Review: Barely Undercover

Title: Barely Undercover
Series: Legal Heat, #2
Author: Sarah Castille
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd
Release Date: December 3, 2013
Pages: 270
Buy Link: Amazon

Blurb:

With passion at full throttle, there's no turning back. 

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.
Warning: The book contains violence, explicit sex, light BDSM, heavy swearing, motorcycle sexytimes, bad-ass biker naughtytimes, and an exceptionally hot hero who will get down and dirty anywhere but under the covers.

Review

So hot, so steamy, so good!!!

This is the second book I've read of Sarah Castille, and I haven't been disappointed. Oh my gosh, I promise she is the only author that can get me so bothered ;) *fans self*

James was an undercover cop for two years, the same time he walked away from Lana. His transformation wasn't something he enjoyed, but it was necessary. Lana and I, on the other hand, are in love with him! He's so "hot as in H-O-T" as Jackie had put it. He was dangerous, sexy, and can talk dirty. Perfect combination for sure. No wonder Lana was always ready to jump him ;)

Lana had a dark past, one she was still running away from. Getting involved with James was not the best idea, but really, who could resist him? I especially enjoyed his deadpan responses to Lana's questions or statements. I could just picture James's shoulders shrugging as he said the words nonchalantly. *swoon*

Lana: "You broke it."
James: "I wanted to come in."
Lana: "Most people would take the closed door as a refusal and not an invitation."
James: "I took it as a challenge."

Then, there's Jackie, Lana's best friend. They basically saved each other when they were at their lowest. She's absolutely adorable! She cracked me up whenever she had a scene with Lana, regardless of how serious the situation was!

Lana: "I would introduce you, but I don't know what name you go by, and since you're leaving anyway, it doesn't matter."
James: "Ice."
Jackie: Jackie. So you're the hot undercover cop. I've heard a lot about you. Mostly bad things. I'm afraid as Lana's best friend I have a duty to hate you vicariously for breaking her heart, which is a shame because you're kind of cute, and the whole kicking the door thing..." She fanned herself and finished with a light giggle. (Please note that Jackie NEVER giggled before according to Lana.)

There was also James's loyal biker friend, Ryder. He was also super hot. I really wish that there would be a book about him and Jackie. I want them to end up together. Their fire would totally blend and explode into an inferno! I would LOVE to read that (*wink* to the author)

Ryder: "A man sees you, Roxie (Lana), you're burned into his brain. No matter what you're wearing."

One of my favorite parts were the German-speaking scene between Lana, James, and Ryder. That was absolutely filled with sexual tension! I also enjoyed how mad James was, Ryder wasn't bothered at all, and Lana was scared and considered hiding. It was absolutely hilarious!!

Yet another hilarious scene was when James and Ryder were talking about being set free from their cell by the villain's wife. I could not believe it! Ryder was scared! I was about to have a fit!

Voices. Low. Urgent. Crack! A grunt. "Don't tell me I don't got any say," Angel shouted. "Last I heard, I was still married to the cheating bastard, which makes me the number one old lady in the club, which makes you dirt under my fucking shoes. See these shoes? He bought 'em for me as an apology for fucking the babysitter. They look pretty but they got steel toes. You know why they got steel toes? So I could kick losers like you in the balls and cause some permanent fucking damage." Thud! A long, low pained groan. James winced. Beside him, Ryder grimaced and the color drained from his face. "You sure it was a good idea calling out for her? What if she's pissed at us too?" "I told you," James said, with a confidence he didn't feel in the least. "She owes me a favor." "She doesn't owe me." Ryder paced his way to the back of the room. Away from the door. James gave a harsh laugh. "She's half your size. Maybe even less." Ryder shook his head. "Size means nothing. She scares me. Just like black widow spiders and scorpions scare me. They're so small and you can't see them coming, and by the time you do, it's too late." He drew a line across his throat. "You're dead."

Lana's tragic past was so vivid, I could practically see every painful thing she experienced. When her eyes showed she lost all hope, I felt it, too. The author did such a great job, I'm completely blown away. I did enjoy James's last minute rescue every time she needed him. He was definitely a real hero for her. One thing I wanted to find out, though, was how James got his biker name, Ice. That would have been such a cool story to read. Check it out below - exclusive!!

Character Interview

Lana, you and James met under unusual circumstances. Was it love at first sight? Did you know even then he was the one for you?

Lana: [Lana grins]. It was definitely lust at first sight. He was working security at the underground sex club, Carpe Noctem when I sneaked in to do a little investigative work. Unfortunately or maybe [turns to James and winks] fortunately he caught me and dragged me to his office for an interrogation. I couldn’t stop staring at him. I mean he was all pissed off and playing the bad-ass but for some reason that just made me hotter and, of course, he kept checking me out.

James: [snorts] Babe. I wasn’t checking you out. I was wondering whether you were gonna freeze to death in that tiny, electric fucking blue outfit that hugged every curve of your beautiful body when I booted your ass outside for sneaking into the club.

Lana: Like I said, checking me out.

James: Like I said, wondering about the outfit and what was underneath

Lana: Every time I met him on that case, he was checking me out. Once he even pretended he needed to frisk me so he could look at my ass.

James: My girl’s got the fucking sweetest ass...

Lana: [shakes her head and sighs] He swears a lot since he’s become a real biker. “You aren’t fucking going out in that barely fucking there strip-of Lycra lap dancer disguise,” he says to me when I’m about to go on surveillance. “Get your ass to bed,” he says, as if I’m gonna run to do his bidding.

James: [slides his hand under Lana’s tumble of red hair and curls his fingers around her neck, leaning close]. Babe, you like to do my bidding. And far as I can recall, your ass hit the bed in record time.

Lana: [blushes] Well I hadn’t seen you in twelve hours, and then you stalk into our apartment, looking bad-ass breathtaking in your leathers and smelling of diesel and the ocean. And you’ve got that look you get after you spend the day cruising around with Ryder and the Rogue Riders on your Harleys just looking for trouble. What’s a hot-blooded girl supposed to do?

James: You certainly had some ideas.

Lana: So did you. You never seem to run out of ideas. Sometimes your imagination scares me.

James, what about you? Two years went by after you left Lana and broke her heart. What did you think when you saw her again? Was the spark still there?

James: Fuck, yeah. Thought I’d have a heart attack. Not a day went by that I didn’t think about her and there she was. Christ, you shoulda seen her in that sex club wearin’ a naughty police outfit with these stockings that criss crossed all the way up her gorgeous legs. My brain fuzzed and I couldn’t think beyond wantin’ to get her the hell outta there ‘cause every guy in that place was panting over her.

Lana: Not every guy.

James: I’m a guy, babe. I know when other men are wantin’ my woman. Sixth sense. Was wondering how many I could take out on my own...

Lana: [shifts in her seat]. I wasn’t your woman then. I hated you for leaving me. I’d even given you a nickname, Heartless Bastard.

James: [squeezes her hand] You’ve been mine since the first day we met. Just needed a kick in the ass to see it.

Lana: [rolls her eyes] So romantic. Possessive and potty mouthed.

James:  You love my mouth, babe. Last night after you got your ass in bed, you said...

Lana: James!

James: ...you loved...

Lana: James!

James: Me.

Lana: Oh. Yeah. I do have a fondness for rough, gritty, breathtakingly handsome alpha male bikers with potty mouths.

James: [presses kiss to her forehead]. She loves me.

Lana: You might have mentioned you loved me too.

James: Didn’t think you heard me.

Lana: [softly] I hear you every time you say it and I’ll never get tired of hearing it.

James: Maybe we should get it tattooed on your ass...

Maybe we should ask the big question everyone has been wondering about. James...how did you get your road name, Ice?

James: [smirks] Well, one night I was with the Rogue Riders in the Cecil strip club on Main Street...

Lana: Omigod. You were in a strip club?

James: I wasn’t lookin’ at the girls, babe. I was just there for a coupla drinks with the boys.

Lana: It’s amazing strip clubs stay in business given the number of men who say they just went with their friends for a few drinks and don’t look at the women dancing. If you want to drink with your friends, why not go to a bar where women aren’t ripping off their clothes and slithering around a pole?

James: Babe?

Lana: [frowns] What?

James: I ever lie to you?

Lana: You sneaked out in the middle of the night and left me two years ago.

James: But did I lie?

Lana: Okay. No. You’ve never lied to me. But that doesn’t excuse the fact you were at a strip club, and if I ever catch you at a strip club again, you’ll be a very, very sorry biker.

James: Noted.

Lana: I guess I’ll let you tell the story.

James: Much appreciated. So, I was at the strip club and this little cherry bomb with flamin’ red hair and a teeny tiny l’il red dress with nothin’ underneath is crawling over my lap...

Lana: [muffles a snort] Not liking the story, James...

James: Well, I’m gonna finish anyway ‘cause it’s the polite thing to do. So, she offered to gimme the Cecil Special for half price in the back room and all the guys are drooling ‘cause she was a hot piece of—an attractive girl—but she offered the special only to me. But I said no.

Lana: [says dryly and rolls her eyes] I’m so pleased.

James: I said ‘no’ because I was thinking of you, babe. Even though I’d made the biggest mistake of my life and left you, I never stopped thinking about you. She had hair just like yours and I wanted it to be you crawling on my lap, with your hand between...er...your breasts in my...um...I wanted you. Only you. So I turned her down and the guys said I had to be made of ice to turn down someone as hot as her. But I was thinking my Lana was hotter and sweeter and sexier than any other woman I’d ever met. Anyway, the name stuck. Ice.

Lana: [Clasps James’ hand] That’s kind of sweet in a twisted  kind of way.

James: That’s me, babe. Sweet but twisted.


James and Lana, thanks for joining us today. We wish you every happiness in your future.

Overall, this book was incredible - definitely a bestseller in my book. Sarah Castille is brilliant!