What do you think?
Rate this book
Secret Cinderella
DESPERATELY SEEKING PRINCE CHARMING
Her desperate plan to save her brother left Melanie Andrews with a dead body on her hands, a killer at her heels and nowhere to run—except into Roderick Laughlin’s arms. As soon as she saw the seductive, self-made man in the crowded ballroom, she knew she’d found a temporary haven. And as the clock struck twelve, Melanie pressed a burning kiss on his lips and escaped into the night, thinking she’d never see him again.
She thought wrong.
The taste of her was seared into his mind, and there was nowhere Roderick’s mysterious Cinderella could hide. Because she’d gotten mixed up in a deadly game, one only Roderick could protect her from—as soon as he convinced her he was the only man to trust….
Her desperate plan to save her brother left Melanie Andrews with a dead body on her hands, a killer at her heels and nowhere to run—except into Roderick Laughlin’s arms. As soon as she saw the seductive, self-made man in the crowded ballroom, she knew she’d found a temporary haven. And as the clock struck twelve, Melanie pressed a burning kiss on his lips and escaped into the night, thinking she’d never see him again.
She thought wrong.
The taste of her was seared into his mind, and there was nowhere Roderick’s mysterious Cinderella could hide. Because she’d gotten mixed up in a deadly game, one only Roderick could protect her from—as soon as he convinced her he was the only man to trust….
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2005
3 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Dani Sinclair
68 books24 followersDani Sinclair was a 2008 RITA® finalist in the RITA®: Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure category for her novel Midnight Prince. She was RITA finalist for her novel Better Watch Out, won a Romantic Times Magazine Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Harlequin Intrigue of 2000 for The Specialist, and was nominated for a Career Achievement award for Series Romantic Suspense.
Ms. Sinclair and her husband reside outside Washington, D.C., where they share their home with four indoor cats, a small feral colony and the varied wildlife that passes through, stopping to feed at their bird feeders on a daily basis. They are active volunteers with a local animal rescue group and urge everyone to be responsible pet owners.
Ms. Sinclair and her husband reside outside Washington, D.C., where they share their home with four indoor cats, a small feral colony and the varied wildlife that passes through, stopping to feed at their bird feeders on a daily basis. They are active volunteers with a local animal rescue group and urge everyone to be responsible pet owners.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 24, 2015
A reasonably good entry under the Silhouette / Harlequin Intrigue imprint. Mel is the lone law-abiding citizen in a family of thieves and grifters, but when her brother is attacked and has a computer program he designed stolen from him, he begs her to steal it back. Unfortunately, when she goes to do so she finds the thief murdered, and while escaping she unknowingly runs straight into the arms of Roderick Laughlin, CEO of the company that stole her brother's program. Mel and Roderick find themselves on the run to escape a killer, solve a mystery, and clear her brother's name.
I quite liked this book - it wasn't one of my favourites, but I liked it enough to keep it on my bookshelf and read it again. The mystery is a bit convoluted, with lots of running around and not getting much done, but was interesting enough to keep me reading, although there weren't any real surprises.
Hero and heroine seem like nice people. Roderick wasn't really developed enough to catch my attention, but there wasn't anything irritating about him either. Mel was fun - she's better developed than Roderick, and I liked her spunk and the way she knew how to get herself out of tricky situations without relying on anyone. They had good chemistry together, although I feel quite cheated by the lack of sex - several times things got steamy, and then they backed off. Getting teased like that is fine if it leads to something eventually, but when nothing comes of it I find it irritating.
The cover annoys me, too - although it's a pretty picture, the dress looks NOTHING like it did in the book. I wish they'd put more thought into these covers. Some are excellent, and others don't fit at all. Just a pet peeve of mine.
All in all, a decent enough romantic mystery. 3.5 stars.
I quite liked this book - it wasn't one of my favourites, but I liked it enough to keep it on my bookshelf and read it again. The mystery is a bit convoluted, with lots of running around and not getting much done, but was interesting enough to keep me reading, although there weren't any real surprises.
Hero and heroine seem like nice people. Roderick wasn't really developed enough to catch my attention, but there wasn't anything irritating about him either. Mel was fun - she's better developed than Roderick, and I liked her spunk and the way she knew how to get herself out of tricky situations without relying on anyone. They had good chemistry together, although I feel quite cheated by the lack of sex - several times things got steamy, and then they backed off. Getting teased like that is fine if it leads to something eventually, but when nothing comes of it I find it irritating.
