Someone to Protect Her

Montana Confidential #1

by Patricia Rosemoor

The Mission: Bodyguard - For A Virgin?

Tough, wary Frank Connolly promised to deliver scientist C.J. Birch to a secret research facility, safe and sound. But when the stuffy intellectual Frank expected turned out to be one Cecilia Jane, innocent beauty, Frank smelled trouble. Only his highly tuned skills kept them alive when a kidnap attempt left them stranded, alone in the mountain wilderness. With a mercenary on their trail, Frank's mission was twofold: protect C.J. from those who would use her knowledge for evil and resist the awakening desire in the naive virgin's eyes. Because Frank knew too well how deadly personal involvement could be - and his feelings for C.J. were definitely personal....

Genres: Harlequin, Romance

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

About the author

With 100 novels and more than seven million books in print, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Patricia Rosemoor is fascinated with "dangerous love" – combining romance with danger. She has written various forms of romantic and paranormal romantic thrillers, bringing a different mix of thrills and chills to her stories.

Reviews

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an exciting story which kept me interested. The heroine acted realistically to certain situations and didn't act like a TSTL heroine. Both characters had their emotional baggage and it was worked out to some extent which made them grow and trust each other enough to talk freely.

I really enjoyed my time with this story!

[Penny Griffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

October 10, 2001

Patricia Rosemoor makes a much-needed return to Intrigue as she contributes the first book in a new series, Montana Confidential. This is a sequel to last year's Texas Confidential series. In "Someone to Protect Her," former military pilot Frank Connolly is assigned to escort a British scientist to a Montana research facility. But when their flight is sabotaged, the pair is stranded in the Montana wilderness. On the run from the mercenary hired to kidnap her, C.J. Birch must trust that Frank will keep her safe. Can she also unlock the demons haunting this rugged man?

So far, Montana Confidential is looking less like a sequel to Texas Confidential than a copy, so much so that I almost feel I should cut and paste my review of the first TC book, "The Bodyguard's Assignment," here. Both series start out with a reliable mystery writer being forced to write a couple-on-the-run Intrigue, both involving a bodyguard with a haunted past assigned to transport a woman in danger. "Someone to Protect Her" and "The Bodyguard's Assignment" could easily switch titles. And the second book for each series is a secret baby story. If the third book turns out to be a fake couple story, I'll really be worried.

As with "The Bodyguard's Assignment," this book does not show its author at her best. Like Amanda Stevens last year, Rosemoor is an author who usually delivers intricate plotting and interesting mysteries, and this simply isn't that kind of book. She gives a half-hearted attempt at some mystery, but overall, there's nothing to this plot. It's one of those stories that is simply 250 pages of the characters running, bouncing from one dangerous situation to the next while being chased by the most inept mercenary ever. The story simply isn't that interesting. It's nothing more than the killer catching them, them getting away, the killer catching them, them getting away, the killer catching them...and surprise! They get away. You can probably guess what happens then. The formula is dull and repetitive. I was bored a hundred pages into it and had to struggle to make it to the end. The twists are few and far between. As for what mystery there is, it's too easily predicted (honestly--what else could it have turned out to be?).

There are also several annoying elements, for instance, the way the C.J. continually refers to Frank as "more handsome than George Clooney," a comparison she makes about nine times. George Clooney. George Clooney. George Clooney. Enough already! We get it! He looks like George Clooney, only more handsome. Got it. On the plus side, Rosemoor does a much better job setting up this series than Stevens did last year. The main characters for the other books have been given reasonably well-defined personalities, the agency is well-defined, and we understand who the overall villains and players will be better than in Texas Confidential.

It's nice to have this veteran author back. Now if only the editors would let her write the mysteries she excels at. This is Rosemoor's thirty-first Intrigue. I'd have to say at least twenty-nine of those were better than this one.

[Paula Legate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an exciting book. Frank Connolly is retired from active duty military. He is now working as a Montana Confidential agent. The team of agents are working to end a serious terrorist threat. There were rumors that terrorist wanted to get their hands on a new biological weapon – D-5, a water-borne virus. It would be a huge disaster if they managed to get it in the water supply. There was a team of scientist working for an antidote. They had flown over C. J. Birch a British scientist to help. Frank’s job was to get her to the lab. Easier said than done. Gilad who was working for the terrorist thought of it as a game. He kept trying to kidnap C.J, and eliminate Frank. For him killing Frank would be pure joy. He had it out for Frank, and it was personal. C.J. and Frank had to work as a team trekking through the woods, and down mountainsides attempting to stay one step ahead of Gilad. C.J was one tough lady. She wanted tea, and civilization, but she kept up, and didn’t complain. She pulled her weight. I loved how the friendship between Frank, and C.J. grew into love. Excellent book.

[Amy D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad for harlequin romance. Overall in all genres was lacking. I can't get over the misspelled words and miss use of words that spell check would never catch. Some major plot points hard to believe and leave you had shaking at such stupidity.

[Calliope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little romance.