Reviewer: Tracy Barely Undercover by Sarah Castille
Series: Legal Heat #2
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: December 2nd 2014
Genres: Suspense
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
Series Rating:
When private investigator Lana Parker follows a dangerous biker into an underground sex club, James Hunter is the last man she expects to see. But there he is, all dark looks and chiseled charms, ready to break her heart all over again.
Danger is the name of the game for an undercover cop. And the last thing James wants is for the fiery beauty to come anywhere near the notorious biker gang he's trying to take down. Yet Lana has no intention of giving up her case, which means he'll have to keep her close to keep her safe. A risky proposition-especially when their blazing sexual chemistry reignites an unforgettable passion.
But when a dark terror emerges from the past, Lana goes on the run...and James gives up everything to save her. Backed into a corner, Lana must face her fears, including the one thing that frightens her most...her overwhelming feelings for the man whose searing glance sparks her most hidden desires, the man she should not trust, but cannot resist.
Tracy’s review of Barely Undercover by Sarah Castille
Two years ago Lana met James and they had an instant connection. Lana fell in love with the gritty, stand-up cop but she woke up one day and he was gone – never to be heard from again. She was heartbroken but with the help of her friend and business partner, Jackie, she was able to get back to living. Lana is a PI and her case is a strange one and one that is a bit closer to home than she likes. The client is trying to get dirt on the leader of a bike club so that his wife can get full custody of their child and restart her life somewhere else. Lana takes the case but it brings back very bad memories. She had been in a BC at one time and though she was an old lady she was beaten repeatedly with her man doing nothing. She finally escaped and never wants to go back.
Unfortunately the man she’s following, Rex, sees Lana when she follows him into a club and wants her. When she tries to escape the club and Rex she runs smack dab into James who is working undercover in the BC to bring it down. He immediately claims that Lana is “Roxie” and that she’s his old lady. This should have meant hands off to anyone in the club but Rex is relentless and this bring Lana to the clubhouse time and again – each time with Rex trying to get to her. When Rex realizes that Lana is “property” of another club he cashes in on that.
James left two years ago because he was not only scared of his own feelings but he wanted to keep Lana safe (as he couldn’t do with a previous woman) from his job. When the undercover op came up he jumped at it but after two years he’s frustrated. Everything he’s done and said should have had him out of the BC long before two years but it seemed like his bosses weren’t looking out for him. When Lana comes on the scene he tells himself that he needs her gone but he can’t seem to get her out of his head or to stay away from her. He doesn’t know Lana’s past so when shit starts to hit the fan he just wants to protect the woman he loves.
What a great book! This was fun and exciting, sexy and gritty and kind of kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading.
Lana was a woman on a mission. She was tough but also soft and beautiful, inside and out. She had a job to do and wasn’t going to let anyone stand in her way – no matter what the cost. She had lived a very hard life but came out to be a better woman and I so admired her for her strength. She’d loved James to pieces when they were previously together so was devastated when he left her. She was right to try to stay away from him at first as she wasn’t sure if she could trust him to stay – or trust herself to not throw herself at him. 🙂
James had had to play a part for two years and he was about done. He had more than enough dirt on the BC but yet he was still undercover. He actually liked being part of a club – just not the one he was in as they were dirty through and through. He had tried to keep Lana at arms length when he first saw her again but as Rex was determined to have her in the clubhouse James had no choice but to bring her. He protected her and in doing so his feelings, that he’d never lost for her, came to the forefront and he was once again faced with an option. Keep her away or keep her close. He chooses to keep her close and I loved that he did. I think Lana was good for James – though the major shit hit the fan when her past came calling – and he finally realized that and determined to never let her go again. He was an admirable man and I loved his character.
The book was well written and I was all in from word one. This is my second read by Castille but it certainly won’t be my last.
Rating: 4 out of 5
You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place
This title is available from Samhain Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.