Undercover

Undercover by Lauren Dane Paperback - December 2, 2008 5 stars Lauren Dane has out done herself by creating Undercover, an extraordinary erotic futuristic masterpiece that will have you burning through the pages in record time! Sera Ayers, a decorated lieutenant with the Federation Military Corps has little time for recreation much less love. Initially shocked to be pulled from her squad to serve in a covert operation, the shock turns to anger when she learns that she will be working under her former lover, Ash Walker. Ash was the love of her life, until he left her disillusioned and bitter when he unexpectedly revealed his pending marriage to another woman and insultingly asking her to be his mistress. Ash made the worse mistake of his life when he allowed family pressure to result in the loss of Sera. Although he has tried to forget Sera, when Ash's latest mission requires a female officer with her skills he realizes this is the perfect opportunity to get her back into his arm in any way possible. Sera struggles to keep her attraction under control by rushing through the job so that she can return to her normal, safe life. Unfortunately, even though she attempts to deny it, she still has not recovered from Ash's betrayal. The only thing that makes working under Ash bearable, is having his sexy partner Brandt as a buffer. When Sera is informed that her mission is to pose as Ash's mistress, she rebels into posing as Brandt's mistress instead. This is where the story really starts to heat up as Sera finds herself attracted to Brandt and that attraction is mutual... Undercover is an enthralling read and I savored every word. Sera is a powerful woman that I can definitely identify with. In fact, I wish I was her! Ash and Brandt are fantasy men that any woman would find exciting. Lauren Dane could have written a book sketchy on details and storyline, filled with meaningless, hot sex, as it plays-out in so many erotic books. However, this is not the case. The world she creates is as real and intriguing as her characters. Undercover is a riveting novel of action, romance and well conceived characters. In addition, the extremely sexy scenes (Warning explicit sexuality and ménage) had this reader HOT under the collar! This book blew me away! There is nothing that could be added to make this romance experience better - except a sequel! Reviewed by Steph from Bookaholics Romance Book Club

This was my first book by Lauren Dane. I finished this one in one day and read a second by her today. I guess you can say I'm hooked! Ms. Dane came up with a very engaging plot in "Undercover," but also managed to carve out a place for herself in the genre that sets herself apart and above many others I've read. I read an average of 6-8 books each week, and I do happen to be a sucker for a good romance novel. When I read that many books, they often "blend" together. This book stands apart from the majority of books in the romance genre. She actually made the people real in the book, and you were able to relate to them. Not exactly easy to do when you set up a book in a fantasy world! Of course, I just have to say it was hot as ...well...you know where. My husband always enjoys when I find a stimulating and steamy book, and he was not dissapointed when I finished this one! Hats off to Ms. Dane! I've finished "Giving Chase" now as well, and already I am so impressed with her ability to write such different styles but still be able to draw the reader in to what she writes. I'll be picking up more of her books in the future. Anyone who is reading this review is obviously interested in trying the book out, and I can promise, it doesn't dissapoint.

Sera Ayers has worked her way up through the ranks of the military and reached a level of lieutenant and even commands her own team. It's practically unheard of for a female of an unranked family to have obtained such a goal. Unfortunately she's still subject to her superiors whims and because of her intelligence and dedication she's been reassigned to a special team. She's definitely not happy over this latest development, but just in case anyone thought she'd be honored the right hook she plants in Ash's face should make her displeasure obvious. Due to the recent retirement of the third member of their covert ops team Commander Ash Walker and Para-Commander Brandt Pela have been forced to find a replacement for his position. Sera's qualifications make her the perfect choice and they have no regrets about having her reassigned to work with them. The simple fact that Sera and Ash have a past history which didn't end well could prove to be problematic but they're convinced that they can overcome any qualms she may have with them. Sera is resigned to working with Ash and Brandt. She doesn't have a whole lot of choice after all she took an oath when she joined the Corps. Her desires take a back seat to doing whatever's necessary to fight the Imperialists. She just never imagined it would mean working alongside the one man who ripped her heart in two. Ash regrets that he let Sera go when he was forced to marry another - as the second oldest son of the Walker Family he hadn't had any choice but he never wanted to lose Sera. He had the paperwork drawn up that would have given her status as his mistress, but she chose to leave him instead. It's been ten years since they last saw each other but his love for her is as strong as ever. Thankfully Brandt is present as Sera and Ash face off. He's the voice of reason, calm, controlled and sexy as hell. For Sera pretending to be a concubine is difficult enough, but it would be unbearable if she had to go along with the original plans and act like she belongs to Ash. Of course that means that Brandt and Sera have to become extremely comfortable with each other and she can't help but desire him - even while she admits to herself that she still loves Ash. Loving both men is part of her cover, but what will happen once the assignment's over and they all return to reality? Can she bear to have her heart broken all over again? Wow! This book rocks! Lauren Dane pulls out all the stops with this soul searing, awe-inspiring read. Sera is a ballsy kick-butt character whom I absolutely love. Ash and Brandt are dominant men and each is a member of a ruling Family, which adds an extra complication and emotional aspect to the storyline. Sera's feistiness really cracked me up but she also has an emotional vulnerability to Ash and Brandt that drew me into the relationship so that I felt like I was there watching as each scene between them played out (and believe me there are some scenes that heated my face and left me ti

A dangerous mission brings Federation lieutenant Sera Ayers into uncomfortably close proximity to two equally dangerous men. Years ago, Ash Walker broke her heart after announcing his engagement to another woman and asking Sera to be his mistress. Heart broken, Sera fled, floundering through life until she established a successful career in the military. Now Ash is back in her life, and if that weren't bad enough, he's her superior officer. Brandt Pela is the third member of the undercover team. As long-time best friend to Ash, Brandt is very familiar with the story of Ash and Sera's previous romance. When the mission plan mandates that Sera must play mistress to one of these men, Brandt seems the lesser of two evils. There will be cameras watching their every move while on their mission, and their lives will depend on their enemies believing their relationship is real, making frequent intimate contact mandatory. Both Ash and Brandt are determined to take full advantage of the situation to seduce Sera into their lives rather than just their bed. Sera has no hope of holding out against the sensual onslaught by either man, but when they combine forces she knows she is fighting a losing battle. I became a fan of author Lauren Dane after reading her digital books published by various e-publishers. To see this talented writer move into the big-time with a New York print publisher is absolutely wonderful. The more successful an author is, the more novels their fans will be able to enjoy from them, right? *grin* UNDERCOVER is a really great story, and one that I expect will garner more than a few new fans for Ms. Dane's work. With a delicious blend of kinky sex, suspense, and romance, this story grabs the reader's attention and doesn't let go until the final page. With two alpha male heroes, you would expect to have a power struggle between the two, and there is a bit of that. The deep friendship these two share helps them find a middle ground where they share that dominant power. In fact, it is his friendship with Brandt that helps Ash bridge the chasm between him and Sera, allowing them to find a happy ending together. Sera is one lucky, lucky woman. A relationship with either Brandt or Ash is the stuff women's romantic and erotic dreams are made of, but a ménage with both men? Absolutely mind-blowing. Although naturally submissive in the bedroom, Sera has more than enough backbone to hold her own with both men, no matter how masterful they are. Readers should know before beginning the story that although the primary focus is on each man's relationship with Sera, there are some pretty hot scenes where the men share their sexual attention with each other as well. UNDERCOVER is a sensual exploration into the dynamics of long-term ménage relationships with a fantastic Science Fiction setting. This is a must-read for fans of Lauren Dane, and a perfect introduction for erotic romance readers who are new to this author. **Courte