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Texas Confidential #3
The Specialist
The Mission: Transform Plain Jane to Femme Fatale
Going undercover in a powerful criminal's organization was Texas Confidential agent Rafe Alvarez's specialty, but he'd never had a partner before. And never one like Kendra Kincaide. He'd transformed the mousy woman into a deadly beauty for the sake of the assignment, but now his own heart was in jeopardy....
Rafe's every kiss made Kendra forget her purpose, his every touch threatened to expose her secret past. Their passion boiled over in the midst of a dangerous mission and put them both at risk. With their cover blown and their identities bared, would their passion survive another night?
- GenresRomance
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2000
6 people are currently reading
42 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.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 17, 2018
January 29, 2001
Dani Sinclair delivers what is probably the best "Texas Confidential" book with "The Specialist." Kendra Kincade has infiltrated Texas Confidential, determined to join Agent Rafe Alvarez on his top-secret mission. Kendra has personal reasons to want to see this criminal punished. Rafe may have met his match in the tough-as-nails Kendra. But can he keep her safe when trouble starts to follow her everywhere she goes?
There are several aspects that make "The Specialist" the best book of this popular miniseries. It's the only one of the "Texas Confidential" books where the agency comes to life and we can feel the connections between the agents. I got a better sense of the group from this book than any of the others. The mystery is also complicated without being convoluted and never becomes as muddled or confusing as some of this author's other works. "The Specialist" is her best book since "For His Daughter." It's full of surprises and suspenseful moments in a well-plotted tale.
Most of all, I enjoyed the depth of the characters. Kendra is a smart and tough heroine whose history is revealed in an interesting way. Fans of a Cinderella story will enjoy how this woman who thinks she's plain is shown how beautiful she is. Rafe is the bad boy you can't help loving. Over the course of the book, they have real character growth, which is too rare in these short books. Sinclair's talent for dialogue pays off in the banter between the two and there are many amusing lines. This pair is evenly matched and it's fun to watch them slowly realize their love for one another.
For a book filled with strong characters, good mystery, humorous dialogue and a passionate romance, "The Specialist" is a top-notch read.
Dani Sinclair delivers what is probably the best "Texas Confidential" book with "The Specialist." Kendra Kincade has infiltrated Texas Confidential, determined to join Agent Rafe Alvarez on his top-secret mission. Kendra has personal reasons to want to see this criminal punished. Rafe may have met his match in the tough-as-nails Kendra. But can he keep her safe when trouble starts to follow her everywhere she goes?
There are several aspects that make "The Specialist" the best book of this popular miniseries. It's the only one of the "Texas Confidential" books where the agency comes to life and we can feel the connections between the agents. I got a better sense of the group from this book than any of the others. The mystery is also complicated without being convoluted and never becomes as muddled or confusing as some of this author's other works. "The Specialist" is her best book since "For His Daughter." It's full of surprises and suspenseful moments in a well-plotted tale.
Most of all, I enjoyed the depth of the characters. Kendra is a smart and tough heroine whose history is revealed in an interesting way. Fans of a Cinderella story will enjoy how this woman who thinks she's plain is shown how beautiful she is. Rafe is the bad boy you can't help loving. Over the course of the book, they have real character growth, which is too rare in these short books. Sinclair's talent for dialogue pays off in the banter between the two and there are many amusing lines. This pair is evenly matched and it's fun to watch them slowly realize their love for one another.
For a book filled with strong characters, good mystery, humorous dialogue and a passionate romance, "The Specialist" is a top-notch read.
July 4, 2022
Did I read this? Yes. Was it great? No. Was it good? Again, no. Did it use misogynistic tropes? Yes. Did I question reading this at every turn, esp since this was the man they chose for the front cover? Yes. Did I need this to be gay? Yes. Did I find this in a free book exchange and figured, "why not"? Yes. Was this essentially day time television in book form? Yes. Do I regret this? Not really. It's not good but it's entertaining if you don't mind cishet romance.
November 10, 2025
3.5/5 STARS! Kendra is my favorite character and I loved her story. I could have read an entire series just on her & Rafe tbh. This is fantastic fun & the best in the series. I need more female characters like Kendra!
June 24, 2015
Rafe Alvarez is the third of the Texas Confidential agents that we've met. One night while riding around the ranch, a woman named Kendra appears, claiming to be his new partner. She's a computer expert who claims to have inside information about one of the criminals that the Confidential crowd are investigating. On hearing this, Mitchell Forbes, leader of the agency, agrees to taking her on as a partner on Rafe's undercover job, much to Rafe's displeasure. But Kendra has secrets of her own, and a grudge to settle...
I normally like Dani Sinclair, but this one really fell flat. I found Rafe sexist and controlling, and Kendra argumentative and kind of daft. Some of her actions seemed incredibly illogical - for example the way she balked at the idea of wearing sexy clothing when undercover.
Seriously? You want more than anything to get close to this criminal, so much so that it's all that you live for - and yet you're not willing to play the part necessary? Maybe it's just me, but if I desperately needed to go undercover, for whatever reason, I'd cheerfully prance around naked in front of my target if that's what it took to pull it off. When you have a mission, you do what needs to be done. You don't move heaven and earth to get the job and then go, "...but only if I don't have to do anything uncomfortable or embarrassing." *eyeroll*
I get that this sort of book requires suspension of disbelief, which is fine as far as technology and government agencies and criminal organisations are concerned, but the characters should still behave in believable ways, and Kendra just doesn't. 2 stars.
I normally like Dani Sinclair, but this one really fell flat. I found Rafe sexist and controlling, and Kendra argumentative and kind of daft. Some of her actions seemed incredibly illogical - for example the way she balked at the idea of wearing sexy clothing when undercover.
Seriously? You want more than anything to get close to this criminal, so much so that it's all that you live for - and yet you're not willing to play the part necessary? Maybe it's just me, but if I desperately needed to go undercover, for whatever reason, I'd cheerfully prance around naked in front of my target if that's what it took to pull it off. When you have a mission, you do what needs to be done. You don't move heaven and earth to get the job and then go, "...but only if I don't have to do anything uncomfortable or embarrassing." *eyeroll*
I get that this sort of book requires suspension of disbelief, which is fine as far as technology and government agencies and criminal organisations are concerned, but the characters should still behave in believable ways, and Kendra just doesn't. 2 stars.
September 25, 2009
Modern
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews