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Family Secrets #0.5
The Cinderella Mission
AGENT: Ethan Williams
MISSON: Intercept international jewel thieves with information on the whereabouts of a missing agent.
DEEPEST SECRET: He's spent his life searching for his parents' killers, but the answers he seeks are closer than he thinks....
Millionaire Ethan Williams risks death daily to save innocent lives. And they don't come more innocent than Kelly Taylor, his longtime friend and new partner. Ethan has doubts about her until he watches Kelly, the sweet girl next door, transform herself into a seductive siren capable of conquering any man she wants--and she wants Ethan.
But this mission means more than finding a missing agent. In a dangerous gamble Ethan must choose: Would he rather fulfill his need to know his past, or protect Kelly, the woman who could be his future?
FAMILY SECRETS: No one is who they seem.
MISSON: Intercept international jewel thieves with information on the whereabouts of a missing agent.
DEEPEST SECRET: He's spent his life searching for his parents' killers, but the answers he seeks are closer than he thinks....
Millionaire Ethan Williams risks death daily to save innocent lives. And they don't come more innocent than Kelly Taylor, his longtime friend and new partner. Ethan has doubts about her until he watches Kelly, the sweet girl next door, transform herself into a seductive siren capable of conquering any man she wants--and she wants Ethan.
But this mission means more than finding a missing agent. In a dangerous gamble Ethan must choose: Would he rather fulfill his need to know his past, or protect Kelly, the woman who could be his future?
FAMILY SECRETS: No one is who they seem.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2003
2 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Mann
603 books1,253 followersUSA Today bestseller Catherine Mann has written women's fiction, romance, and romantic suspense for Lake Union, Harlequin, HQN, Berkley, Tule, and Sourcebooks, with titles released in more than 30 countries. Catherine’s novels have won numerous awards, including a RITA Award, the Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Award, and the Bookseller’s Best Award.
A South Carolinian at heart, after years of moving around the country Catherine has settled back in her home state with her Harley-riding husband. Empty nesters, they have a blended family of nine children, nine grandchildren, two dogs, and three feral cats, who all provide endless inspiration for new novels. For more information, visit: http://catherinemann.com
A South Carolinian at heart, after years of moving around the country Catherine has settled back in her home state with her Harley-riding husband. Empty nesters, they have a blended family of nine children, nine grandchildren, two dogs, and three feral cats, who all provide endless inspiration for new novels. For more information, visit: http://catherinemann.com
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 28, 2018
Ethan Williams is a field operative working for the CIA's ARIES project. In an attempt to stop a jewel heist and maybe figure out what happened to a certain, Dr. Morrow, Ethan is paired up with desk jockey, Kelly Taylor, on her first field assignment. Ethan is not pleased with this as Kelly has a crush on him and, although he's attracted right back, Ethan is not a settling down kind of guy and he perceives Kelly to be the marrying type. He also has major issues with keeping women safe and doesn't trust Kelly to stay safe on her own. So his protective instincts kick into gear, which piss her off because all she wants is to be a field operative and to be trusted to do her own work. When the two finally cave to their attraction and realize they could actually have a relationship, Ethan insists that it would only be under the condition that Kelly give up field work. But Kelly's dream has been to work in the field and she's not sure if Ethan and their relationship is worth that and even if it is, she doesn't think it's fair to give that ultimatum.
I consider this a fairly solid piece of suspense romance with a dash of the James Bond spy stuff. Ethan and Kelly clearly have a decent friendship, but they both realize that it wasn't a really good one since neither of them were sharing much about each other. They didn't have much in the way of romantic chemistry and the love scenes are a bit of a let down, but they work well enough together and the two and their disagreements kept the drama/angst level high enough that I was fully engaged despite their lack of chemistry. I also really appreciated Kelly as an independent woman with a good head on her shoulders. She knows Ethan's reputation and that he's a bad bet, but she's attracted to him. She walks into things with her eyes wide open and with the understanding that if they have sex, it's a one-off because she isn't about to waste her time waiting for Ethan to want more with her. She tells him straight to his face she wouldn't want to marry him anyway. So her feelings for him in the beginning of the book really are just a crush, which she wants to get over. Surprisingly Ethan is the one who wants more first...only problem is that he wants conditions - her on desk duty and out of the field where it's dangerous. He has valid reasons for this given his past and it's believable bit of disagreement. I'm not sure I fully believe his little turn around personality change, especially since the situation she finds herself in basically proves his point (I doubt an experienced agent would have been taken the way she was).
I consider this a fairly solid piece of suspense romance with a dash of the James Bond spy stuff. Ethan and Kelly clearly have a decent friendship, but they both realize that it wasn't a really good one since neither of them were sharing much about each other. They didn't have much in the way of romantic chemistry and the love scenes are a bit of a let down, but they work well enough together and the two and their disagreements kept the drama/angst level high enough that I was fully engaged despite their lack of chemistry. I also really appreciated Kelly as an independent woman with a good head on her shoulders. She knows Ethan's reputation and that he's a bad bet, but she's attracted to him. She walks into things with her eyes wide open and with the understanding that if they have sex, it's a one-off because she isn't about to waste her time waiting for Ethan to want more with her. She tells him straight to his face she wouldn't want to marry him anyway. So her feelings for him in the beginning of the book really are just a crush, which she wants to get over. Surprisingly Ethan is the one who wants more first...only problem is that he wants conditions - her on desk duty and out of the field where it's dangerous. He has valid reasons for this given his past and it's believable bit of disagreement. I'm not sure I fully believe his little turn around personality change, especially since the situation she finds herself in basically proves his point (I doubt an experienced agent would have been taken the way she was).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2019
The Cinderella Mission is a great romantic suspense by Catherine Mann. Ms. Mann has provided readers with a well-written book. The characters are outstanding. Ethan and Kelly both work for AIRES, a top-secret section of the CIA. Ethan objects to having Kelly work with him on the new assignment but has no choice. Kelly has had a thing for Ethan for a while and she's ready for her first assignment. Kelly and Ethan's story is loaded with drama, humor, spice, action and suspense. I enjoyed reading The Cinderella Mission and look forward to reading more from Catherine Mann in the future. The Cinderella Mission is book 0.5 of the Family Secrets Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
I read a print copy of this book.
I read a print copy of this book.
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February 12, 2026review text for 461
December 27, 2011
want more of these two
May 31, 2013
can't wait to reed the series Family Secrets
April 19, 2014
Prequel Book #1 of the Family Secrets Collection.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews