NOTE: This title is currently out of print and unavailable.
Good girl Jenny Ainsley never hoped for more than her nine-to-five existence. Then her famous brother hires a bodyguard to protect her—a sinfully sexy man who gets drawn into a plot to take down an international drug syndicate. At first an unwilling participant, Jenny soon realizes she has the opportunity to break away from her timid past and do something important. And getting her hot bodyguard into bed will be a delicious bonus. He resists her at every turn, however, and she discovers that no amount of training—or seduction—can crack the code to this man’s heart.
Ex-MI-5 agent Günter Faust is no stranger to watching the beautiful Jenny Ainsley. For years he’s seen to her safety, hiding in the shadows and pining for the woman he can never have. Bedding a client is not an option. But fate has put her by his side, working up close and personal. And with Jenny’s relentless determination to seduce him, it’s only a matter of time before she blows his cover—and his heart—wide open.
Tibby Armstrong is an author of Paranormal, Contemporary, and LGBTQ Romance fiction.
Tibby hangs out on social media at https://www.facebook.com/groups/tibby..., dreaming up new plots and teasing readers with snippets from her works in progress.
For an EC book, there was a surprisingly restrained use of sex by the author in writing this story. AND, it was really good! The writing was much, much better than many of the books Ellora's Cave is putting out nowadays. The story was well thought out and exciting. The characters had.....actual personalities!! Interesting personalities! The sexual tension was awesome, and the sex scenes themselves were well-placed and very good. I'm impressed! I haven't read this author before, but I'll be looking for her now!
Imagine being the dowdy sister of a huge music star. For Jenny Ainsley, this was her reality. She'd been separated from her brother, David, for most of her life, but now that they had been reunited, she just wanted a good relationship, despite their different lifestyles.
When David receives threatening letters that specifically mention his sister, he pleads with her to stay in his New York penthouse where she can be protected. She reluctantly agrees, but she gets attacked when she tries to shake her security detail. That's when David calls in the big gun - Gunter Faust.
Gunter is your typical alpha male, and there's little about him I didn't like. He was strong, arrogant, and very good at his job. He was the one David calls when no one else would do. What David doesn't know, however, is that Gunter has had an infatuation with Jenny for years, so when he's charged with protecting her, his internal battle with his desire begins.
Jenny is also a lovable character. While she starts quiet and reserved, the real woman emerges as soon as danger lurks. She proves herself a very capable warrior and a reliable asset in the battles Gunter is soon faced with.
The character who stole my heart, however, was Gunter's number two man, Simon. He was a loyal friend, dedicated sidekick, and a wonderful man. I enjoyed the relationship he and Gunter shared, and hope to see more of his story in possible future tales.
Undercover Lover is filled with adventure, action, suspense, and fantastic love scenes. The writing is powerful, and the story was easy to follow, despite the intricacies of the mystery. I had trouble putting it down once I got going!
The only negative I'd have for this title is the climax seemed a bit rushed. There was such fantastic build up, and the twists at the end were well worth waiting for, but as soon as the action started, it was over. The culmination of the story was told through the point of view of a character who was fading in and out of consciousness, so some things were skipped over, and I would have liked to have read through that. We also didn't get much time to spend with the characters after the climax to resolve all the issues that were brought up.
Even with a few slight negatives, this was a fantastic read. I'd certainly pick up other titles from this author. If you like a great action and suspense filled story, this is definitely one to consider!
First, let me say that I am not a new reader of Ms. Tibby. I have read the other story... Sheet Music (click on link to see my review on that one) and loved it. She is such a treat to read!
Ms. Tibby will entertain you with the story she creates, she will excite you with the suspense and drama that she stirs, she will also leave you panting with the lust and desire she swirls you around. Ms. Tibby is an author to keep your eyes on because only good things will come from her.
Let me introduce you to Jenny and Günter... Two people who will definitely rock your world. These two will take you on one hellva ride and you might not make it out alive.
Jenny's life has never been easy. She has a past that will haunt her for the rest of her life. I admire her for making the best of what life has handed her. She is not thrilled about being an accountant but it's her job and no one can take that away that from her. We have all had jobs like hers where we really don't want to work with the people we work with. But when her bother makes a visit, all that goes to hell, and her coworkers want to be her best friend! Why you might ask... Well, her brother is a famous rocker - David Tallis from Sheet Music. And living under his shadow can be a pain in the ass... But what Jenny didn't know was that David had her followed by security...... Günter....
Günter is a man you will not mess with... No matter where you see him at, you will most likely walk away... But he is so alluring, you will find yourself drawn to him.... Like a moth to the flame. And believe me, you will get burned. He is just that hot. He is man on a mission, always. His job always comes first.... But when the job, Jenny, becomes face to face with him... Things go south... Fast. But will Günter let his heart get involved when he can actually touch her and feel her....
These two actually collide with each other and things do go south very fast. The action that Ms. Tibby gives you in this story will have you turning the pages faster than you think... There is so much going on in this story but it happens at just the right pace. You get all you need.... Action, drama, fantasies, suspense, lust, desire in one story. You will fall in love with the characters, hate some of the characters, want to learn more about other characters....(HINT Simon!!!!) Ms. Tibby did a wonderful job at telling the story of David's little sister.... And the Undercover Lover.... Günter..
Posted on Romancing the Book's blog Reviewed by Ursula Review Copy Provided by the Publisher
Hot, hot, hot! The sparks fly between Jenny and Gunter from the very beginning! They both have terrible pasts, Jenny’s due to her father’s business dealings when she was a child, Gunter’s from a blown operation when he was still with MI5.
Jenny and Gun are pulled into Her Majesty’s Service, whether they like it or not. The mission is dangerous and will likely get them both killed, but not before the powerful heat and mutual attraction between these two ignite!
The writing is well done, the character developement is wonderful and the plot is perfectly evil! There were a few times I felt the story dragged a bit and if it weren’t for that, this book would have gotten the top rating, but overall, this was a fast paced, sexually explicit and tantalizing read!
Holy hopping gun casings. I loved, Loved, LOVED this book. I have to say I was fortunate enough to read it before mass release and I'm so glad I was given the opportunity. This is one story that goes on my "To Re-read" list. It's *that* good.
The hero is a damaged character whom I loved quickly and fell farther in love with as I turned each page. The heroine is smart, quick and determined -- both to hold her own and to have her man. I admired that. ;)
From the hot cover to the turn of the last page, this novel is not to be missed. It's a sequel to Sheet Music and several characters make repeat appearances, which I always love.
Brava, Ms. Armstrong. No one puts two people on a page with as much fire, emotional conflict and satisfying resolution as you do.
Gunter Faust is now in my top ten favorite romance heroes. He's 110% alpha-male, strong, smart, brave and fiercely loyal. If I could've plucked him from the book and made him mine, I'd be a happy girl.
What else did I love about this book...fantastic writing, page-turning suspense, six-hundred degree hot sex. A super story and riveting read from beginning to end.
Another winner,loved Gunter .This story just sucked me in right from beggining to end.The sexual tension was off the charts and positively scorched when Jenny and Gunther came together.Love uber Alpha males and Gunter is definitely that.Highly rec this book and the prior book SHEET MUSIC which was lighter in tone,but none the less a great read.
"This is one of those stories you start and have to keep going to the next chapter to find out what happens next, and before you know it your done with the book."
This is the 2nd book in the series, about Gunter (David Tallis' security guy) and Jenny, David's sister. It's a gritty book, much darker and much more serious than the 1st book. And yeah, there's the feeling of "unreal" about it... but the author's way of spinning that plot web has the reader eagerly setting aside disbelief to find out what happens next.
This book is as much or more about Gunter as it is Jenny. We learn about Gunter's mysterious past, which involves MI5, a dead ex-wife who started out as an asset, and an operation that went horribly wrong in Dublin. The confusing part is that the bad guy's name is Durbin, which is a little too close to Dublin, and as weird as it sounds, sometimes I wasn't sure which was which - were they talking about the guy (The White Tiger) or the city?
Between the CIA and MI5, Gunter and Jenny are pulled into an MI5 operation to finally take down The White Tiger, this Durbin guy who is selling a drug combo called Bengal, that's part cocaine, part X, and a lot of trouble. Because Jenny has the connection to David Tallis and Gunter has the connection to the rich-and-famous, the 2 are set up to go undercover as lovers as part of a sting op to take down The White Tiger once and for all. Jenny is supposed to be the drugged-up celeb wannabe, hanging onto Gunter for the Bengal; he's supposed to be hanging onto Jenny, because she's connected to the In Crowd.
What we didn't know about Gunter is that he's been following Jenny for several years, starting when she was still in college in New York. They actually met at a party that she was drunk at, and Gunter made sure that Jenny got home, even if he had to undress her to put her to bed. Seems that Gunter's got it bad for Jenny, but he keeps it all inside. 1) Gunter knows David would come unglued, and 2) Gunter's experience with his wife, who was supposed to be an asset; but Gunter believes that because he got so emotionally involved with Alona, he jeopardized the op, his men, and her. MI5 tends to agree.
What's weird is that David's skanky ex-manager is back, and somehow tied to all of the drama that the CIA is pulling. Jenny's attacked in the hallway outside David's apartment, where she's staying while he's on a world tour. Somehow, the feds get involved, and before you know it, Gunter is framed for murdering the skanky ex-manager, with Jenny involved by way of possible drugs.
No help for it but to escape the country... into the arms of former MI5. Where the guy in charge of taking in Gunter, Jenny, and Gunter's employee, ex-CIA Simon comes down to Ian - one of Gunter's previous MI5 contacts and involved with the Dublin mess. Ian spills it that Gunter and Jenny are expected to take down The White Tiger. Gunter doesn't want Jenny anywhere near any of this, but she's already been compromised by association with him... so he grudgingly spends 2 weeks training Jenny in spy-trade for the mission.
Jenny is determined to get close to Gunter; she's gone beyond crush-ville into a full-blown obsession. Gunter's already in love with Jenny... he doesn't want to get any closer. But of course, this IS a romance book, so we know where it's heading.
Sure enough, the show-down is wild and full of twists - not totally unexpected twists, but fun enough, dark enough, and twisted enough to keep you reading.
Can Gunter and Jenny find a happily-ever-after when this is all done? After all, there are press pictures of a drugged-up Jenny practically humping Gunter...
I appreciated the way that the author doesn't make light of all of this - not while it's happening and not when it's done. We're left with a solution, but an uneasy one - a fairly real one. Despite what the truth is, the public and the press have a completely different idea about what's been happening and Jenny and Gunter have been up to. And that doesn't just go away overnight.
I almost wasn't sure that I liked the gritty, dark underbelly of this story... and as with book 1, so much happens so fast... but I enjoyed the twists and turns of the bumpy ride. Is there a book #3?
Tibby Armstrong writes in such a way that the story and characters come alive.
Being the sister of a famous musician may sound like a dream come true for most people, but to Jenny Ainsley, it's more hassle and headache than anything else. After a rough childhood with a dad who was involved with the wrong people, Jenny spends her life trying to blend in and rely solely on herself. But when her brother's fame brings unwanted attention, he demands that she stay in his New York penthouse while he's out of town.
The story flows and you get swept up in the action. The only thing that kept me from being able to fully immerse myself in the book was confusion. This may be because I did not read the first book in the series, Sheet Music, and so I would definitely suggest that anyone reading this story read Sheet Music first.
However, my impression from Sheet Music's description is that it is primarily about David (Jenny's brother) and I found a lot of my confusion coming from Gunter's past mission in Dublin and his consequent decisions. So whether reading the first book would have cleared everything up for me I cannot say. I also felt like some of the decisions and actions even later in the story weren't explained clearly or properly and I can say with full confidence that those had nothing to do with not having read the first book in the series.
I think that while Undercover Lover had a fun concept and great characters with hot, steamy moments between Jenny and Gunter, the actual storyline and study into the world of espionage was a bit under-developed or inefficiently explained.
UNDERCOVER LOVER is a good choice for people who've read Sheet Music and are looking for a new steamy relationship evolving from secondary characters they met in that book.
**Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
It had some good parts, but I think it had too many kinds of sex thrown into it. I think it could have been better without all of that. I mean, really? A virgin pole dancer who enjoys spanking, D/s, anal play, and erotic asphyxiation? It's like the author wanted to make sure they covered everything so that there's something for everyone who reads it.
Aside from that, I think it had a good plotline and the last part of the book was more fast paced than the beginning. I finished it, which is more than some other books I've read. Won't read it again, though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
4.22 my goodreads friends? Really? This is not a bad story, but it was just ok. There are so many really good romantic suspense books. Check out the Cynthia Eden Deadly series.
This book was good. But it wasn't great. It was just ok.