Undercover Star

Rock & Art Theft #1

by Jackie Keswick

Detective Inspector Josh Ingram and pop idol Matisse Vervein have not a thing in common. Except for two meddling friends and mutual attraction that’s off the scale.

Sparks fly when they meet, and when they drop the attitude they're great together, but asking Matisse to help Josh hunt an art thief seems doomed to failure while they judge each other by their job descriptions.

Can they stop sniping long enough to realise they’re made for each other?

A feel-good, contemporary mm action adventure romance set in England and Scotland, featuring a reluctant pop star who's not out, a detective trying his hand at being a bodyguard, plenty of adventure, and a happy ending.

Genres: M M Romance, Mystery, Romance, Crime, Contemporary, LGBT, Musicians

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2017

About the author

Jackie Keswick writes a mix of suspense, action adventure, fantasy and magical realism. She loves stories with layers, plots with twists and characters with hidden depths. She adores friends to lovers stories, tales of unexpected reunions and second chances, and men who write their own rules. She blogs about English history and food, has a thing for green eyes, and is a great believer in making up soundtracks for everything, including her characters and the cat.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH JACKIE:
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LIST OF BOOKS

Reviews

[Nazanin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Matisse is a singer, a pop star. One day when Matisse was driving, a cop pulled him aside for speeding. The officer took him to the building but the detective there, didn’t mention of speeding. Instead he asked him to go undercover. Of caurse they wouldn’t send him to do this alone, he would have a partner, detective inspector Josh. He explained they’re hunting an art thief and Matisse is the key to where they planed for their mission. Because he can get Josh in there and protect him from too much scrutiny!

The first half was so good and I really loved it! If the second half could have been like te first one, I’d give it 5 stars but I didn’t enjoy the second half as much as I expected. The thing that I loved about this book was the characters and their banters. It had some actions too! told in multiple POV, 3rd person. It’s the first installment in the "Rock & Art Theft" series and it can be read as a standalone. All in all, it was a good read and I hope you enjoy it too!

[Christelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lukewarm 2.5 stars
The blurb looked interesting for a fan of romance complimented by some suspense/mystery like me with the promise of a singer, Matisse, agreeing to help a police detective, Josh, catching an elusive art theft.

For a first go with this author, I found the writing alright. What I missed a lot was depth. Everything felt superficial : the romance, the sex, the plot, the action…like going to a restaurant, reading the menu and then getting the bill : enjoying the food in between would have been nice !!
It left me with a feeling of too easy coincidences, weakening the plot, and not a lot of hotness between the MCs to chew on. And a personal knee-jerk reaction : Josh considering Matisse to be very young (“a toddler”) at 26 until it’s stated Josh is…32 : really ??

An easy and quick read : not bad, but it left me hanging…

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this book was a massive surprise and an incredibly pleasant one from an author I've not read before.

I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting given the blurb but what I got was a fast paced and strongly plotted story (although with one glaring plot point left hanging I'm hoping this is going to be part one of a new series otherwise it'll be a huge disappointment and I'll knock some stars off).

Josh was a typical grumpy British Detective Inspector - and believe me over my 20 year journalism career I met a fair few although not as attractive as our hero! - and Matisse proved to be the perfect foil for him.

The criminal elements of the story were also done well (minus hanging point as mentioned above) as Josh struggled to keep alive an investigation into a jewel heist which had seen his police partner and best friend murdered some years earlier.

The romance between Josh and Matisse was passionate and full of fire, ups and downs, confusion and compromise and a fabulous public declaration of love.

This book just made me happy and i hope there is more of Josh, Matisse and the mystery locket.

#ARC received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

My first book by Jackie Keswick and she gave us a celebrity musician paired up with a disgruntled detective who is chasing after an art thief. I thought the theme was rather fitting for my mood. It was light in suspense with a light dose of humor. The only thing that might heightened my interest will be some extra heat. The limited sex scenes was told in a classy and tasteful way, which translate to being too tame and clean from my usual read. But is still acceptable for me, as the romance is definitely the forefront of the story with Matisse and Josh feeling the instant attraction towards each other, but they took time to act on it. I appreciate the way both character portrayed as the professional that they are. Matisse really love creating music and Josh can't stop wanting to avenge his partner's death. They grow to respect each other profession.

I'm quite puzzled towards the end though. Why is Josh is not as anxious about the capture as I thought he would be. Was the case even solved? All I know is that there is an abrupt HFN without an epilogue.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s underwhelming.
Time jumps, coincidences,
insta-, shallow, dumb.

