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.

If you’ve read the synopsis, you’ll already be aware of the general storyline and that having a relationship with a passenger is completely taboo for Australian cruise line worker, Kelsey. Her reason for working in a different hemisphere from her family soon becomes clear, and it’s obvious that she is focused on making enough money to make her mum comfortable in retirement. This really resonated with me, and I was in full support of her plans for the future.
Ari seemed completely closed off to romance and focused purely on business. He had agreed to travel with the ship and work as a mystery passenger, observing what was happening on board. Although he was a senior member of the board, his face was unknown to the workers, so there was no risk of him being identified. The only risk was to his heart once he met Kelsey.
I’ve already mentioned that this is a spicy romance, but there is so much more to the story than their raw chemistry. Learning more about the hierarchy on cruise ships and the strict rules prohibiting fraternisation with passengers made me realise that ‘The Love Boat’ was not a reliable research tool!
Whilst the story takes us to at least one of the ports of call, we are able to explore life away from the ship and realise that their casual hook-ups had evolved into something distinctly different from what either of them was looking for.
The moral of this review is that you shouldn’t dismiss a racy storyline because the romantic elements may be just what you need. I would certainly recommend this one.

4 stars. Fun!

”You think we only get one go at this?”

Aussie girl Kelsey works on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean. One day she meets charming Ari who is a Greek accountant. But actually his family owns the ship and Ari is investigating undercover why the ship is not cost effective.

And ooooops - they have one night together - and then another. And another...

The third act crisis could be seen coming, as Ari was not telling Kelsey about his true identity. But his groveling and grand gesture were actually very fun to watch. I enjoyed this book quite a lot, it was quick and easy to read, fluffy, fun and steamy. Perfect palate cleanser!

WHAT I LIKED: The cruise ship as a setting. The Mediterranean, I could almost see the beautiful views and feel the warm breeze!

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: The predictabililty - one could see the third act crisis coming.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Pov: dual, 3rd person
Heat: open doors
Pacing: instalust
Communication: miscommunication
Third act: break up
Ending: HEA (and a cliffhangerish epilogue from the pov of Ari's brother)

Main characters:
* She works on a cruise ship, he is CFO
* Alpha Hero
* Millionaire
* Opposites attract

What?
* Forbidden love
* Forced proximity
* Grand gesture
* Groveling
* One night stand turned more

Where?
* On a cruise ship in Mediterranean
* Traveling together
* Workplace romance

Drama?
* Difficult past
* Secret identity

Other vibes:
* He's a widow

This book is the perfect mix of steam, drama, and heart. Ari, a billionaire in disguise, and Kelsey, a tough but vulnerable waitress, have amazing chemistry. Their romance feels intense yet sweet, and the Mediterranean cruise setting adds to the charm. A fun, sexy read that kept me hooked!

Undercover Billionaire is cocktail waitress Kelsey Armitage and broody billionaire Ari Callisthenes story.
Kelsey needs her job on board Callisthenes cruise ship because her ex took everything from her and now she needs to build her bank balance and her trust before she looks for a relationship. One night is all she is prepared to offer….
But when a mysterious passenger offers her a drink she falls hard and fast and is powerless to resist him. Breaking the rules and risking her job is not what she had in mind but resisting her heart is becoming harder to do with each meeting she had with Ari the heir to the geek shipping line who is working undercover on board his own ship.
The chemistry is sizzling, the banter is witty and the characters are easy to bond with. Undercover Billionaire is a well written, entertaining read.

I really enjoyed this book and read it in a couple of sittings. It was the perfect escapist and spicy read! Loved the cruise ship setting and the characters.

Secret billionaire on a cruise ship!

Widowed billionaire shipping heir Ari Callisthenes was being forced by his family to take his first vacation in three years so he decided to use the time to find out why his family’s cruise ship Hellenic Spirit was losing money by sailing as Ari George. But he never expected to be brought back to life by Australian bartender Kelsey Armitage.

Kelsey was working on the Hellenic Spirit to save up the money to be able to take of her mother and avoiding the guests on the ship because they were only there for a short time but there was something about Ari George that made her change her mind about opening her heart to a possible future if he can grovel enough!

Yes, there is plenty of groveling at the end of the story because Are finally realizes how much he messed up!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wham bam and just what I needed! If a Billionaire book ever goes wrong in my experience I have to question what the author was on.

Was this fast paced? Usually I’d be like no, gimme more but this hit the spot from beginning to end.

It did what it needed to do. Characters were straight to the point, predictable but again it was just what I needed. I tried to be annoyed at how quick they seemed to be in love but I couldn’t find it in me.

This was surprisingly less spacey than I expected, which left a decent amount of space for a plot!

Review posted on March 14 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

While I’ve never been on a cruise myself, Amy Andrews’ writing made me feel as though I had. Her prose is beautiful, and I enjoyed seeing both Kelsey and Ari’s points of view as they navigated real-life challenges—such as future family responsibilities and the endless cycles of grief after losing a loved one.

That said, while I appreciated the writing, I can’t say the same for the plot. Ari’s guilt seemed to revolve more around forgetting his late wife rather than the fact that he was actively lying to Kelsey. It wasn’t until much later in the story that he truly acknowledged the weight of his deception. When he finally confesses, Kelsey rightfully breaks up with him—but instead of respecting her decision, he essentially stalks her for months until she gives in and admits she loves him. The ending didn’t make much sense to me, and the random Cinderella comparisons felt out of place.

Overall, while Amy Andrews’ writing is undeniably strong, the story itself felt incomplete and rushed toward the end.

As expected from a billionaire romance. This is a quick, steamy read that is enjoyable. Liked the dynamics and chemistry between the FMC and MMC.

Undercover Billionaire is a good read for a cruise. Kelsey's and Aris story is perfect a a short holiday fling.