Under The Surface by Anne Calhoun (Book Review)

3.5 of 5

Adult Romance

ARC provided through NetGalley for an honest review.

I LOVED the premise of this story. Attractive cop, Matt, going undercover as a bartender in a local nightclub to protect the bar’s owner, Eve, from a local mobster wanting to use the nightclub as a way to launder money. Eve wants to run a clean business but when approached by a “friend” and local mobster, Lyle, to use her business as a cover for his illegal work, she goes to the police as an informant. Matt’s job is to watch over and protect Eve but that becomes difficult when she ignites a desire within him.

Seriously…what a great story line!!! I was so excited to start reading this romance/suspense novel… and let’s talk about the cover, hello sexy chest/abs!

Overall I really enjoyed the plot and characters. The plot was thrilling, suspenseful and refreshing. The characters were well rounded and captivating. Matt seemed like the perfect gentleman with just enough sass, dominance and compassion. Eve was a firecracker in my eyes and I liked it. She had a bit of an attitude and knows what she wants. She isn’t afraid to voice her opinion. Both of these characters make for an interesting romance story.

One problem I had is the pace this book takes in the beginning. It starts off exciting and thrilling and then dulls down. I was so interested to know how everything would play out and then it fizzled. I wanted more of a roller coaster ride of emotions of Eve finding out about Matt and more danger with Lyle. I think having more intense moments would have helped to bridge the gap between the beginning and the end. I also think it would have helped to make Eve an even more complex character. Being able to see more of her emotions and reactions to certain situations would have made her more real, relatable and likable. Although the story slows down, there is still hot chemistry and interactions between Matt and Eve that had me grinning and laughing out loud! The ending of this story redeemed this book for me. It picks up the pace and throws you in the middle of action.

I am definitely going to look into more of Anne Calhoun’s books. I would love to read the stories of some of the secondary characters such as Caleb, Luke and Natalie! Maybe future book ideas!?