I really enjoyed Undercover Billionaire by Amy Andrews. The story is a sizzling, forbidden romance set mostly on a cruise ship, which gave it a fun and exotic vibe. Ari, the brooding billionaire heir going undercover to investigate his cruise line, and Kelsey, the witty and hardworking cocktail waitress, have fantastic chemistry that kept me hooked. Their dynamic felt genuine, with a nice balance of humor, emotional depth, and steamy moments.

I appreciated how Ari’s character isn’t your typical flashy billionaire—he’s grounded, thoughtful, and committed, which made his romance with Kelsey feel more authentic. Kelsey’s strength and vulnerability grew on me as the story progressed, and by the end, I really admired her resilience and heart. The writing beautifully blends sass, emotional grit, and plenty of heat, making for an engaging read.

While the beginning felt a bit slow for me, the story picked up wonderfully in the third act, delivering some of Amy Andrews’ best work. The vivid descriptions of the Mediterranean and Queensland coasts added a lovely backdrop to the romance. My only minor quibble was a slight overuse of strong language, but it didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment.

Overall, I’m giving Undercover Billionaire four stars. It’s a fast-paced, emotional, and sexy romance that I’d recommend to anyone who loves a well-written forbidden love story with heart and humor.

this was a really well done romance novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed in this type of book. The characters had that feel that I was looking for and worked in this universe. Amy Andrews wrote this well and left me wanting to read more.

This was exactly what I hoped it would be: fun, spicy, and quick to get through. All the stars for this one!

It took me a while to get through this book as it didn't hold my attention. Ari and Kelsey's meeting and banter were good, but when I skimmed past all the spicy scenes, there was nothing to the story other than the two having past trauma and hurt to deal with, and Kelsey feeling betrayed by Ari once she learns of his deception.
It would have been fun to see Ari covertly right some wrongs aboard the ship while flirting outrageously with Kelsey, rather than watching him tick boxes for his report.
This book will be perfect for anyone who wants to read a spicy story by the poolside.

Kelsey works on a cruise ship and ultimately hits it off with a passenger even though she has never broken a rule before. She's caught up in a whirlwind romance until she finds out that he is actually part of the rich family that owns this line of cruise ships. Ari had gone undercover to try and figure out why the ships aren't as popular as they used to be. He doesn't mean to be deceitful, but he loves the feeling of not being recognized. They get a chance to have a romance at sea, but will Kelsey forgive him for being untruthful about who he is?

I really enjoyed this book! It is only 212 pages so it is a quick romance book that hits all of the beats and keeps a quick pace. I think that they have a great romance and I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick, but satisfying read that ends in a happily ever after.

Amy Andrews has many contemporary romances on her backlist, ranging from medical romances to small town to rugby sports romances and more. Undercover Billionaire is a few years old now (first self-published in 2020 and but republished in 2025) and is set on a sun-drenched cruise ship, which is the perfect setting for this sexy beach read.

Aristotle Callisthenes isn’t keen on going undercover as a tourist on one of his family’s cruise liners but at his brother Theo’s urging, he’s doing just that. Trying to get to the bottom of the drop in passenger numbers and the higher turnover in staff on the Hellenic Spirit, he’s determined to find some answers. Widowed for a few years, a relationship is the last thing on his mind. But then he meets cheery cocktail waitress Kelsey Armitage.

Kelsey needs her job with Callisthenes Cruise Lines. A bad turn with an ex-boyfriend who had stolen some money she’d received as an inheritance set back her plans to buy a beach cottact with her mother, but in a few months, and after several years of cruising, it will be time to get back on land permanently and settle down as she and her mother have been planning for years. On her latest week long Mediterranean cruise, the handsome stranger who visits her bar is someone she can’t forget, and when she discovers he’s forgotten his wallet, she finds his stateroom to return it. The attraction between them sizzles and a kiss is exchanged – one which Kelsey firmly states can’t happen again. She can’t be caught fraternizing with a passenger and risk losing her job. And as for Ari, he’s not exactly who he represents himself to be, and he already feels guilty about having to make up a story for his presence there. But in the close quarters of a cruise ship, meeting again is all too easy and the temptation is too great. A steamy forbidden romance with a clear end date ensues - but will it be so easy to say goodbye when the ship docks at its final destination?

I enjoyed reading about this cruise from the perspectives of Ari - as an owner with a vested interested in how the crew treats the passengers and each other - and Kelsey’s experiences as one of those staff members. Hearing from Kelsey’s side as a co-worker with other staff, having to deal with many different kinds of passengers, long hours on her feet and life ‘below decks’ adds a touch of reality to the otherwise fairy tale-esque billionaire romance trope.

Vacation flings always contain intense emotional scenes due to the shortened timelines, and in this story we have Ari struggling with the guilt of having feelings for a woman who isn’t his wife for the first time. Kelsey knows she is taking a big risk by engaging in a physical relationship with Ari - he could report her if things go sour and cut her plans short. But the sex is too good, and the way they make each other feel seems real even if digging deeper risks breaking the illusion.

The end of the week brings things into sharp focus and the hard work then begins of making a relationship out of a fling. Honesty first, compromise, and a willingness to take risks lead to their happy ending. Undercover Billionaire is a fun ride, and I’m looking forward to reading about Ari’s brother next in the upcoming sequel Below Deck Billionaire.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it in a day. I loved the interactions between the characters and their chemistry. Definitely worth a read.

This is a love story with a whirlwind romance that is strictly forbidden
It is fast-paced, and passionate and a forbidden romance. However the chemistry between them is hard to resist but what happens when things start to unravel.
If you enjoy
Steamy Encounter
High Stakes
Secrets
Whirlwind Romance
Forbidden Romance
Chemistry that’s hard to resist

I loved this book. So many emotions, some of them felt very raw. I fell in love with Kelsey and Ari myself. I loved how that ending turned out - it could not been more perfect than that. I just hope that there is book two in the pipeline.

Thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author for the chance to read this book.

This was a short and spicy story. The characters and drama all flowed well together, and the storyline was well paced.

This book killed it with the smut. It was fast paced and didn’t give a whole lot of lead up before getting to the main event. The storyline was a tad predictable, but I still devoured this book. An easy read that would definitely get me out of any reading slump.

This was my first book by this author. I so enjoyed it. It was just fabulous being set on a cruise. I loved Ari and Kelsey got on so well together. They deserved a happy ending. There is another book coming out in July and i can't wait to see what happens in it.

Thank you for my ARC copy.

Ari is the CFO to his families luxury cruise ships, but one of the liners is losing money and he has been asked to go undercover and find out why.

Kelsey works on the cruise liner and does not trust men. But a chance encounter and a fling may be just what she needs to restore her faith.

But soon secrets are spilt and something that was short-term could be their next chance at love, but to find out, they will have to risk it all.

Andrews writes a spicy romance showing two parts to this narrative. This storyline shows a steamy 'holiday romance' with the realism of what happens after, this felt disjointed due to the reader wanting a happily ever after, but Andrews gives us characters and conflict that you can see in real life.

I loved how these two characters fell for one another, but also how their everyday surroundings grounded them to reality. This was a quick and easy read with a hint to a sequel.

This Author is one of my go-to reads and one I cannot recommend enough.

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

Uncover Billionaire - @amyandrewsbooks @boldwoodeverafter

This was a fun, spicy and quick read from a new to me author.

I've not read many books that took place on a cruise ship so this a different type of setting for me, but I enjoyed all the same.

Kelsey has had her heart broken before so she has made a promise to herself that she will no longer allow this to happen to her again.

But when she meets Ari, who is a passenger on the cruise she finds herself completely attracted to him and they have chemistry from the get go. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife. Soon they are given into temptation.

But with this comes complications. Ari is undercover and doesn't want his cover blown. The romance is also forbidden and against company policy, which only makes the relationship more exciting.

What will happen when the truth is revealed?

This read was good escapism and the Cinderella type of retelling was unique. I'd be interested in reading more of this authors work as I found it to be well written and engaged well with the story.

Thank you to @boldwoodeverafter for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first time I've read a book set on a cruise ship and found it quite interesting.

Ari and Kelsey had both experienced trauma in their respective pasts so weren't looking for romance. However, a chance meeting at the bar changed that when the chemistry between them sparkled.

I was uneasy at Ari not being totally honest with Kelsey but could understand why. However, I did think Kelsey's reaction was a bit over the top when she found out. Both characters were relatable and Ari came across as such a gentleman.

I could visualise the places they visited due to the author's descriptions.

This was a book I enjoyed and flew through. If you like a forbidden romance trope with lots of spice, this may appeal to you.

Thank you Rachel's Random Resources, Netgalley and the author for my digital copy and spot on the tour. This is my honest opinion which I am leaving voluntarily.

When this book came up as being available for a blog tour I immediately said yes because Amy Andrews is an Aussie and I try to support Aussie authors as much as I can, and I have read her books before. If I am going to be totally truthful, I never even read the blurb. I then missed adding it to my tour list so kind of forgot that the tour date was coming up.

We are going on holidays in the next few days and I have been reading away trying to get all my reviews written before we leave. I was therefore quite surprised when I realised on Monday that I still needed to read this! I was even more surprised when I realised that this book is set on a cruise ship (we are going on a cruise), and that the ship is called Hellenic Spirit (our ship is called Spirit too but with a real cruise line). That's probably where the similarities end. The Hellenic Spirit is sailing the Mediterranean and we are doing Japan and Korea. Oh, and I am not going to be falling in love with an undercover billionaire. I am pretty sure my husband would be pretty upset at me if that were to happen.

Ari Callisthenes is the CFO of his family's shipping line. He is on board the Hellenic Spirit undercover because it is a ship that doesn't perform as well as the other ships in the line, whether you are talking about customer satisfaction, repeat business, or staff turnover. He has been sent by his brother, the CEO, to find out what is going on. Because he is undercover he is even staying in an inside cabin - no luxury suite here. Part of the reason that he has been nominated for this job is because his family think he needs a holiday as he suffered a terrible tragedy a few years before and has thrown himself into work ever since.

Australian Kelsey Armitage has been working on cruise lines for 6 years. Her plan is for one more year and then she will have saved enough money to be able to buy a cottage in a small seaside country town with her mum. Of course, she would have been able to do this a lot earlier if her love rat ex boyfriend had not stolen her savings all those years before. In doing so, he also stole her ability to trust in men.

When Ari meets Kelsey, sparks fly, which is unusual for both of them. Kelsey is usually pretty good at sticking to the no fraternisation with passengers rule, but she just can't seem to resist Ari. And Ari is writing a report on what is going wrong on the ship in terms of health and safety, interpersonal relationships, and yet he also can't resist Kelsey.

There were a couple of things that I had to just let go which enabled me to really enjoy this book, and I sped through it in a couple of hours. I kind of struggled with the idea that no one on board the ship would recognise Ari. I got that he deliberately wasn't very public, and had a fake name, but surely his picture would still be in the board report? The other thing was the shower sex. I've been in a couple of standard cruise ship bathrooms and there is no way that there is room for shenanigans. Or maybe that is just for me and my husband who are both on the bigger side. I am pretty sure we won't be testing it out on our cruise! lol

I should mention that this is a steamy romance, so there is a lot of open door sex scenes!

I really liked Ari, and I enjoyed reading about his investigation on the ship. Kelsey was good too, although maybe a bit stubborn. She had been hurt by her ex and it had taken a lot to get her dreams back on track, but even when Ari showed how committed he was to her it took her a long time to come round.

In the end notes, the author mentions that there is a story featuring Ari's brother and Kelsey's best friend. I am there for that story!

Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

Rating 4.5/5

An undercover Greek Shipping heir attempts to find out why the company isn't filling a ship and employees are an issue. It's been three years since Ari George lost his wife, an accident that still haunts him. When he can't stop thinking about a one-night stand will he risk everything to keep seeing her? Could he really open up his heart to another?

A story of love, hope, and second chances in the most unexpected places. Set sail and discover the world with the finest food, drinks, and entertainment.

Amy Andrews is on my auto-buy list and everything she writes is magic! I can't wait for the next installment in this series.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7373534472The Love Boat Meets Undercover Boss!

Kelsey's focus is keeping her head down and doing her job, saving up until she's got enough money socked away to take care of her mom. Ari is just the distraction she doesn't need, but she can't resist their incendiary chemistry.

Ari's family owns the cruise line, and it's his job to find out why this particular ship is having so many problems, so he sets out to experience a cruise from a passenger's perspective to evaluate the staff and programs offered on board. He is still grieving the death of his wife and is absolutely not ready to move on yet. But he can't resist his attraction to Kelsey, even when he knows that she'll hate him when she discovers the truth.

Amy Andrews really knows how to write steamy love scenes and delectable romantic tension. This book has perhaps the best shower sex scene I've ever read, yet their emotional connection was even hotter. I loved getting to know these characters and fell in love with them both from the start.

My only disappointment was with the unrealistically long time gap between the third act breakup and their eventual reconciliation. One wonders about the true depth of their feelings if they both can go such an extraordinary length of time without even attempting contact, but the extended time they took to work out their HEA somewhat made up for that.

If you like billionaire leading men who know what they want and plucky leading ladies who aren't swayed by dollar signs, you'll enjoy this delightful romance. I reviewed an advance copy of this book.

This didn't hold my attention as much as I thought it would. The chemistry was there, Ari was a great guy, Kelsey was a great employee but every other scene was spice. It would have been nice to have some tension and build up, flirty behaviour, not to be straight at it.

4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐
2/5🌶️🌶️

What to Expect:
🛳️Billionaire Romance
🌊Forbidden Romance
🛳️No Strings Attached
🌊Boss/Owner x Employee
🛳️Cinderella Trope
🌊Cruise Ship
🛳️“I Don’t Do Relationships!”
🌊Alpha Hero

I knew from the first chapter that Undercover Billionaire was going to be one of those reads, I couldn’t stop. The chemistry between Ari and Kelsey? Off the STEAMYYYY. Their banter, the instant attraction, and the tension building with every interaction had me reeling to see what would go down between them (lots of foreshadowing, but not in the annoying way!). Amy Andrews did such a great job making their connection feel natural, not forced, which made every stolen moment between them even more HOTTT. And let’s be honest—Ari answering the door in nothing but a towel multiple times was a genius move… we all love to drool over a smexyyy man in a towel!

One thing I especially loved was how Kelsey was written. She’s not your stereotypical romance FMC—she’s a curvy, hardworking bartender with real insecurities and everyday struggles. She’s not supermodel perfect, and that made her so much more relatable. Her dreams, her resilience, and her no-nonsense attitude made me root for her even more. The cruise ship setting was also such a fun backdrop, adding an extra layer of escapism with all the glitzy, sun-soaked locations (seriously, I want to book a trip ASAP).

Beyond the romance, I could tell Andrews put a lot of TLC into the story. There were deeper themes woven in—betrayal, class differences, workplace ethics—all without taking away from the sizzling romance, or letting the romance overtake the plot. And while Ari’s big secret was bound to explode, I appreciated how the fallout was handled in a way that felt real, not rushed… not all is instantly forgiven. The ending was so satisfying, giving us that well-earned ending without surpassing the struggles it took to get there.