Genre: Action Adventure, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
Life is plenty exciting for Joey Cole. Everything that isn’t his day job revolves around having fun, but “fun” becomes complicated when Joey’s latest side gig turns into a gunfight between the handsy billionaire he’s working for and the ex-boyfriend who broke his heart and who’s now…smuggling drugs?
Turns out that Adam, Joey’s ex, is a spy for His Majesty’s government, and that Joey has fallen into a sting operation meant to take his shady employer down. Joey and Adam are hounded by assassins as they escape to a safe house in England, home to the woman who introduced Joey to Adam in the first place—his grandmother.
Who, it turns out, is also a spy. Huh, no wonder she made him get so good at untying knots with his hands tied behind his back.
Joey and Adam rekindle the romance that burned between them, but Adam is still a spy—he’s not his own man, and he’ll certainly never belong to Joey. The safest thing would be to break it off before Adam breaks his heart again…but the way they’re being hunted, safe is out of the question, and love may mean the difference between life and death.
Under the Gun is part of the Accidentally Undercover shared romantic suspense series.
The Review
Joseph “Joey” Cole is in paradise, vacationing on the largest island in the Seychelles, Mahe. He’s had three days of relaxation, with four more to go. He’s employed as an Archivist for a year by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Joey is enthusiastic about his job, as he believes in the act of preservation, and there are artifacts and items worth preserving for future generations. He’s borrowed expensive equipment – a 3D Art Scanner and tripod – and has put the equipment to good use as he takes a shot of a Nephila Inaurata, a giant spider to send to his boss Melanie. The 3-D scanning will create a digital copy that will last forever.
At the age of fourteen, Joey lost his parents and was taken in by his Grandmother, Camille Van Cleese. The relationship eventually grew estranged, but one of the things he picked up from his Grandmother was to be observant. He took care of himself with a trust from his parents, got a college education while working, and never took a handout. His Grandmother, and a bad experience with someone he thought loved him, left him feeling that no one really cared about him.
Joey decided to make his vacation a working one, and has flown half way around the world cataloguing art works. His next client is Emile Dagorov, who owns a Mesolithic Sculpture collection to be catalogued. He has to put up with the flirty and handsy Dagorov – is it really worth the price? He just want’s to get it done and get out, but Dagorov tells him he has a special friend he wants Joey to meet. When he’s introduced to this friend, it takes Joey back ten years. He’s is enraged when he sees Adam Pierce, and clobbers him.
Now, Joey and MI6 Adam Pierce are on the run from Emile Dagorov, who, it turns out, is a Russian arms and drug dealer. In making their escape, Joey leaves the expensive 3D equipment, his personal belongings, and his passport behind.
Even when they think they’re safe, danger and death chase after them. Adam takes Joey to a safe house, and when they arrive, Joey comes face to face with Camille Van Cleese – his Grandmother.
What secrets has she been keeping from him? Will he be able to trust Adam again? And is there anyway to defeat the dangerous Dagorov?
Under the Gun is a smashingly exciting story featuring a complex plot, and characters that are just as complex. It’s a quick read filled with fast-paced action and danger, a real page-turner. The characters are fleshed out very well, and share a few wonderfully heartfelt moments in the midst of this fantastic spy tale.
I highly recommend Under the Gun, part of the “Accidentally Undercover” six book stand-alone, series. Cari Z never fails to deliver her best.
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
