in. He’s cookie cutter ex-military on an undercover assignment. However, the post of US Postal worker is a new twist.
I absolutely loved the antagonist in this story. Reed Lancaster is authentic, insane, short tempered, and dangerous. My favorite kind of villain. And a band of mercenaries? Even better!
All in all, this was a slow start in the beginning, but quickly picked up about half way through the book. I wished the hero and heroine would’ve been forced together faster rather than just flirting for the first few chapters, but I’ll read the other books in the series.
4 stars.
Heart of a Hero is a short read and the second book in The Specialists series by these authors. At 217 pages, it’s packed with a strong, capable heroine and plenty of action. While I haven’t read the first book in the series, The Hunk Next Door, I was able to follow this book easily enough since this story focused specifically on the romance.
It took me a while to get into this book, hence, why it’s taken me so long to review it, but once I read past the half way point, I couldn’t put it down.
I’m not a huge fan of opening a romance novel in the point of view of neither the hero and heroine, but to connect it to the rest of the series, I understood it was a necessity.
The heroine, Charly, captured my interest immediately. She’s completely independent, intelligent, physically strong, and knows exactly what she wants and is happy with her life. It was quite refreshing to have a heroine that can literally go toe-to-toe with the hero and hold her own.
Will, our hero, is of course an ex-Navy SEAL now recruited into a special task force, although I’m not clear on what agency the task force resides in. He’s cookie cutter ex-military on an undercover assignment. However, the post of US Postal worker is a new twist.
I absolutely loved the antagonist in this story. Reed Lancaster is authentic, insane, short tempered, and dangerous. My favorite kind of villain. And a band of mercenaries? Even better!
All in all, this was a slow start in the beginning, but quickly picked up about half way through the book. I wished the hero and heroine would’ve been forced together faster rather than just flirting for the first few chapters, but I’ll read the other books in the series.
4 stars.
February 2, 2015
This is the second book of this new breakout series, The Specialists, from the Dynamic Duo Regan Black and Debra Webb. The first, Hunk Next Door, kept me glued to my seat and made me a very happy reader.
Both of these authors have an easy voice, great timing, and much spirit as the words dance off the pages. The characters are dimensional and easy to feel, the vivid scenery in this one makes me feel like I am right there facing all the fear, danger, and horror as this story unfolds.
CIA Agent Will Chase is part of the Specialist Team. These new recruits are being placed undercover in different parts of the United States and are told to become part of the community. They are moles living in their area, working and becoming part of the locals. They are told they do not know when they will be needed. Will Chase, is now a mailman, working a route where Charly Binali has a family business being a trail guide. The area is in the heart of the Rockies.
Will and Charly have connected and gone out a few times, but before it has time to get serious, Charly is hired by a rich well dressed gentleman who claims he is bringing a group of employees to a team building weekend of camping and climbing and camaraderie.
Okay Charly finds she is on a trip with a mad man and six mercenaries, and the mail man she thought she was falling in love with is certainly not a mailman. Who is he and why did he lie?
There is almost no time to dwell on it, as murder and survival come first and this is what Charly might do best! I loved this story and how these two learned there was too much to lose and not to fight each other. I loved this story, and you will too.
Review by Gloria Lakritz
Sr Reviewer and review chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild
Both of these authors have an easy voice, great timing, and much spirit as the words dance off the pages. The characters are dimensional and easy to feel, the vivid scenery in this one makes me feel like I am right there facing all the fear, danger, and horror as this story unfolds.
CIA Agent Will Chase is part of the Specialist Team. These new recruits are being placed undercover in different parts of the United States and are told to become part of the community. They are moles living in their area, working and becoming part of the locals. They are told they do not know when they will be needed. Will Chase, is now a mailman, working a route where Charly Binali has a family business being a trail guide. The area is in the heart of the Rockies.
Will and Charly have connected and gone out a few times, but before it has time to get serious, Charly is hired by a rich well dressed gentleman who claims he is bringing a group of employees to a team building weekend of camping and climbing and camaraderie.
Okay Charly finds she is on a trip with a mad man and six mercenaries, and the mail man she thought she was falling in love with is certainly not a mailman. Who is he and why did he lie?
There is almost no time to dwell on it, as murder and survival come first and this is what Charly might do best! I loved this story and how these two learned there was too much to lose and not to fight each other. I loved this story, and you will too.
Review by Gloria Lakritz
Sr Reviewer and review chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild
January 18, 2015
The rugged and beautiful mountains in the Four Corners region of Colorado are considered sacred by the Native Americans that live in the area. Charly Binali, owner of Binali Backcountry, has a special affinity for the area and is considered the best guide in the region. Former Navy SEAL, Will Chase, sent to the area in preparation for an undercover op, strikes up a friendship with Charly while waiting for his assignment. When Binali Backcountry is hired by a group of Software engineers for a team building three day off the grid experience, Will discovers the owner is his assignment and follows the group without Charly’s knowledge. It takes both Will and Charly’s skill to survive the adventure and along the way Charly’s steady determination and strong sense of self helps Will comes to terms with his past and discover a passion for both Charly and the area.
February 27, 2015
Once again the team of Debra Webb and Regan Black have given me a thoroughly good read! This team creates wonderful characters and stories that keep you turning pages! These are fast paced suspense thrillers with characters that know what is needed to get the job done and just enough romance to make you smile. Charly has her personal challenges when dealing with people but on the mountains she loves her quiet strength will see her through. Will chase, the new mailman turns out to be a lot more then expected but has demons of his own to face. The two of them become close and when the madman the government is after turns up in their neck of the woods the race is on to the top of the mountain with the two of them working together to stop him.
May 3, 2016
Although this book did have a lot of suspense in it, it just didn't feel right. Something felt off in the characters and how they worked together. The confidence of the Main Male Lead in most everything he did seemed to be lacking, it felt like a lot of the times he deferred to the Main Female Lead when he probably shouldn't. The premise of using Charly to help him aprehend the bad guys felt wrong to me and off kilter.
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January 12, 2016"The early connection between the hero and heroine was nice to see before all of the adrenaline-packed action. The hero’s backstory was touching and added depth to the story" (RT Book Reviews, 4 stars).
Miniseries: The Specialists: Heroes Next Door
Miniseries: The Specialists: Heroes Next Door
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January 12, 2016received 4 stars @ RT Book Reviews
Miniseries: The Specialists: Heroes Next Door
Miniseries: The Specialists: Heroes Next Door
April 16, 2017
I like the characters in this book.
July 25, 2016
A fast pace book that has you wanting more. It pushes you to a fast pace as if you where you are up in the mountain with the good guys and bad guys.cant wait for book #3 to come out.
November 15, 2016
Excellent read set in a gorgeous place.
Can't wait to read the other books in the series.
Can't wait to read the other books in the series.
January 1, 2015
Very good---I'm waiting for the next book
October 12, 2015
Good book. Suspense kept you interested from the beginning to the end.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews