Personal Protector [Paperback]

Debra Webb (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Harlequin Press (2002)
• ASIN: B0011D7W1A
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

More About the Author

I've been a story teller for as long as I can remember. I wrote my first story when I was eight or nine. Now, with my husband as my partner, I create gritty, sexy romantic suspense and chilling thrillers.Look for my debut thriller series, the Faces of Evil.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot & sexy!!!!, May 4, 2002

By 

Elizabeth Benway (Westville, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Personal Protector (The Colby Agency, Book 5) (Harlequin Intrigue Series #659) (Mass Market Paperback)

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!!

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Personal Protector, April 24, 2002

By 

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

This review is from: Personal Protector (The Colby Agency, Book 5) (Harlequin Intrigue Series #659) (Mass Market Paperback)

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 killer when the audience knows she should be going the other way. Then the audience doesn't feel bad for her, they cheer because she's so stupid she's getting exactly what she deserves. Reading the story became like anticipating a train crash you know doesn't have to happen but can't stop. I grew weary seeing this woman throw herself into dangerous situations again and again. She was asking for every terrible thing that happened to her.

Although "Personal Protector" is one of the best-written Intrigues of the year, I couldn't lose myself in the story. Some readers may not have the same problem. I know many people enjoyed Webb's "Protective Custody," where I thought the supposedly strong heroine was merely stupid for placing herself in danger over and over and over again and insisting she didn't need the hero to keep her safe when her actions said she did. "Personal Protector" has the same problem, though without the nasty edge and downright meanness between the hero and heroine. One of the pleasures of "Personal Protector," and there are many of them, is the way the characters' initial hostility gives way to a meaningful, emotional love story. "Personal Protector" is a book that can be enjoyed for its romance, good characters and sensual scenes. This is a rare Intrigue where the couple meet, have personal issues to overcome in their relationship and convince us their love will last. Some readers may find the suspense more frustrating than satisfying. Beautifully written, I thought for a while this would be Webb's best book yet. For me it needed more of a plot than "What stupid thing is Piper going to do now?"

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Give me more Colby Agency books!, April 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Personal Protector (The Colby Agency, Book 5) (Harlequin Intrigue Series #659) (Mass Market Paperback)

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!