4.5 stars!

Ari is the not-well-known brother. He went on a cruise to find out why one of their ships wasn't doing well. Too many open berths, and it wasn't making the cash flow it should have. He is a widower, still mourning his wife. He was on the cruise to work. Nothing more.

Then he ran into Kelsey, who is hard at work, earning a living behind an onboard bar. She lost her inheritance and had been with the cruise line for 7 years. One more year and she'd make her goal to provide for herself and her going-blind mother.

She'd sworn off men because of her thieving former lover. Until she tested fate and slept with Ari. Each was infatuated with each other. It was a firing offense. Was it worth it?

Lordy, Amy Andrews knows how to write an exciting sex scene. Or maybe a whole book full of them.

I generally don't like billionaire stories. Guys living the high life and thrilling the women with luxury. But Ari is buried in his grief and nothing else matters to him. You'll see him in a T-shirt and board shorts. Or a towel. Great story.

A driven and grieving billionaire travels on one of his family's cruise liners to discover why it is losing money. His attraction to Kelsey is immediate and surprising as he is still coming to terms with the loss of his wife. The sizzling passion that follows has its roots in emotion, and Ari and Kelsey soon realise that this is more than a one-night experience. Ari is easy to like, as is Kelsey. When Ari confesses the undercover aspect of his role, Kelsey is unforgiving, and her inability to forgive and risk her heart again threatens their relationship. I like the emotional journey the story takes the couple on, their passionate affair and the romantic conclusion.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Undercover Billionaire by Amy Andrews, is a sizzling, steamy, emotional, billionaire, forbidden, instant attraction romance story with humor, and secrets. Ari and Kelsey had an instant attraction to one another despite both strongly being opposed to a relationship. Ari is still feeling heartbreak, and Kelsey is still feeling her resentment from getting burned by an ex. Taking place on a cruise ship, Ari Calliisthenes, part of a wealthy family and one of the heirs to a shipping line, goes undercover to investigate a few problems and concerns. Falling for a member of the staff was never on his list of things to do, but beautiful Australian Kelsey Armitage gets under his skin and into his emotions and leaving her behind was not going to happen. Kelsey has been working on the cruise ships for seven years doing which ever job she can in order to save enough money to purchase a place by the sea for her Mum. While on a beautiful Mediterranean cruise she meets a passenger who sets her heart on fire and for the first time she breaks the rules, for supposedly a one night stand.

The chemistry and electricity sparks between Ari and Kelsey, setting the pages on fire as well as possibly boil the ocean around them. It was supposed to be only a one night stand, except neither of them figured that their feelings would get involved. When cupid shoots his arrows no one is safe and Ari pulls out all strings to win the woman who has won his heart. Kelsey is the perfect partner for the brooding billionaire.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book
#NetGalley #Boldwood

A fun romantic read! This would be a great beach read or one to take on a cruise with you! If you like romance novels, you won't be disappointed by this one.

This is a very spicy and steamy read with likeable characters Kelsey and Ari. Billionaire Ari goes undercover to investigate why one of his cruise liners isn’t performing. What he doesn’t expect is to meet Australian waitress Kelsey which sparks some very intense feelings in them both. What follows is a forbidden romance between two people who have emotional baggage. I found this easy to read and that the balance between the steamy parts and the undercover story with their backstories explored just right. All in all a very enjoyable read. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

Undercover Billionaire is a sexy forbidden romance. Kelsey is a bartender on a cruise ship sailing through the Mediterranean. Ari Callisthenes is the billionaire to a Greek shipping line. He's also cruising on his own ship but incognito. When Kelsey and Ari meet, the sparks fly for both of them but their romance is forbidden. Kelsey isn't allowed to fraternize with the guests, and Ari doesn't want to disclose who he is to anyone. That will blow his cover and the whole reason he's on the ship.

I enjoyed Undercover Billionaire. There is fun, chemistry, and steam between the pages. Both main characters have unpleasant baggage that forces them to step away from the idea of a relationship. When they meet on the ship and Kelsey has to seek Ari out in his stateroom, their connection intensifies. Lovers of romance (forbidden, steamy, billionaire) will be entertained by Undercover Billionaire and the book's main characters.

The author's writing style is amazing. I'm drawn into everything I've read by Amy Andrews. Her characters are well-developed and her scene building pulls the reader right into the events happening on the page. I've enjoyed meeting her characters in every book I've had the chance to read.

I loved being back on a cruise ship even if it was just in my imagination. My husband and I cruised in February 2024 (my third, my husband's first) and are already planning another one in the near future. I highly recommend these floating cities with the best attendants, wide array of onboard activities, and exotic destinations.

This book was an absolute blast to read—fun, sexy, and fast-paced in the best way. The chemistry between the characters was electric, keeping me hooked from start to finish. Every moment felt effortless yet exciting, making it impossible to put down.

Set on a cruise ship, Undercover Billionaire tells the story of Ari and Kelsey. They have both loved and lost. In the case of Kelsey, she was cheated out of her inheritance by someone she thought loved her, leading her to stop trusting anyone. For Ari though, he lost his wife after a car accident and believes that he will never love again.
I really enjoyed the way that these two found their way to one another and love. It was a quick read, but ultimately an enjoyable and satisfying one. Kelsey might have been a little bit too prickly towards the end, but they both got there in the end.
This book sets us up for the next in the series, which I'd also be quite keen to read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Thank you, Boldwood Books, for the opportunity to review an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions. I really tried to like this book because I love a billionaire romance, but sadly this one missed the mark for me. It was a quick read, so I'll give it that...but that's about it. It felt like a cringeworthy cross between the reality shows "Undercover Boss" and "Below Deck". I felt like so much was missing from the book that could have made it a more engaging experience for me. I wish there had been more character development and depth, more humor, and more focus on the romance as opposed to the focus seemingly being on the hookups between the two main characters. The ending was sweet, but the story overall felt extremely rushed.

This was a very sweet and yet spicy book. I liked that the majority of the plot was more internal struggles for both our FMC and our MMC. Our FMC was dealing with saving money to help her mother while also not wanting a relationship because of trust issues. Our MMC was struggling internally after the loss of his wife, leaving him a widow. While Ari, our MMC, did hide his identity because he was undercover (like undercover boss). I also liked how it was the simple things that made Ari really like our FMC.

I loved the story-line of Undercover Billionaire - Ari is the CFO and his goal is to determine what or who is responsible for this luxury cruise liner being the least profitable and lowest guest rated ship in their fleet. Almost immediately after boarding the ship, Ari meets Kelsey, a cocktail waitress still reeling emotionally and recovering financially from being fleeced by her former boyfriend.

The book is filled with spicy scenes, great characters, and a dreamy setting on a Mediterranean cruise. At times, I found myself skimming over the spicy scenes to get back to the undercover aspect of the story line.

I don’t know why it took so long for me to read a cruise ship romance sooner, this was an actually pretty cute and entertaining read. I enjoyed the secret identity and workplace romance tropes.

Both characters have been through some pretty traumatic things and it was the first time they allowed themselves to experience romance since their respective traumas occurred. Ari is sweet, charming, and such a gentleman. It’s no wonder why the FMC fell for him instantly. As a caregiver, I really appreciated Kelsey’s hustle to provide a good life for her mom, and she was always considered when Kelsey needed to make a personal or work decision.

My one complaint is how she reacted to finding out Ari’s true identity. I know she was hurt very badly, but Ari keeping his identity from Kelsey, with good reason, wasn’t as bad a lie as she thought it was.


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The connection between Ari and Kelsey was strong and compelling. I liked how the two of them met and how their connection grew stronger. The book was a fast read with plenty of spice. Both had reasons to not be looking for another romance. The book was a perfect escape into. It was a fast read and a great way to spend the day! I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

⋆𓆉 𓆝 undercover billionaire ⋆𓆉 𓆝

This is re-release book that I have the opportunity to arc for its new publication.

Undercover Billionaire was super fun to read. It’s set in a cruise ship with a Greek heir and a bartender. It gives you Cinderella vibes all the time.

As the story progresses you can learn more about Kelsey and Ari. Their chemistry was there since the first moment they looked at each other. Both were against to the growing feeling that they had. As pages floes by you learn the reasons behind their denials.

I love their adventures when the cruise landed and they had the time to explore the cities. Their dates were super romantic and so fancy 🤌🏽.

I’d like to thank Amy Andrews and NetGalley for the eArc.

This was quite a light and uncomplicated read. It had some cute moments and the chemistry between Ari and Kelsey was good. The plot is quite simple, but it’s steamy and the relationship develops nicely. I can’t say I felt hugely invested in the plot or its characters, but it was a quick read and I would recommend it if that’s what you’re looking for. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: Death of a spouse (in past), grief, sexual harassment (side character, on-page), on-page sex, unprotected sex (view spoiler), oral sex, fingering.

I loved this story! Kelsey & Ari’s relationship has its ups & downs but their HEA is perfect! I loved the setting on a cruise ship & Greece - a bonus for sure! Read this one when you need a great love story with some angst but not too much!

POV ~ dual 3rd
Featuring ~ billionaire widow, a broke, bubbly, and stubborn FMC, some steamage

Trigger warning from the author:
A brief, non-graphic scene depicting sexual assault in a work place involving secondary characters.

This is a re-release originally published back in 2020, not sure if anything was changed.

Kelsey (27) & Ari (32) meet on the cruise ship that she works on and he owns. The thing is that he's hiding his identity and is claiming to be a regular passenger in hopes of figuring out what's going wrong with the business. How do you think it's going to go over with Kelsey when she finds out he's been lying? You can probably guess.

I have mixed feeling about Kelsey. Her relationship with her mom was great, but boy is she a stubborn one. I'm stubborn myself, so I can relate, but she was a bit too over the top, especially at the end, in my opinion. Her work ethic is commendable, but she made a huge, dumb decision back in the day that's making her need a ton of money.

“And she really needed a shower. She stank of booze and bar nuts.” 🤣🤣

Despite the sneakiness of it I liked the undercover plotline. I really liked Ari and how he handled that trigger warning. When he commits to something, he sure does commit and we see that towards the end of the book. Even though he's a billionaire he's not super flashy about it. Does he do good things with this money? He sure does, but also doesn't expect praise for it.

Overall, their chemistry was evident and I really did like them together despite my mixed feelings with Kelsey.

Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the above info for reference.

Thank you to Amy Andrews, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for the ARC. My review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book a lot. The storyline was good. Characters were well written, each showing human emotions. Was a good spicy read. It's definitely a good book for a weekend or vacation read.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spicy: 🌶️🌶️

💵Forbidden Romance
💵Cinderella Trope
💵Alpha Hero

💙If you enjoy reading books by Sadie Kincaid and Meghan McQuinn, then this one is for you! I enjoyed it. Ari and Kelsey were dealt some crappy life curveballs. The way they gravitated towards one another was sweet! The instant attraction between these 2 was great! It was an emotional rollercoaster!

Cocktail waitress Kelsey Armitage needs her job on board the Callisthenes cruise ship. Nursing a broken heart and an empty bank account, her trust is destroyed and she’s vowed never to fall for a man again. Instead, she’s only in the mood for one-night stands. Not Happy Ever After’s.

But when a mysterious passenger orders a drink from her, she’s powerless to resist him. And soon one night turns into stolen and illicit moments at every opportunity. But romances with the passengers are strictly forbidden… and Kelsey is enjoying breaking all the rules.

Brooding billionaire Ari Callisthenes, heir to a Greek shipping line is undercover on his own cruise liner. His standards are impossibly high but his business is underperforming. He’s determined to find out why. However, he doesn’t expect the instantaneous chemistry with sexy cocktail waitress Kelsey or the whirlwind fling they find themselves entangled in. She awakens a part of himself he believed dead.