Undercover Lover

It took me a while to read Katherine D. Jones's Undercover Lover. I kept picking up the book, reading a few chapters, and putting it down. It picked up as I kept reading but ended up being an average read: 3 out of 5.

From Texas to Teaneck, someone is killing wealthy married couples and clearing their homes of luxury items. According to law enforcement, an undercover couple stationed in one of the targeted cities is their best shot at stopping the brutal crime spress. Enter Special Corruption Unit agents Roderick Radford and Helene Maupin . . .

Professionally, posing as husband and wife should be a breeze for Roderick and Helene. But personally, it's a different story. For the pair bring to their mission a history of repressed emotions and unconsummated passion. Helene has loved Roderick for years, but an unhappy past--and an intimate secret--have kept her from wholeheartedly pursuing him. Confused by Helene's mised signals, Roderick has kept his feelings in check, even taking on assignments that put distance between them. But now, as their clandestine kisses leave them yearning for more, and their work puts their lives at risk, they may discover that losing each other is one risk that isn't worth taking . . .

Let's start with what I like. I love cabin romances where the hero and heroine are forced to be together for an extended period of time. Here, the nature of their undercover work ensures they remain in close quarters. This results in some great tense moments where Rod and Helene have to face what they're feeling.

Rod is a wonderful beta hero who's devoted both to his mission and to Helene. He's considerate and incredibly patient--so much so that he edges toward too good to be true at times. I also like the cover.



My main problem was the heroine. The back cover blurb says Rod is "confused by Helene's mised signals." That made two of us. Helene is reluctant to enter a long-term relationship that will lead to commitment or marriage. Because of her family background, I understood why she felt this way. I didn't understand why she kept doing this push/pull thing with Rod. It wasn't fair to him, and she didn't seem to realize that often.

The pacing really varied. Helene and Rod would have a few conversations, then six weeks would go by. This gave the book a hurry up and wait kind of feeling, and was one reason I found it easy to set the book aside. The pace improved toward the end of the story when it was no longer making start/stop jumps.