[Annika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so ignoring that the plot was anything but credible (I honestly don't think there was a single plot line that was even remotely credible), I actually enjoyed reading this book. It was a light and quick read for days when you're not looking for something heavy or angsty.

Undercover Star had some great bones to the story, but they were never really utilised in a good way. It lacked depth, character and plot development as well as genuine feelings and connections. It was entertaining while reading for sure, but it's not a book that will stay with you after finishing. To be frank, it's one of those reads that you'll forget about once you've put the book down.

Ok, so you might not forget everything. There is probably one thing that you might remember, as you will be frustrated to no end. You see, there were some (big) things left unresolved. For those of you that want to have everything tied up, to have everything finished by the end of the book you will be disappointed. There is a HFN, and there is no cliffhanger to the relationship part of the story, but for the conclusion to the mystery part of the book- that leaves a bit to be desired, as there isn't one. You will be left wondering how it all turned out in the end.

A thing that bugged me though, and maybe I'll be in the minority in this, but I never felt any chemistry or any real connection between Matisse and Josh. Reluctant respect maybe, cooperation for sure, but attraction and then love? Nope, that was absent for me. Maybe over time that would've developed some more, but I just didn't feel it.

An ok read to enjoy in the moment, but sadly not all that memorable.

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review

[Lila Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review to follow at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5 stars

Description ~

It sounds like the stupidest idea in the history of stupid ideas. Detective Inspector Josh Ingram wants to find a deadly medieval locket and through it, a murderer. So why does his boss decide to team him up with Matisse Vervein, a pop idol many consider just a pretty face... and expect the two of them to hunt down an art thief?

Marissa Godwin, Matisse's no-nonsense manager, isn't stupid. Neither is her brother-in-law, Detective Superintendent Tim Montgomery. Each is looking out for a lonely man on the verge of quitting what he does best, and both believe that their charges would make a great team.

The attraction sizzling between Josh and Matisse is hard to miss, but there's plenty of resentment, too. Focussed on pushing Josh and Matisse towards each other, Marissa and Tim haven't imagined the kind of trouble a music star and a detective can find when they ditch their prejudices and accept that the attraction between them is mutual. Or how far each is prepared to go to prove it to the other.

My Review ~

Undercover Star is a new contemporary m/m romance featuring a pop star and a detective on the hunt for his partner's killer.

I'll admit that I'm a rather huge fangirl of this author from her first book in the Power of Zero series. So when I heard that she was writing a new story featuring a singer/musician I was pretty damn excited. That's one of my favorite types of characters in any contemporary book.

Undercover Star did not disappoint, in fact I had a hard time putting this book down for you know those important things such as work, sleep, and food. This story drew me in from the first page and really did not want to let go.

It features what I've come to see as the author's style of characters, strong but distinctly flawed by either previous life trauma or not being true to themselves. Which Matisse embodies the latter in spades. Matisse, one of the leads, is a very talented pop singer who's living in the closet so he won't upset his fans. He's also hiding who he really wants to be/do in the music industry. And that is one of the spots in the story that lowered my rating. The author never allowed Matisse to say or show what kind of music it was that he really wanted to do.

I did thoroughly enjoy the dynamic between Matisse and Josh as they discovered that first impressions really can be impossibly wrong. Josh's teasing Matisse by calling him Rock Star and then him realizing that he's not JUST a pretty face but a very intelligent and talented individual who is multi-faceted. Matisse realizing that Josh wasn't just hired muscle wrapped in a sexy body. That Josh was driven and dedicated to finding who killed his former detective partner. And the book does leave a part of this story open ended so I'm hoping that this isn't just a standalone and that the author will end up writing a continuation. That part of the story really needs to be closed along with giving us a further glimpse into Matisse and Josh's life after the end of this story.

This is a well written, well paced story featuring detailed characters who exhibit both personal and emotional growth throughout the storyline. I highly recommend this story as a one to devour over your holiday time off, or a long weekend. Trust me you'll want some time carved out to read this in one go because it will suck you in!

I look forward to whatever comes next from Jackie Keswick.. if it's a continuation to this story, a new Power of Zero book, or a new standalone. She's definitely one of my go-to authors for a dependable good read.

[Fiona Cruickshanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review at: https://optimumm.blog/2017/11/24/revi...

