Samanthe Beck Follow

3.75 stars-- UNDERCOVER ENGAGEMENT is the fifth instalment in Samanthe Beck’s contemporary, adult PRIVATE PLEASURES erotic, romantic suspense series. This is rookies Eden Brixton, and Marcus Swain’s story line. UNDERCOVER ENGAGEMENT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Marc and Eden) UNDERCOVER ENGAGEMENT follows recent academy grads Eden Brixton, and Marcus Swain on their first undercover assignment in Bluelick, Kentucky. An increase in drug possession has warranted an investigation into the sale, cultivation and distribution of marijuana in the Bluelick area, and Eden and Marcus have been assigned to go undercover as a couple, a couple struggling financially with their upcoming wedding but Eden and Marc’s previous encounters with one another have been less that tolerable, in fact their relationship is more antagonistic than hopelessly in love. Working together finds Marc and Eden struggling to remain in characters but a perceived act of betrayal pushed Eden to go it alone. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Eden and Marc, and the potential fall-out as their time together comes to a close.

The relationship between Marcus and Eden is acrimonious at best. Marc is a bit of a hotshot with ego to spare, and Eden is a bit of a straight-laced recruit from a long line of front line workers. Having butt heads with one another through basic training, their acrimonious relationship continues in the small town of Bluelick, Kentucky. The $ex scenes are intimate and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to former Navy SEAL Shaun Buchanan and Mayor Ginny Boca: Dr. Ellie Swan and Tyler Longfoot, Melody Merritt; former Navy SEAL West Donovan and his girlfriend/singer Roxy Goodhart, and several townies including Kenny and Dobie.

UNDERCOVER ENGAGEMENT is a story of secrets and lies, family and friendships, relationships and love. The premise is engaging and entertaining-the angst level is low, the conflict resolution quick and easy; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic and colorful.

3.75 stars--WET AND RECKLESS is the fourth instalment in Samanthe Beck’s contemporary, adult PRIVATE PLEASURES erotic, romance series focusing on the men and women of Bluelick, Kentucky. This is former US Navy SEAL and NYPD police officer West Donovan, and singer/song writer/waitress Roxy Goodhart’s story line. WET AND RECKLESS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (West and Roxy) WET AND RECKLESS focuses on the arrival of twenty-two year old Roxy Goodhart to the small town of Bluelick, Kentucky, the town where her mother and grandmother once lived. Spying a young woman hitchhiking on the side of the road, police officer West Donovan offers our heroine a ride, a ride she struggles to accept in the face of West’s profession, as our heroine is on the run, with no where to go. Hoping to reconnect with the grandmother she has never met, Roxy will soon discover that her grandmother has passed, and our heroine is out on her own but the people of Bluelick, Kentucky welcome Roxy as one of their own especially police officer West Donovan who is hoping Roxy is only in town for a short time. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Roxy and West, and the potential fall-out as Roxy’s past demands payment and more.

The relationship between Roxy and West begins acrimoniously when West picks up a hitchhiking stranger on the side of the road. Roxy battles between head and heart knowing that her past is about to catch up, and her legal troubles may destroy the building love between our leading couple. West Donovan doesn’t do relationships, and struggles with his attraction to our story line heroine but the town has accepted Roxy as one of their own, and West refuses to lose the woman that calls to his heart. The $ex sense are erotic, passionate and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including West’s friend and former Navy SEAL Shaun Buchanan and Mayor Ginny Boca: Dr. Ellie Swan and Tyler Longfoot; Melody Merritt and Josh Bradley, LouAnn Doubletree; Randy and Uncle Billy.

WET AND RECKLESS is a story of friendships and relationships, revenge and secrets; happiness and love. The last instalment in the series was close to seven years ago, so I had to look back to refresh my memory. The premise is captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic and sassy. The ‘conflict’ resolution is quick and easy; the angst level was limited to our heroine’s unease of what was to come.