"Undercover" by Lauren Dane – Review

Berkley Heat
ISBN: 0425224643
Genre: Futuristic, Erotic Romance, Menage, BDSM
Length: Novel

Synopsis:

A sexy debut exploring an erotic future universe of passion, danger, and deceit…

On the battleground or in the bedroom, one woman and two men fight for dominance in a bold, new, and excitingly different direction in erotica…

As a lieutenant of the Federation military, Sera Ayers is accustomed to giving orders, not taking them. Now she must obey the one man she can’t stand—and can’t stop thinking about.

With the enemy Imperialists gaining ground, a covert team is assembled by Ash Walker. Ten years before, Sera had lovingly submitted to Ash’s dominance in the bedroom. But when he was forced into a political marriage, she refused to play mistress. His marriage now over, Ash wants Sera on his team—and back in his bed.

The third team member, Brandt Pela, has an elegance to match Ash’s savage sexuality. And when their undercover plan requires Sera to pose as Brandt’s lover, it ignites a passion among the three of them more dangerous than their mission.

Excerpt and Ordering Information

Any of you who may have stopped by here during the past months on a regular or semi regular basis may have noticed (or not-lol) the cover art for this book floating in my sidebar, forever. Out of interest I took a look over at Goodreads to see when I actually read “Undercover” and gulped because it was back in July of last year. Needless to say, I scraped the barnacles of the hull of the cover art and moved it up into Tori’s closet, twice – determined to write a review. Why you may ask? Well, despite the fact it’s been months since I read the book, I remember this story and it’s characters quite vividly.

Undercover

Lieutenant Sera Ayers has earned her way in the Federation Military Corps to lead her own team to defend the Known Universes, from an Imperialist threat. Sera is a distinguished military officer, a linguist, a tough highly trained soldier who is proud of her career accomplishments. Enter Commander Ash Walker, (the man she hates most in the universes) and Paracommander Brandt Pela who recruit an enraged, kicking, screaming and punching Sera as an operative in a covert mission. Sera is forced to leave behind the team she has trained.

A decade prior joining the military, Sera and Ash had been long term live-in lovers. Unfortunately their relationship ended when Ash was forced by his high ranking family to marry a woman who was of equal class. Sera found out in the worst way, via a video broadcast and his betrayal wounded her to the core.

Now divorced from his wife who has remarried, Ash wants Sera back. She, needless to say, bears a simmering resentment toward him. Ash has a dominant attitude, an arrogance that I have to admit at the beginning found tough to take. However, he does recognize with the help of his friend and fellow officer Brandt that if he is going to win back Sera’s trust and love he will have to back off. When Ash and Sera were intimately involved he was the dominant and she the submissive within the confines of their home. He therefore feels he can nurture Sera’s need to be dominated in the bedroom again. After 10 years of military service, Sera has changed.

I liked Brandt Pela from the moment he was introduced in the story. While he is an equal to Ash with respect to strength of character and is definitely an Alpha male, he is also charismatic and has an ability to mediate when things get tough between Ash and Sera. Brandt is immediately attracted to Sera’s beauty and intelligence. Ash recognizes this and soon realizes he wants both of them. You see, Brandt and Ash are more than friends, they are two dominate males who have a deep bond and have enjoyed a sexual relationship.

Through amazing graphic imagery and descriptive prose Ms. Dane takes readers inside the Federation of Known Universes. A place where ships line up in space ports to slide through portals to distant worlds with their own societies and laws. Ms. Dane has developed a class system where a small number of high ranking families enjoy wealth, power and control over millions of people and ‘verses’.

As far as Ash and Brandt’s families are concerned they are wealthy playboys enjoying a carefree frivolous existence and all the trappings of wealth. Ash and Brandt have used this misconception to their advantage as they are actually committed officers working undercover to thwart the Imperial threat.

Sera, Brandt and Ash travel to the planet Nodal a very insular world with a stratified class system that wouldn’t allow her to move about without a man or husband in attendance. Sera therefore transforms herself and becomes ‘Sela’, Brandt’s concubine. This way she can move about, listening and working with the men collecting as much intel as possible.

Ms. Dane weaves an exciting suspense subplot into the narrative of this novel which involves high ranking family members with the imperialists who are attacking outposts and killing innocents. The heroes and heroine of this story are rocked to the core by the depth of treachery and treason that has taken place.

At it’s heart “Undercover” is the story, of the relationship that develops between these three people. It is not only about Brandt and Sera’s new love, but she and Ash gradually become lovers reacquainted. Their relationship evolves into a ménage, but not without all the insecurities, jealousies and difficulties one would expect in this type of situation. There is bondage and submission, graphic ménage à trois scenes and some very light m/m interaction in this novel. However I have to say, I’ve always enjoyed Lauren Dane’s voice, she has a way of penning love scenes in a sensual, and moving way.

If you enjoy a good erotic science fiction suspense, laced with lots of action and excitement you may like to give “Undercover” a try. I have my copy of “Relentless”, the next book in Lauren Dane’s “Federation Series” and I will read it soon. “Phantom Corps: Insatiable”, is to be released in July and I’m really looking forward to that story too.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Heat Level: Hot as a sun going nova!