4.5 Stars

There’s not much more that I can say about this book that the blurb hasn’t already covered. Josh and Matisse are forced to work together to try and find an art and jewellery thief who commits his crimes at high profile fundraisers and promotional events, but who also murdered Josh’s detective partner when he stumbled across the sale of one of the items that had been stolen in Rome. Josh’s boss thinks that using Matisse as a way in to these events will help them get closer to the culprit, and give them a bigger opportunity to catch him, something they wouldn’t be able to do just going into the event as police. Josh will act as one of Matisse’s bodyguards and will be able to move in and arrest the suspect if he shows up while they’re there.

Josh is openly gay, but for the past few years, his love life has been put on the back-burner as all of his attention has been on catching the person who murdered his friend, and who keeps slipping through his fingers. Matisse knows he’s gay, but he’s in the closet and afraid to come out because he doesn’t think his fans will accept it, and all he really wants to do is make sure his fans are happy, even when it means putting his own wants and happiness aside. When Josh and Matisse meet, there is an attraction, but both men don’t want to admit to it and keep skirting around each other, even though having to spend a lot of time together makes it difficult to down-play the sneaking glances and flirty comments.

When Josh finally gets a break on the case with the help of Matisse, it leads the two men on an unexpected journey to Scotland, where Josh discovers there is much more to Matisse than his pop star persona, and Josh can’t help but fall for the man in front of him.

This book was enjoyable and entertaining and kept me hooked from start to finish, but at times I felt as if it lost it’s way a little. It almost felt like catching the killer/thief was pushed to the side, and all of the focus was on the developing relationship between Josh and Matisse. It was almost like two separate storylines. But don’t get me wrong, I really did like the story and the characters, and the author actually made my jaw completely drop and gave me goosebumps at one point when she mentioned the name of the town in Scotland they were heading to. Either the author knows the west coast of Scotland pretty well, or she’s done some really decent research, because the town name she used, Greenock, is kind of obscure and relatively unknown unless you know the area. I know this because I live in the very next town to it, and even some people who only live about 20 miles away probably couldn’t really tell you where it is. She also mentioned Josh and Matisse crossing the Erskine Bridge, which is the same bridge I have to cross every day to get to work. It just makes the story feel much more realistic when the places used are places you personally know.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and another that I’d happily recommend. A great little book to read on an afternoon while sitting with your feet up and coffee in hand.

***I would like to thank the author for the privilege and opportunity of reading this ARC. My review is an honest opinion of the book ***

[The Novel Approach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josh Ingram, Detective Inspector at New Scotland Yard, is working on a cold case related to the death of his partner and good friend. He’s invested in all his cases, but this one has devastated him to the point that he doesn’t have time for anyone. His boss sets him up with someone who can get him into a charity event where a valuable piece of jewelry is the key to catching a thief…who just may lead him to the murderer.

Matisse Vervein finds himself and his artistic ability needed by Scotland Yard. He’s a serious artist and wants to leave the “rock star” reputation behind to write more music. Although he has millions of fans and many staff persons, his life is somewhat lonely. His biggest fear is that he will lose his fan base if he comes out.

Josh isn’t crazy about the idea of Matisse being involved in the case, especially because of his age. He reluctantly goes forward with this stupid idea, and experiences being a bodyguard for Matisse. He also starts to see what goes with the territory of being famous, and what Matisse’s life is really like. When the case becomes dangerous and feelings get in the way, Josh backs away from Matisse, and both are thrown back into their lonely worlds.

But Detective Superintendent, Timothy Montgomery and Marissa, his sister-in-law and a representative of Matisse, seem to have an agenda of their own going on. Are they trying too hard to bring these two lost souls together?

Undercover Star is a really great suspense/romance novel from Jackie Keswick. It’s nicely paced and keeps you interested at every turn. She’s crafted an intriguing murder plot and then melded it with the temperament of a young musician and the fears he faces over the changes he wants to make. I liked the relationship that built between Josh and Matisse. At times I didn’t even think about the age difference, because Matisse seemed to have an old soul that made everything come together. Josh and Matisse also have to struggle with different views about their sexuality. There’s also a nice cast of secondary characters that add moments of humor to the storyline.

I found Undercover Star entertaining, and I liked the great cover. It certainly fits this novel!

Reviewed by Maryann for The Novel Approach

[Annette Gisby · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the past couple of years, DI Josh Ingram has been trying to find the murderer of his police partner and best friend, Paul. Paul had been in the wrong place at the wrong time: looking at a Renaissance locket in a market in Rome, when he was murdered and the locket stolen.