The cover annoys me, too - although it's a pretty picture, the dress looks NOTHING like it did in the book. I wish they'd put more thought into these covers. Some are excellent, and others don't fit at all. Just a pet peeve of mine.
All in all, a decent enough romantic mystery. 3.5 stars.
December 29, 2015
I loved the dialogue in this book. Melanie was such a quirky heroine...and Roderick was the perfect straight-faced foil for her. The conversations and actions were very fast-paced. It reminded me a bit of the characters in North by Northwest. Melanie is the product of a thieving family so she can break into anywhere and knows all the tricks--it just makes for good fiction.
I also liked how the mystery unfolded so well that you were solving it at the same time as the main characters. It wasn't quite as suspenseful due to the humor, but I favor being entertained over being scared.
Also, for a Harlequin, this was pretty clean...very little profanity...and the sexual content is fairly lightweight...even if the sexual tension is definitely there. This might be one you can recommend to your mother and grandmother without them blushing and cutting you out of their will.
I'm definitely going to purchase a few more books by Dani Sinclair and hope that lightning strikes twice...or more. Great book.
In my reviews, I like to include my favorite parts of the book and this is from Location 1279 in my Kindle (but I had a lot of favorite parts):
"I hope you don't mind if I look like I'm yelling at you," she told him. "If they think we're having a fight they probably won't stop us. It would help if you could manage to look angry."
"That won't be difficult," he muttered.
The uniformed man in the SUV looked them over closely as the two cars passed. He didn't stop them, and even looked a bit sympathetic as Melanie continued mouthing words and gesturing angrily.
I also liked how the mystery unfolded so well that you were solving it at the same time as the main characters. It wasn't quite as suspenseful due to the humor, but I favor being entertained over being scared.
Also, for a Harlequin, this was pretty clean...very little profanity...and the sexual content is fairly lightweight...even if the sexual tension is definitely there. This might be one you can recommend to your mother and grandmother without them blushing and cutting you out of their will.
I'm definitely going to purchase a few more books by Dani Sinclair and hope that lightning strikes twice...or more. Great book.
In my reviews, I like to include my favorite parts of the book and this is from Location 1279 in my Kindle (but I had a lot of favorite parts):
"I hope you don't mind if I look like I'm yelling at you," she told him. "If they think we're having a fight they probably won't stop us. It would help if you could manage to look angry."
"That won't be difficult," he muttered.
The uniformed man in the SUV looked them over closely as the two cars passed. He didn't stop them, and even looked a bit sympathetic as Melanie continued mouthing words and gesturing angrily.
September 26, 2015
I'd give 3.5 if half stars were allowed.
I really liked that the heroine was the stronger force in this book. She was the one who knew all the tricks and how to "fight the bad guys". She was smart and sassy and truly didn't need a man, not even the one in the book really which is where my problem with the book comes in. I didn't really feel any chemistry between the two and felt this would have been better off not as a romance novel but as just a mystery novel.
Over all there was nothing wrong with the novel it just fell flat on the romance aspect and a few times I felt the "intrigue" or "mystery" parts got a little jumbled up. As if the author had them in her head but rushed to get them on paper too quickly or in too few words.
But it was a quick read so if you're up for some non-romantic intrigue give it a go.
I really liked that the heroine was the stronger force in this book. She was the one who knew all the tricks and how to "fight the bad guys". She was smart and sassy and truly didn't need a man, not even the one in the book really which is where my problem with the book comes in. I didn't really feel any chemistry between the two and felt this would have been better off not as a romance novel but as just a mystery novel.
Over all there was nothing wrong with the novel it just fell flat on the romance aspect and a few times I felt the "intrigue" or "mystery" parts got a little jumbled up. As if the author had them in her head but rushed to get them on paper too quickly or in too few words.
But it was a quick read so if you're up for some non-romantic intrigue give it a go.
August 2, 2015
Me encanto, fue como todo lo que esperaba de "The consequences of sin" en serio. Pero corto.
January 2, 2017
Leído el 19/08/2009
Read
January 7, 2015Was a pretty interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews