The Duke's Covert Mission (The Carradignes: A Royal Mystery) (Harlequin Intrigue # 666) [Paperback]

Julie Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2002

A DUKE WITH A MISSION...Dispossessed Duke Cadence St. John might be a maverick mercenary. He might have sold his soul to the highest bidder, but he wouldn't hurt shy, bespectacled royal secretary Ellie Standish--had he recognized her that is! She had transformed herself into a stunning beauty for the Inferno Ball, a metamorphosis so complete that instead of the real princess, his cohorts had kidnapped the wrong woman! Held in the dark confines of a remote cabin, Ellie would be killed if her identity were discovered. Cade vowed to stay near and protect her with his life. But when the heated sensuality of their forced proximity became too much, would Cade be able to complete his mission with not only is life, but also his heart, intact? (from back cover)

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373226667
• ISBN-13: 978-0373226665
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,217,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julie Miller is an award-winning, nationally bestselling author--with a National Readers Choice Award and a Daphne du Maurier among other prizes. In 2009, she was honored to receive a Career Achievement Award in Series Romantic Suspense from RT BookReviews. Several of her 45+ books have appeared on the USA Today, Amazon, Borders and BookScan Top 100 Romances bestseller lists.

After starting her career writing single-title romantic suspense with a paranormal twist, Julie joined the Harlequin family when her first Intrigue, ONE GOOD MAN, was published in 2000. Since then, she has crafted the bestselling, award-winning Taylor Clan series for Intrigue, as well as its equally successful spin-off series, THE PRECINCT. While she continues to write about cops and crime scenes for Intrigue, Ms. Miller occasionally writes for Harlequin Blaze--where her romantic suspense books get a steamier twist, and her military heroes have been especially popular. She also writes for continuities and other special projects at Harlequin Enterprises.

Check out Julie's book giveaway contests, monthly newsletter and more on her website at www.juliemiller.org.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars The Duke's Covert Mission -- 3 1/2 Stars, July 15, 2002

By 

Penny Griffin ([e-mail]) (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Duke's Covert Mission (The Carradignes: A Royal Mystery) (Harlequin Intrigue # 666) (Paperback)

American Romance's royal miniseries about the Carradigne family comes to Intrigue in Julie Miller's "The Duke's Covert Mission." Royal secretary Ellie Standish is looking forward to one magical night standing in for a princess at a New York ball. Instead she is kidnapped and held for ransom. She knows better than to trust Cade St. John, the most mysterious of her kidnappers. Can she resist this dangerous man she can't help being drawn to?

"The Duke's Covert Mission" had some good points and weak points. The best part of the story is the wonderful beginning. Dramatic and suspenseful, Miller immediately made me feel for her heroine, then plunges the reader straight into a terrifying situation. Ellie is a great, unusual heroine. I liked how she was a shy, regular woman who still fought back when her life was in danger. She comes across as stronger than many trained cop or secret agent heroines I've read recently. Many authors tell us their heroine are strong women but show them as victims the hero has to save over and over again. That's not the case with Ellie. She may have had a sheltered childhood and no training, but she rises to the occasion when her life is in danger the way a true heroine does. This book also features a gritty, suspenseful tone and tense scenes Miller's last book, "In the Blink of an Eye" lacked.

Despite the great opening and unique characters, I slowly lost interest as the story went along. While this book features some crisp, taut writing and exciting action scenes, it is also very repetitive and doesn't seem to go anywhere. She tries to get away. He catches her. She tries to get away. He catches her. That's all that really happens. I'm not sure if the author or her editor was afraid of writing too complicated a story that would turn off American Romance readers used to more simple tales, but "The Duke's Covert Mission" is a very simple story with no twists or surprises. The hero and heroine really aren't even involved in investigating who's behind the kidnapping, and the mastermind's identity is easy to figure out. Miller's strong storytelling carried me through the first half of this book, but the second half was harder to get through. There really wasn't enough to the story to hold my interest.

Miller's fans and anyone who wants to find out how the Carridigne series ends won't want to miss "The Duke's Covert Mission." Readers who like meaty stories with twists and surprises may want to pass.