#BookReview ~ Undercover Billionaire by Amy Andrews ~ @AmyAndrewsbooks @rararesources #SpicyBillionaireForbiddenRomance #BillionaireRomance

Undercover Billionaire

A SPICY Billionaire forbidden romance from USA Today Bestseller Amy Andrews

About the Book:

Cocktail waitress Kelsey Armitage needs her job on board the Callisthenes cruise ship. Nursing a broken heart and an empty bank account, her trust is destroyed and she’s vowed never to fall for a man again. Instead, she’s only in the mood for one-stands. Not Happy Ever After’s.

But when a mysterious passenger orders a drink from her, she’s powerless to resist him. And soon one night turns into stolen and illicit moments at every opportunity. But romances with the passengers is strictly forbidden… and Kelsey is enjoying breaking all the rules.

Brooding billionaire Ari Callisthenes, heir to a Greek shipping line is undercover on his own cruise liner. His standards are impossibly high but his business is underperforming. He’s determined to find out why. However, he doesn’t expect the instantaneous chemistry with sexy cocktail waitress or the whirlwind fling they find themselves entangled in. She awakens a part of himself he believed dead. But a future together is out of the question because he can’t tell her who he is…

My Review:

Undercover Billionaire is a sexy forbidden romance. Kelsey is a bartender on a cruise ship sailing through the Mediterranean. Ari Callisthenes is the billionaire to a Greek shipping line. He's also cruising on his own ship but incognito. When Kelsey and Ari meet, the sparks fly for both of them but their romance is forbidden. Kelsey isn't allowed to fraternize with the guests, and Ari doesn't want to disclose who he is to anyone. That will blow his cover and the whole reason he's on the ship.

I enjoyed Undercover Billionaire. There is fun, chemistry, and steam between the pages. Both main characters have unpleasant baggage that forces them to step away from the idea of a relationship. When they meet on the ship and Kelsey has to seek Ari out in his stateroom, their connection intensifies. Lovers of romance (forbidden, steamy, billionaire) will be entertained by Undercover Billionaire and the book's main characters.

The author's writing style is amazing. I'm drawn into everything I've read by Amy Andrews. Her characters are well-developed and her scene building pulls the reader right into the events happening on the page. I've enjoyed meeting her characters in every book I've had the chance to read.

I loved being back on a cruise ship even if it was just in my imagination. My husband and I cruised in February 2024 (my third, my husband's first) and are already planning another one in the near future. I highly recommend these floating cities with the best attendants, wide array of onboard activities, and exotic destinations.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

Purchase Link:

Amazon

Meet the Author:

Amy is an award-winning, USA Today best-selling, triple RITA nominated, Aussie author who has written eighty-nine contemporary romances in both the traditional and digital markets. Her books bring all the feels from sass, quirk and laughter to emotional grit and sizzling heat.

For many, many years she was a registered nurse which means she knows things. Anatomical things. And she’s not afraid to use them! She lives in a pretty little coastal town where she gets to look at the ocean all day.

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BookBub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-andrews

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#BookReview ~ Breaking the Ice by Amy Andrews ~ #ContemporaryRomance #SportsRomance #ForcedProximity ~ @AmyAndrewsbooks @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

Breaking the Ice

Amy Andrews

A bookshop face off!

About the Book:

NHL hot shot, Nick Hawkeye Hawke has 4 months to recuperate from a potentially career ending injury. All he has to do is take it easy and keep things low key. So, looking after his grandmother's beloved second hand romance bookshop and working very closely with the ruthlessly efficient Samantha Evans is just what he needs right? Wrong!

Career driven Sam has impulsively decided to swap her highly stressful corporate job for a slower pace in her favourite bookshop at the exact time her biological clock has started to tick. And she wants absolutely none of that. But when your boss is a hot hockey superstar and you can’t stop daydreaming of him being your baby daddy, forced proximity takes on a whole new meaning.

With temptation around every book shelf, Nick and Sam find themselves skating on thin ice until they put themselves firmly in the friend zone. But the more they try to resist their slow burn, the more they want each other. How long can they stay in the zone until one of them breaks the ice?

Previously published as Risky Business

My Review:

Breaking the Ice is a hockey romance that focuses less on the sport (the mmc is out on a injury) and more on Nick taking on the responsibilities of his grandmother's second hand book store. When his neighbor comes by the store, he learns that Sam is between jobs and offers her one. The job is only temporary though, as Sam has her sights on getting her accountant job back in a couple of months after the nepotism, and thereby the sexism, wears off and they come crawling back for her. In the meantime, they decide to friend zone their relationship, this is, until they don't.

A lot goes on this book. Injured hockey player rehabbing. Accountant leaving the job where she's been training her boss's worthless nephew. Sudden management of a bookstore. Forced proximity. Biological clock ticking. Body and self-esteem issues. There are so many other things that would make this list longer. This seems like a long list but the author does a great job weaving it all together and Breaking the Ice is a great book for the most part.

There were some cringey scenes, awkward dialogue, and missed opportunities for growth and maturity. The first couple times we hear her eggs "talk" added an element of amusement but after a while, I was over the internal discussions with them. While I understand Sam's biological clock is ticking, the dates she goes on are disastrous. I wish she'd had a couple decent dates, at least. She deserved to have fun occasionally. 

Overall, the book was entertaining. The characters may not have been 3 dimensional but they weren't boring or uninteresting. Sam seemed like a typical 30-year-old who comes to the abrupt realization that her corporate job is unfulfilling. She seems fun but has huge self-esteem issues. The continued bad dates don't help with that. Nick is resistant to fall for Sam in any capacity other than friends-with-bennies. She's planning kids and going back to her old job. He's not the family type and will be going back to his hockey team in a few weeks. 

I enjoyed their banter, slow-burn chemistry, and compatibility. When they finally give in to their basic urges, we get a little bit of steam. This book has likable characters, descriptive world-building, and a fun story. I found Breaking the Ice to be a quick read that flows well, pulls you in, and keeps you engaged.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:

Purchase Link:

Amazon

Meet the Author:

Amy is an award-winning, USA Today best-selling, triple RITA nominated, Aussie author who has written eighty-nine contemporary romances in both the traditional and digital markets. Her books bring all the feels from sass, quirk and laughter to emotional grit and sizzling heat.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: AmyAndrewsAuthor

Twitter: @AmyAndrewsbooks

Instagram: @AmyAndrewsbooks

Newsletter Sign Up: bit.ly/AmyAndrewsNews

BookBub profile: @AmyAndrews