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Colby Agency #42
Colby Core
After years in captivity, waiting for a rescuer who never came, Tessa Woods meets a mysterious stranger who's determined to help bring down a human-trafficking ring and save the other victims…including her child. But can she put all her dreams of a merry Christmas into the hands of a handsome agent?
Colby agent Riley Porter thinks being a former SEAL has prepared him for anything. When he goes undercover to find Tessa, he doesn't expect his professional mission to become personal. Yet caring for the brave, passionate woman who's ready to risk her life to end an evil cycle is far beyond his control. As the danger escalates, Riley must convince Tessa to do the impossible for their own trust him to protect her.
Colby agent Riley Porter thinks being a former SEAL has prepared him for anything. When he goes undercover to find Tessa, he doesn't expect his professional mission to become personal. Yet caring for the brave, passionate woman who's ready to risk her life to end an evil cycle is far beyond his control. As the danger escalates, Riley must convince Tessa to do the impossible for their own trust him to protect her.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Debra Webb
550 books2,462 followersDEBRA WEBB is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 170 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 four 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 four 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 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 3, 2014
The name of this book should have been named count down. Riley was on a mission to save children that had been kidnapped as part of a human trafficking ring. He pretended to be a new member of the master’s staff. The master sent him on a mission to see if he could trust him. Before Riley and Tessa left, a ring was placed around Riley’s neck. It was set to explode if they were not back within a certain amount of time. This mission has to succeed or the children would die. This book offered action with a touch of romance but was mainly suspense with the clock counting down.
Sample from chapter 6 – Smith touched the necklace type device Krant had locked around his throat. “A tracking device?” He inquired. The master shook his head. “There’s no need for you to wear a tracking device. I feel certain you’ll follow my orders precisely.” Tessa felt herself leaning forward in anticipation of what came next. “Actually the device you’re wearing contains a small explosive.” Tessa’s gaze locked on the device. Smith’s fingers settled there once more. “If you do not return here within the forty eight hour time frame the device will activate and…” He shrugged. “There will be quite a disaster for you.”
Sample from chapter 10 – She had dreamed of a hero for so very long. Not once in all that time had she considered that the hero she longed for might have to sacrifice his life to save the children and her. From the moment she’d laid eyes on Riley in the questioning room, she has sensed something different about him. Tessa didn’t want him to die.
Sample from chapter 13 – “Get down!” Riley shouted. The truck lunged forward. Tessa cowered in the floorboard, her hands covering her head. The truck swerved dangerously and rocketed forward faster and faster. She prayed the old truck could take the abuse.
Sample from chapter 6 – Smith touched the necklace type device Krant had locked around his throat. “A tracking device?” He inquired. The master shook his head. “There’s no need for you to wear a tracking device. I feel certain you’ll follow my orders precisely.” Tessa felt herself leaning forward in anticipation of what came next. “Actually the device you’re wearing contains a small explosive.” Tessa’s gaze locked on the device. Smith’s fingers settled there once more. “If you do not return here within the forty eight hour time frame the device will activate and…” He shrugged. “There will be quite a disaster for you.”
Sample from chapter 10 – She had dreamed of a hero for so very long. Not once in all that time had she considered that the hero she longed for might have to sacrifice his life to save the children and her. From the moment she’d laid eyes on Riley in the questioning room, she has sensed something different about him. Tessa didn’t want him to die.
Sample from chapter 13 – “Get down!” Riley shouted. The truck lunged forward. Tessa cowered in the floorboard, her hands covering her head. The truck swerved dangerously and rocketed forward faster and faster. She prayed the old truck could take the abuse.
February 20, 2011
A nice little bit of fluff, and the second half of a christmas two-parter. Riley Porter is a Colby Agency operative trying to infiltrate the child abduction ring uncovered in the previous volume. Tessa Wood is a young woman in the organization who had been abducted as a teenager, but 'The Master' decided to keep her for reasons never explained. In an attempt to save the children, including her own, Tessa decides to help Riley.
I found Tessa's character hard to believe, but it was a fun bit of fluff, and a nice conclusion to the story. There were a few hints at plot points that get dropped, and you never really get any idea of what motivated the villain to set up operations, or how his outfit actually worked, but when you're dealing with only 200 pages, it's kind of hard to flush everything out.
I found Tessa's character hard to believe, but it was a fun bit of fluff, and a nice conclusion to the story. There were a few hints at plot points that get dropped, and you never really get any idea of what motivated the villain to set up operations, or how his outfit actually worked, but when you're dealing with only 200 pages, it's kind of hard to flush everything out.
May 23, 2013
Started out more like 2.5, due to realism issues, but the ending saved it for me to make it 3.
Quick, simple read to pass some time, though I didn't buy the main female character at all. Putting myself in her place (heaven forbid), I don't know if anything she did rang true, except possibly the climax, as who really thinks about how hot the agent is when you and/or your child are about to be murdered at any moment? As a mother, I find this uneasy for me. However, lack of realism is often an issue with short romantic suspense.
I also had issues with the basic foundation. To clarify my perspective, I should disclose: Human trafficking is a serious, horrendous problem, but I do believe some good novels can come out of this horror - maybe even raise awareness for people. But, I almost never enjoy short fiction, especially romance, dealing with this issue, since it almost seems too horrific, too evil and brutal, to allow for love and romantic sex. So, I'm not surprised the book didn't work very well for me, in some ways.
There is a pretty glaring sidestep in the book, relating to Tessa's life as the Master's property, that felt like a gloss or cop out to me, and one calculated, I assume, to allow the romance to take place.
Nevertheless, the romance was drastically underplayed in this book (compared to other romantic suspense novels), so this tells me the author recognized the problem of finding love under such traumatic circumstances, and did attempt to handle it sensitively, which I appreciate.
In sum, the ending was solid, and it was reasonably well written and easy to follow during a busy work week, so it did its job. I would have liked to have seen some sense of place and location, since the setting was interesting enough, but the locale was almost absent. I would read more of the Colby series, and a reader who's just looking for something brief and simple could do worse.
Quick, simple read to pass some time, though I didn't buy the main female character at all. Putting myself in her place (heaven forbid), I don't know if anything she did rang true, except possibly the climax, as who really thinks about how hot the agent is when you and/or your child are about to be murdered at any moment? As a mother, I find this uneasy for me. However, lack of realism is often an issue with short romantic suspense.
I also had issues with the basic foundation. To clarify my perspective, I should disclose: Human trafficking is a serious, horrendous problem, but I do believe some good novels can come out of this horror - maybe even raise awareness for people. But, I almost never enjoy short fiction, especially romance, dealing with this issue, since it almost seems too horrific, too evil and brutal, to allow for love and romantic sex. So, I'm not surprised the book didn't work very well for me, in some ways.
There is a pretty glaring sidestep in the book, relating to Tessa's life as the Master's property, that felt like a gloss or cop out to me, and one calculated, I assume, to allow the romance to take place.
Nevertheless, the romance was drastically underplayed in this book (compared to other romantic suspense novels), so this tells me the author recognized the problem of finding love under such traumatic circumstances, and did attempt to handle it sensitively, which I appreciate.
In sum, the ending was solid, and it was reasonably well written and easy to follow during a busy work week, so it did its job. I would have liked to have seen some sense of place and location, since the setting was interesting enough, but the locale was almost absent. I would read more of the Colby series, and a reader who's just looking for something brief and simple could do worse.
December 21, 2010
i love t he way you had them together and you are great author and i hope to be able to read more of the series
and then the people were great in the book very exciting and differnt i love a great christmas bool
and then the people were great in the book very exciting and differnt i love a great christmas bool
September 12, 2019
Satisfying story.
September 28, 2015
This was one of the better Harlequin novels. I liked the story behind it, however sad it was. I wish there was more of an epilogue along the lines of Tessa and Riley possibly starting a family or a scene with Sophie. Something cutesy.
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December 23, 2014Miniseries: Colby Agency: Christmas Miracles
Read
December 23, 2014Miniseries: Colby Agency: Christmas Miracles
December 29, 2010
It served its purpose. A quick read that didn't ask too much of the reader. Pretty much what I needed today.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews