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Colby Agency #53
Would-Be Christmas Wedding
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR DEBRA WEBB BRINGS THE SPECIALISTS, HER RIVETING NEW COLBY AGENCY MINISERIES, TO A BREATHTAKING CLIMAX.
Emmett Holt was laying everything on the line. The deputy director of Mission Recovery had gone way undercover to bring down a criminal mastermind. It had to appear, even to his own people, that he was involved in a plot to kidnap his boss's sister. But Cecelia Manning wasn't what he'd expected.
Emotional entanglements made him vulnerable in his line of work. So Emmett made his heart as cold as a Christmas blizzard. But as Cecelia collaborated in his risky ploy, his admiration for her was surpassed only by his raging desire. He'd known from the start he could lose his career, but never imagined he could gain a wife.
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
22 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Debra Webb
548 books2,368 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 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 22, 2013
Wow. This was a fantastic conclusion to the trilogy. Emmett has been playing the part of a traitor in order to bring down an international terrorist. He's done such a good job that his own people are beginning to doubt him. When the final step is to kidnap his boss's sister he knows he's in trouble. Cecilia isn't anything like what he expected. When she offers to help him he is amazed by her talents. He always knew that he could lose his career if this went wrong, he hadn't realized he could lose his heart.
I loved Emmett and Cecilia. When he first learned of Isley's plans to release a deadly virus in the world and to punish Thomas Casey for his role in Isley's father's death he knew that he had to do whatever it took to stop him. He spent months building his role as a traitor in order to get close enough to take him down. He did it all on his own, not telling anyone about it in order to make it look more credible. Emmett has always been a loner, not cultivating friendships or relationships because those could make him vulnerable. He also found that keeping secrets as he must is hard on any kind of relationship. When he got word of the plan to kidnap Cecilia and use her against Thomas he started taking steps to protect her at the same time he would have to use her. I loved the way that their first meeting/date totally surprised him with her beauty but also her intelligence. When they were attacked her coolness under stress made him reevaluate the plans he had made, making it possible to be a little more inventive. He also didn't expect the intense physical attraction he felt for her. He knew that nothing could come of it because of his actions but he found his mind going there anyway. I really liked the way that he ended up telling her everything and accepting her help. He was surprised by some of her insights. He was also very nervous about the way that she could see past his walls and seemed to understand a lot more about him than he was comfortable with. I also liked how he was so supportive of her future plans and told her that he was very confident in her ability to carry them out.
Cecilia is ready to move on past her husband's death. She has been working in an admin job for the CIA but recently put in an application to become an operative. She was accepted and is excited about it, but her daughter and brother don't think she is able to do it. She is frustrated by their attitudes but isn't going to let it stop her. She has also joined an online dating site, where she met Emmett. Before they go on their first date she is warned about him by her brother, who is Emmett's boss. When Emmett protects her from several attacks that first night, she is sure that he isn't the bad guy he's being accused of being. She tries to be somewhat cautious about those feelings, worried that the attraction she feels for him might be coloring her view. But thanks to her experiences with her various operative family members, she can also see past the role he's playing as a bad guy to the white knight that is his true self. I loved the way that she refuses to sit back and let him do everything. By the time she gets the whole story from him she knows that she is going to do everything she can to make sure he survives the operation with career and life intact. She has a great way of standing up to him and making sure he listens to what she has to say. She also discovers that the emotions she thought had died with her husband are alive and well when it comes to Emmett. When the final showdown came I loved her part at the very center of it.
Over the three books, Emmett's part wore on him more and more. Trying to run an operation like that completely on his own was incredibly stressful. In the second book it was really hard to tell if he was a good guy or had really gone over to the dark side. As he took center stage in this book it all became clear but the tension was really strong. I loved the mutual respect that Emmett and Cecilia had for each other even before their emotions took over. The final showdown was intense, and the culmination of the romance was fun.
I loved Emmett and Cecilia. When he first learned of Isley's plans to release a deadly virus in the world and to punish Thomas Casey for his role in Isley's father's death he knew that he had to do whatever it took to stop him. He spent months building his role as a traitor in order to get close enough to take him down. He did it all on his own, not telling anyone about it in order to make it look more credible. Emmett has always been a loner, not cultivating friendships or relationships because those could make him vulnerable. He also found that keeping secrets as he must is hard on any kind of relationship. When he got word of the plan to kidnap Cecilia and use her against Thomas he started taking steps to protect her at the same time he would have to use her. I loved the way that their first meeting/date totally surprised him with her beauty but also her intelligence. When they were attacked her coolness under stress made him reevaluate the plans he had made, making it possible to be a little more inventive. He also didn't expect the intense physical attraction he felt for her. He knew that nothing could come of it because of his actions but he found his mind going there anyway. I really liked the way that he ended up telling her everything and accepting her help. He was surprised by some of her insights. He was also very nervous about the way that she could see past his walls and seemed to understand a lot more about him than he was comfortable with. I also liked how he was so supportive of her future plans and told her that he was very confident in her ability to carry them out.
