New Feature: Chelsea & Jessica Get BRAZEN #1
Hi everyone! It's Chelsea from Starbucks & Books Obession and Jessica from Lovin' Los Libros! (That's ME!) Chelsea and I needed a really great read after a string of not so great books. I had just finished an ARC of In Bed With Mr. Wrong by Katee Robert and as it was my first Brazen, of course I became hooked! Chelsea convinced me to read J.Lynn's Tempting The Player and I loved that one too! We both had Samanthe Beck's Lover Undercover so we decided to buddy read that one together. After we finished, we thought- how fun would it be to not only review the book, but post our reviews together and do a little book discussion?
Jessica: Ok, Chelsea! You're up first! Describe Trevor in 5 words or less.
Chelsea: Smart, Captivating, Hot, Brave, Loyal. Your turn!
Jessica: Dedicated, Sexy, Ripped, Tempting, Real!
And next question! Which scene did you think was the steamiest?
Jessica: The bath scene. Hands down. WHEW! There is nothing hotter than getting it on in a big ole bathtub! What do you think?
Chelsea: Well, these Brazen books put "steam" in the word "steamy" so this is definitely a hard one. While I agree the bathroom scene is HOTT, my favorite would have to be the scene after her yoga instruction. That was definitely blush-worthy and we all know how much I like to blush.
Jessica: Oh definitely! That was a great scene! I think I was fanning myself there too! What did you think of Kylie as our heroine?
Chelsea: I liked how loyal and caring Kylie was. She always put her loved ones ahead of her and what she did for her sister was admirable. I love my sister but I can't say I'd do the same. However, she was a bit dense and couldn't see what was right in front of her and her logic for pushing Trevor away didn't cut it with me.
Jessica: Agreed! I liked her for the most part. I did feel she needed to grow a backbone though. I was wanting to kick her for being so stubborn when it came to Trevor!
Ok! For those of you who don't know, Chelsea does iPod picks for her reviews. What song or songs make you think about this novel?
Chelsea: This is always the hardest part of my review, LOL. For this book, I would have to pick "All In" by Lifehouse, "If I Lose Myself" by OneRepublic, and "Forever and Ever" by He is We.
Jessica: LOVE if I Lose Myself! That is a great song and fits really well!
The next book in the McCade series is about Trevor's brother, who is a Marine. Would you rather date a military man or a public safety man (cop, fireman, EMT, etc)
Jessica: Dang. So not picky right now. Um. I'd go with a detective like Trevor. Solving mysteries and crimes seems pretty hot! What about you?
Chelsea: Oh, man that is a tough question! I've met a lot of sexy, sweet military book boyfriends so I'm gonna have to go with military.
Jessica: What did you think of the storyline? I liked how it was steamy, but actually had a mystery going on as well.
Chelsea: Agreed! I love a good book that mixes romance with an intriguing and mysterious plot. Add in steamy love scenes with a HOT hero and I'm hooked!
Jessica: Yeah, I'll drink to that!
Last question! If you were a stripper like our heroine- what song would you strip to?
Jessica: Oh, shit! "The Devil Within" by Digital Daggers. It's really sexy and has just the perfect seductive tempo! What about you?
Chelsea: Hmmm... never thought about this one before LOL. I'm gonna go with "Pour Some Sugar on Me" by Def Leppard. That songs screams SEXY strip tease to me!
And there you have it folks! Catch us next week as we discuss J.Lynn's Tempting the Player!
Lover Undercover (McCade Brothers #1)
by: Samanthe BeckPublication Date: Apr. 22, 2013
Publisher: Entangled: Brazen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Source: Purchased for Kindle
Page Count: 167 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4/5 stars
He’s undercover. She’s in over her head.
Yoga instructor Kylie Roberts is the good twin. At least she was—until an accident forces Kylie to step into her twin’s sexy stilettos at a posh Hollywood “men’s club." But nothing could've prepared Kylie for the dead body in the club’s parking lot or the ridiculously hot detective who insists the killer is targeting her regulars.
Detective Trevor McCade needs Kylie’s help to draw out the killer. It means long nights undercover and long dances where Kylie’s body tempts him with sensual promises. Dances that leave them both wanting more. But despite Kylie's hidden identity and the danger lurking in the shadows, it’s only a matter of time before Kylie and Trevor take this undercover operation under the covers…
Yoga instructor Kylie Roberts is the good twin. At least she was—until an accident forces Kylie to step into her twin’s sexy stilettos at a posh Hollywood “men’s club." But nothing could've prepared Kylie for the dead body in the club’s parking lot or the ridiculously hot detective who insists the killer is targeting her regulars.
Detective Trevor McCade needs Kylie’s help to draw out the killer. It means long nights undercover and long dances where Kylie’s body tempts him with sensual promises. Dances that leave them both wanting more. But despite Kylie's hidden identity and the danger lurking in the shadows, it’s only a matter of time before Kylie and Trevor take this undercover operation under the covers…
I am all
about a blush-worthy and steamy books and Entangled's Brazen line knows how to
do it right. These books have such a fantastic mix of romance and plot, which
is something that I love in a book. Undercover Lover sexy, intriguing and full
of fabulous characters.
Kylie and
her twin sister Stacy are all each other have and when Stacy is injured and
can't work, Kylie pretends to be her in order to keep Stacy's job so they can
pay rent. The only problem? Stacy is a stripper and Kylie is the good, quiet
twin. As if spending 3 nights a week for the next 6 weeks shaking her ass and
baring her breasts isn't bad enough, she witnesses a murder after her first
night dancing and catches the eye of the devastatingly sexy detective, Trevor
McCade. When a pattern is detected and it appears to revolve around Stacy's
clients, Trevor must immerse himself as a private client but despite the
danger, secrets and lies, Kylie and Trevor can't fight the attraction that
builds.
I really
liked Kylie and could totally relate to her. I'm a bit of an introvert myself
and I would be shaking like a leaf if I had to prance on a stage revealing my
goodies. I also have a sister that sometimes takes advantage of the fact that
I'd pretty much say yes whenever she asks for a favor. Kylie has dreams and she
won't let anything or anyone get in her way. She also believes in her sister
and I liked the way she stood up for her and believed in her, despite what she
had to to to get there (*coughs* stripping *). My only issue with her was that
she couldn't get past some of her hangups to see how good Trevor could be for
her. She is so caught up on he mistakes that her mother made when it came to
men that she couldn't see how different Trevor was.
I wasn't a
big fan of Stacy because I found her to be a little shallow and selfish.
However, as the book went on and we got a little more insight into who she is,
I could see that she may just be a little jaded. She has real aspirations to be
an actress and she's good at it. She just needs her big break. I could also see
that she really did love Kylie and care about her, even though she could be a
little self-centered. She has some definite sexual tension with Trevor's
partner, Ian, and I really liked that. I'll need to read their story in Lover
Unmasked.
I really
enjoyed the plot in this book and I truly didn't have a clue who the killer
could be and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The book flowed well
and Samanthe did a great job at making this book steamy without overshadowing
the storyline. Good god this book was sexy and the intimate moments between
Kylie and Trevor were hot. I loved their chemistry and passion with each other.
I'm really gonna have to lower my standards in real life or forever be
disappointed because reading these Brazens is going to have me living in an
unrealistic fantasy!
As I stated in our above discussion, I really enjoyed the storyline in this one! I do love my steamy scenes, but I felt Beck gave us a good amount of mystery and intrigue as well to keep us guessing as to who the killer was. You know a romance is great when you can't help but fall head over heels for the hero. And I completely loved Trevor McCade! He is a detective who ends up going undercover as one of Stacy (err Kylie's!) new clients. And oohhh la laaaaa! These two SIZZLE together! I felt I was going to die when I read the scenes in the private room at the club! It takes ALOT to make me blush, but holy crap some of those scenes made me turn red! Part of me couldn't even believe that shy, quiet Kylie would do the things she did (especially in front of the bouncer!)
I enjoyed Kylie for the most part. I did feel that when it came to owning up to her feelings and getting past her insecurities she had a bit of work to do. She is attracted to Trevor and he clearly to her, yet she holds herself back from him. She says it's because she's not looking for a relationship right now- that she wants to focus on making her dreams of opening up her own yoga studio come true. Really, however, Kylie is running scared. She's looking for excuses to shut Trevor out. She doesn't feel she measures up to what he really wants or understands the type of person she really is. After all, the two met while she was pretending to be her brazen, outgoing twin sister. Give the guy a bit more credit Kylie!
Trevor knows who and what he wants. He wants Kylie and he wants forever. I love how determined he is to be with her and how he won't let her excuses deter him from what he wants. He sees Kylie for who she is- not who she's pretending to be. Kylie can try to act as much like Stacy as she wants, but ultimately its her personality that shines through for everyone to see. She is kind and caring towards her fellow dancers and co-workers, which was something Stacy was not. She is considerate and takes others into account and is genuinely upset over the murders of these clients. Trevor sees all of that and he sees how vulnerable she can be and wants to be the one to comfort her and take care of her.
I had trouble liking Kylie's twin sister Stacy at first. I didn't think it was right that while her sister would be out doing HER job for her (she broke her ankle) she would be off with her friends and out to all hours of the night. Stacy is definitely the more brazen of the two, but when it came to cops and authority figures, I don't like how she hid behind her sister instead of stepping forward and doing what she needed to. We do find out why this is later in the novel, and how Stacy's problems stem back to when she was growing up and having the type of mother they did. Stacy ends up having some chemistry with Ian, Trevor's partner, and I liked seeing Stacy shed her hardened exterior with him. I also loved Ian. He is cocky and self-assured and I felt he was a good match for Stacy. I've already read their novella and really enjoyed how that played out! (I also ended up really liking Stacy too!)
Overall, Lover Undercover was a steamy, entertaining read with a bit of mystery and intrigue thrown in to keep you guessing as to who was really to blame! I can't wait to read the next book in the McCade Brothers series!
26 comments
That was such a fun post! Brazens are the best and this one sounds great too! You two have me dying to pick this one up... and oh when Chelsea mentioned Pour Some Sugar On Me all I could think of was Down To You by M Leighton lol. Great reviews!
ReplyDeleteHaha, thanks girl! We had so much fun doing this! And I really enjoyed this book! Oh man! Why can I not remember what you're referencing in DTY? Time for a reread!
DeleteI like the interaction at the beginning! I've read a lot of steamy books with military men and detective men as well, but I think I'd go for a detective myself, because I would be sad when my man is deployed :/ Have a nice day, ladies! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks girl! :D We had fun being silly! I agree- I don't know if my heart or nerves could take my man being deployed!
DeleteI just read a Brazen books this month, His Risk to Take. I hadn't read one in a long time but I like them because they're a perfect mix of sexy, shortish and just enough dirty to not push it overboard. Fun post!
ReplyDeleteOh I have that one! I can't wait to read Tessa's books! Everyone loves her to pieces! But yes! I like them for those very same reasons! I can't believe it took me so long to get into them!
DeleteHi Chelsea & Jessica! Thanks for giving LOVER UNDERCOVER some love! The great thing about reading romance, (and writing it), is I don't have to settle down with just one guy! I can have the hot homicide detective for a little while, and then switch to the mind-blowing marine. ;) And then, after that....(yep, when it comes to heroes, I'm a bit of a slut)! Anyway, I hope you enjoy Michael from FALLING FOR THE MARINE as much as you liked Trevor. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteYAY! Thanks Samanthe! Hahaha! That is the great thing about reading romance! I love seeing the different heroes pop out! We had so much fun doing this and I can't wait to meet Michael!
DeleteThis was so fun!! I'm already working up some ideas for next week :-)
ReplyDeleteWoooo! YAY! I love this so much!
DeleteEntertaining. It was like reading a talk show about books. :) Great idea!
ReplyDeleteCindy @ In This World of Books..
Haha, thanks Cindy!
DeleteI love the buddy review!! I haven't read many Brazen titles, but I'll certainly be checking them out. You both wrote excellent reviews, as well. I'm adding this one to my tbr and I look forward to next week's reviews of Tempting the Player! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Brandee! :D I love the Brazens! They are great quick, steamy reads and I do love a swoon-worthy hero! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this! This gets me way excited for the next one!
DeleteI love this new feature! Glad you guys loved this one. Def adding it, :)
ReplyDeleteThanks girl! You know we had fun being our nerdy, silly selves! LOL.
DeleteYay! I love this feature and lover undercover sounds good! I like when romances have a good storyline too and the mystery sounds intriguing! I haven't read brazens in awhile but they're always fun to read -- adding this to my list to get after my book buying ban is over!
ReplyDeleteWooo! Yes! I can't wait for you to check this one out!
DeleteI haven't heard of brazens before! I'm interested now though :O I love the feature, especially the two of you chatting away about the book. So much fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks Trish! :) I've heard of the Brazens, but never really got to dive into them until recently- now I'm hooked!
DeleteGreat book conversation ladies! I love how you guys incorporated music in to your book talk. As far as a military guy versus a public safety man, I'd say you can't go wrong with either one!!! I can't wait for you to discuss J. Lynn's Tempting the Player! I've read all the books that are in that series so far and had Ro & Ria read them also! I hope you girls do the whole series! Keep up the good work :)
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
Thanks Lindy! Chelsea rocks at coming up with music picks so I knew we had to include them! And I agree- I would take a military guy or a public safety one! Yay! I loved Tempting the Player! I can't wait to talk to you guys about it!
DeleteI get emails about Brazen books all the time and have never read one before. Now you have me very interested. Did you find these books to be full length and fully developed? For some reason, I always expected them not to be, but I have no idea what gave me that idea.
ReplyDeleteOh I really like them! They are shorter than most novels, but I find them to be developed. They definitely are fast reads though. (Or the few I've read are)
DeleteWhat a fun little feature, and with one of my fave imprints! I love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Vi!!!! You are sort of my inspiration for this! LOL!
DeleteLeave me some comment love! And I will get around to commenting back!
My blog is an award-free blog, however, as I just do not have the time to follow-up.