Undercover Sins by Hayley B. James

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Usually when there are hustlers in a romance, the mood of the story is pretty much on the line of Pretty Woman, with a knight in shining armor coming to rescue the little cinderfella. That is not the case of Undercover Sins. Ty is not a “cinderfella” waiting for Prince Charming, he is an undercover cop who is posing as a rent boy/escort to frame human trafficker Demetrius; and while I say “posing”, I don’t mean that he is faking his role of hustler, Ty is really exchanging sex with money, he has to be “real” to be able to get near to Demetrius.

That is another point that makes this novel less “Pretty Woman” romance and more Cop/Thriller novel. Usually in a romance, undercover cops seem to be able to stop the criminals without dirtying their hands; how is it possible that they are living among the criminals, behaving like criminals and never once doing something against the law? It’s not possible, and indeed in Undercover Sins, Ty has to lower himself, and being used and abused, to be able to maintain his disguise.

Considering Demetrius, he is not a saint, but I have to say I was expecting the turn for his character; and even if the author tried to shift the cards on the table, I was not deceived. Demetrius had something in him that exuded who he was. Again I appreciated that, despite the interest he obviously had in Ty, he was not taking back his intention of using him for his own purposes. Demetrius had a mission, and Ty was the key to an important step on that mission.

The sex is hot, but there are multiple partners (remember the hustler profession of Ty); lucky for me, when the sex is not between the main characters (Ty and Demetrius), the author didn’t indulge: that sex had a purpose, but the purpose was not to entertain the reader.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2219

Amazon: Undercover Sins
Amazon Kindle: Undercover Sins
Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (March 7, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1615818545
ISBN-13: 978-1615818549

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Paul Richmond

Comments

[lisa-thecat.livejournal.com]

I don't know why, but I've always been attracted to hustler stories. I've even written one myself, at some point. The thing is, I don't like promiscuity, but hustlers are not promiscuous, they are ... professionals. The problem with many hustler stories is that often they are horribly sad and sappy and cliche stories, sort of an Oliver Twist without the actual artful writing.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

well, here the hustler is actually an undercover cop, so for sure it's not sappy story... maybe a little sad, with at least there is an HEA.