The locket was on of a set of two, the other one in display in Kilbride House, which is rarely open to the public. They do host a gala charity event every year, and Josh needs to get in. The owners don't want a police presence there and so Josh needs a different way in - he becomes a pretend bodyguard to pop icon Matisse Vervein, who the owners are keen to have at their gala.

Matisse has had every success with his pop career and he loves his fans, and knows he wouldn't have got far without them. He's a pin-up for many a teenage girl and as such he isn't out, nowhere hear out. But sometimes he just wishes he could be himself and try his hand at rock music, his first love.

The sparks fly between then as soon as they first meet, but it takes a while for them to warm up to each other.

It's fast-paced with a good strong plot and a balance between the crime plot and the romance. There were a few love scenes, not overly explicit but with a good emotional bond as well as physical bond bewteen the characters.

On paper, they seem an odd couple at first glance, but Josh and Matisse do complement other each well. Both are interesting and likeable in their own way and you'll be rooting for them to get their happily ever after.

The ending was a little abrupt, but not quite a cliff-hanger and I suspect there may be more stories with Josh and Matisse.

Tender, romantic and emotional ups and downs - what more can you ask for in a romance?

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unlikely pairing with excellent results

This was a really good first book that has built in room to grow, but did excellent work at establishing all of the groundwork. There were two major portions to the book; the police work and the romance. These are well intertwined and yet at the same time kept seperate as to how things go on.

The setup between the two is on the surface a bit contrived- the cops really need a star to get in this building? But it soon becomes clear that is because it is contrived by the people closest to Josh and Matisse. This is not a book where the main characters live in a vacuum, so the push to get them together is also a push by close friends to change their lives. As they get to know each other their lives do indeed change with their difficult and passionate romance.

The police work was fascinating because it worked well with a civilian. This was not a book where the civilian was working on the case on his own, or chasing down clues or anything. Plus the reason a civilian was even involved was because this was a personal project for Josh as it was. How Matisse worked in, from the connections to the location expertise, was more as a consultant and perfectly believable. It also showed how well the two worked together as well as allowing them to learn about each other.

This book did tell a complete story, no cliffhangers, and yet there is more story to be told. The case has not been completely solved and it would be great to learn what more becomes of that. As to Matisse and Josh, a major change has happened for the two of them which will have an effect moving forward. I would love to read more from this story and look forward to another book!

[Carra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I’ve read by this author (the first was Leap of Faith), and I was pleased to find that Undercover Star was just as enjoyable. The story concentrates more on the mystery of the case Josh is looking into than on the romance, but the sexual tension is still evident throughout the book and when it becomes more than just tension, the scenes—though few—are hot and sexy.

Now, whether the police would actually use a civilian the was Matisse was used in this story…I have no idea, and even if its not likely that’s what suspension of disbelief is for. What using Matisse does do is introduce a variable for Josh that he’s not expecting—attraction and eventually a lot more. After the tragedy of losing his partner, this variable is highly welcome not only by Josh, but by those who know him and are glad to see his life looking more normal.

Matisse may be a music star (whatever you do, DON’T call him a rock star!), but he’s not some whiny celebrity. He’s intense when it comes to his music, a workaholic really, and gives his all to his job and his fans…something Josh doesn’t come to understand fully until near the end of the story.

Undercover Star has action and excitement, good relationship development (complete with all the ups and downs), and while the ending doesn’t give the reader full closure for the case—something I noticed in Leap of Faith as well—it will leave you satisfied and happy for Josh and Matisse as a couple.

4 stars for Undercover Star, and I’d recommend this to M/M romance fans who like a bit of action and case-solving in their story. This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.

[Violet Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A marvelous book the writing was great. The plot was entertaining and it was steady throughout the book. The flow was a bit jerky and not as smooth as it could have been. I really enjoyed this book, but it could have used some more detail in parts. This would have made it a deeper story. Having said that I found the story and characters wonderful. And would have loved more of these characters. I hope that there is another book to follow. The characters were developed and thought out. Detective Inspector Josh Ingram and Matisse Vervein, a pop idol are the MC’s of this book. There was humor, a thief, a murder, a lost friend, a charity gala, a stake out, a manager, a stylist, snobs, crosses, a private island, bodyguards and so much more in this book.

Here is a quote from the book, “Then they slipped through the doors and inside the wide, open foyer, and the insanity was over. “That wasn’t so bad. You okay?” Oats inspected Matisse from head to foot as if searching for damage, while Matisse yanked the cord out of his hair. “I’m good.” “Do we do this again on the way out?” “No. The building’s got underground parking. The limo’ waiting there.” Rigger turned to Matisse. “Let’s get you up to your appointment. You need anything? Water, coffee, food?” Matisse waved him off. “Water will do.” “He’s a good kid,” Rigger tole Josh while they watched Matisse in the studio, bantering with the DJ.”. There is more but you will need to read the book which I can highly recommend. I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book for an honest review.

[Fee (Ebook Addicts) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A musician and a Detective seem like an odd pairing for sure, but boy were they great together!

Pop Idol Matisse is brought in to help Detective Josh Ingram help find a jewel thief - how can a musician help the police? He is able to get Josh into an exclusive Gala, one he hopes to have lured the would be thief to in order to capture him. There is more at stake to catching the thief though, Josh is hoping to track down and put his partners murderer away, and since his death Josh has stopped at nothing to catch him.

There is an instant attraction between Matisse and Josh, and the story is filled with plenty of passion and angst - Josh is openly gay whilst Matisse is still in the closet as he fears his fans wont accept it, the sexual tension builds to boiling point and when they get a lead that takes Josh to Scotland, Matisse offers his help seeing as he recognised the thief's accent as coming from his home of Greenknock. I loved the banter between the two of them, the passion and tasteful way that Keswick made the steamy bedroom scenes, I don't read a lot M/M but for me this short sexy read rates quite high.

I did feel that there isn't much in the way of detecting happening if I am honest, and I did feel a little like that was pushed away to the side as the story concentrated more on their relationship, and I felt once the culprit has been found it has been brushed over, despite it be an integral part to Josh's story. That being said it is set in Scotland, in places that I have been to and live not far from, so extra bonus points for that.

[Antisocial Recluse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josh has been hunting an art thief for years, hoping they will lead to his police partner’s murderer. Matisse, a famous pop-star, is asked to get Josh into a high-end function to try and apprehend the thief. Neither knows that Matisse’s manager and Josh’s boss are behind teaming them up, in hopes of sparks between the two. I really liked the undercover action and subsequent excitement, but it wasn’t the main focus of the story. More of it was Josh slowly becoming exposed to the life of a celebrity and not always understanding just what it meant to Matisse. Their romance develops but it’s rocky at times, partly because Matisse is closeted for his career. He’s been planning to change that but in the meantime, Josh finds it hard to accept.

I didn’t really get why Josh had such a hard time understanding Matisse’s career demands. He was kind of a jerk to Matisse at times. The setting was awesome though, as part of the story occurs in Scotland, where Matisse grew up and where he now owns an island. Just a smallish one! But the story rollicks along and I just went with the flow. It’s not the most clear-cut relationship development and ends up with a HFN but it seemed quite promising. I like Jackie Keswick’s work and I found this story quite satisfying.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable story, with a little intrigue and mystery. Detective Inspector Josh is hunting an art thief. One that knows who killed his partner. For several years Josh has put everything else on the back burner hunting this thief. He doesn’t have time for life, much less a love life of any kind. Then his boss comes up with the crazy idea of using a rock star to help trap this thief, knowing that Matisse can get Josh into a charity event where Josh has ensured the thief will show. If Josh’s boss has another agenda in mind while pairing these two, he’s not going to say so.

What follows is a story about looking past what you see on the outside and seeing the real person. Josh must learn that the star persona isn’t really who Matisse is. Just as Matisse must figure out if he can be true to himself. In both his music and personal life. That maybe Josh would be worth coming out of the closet for. There’s a lot of push and pull between Josh and Matisse before they figure it out.

The story is well plotted, and keeps you turning the pages. Loved both Josh and Matisse, they were well rounded as characters. And I loved the secondary one, like Montgomery and Marissa as well. This is a fun, fast pace read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Mari Cardenas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars!

Pop idol Matisse Vervein is roped into helping Detective Inspector Josh Ingram catch an art thief who killed Josh's partner a few years ago.

Okay, so I loved Matisse, other than being closeted, he was a fun character to read. I loved that even if he was a pop star, there was a whole lot more to him than just that. Josh, well, I liked him, he was all gruff and grieving the death of his friend, but he seemed off his game a bit. Actually, a lot, seeing as if it hadn't been for Matisse they really wouldn't have caught their thief.

While there was a lot of push and pull, mostly from Josh, since Matisse wasn't as reticent even if he was the closeted one, they had great chemistry both in and out of the bedroom.

Overall, this is a pretty solid read, fun, interesting and action-packed, however, there were a few things that were glossed over and I felt the art-thief case was left a bit open-ended, so I hope this isn't the last we see of Josh and Matisse so we can get a bit of closure in that regard. Other than that, it was a great book and one I'm happy to recommend!

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, well. I was grinning like Cheshire cat once I started reading. That was a delicious first meeting.

Matisse is all ready to complain at being recruited to help catch a jewel thief until he meets his backup.

And what a gorgeous backup that is.

The POV switches between two men, keeping up lively tone of the story. It’s fast paced and enjoyable. I loved watching as Josh and Matisse volleyed snippy replies back and forth. Sparks fly from the moment they met. Funny remarks are scattered throughout the story.

There is a slow buildup of relationship deftly intertwined with the mystery plot. They dance around each other, fighting the pull between them. Sexual tension is subtle but there. Both of them have preconceived notions about each other and wrestle with differences between the way they live their lives.

The mystery mainly ends up being just a vehicle to get the guys together, but the story touches real issues of dating someone famous.

It has a happy ending and left me starry eyed and sighing in pleasure.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the concept of this book is a good one, there is too much push and pull between Mat and Josh for most of the book for it to get a perfect rating. The attraction seemed to be one sided and then although Josh looked the part of detective, it was Mat and his observations that saved the case over and over again. I also loved the ending and how brave Mat was, but there’s not really a set future for them and I felt a little let down by it.

In the end, I wanted more from Josh than using Mat to get what he wanted and maybe more of a promise of what will happen to them in the future.

[Esther Alayeto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story and loved the storyline. You have a romance and a mystery rolled in one with a detective and a rock star. Josh and Matisse are great characters who come together to try and catch a thief and killer. They are attracted to one another and have slow build relationship which I really enjoyed watching grow steadily. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

[Zakarrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous...I could have given this book five stars at 20% The characters are so richly drawn, so vivid, I couldn't help but adore them, despite/because they were so scratchy together at the start. Both had good reason for being so; heartfelt reasons conveyed with such understated skill, I was rooting for them as a couple from the moment they met. I loved the premise of this novel, I'd not read a similar story before...and the book itself lived up to its promise. Loved it.

[MariF · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Jackie's writing and this book did not fail to entertain. It was a mix of adventures and an opposites attract romance. I loved how entertaining the adventures were and Matisse (strange name for a pop star) turned out to be a jack-of-all-trades sort of guy just perfect for a grungy DI Ingram who is pursuing a renown art thief in order to find the person responsible for his partner's murder.
Very entertaining and highly recommended.

[tammy rufo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Josh and Matisse, wish the story had been longer, I could have kept reading this. it was very fast paced and developed for such a short story. Wish it was a little "hotter", but still tastefully done. Definitely would recommend Jackie Keswick, this was my first time reading this author and really enjoyed it!

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun story, entertaining, but if you are looking for a mystery, there isn't one.

I felt that we didn't get the really know the characters, which is, in the end, what can make or ruin a romance. But, as this is a series, it might be that we get to know them better in the second book.

The writing was good, but I would have enjoyed a bit more of depth.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rock star living a lie by hiding his sexuality from his fans. Grumpy Inspector on the hunt for the killer of his former partner. What's not to like. The ending, that's what. It was just over, we got a HFN, but i want more! I hope the next book in the series picks up and we get more from these two people who shouldn't work on paper but do!

[Brice Dohnt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Undercover Star : Jackie Keswick

I did enjoy this book I wish it was a bit longer but we can't have everything we want. The characters were great really enjoyed the reaction between them.

[Ellie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous romantic suspense story from Jackie Keswick! The premise, twists and turns of the plot and the chemistry between Mat and Josh made this hugely engaging. I'm looking forward to the next in the series!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jackie Keswick is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I enjoyed reading this book and I thought Matisse and Josh were great characters. It was funny that Matisse's agent and Josh's boss were trying to get them together behind closed doors. Recommend reading.

[Susan Haid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable

This is a very engaging story that could be about any two people that come together from different worlds. I like that it is the characters and action that drives the plot rather than being just a bunch of connected sex scenes.