Cecilia is ready to move on past her husband's death. She has been working in an admin job for the CIA but recently put in an application to become an operative. She was accepted and is excited about it, but her daughter and brother don't think she is able to do it. She is frustrated by their attitudes but isn't going to let it stop her. She has also joined an online dating site, where she met Emmett. Before they go on their first date she is warned about him by her brother, who is Emmett's boss. When Emmett protects her from several attacks that first night, she is sure that he isn't the bad guy he's being accused of being. She tries to be somewhat cautious about those feelings, worried that the attraction she feels for him might be coloring her view. But thanks to her experiences with her various operative family members, she can also see past the role he's playing as a bad guy to the white knight that is his true self. I loved the way that she refuses to sit back and let him do everything. By the time she gets the whole story from him she knows that she is going to do everything she can to make sure he survives the operation with career and life intact. She has a great way of standing up to him and making sure he listens to what she has to say. She also discovers that the emotions she thought had died with her husband are alive and well when it comes to Emmett. When the final showdown came I loved her part at the very center of it.
Over the three books, Emmett's part wore on him more and more. Trying to run an operation like that completely on his own was incredibly stressful. In the second book it was really hard to tell if he was a good guy or had really gone over to the dark side. As he took center stage in this book it all became clear but the tension was really strong. I loved the mutual respect that Emmett and Cecilia had for each other even before their emotions took over. The final showdown was intense, and the culmination of the romance was fun.
November 10, 2016
I Loved this book! It had it all, intense action / suspense, romance, and fun. The Hero, and Heroine danced in the face of danger, and flirted back and forth throughout the book. It's hard to balance both intense action, and fun, and flirty, but this book was the perfect mixture.
Cecilia loved her husband. She stayed by his side as her husband fought an unwinnable battle against cancer. She made a promise to him that when he died, she would go on living. She knew she wanted more from life. Her kids were grown. she was ready for a career change. She wanted to work in the field with the CIA. Her daughter, and her brother were against this idea. They did not have faith in her skills.
Emmett had been playing as a traitor in order to bring down a terrorist. He was too good at his job. His own team members thought he was the mole within the team. He knew he had gotten in way over his head when he was ordered to kidnap his boss's sister Cecilia. I loved the sparks in chemistry between the two. He never had any plans of hurting Cecilia, and for some strange reason she trusted him. The two teamed up to go against the bad guys. He taught her so much throughout the story. He had faith in her skills and ability. Neither expected to find love, but Love happens when you're not looking. Loved this book!
September 18, 2013
Yes, the next installment of the Colby's is here. I found Deb by stumbling onto The colby's when looking for a long series to read. Now I read anything Deb writes. I hope the colby's continue for many more books.
September 20, 2013
Another great series
January 12, 2017
Cecelia's brother wanted her to go in hiding, but she thinks she has too much going on. But my goodness, she sure can land he self in some kind of trouble. On the run, someone is out to kidnap her. But who can she really trust??
If you enjoy romance along with lots of danger, should enjoy.
If you enjoy romance along with lots of danger, should enjoy.
November 6, 2017
HI #1456 = 4.5 stars
January 6, 2025
Easy read undercover, traitor, lover. Which one is he?
Mystery, fast pace. Great characters.
Mystery, fast pace. Great characters.
October 9, 2013
The Colby Series has been one of my favorite series since I started reading Debra Webb’s books many years ago (over 10 years ago). I started reading her books and realized it was a series and I always love to read series in order. I went to many used bookstores and searched online for the books that were out of print. I finally collected them up to the one I’d started reading and I’ve bought every one of them since including every book Debra has written. I’m hooked! This is a series that I will reread because of such great storylines and I bet you’ll feel the same way.
Victoria Colby started the Colby Agency of the best private investigators and over the years it has expanded and opened another office in Texas. Victoria and her husband Lucas have planned to retire and leave the Colby Agency in great hands. Victoria’s son Jim opened the Equalizers and now they work together. I don’t want to ruin the storyline by going into great detail of the story. I wonder if Victoria and Lucas will be ever to fully retire.
In Would-Be Christmas Wedding Thomas’ sister, Cecelia Manning, has decided since her family are trained operatives she is going to get out of the CIA office and get in the field to help. Her application has been accepted and she is ready for a new challenge. Her husband, William, was an operative before he died the previous year. Her family is anything but happy and thinks she should stay at home and be safe. But, now she is targeted and Emmett is the only one who can protect her. Will he keep her safe or turn her over to Bernard Isley? Will all her training help her stay alive? Everyone is frantic trying to find her before she is killed.
I know you will love this book and the entire series if you choose to read all the books. Don’t miss her Faces of Evil series or any of her books. Debra has a writing style that draws you into the story and you don’t want to put the book down until you have finished it. I’ve stayed up way past my bedtime many nights. Enjoy the book and happy reading!
Victoria Colby started the Colby Agency of the best private investigators and over the years it has expanded and opened another office in Texas. Victoria and her husband Lucas have planned to retire and leave the Colby Agency in great hands. Victoria’s son Jim opened the Equalizers and now they work together. I don’t want to ruin the storyline by going into great detail of the story. I wonder if Victoria and Lucas will be ever to fully retire.
In Would-Be Christmas Wedding Thomas’ sister, Cecelia Manning, has decided since her family are trained operatives she is going to get out of the CIA office and get in the field to help. Her application has been accepted and she is ready for a new challenge. Her husband, William, was an operative before he died the previous year. Her family is anything but happy and thinks she should stay at home and be safe. But, now she is targeted and Emmett is the only one who can protect her. Will he keep her safe or turn her over to Bernard Isley? Will all her training help her stay alive? Everyone is frantic trying to find her before she is killed.
I know you will love this book and the entire series if you choose to read all the books. Don’t miss her Faces of Evil series or any of her books. Debra has a writing style that draws you into the story and you don’t want to put the book down until you have finished it. I’ve stayed up way past my bedtime many nights. Enjoy the book and happy reading!
June 16, 2016
An unexpected romance. Webb and Black are having fun with the readers here, throwing two smart, attractive and not twenty-somethings together. Emmett Holt is the Deputy Director of the covert Specialists, and has removed himself from every human contact possible. He is, of course, playing a very dangerous game with bio-weapons, a known terrorist and a longtime feud.
Director Casey is leery of Holt, and has Jason Grant always ready to back up any op that may go sideways - and take over as Deputy, too. When Casey's sister Cecelia, just out of mourning her husband of twenty-five years, indicates that she no longer wants to ride a desk at Human Resources at the CIA, Thomas has a fit. He wants her to stay the loving, meek housewife she has always been. You can probably guess what happens when Cecelia goes out with the gentleman she's been having online singles correspondence with.
Holt, of course, begins with another idea in mind. They find, however, that they both have unexpected talents. She is a natural at spycraft, and he does have a beating heart. Good one.
Director Casey is leery of Holt, and has Jason Grant always ready to back up any op that may go sideways - and take over as Deputy, too. When Casey's sister Cecelia, just out of mourning her husband of twenty-five years, indicates that she no longer wants to ride a desk at Human Resources at the CIA, Thomas has a fit. He wants her to stay the loving, meek housewife she has always been. You can probably guess what happens when Cecelia goes out with the gentleman she's been having online singles correspondence with.
Holt, of course, begins with another idea in mind. They find, however, that they both have unexpected talents. She is a natural at spycraft, and he does have a beating heart. Good one.
November 26, 2013
In Webb’s romantic intrigue novel, Emmett Holt was determined to bring down a criminal mastermind and to do that, he had to make it look like he was involved in the kidnapping of his boss’s sister, Cecelia Manning. Relationships were not possible in this line of work so Emmett hardens himself to the growing attraction and admiration he feels for Cecelia as she assists him in this dangerous mission. As the danger grows near, Emmett realizes that his career and his heart are on the line.
A fast-paced, action-packed conclusion to the Colby Agency: The Specialists.
A fast-paced, action-packed conclusion to the Colby Agency: The Specialists.
December 8, 2013
As always, Debra Webb did not disappoint with this latest entry in her Colby Agency series.
Even knowing the main characters would end up together in the end--that's how the genre works, after all--she wove such a tail of intrigue (no pun intended since this is a Harlequin Intrigue book)and true human emotions, there were actually moments I wondered if there would actually be a happily ever after!
Even knowing the main characters would end up together in the end--that's how the genre works, after all--she wove such a tail of intrigue (no pun intended since this is a Harlequin Intrigue book)and true human emotions, there were actually moments I wondered if there would actually be a happily ever after!
January 28, 2014
Cecilia Manning is ready to move on with her life after her husband's death from cancer. She has decided to become an agent for the CIA instead of the clerical support position she now holds. She inadvertently has become a kidnapping target of a terrorist group. Emmett Holt is determined to keep Cecilia out of the clutches of the kidnappers. Emmett and Cecilia form a romantic interest while fighting off the bad guys. This story keeps you interested.
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December 29, 2014Miniseries: Colby Agency: The Specialists
Read
December 29, 2014"Mature characters and sexy spies make this Colby Agency spin-off a top-of-the-line read. RT Book Reviews, rated 4 stars
Miniseries: Colby Agency: The Specialists
Miniseries: Colby Agency: The Specialists
January 11, 2015
Good book
April 5, 2017
Not a very interesting story that had almost nothing to do with a bride. I don't get it?
November 28, 2013
I enjoyed the book. I have read many books by Debra Webb and have enjoyed them all.
March 28, 2017
Love this story featuring mature (over 40) characters with a little life and a few wrinkles under their belts.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews