Scarlett Cole’s Deep Cover has action, heart-to-heart conversations, an undercover sting, and a whole lot of steamy romance. What’s not to love?
Even if you haven’t read the first two books in her Love Over Duty series, you won’t be able to stop yourself from falling in love with these characters and this fun story of man meets woman, man and woman team up to take down some dangerous people, and man and woman (expectedly) unexpectedly fall in love with each other.
Before we go any further, I have a confession to make: the first novel in this series, Under Fire, was the very first romance novel I ever read. And now, I’m writing my first romance review about a novel in this series! So, suffice it to say that I have an extra-special connection to these books and this author.
But, while some of my enjoyment of Deep Cover stems from sentimentality, the majority of it comes from the fact that it’s a solid and incredibly entertaining romance novel. I usually have trouble putting romance novels down, but this one made it almost completely impossible to do so.
It’s hard not to fall in love with Cabe and Amy, the main couple in this story. Though he’s a former military man, Cabe doesn’t completely adhere to the rigid stereotype. Sure, he’s incredibly handsome and muscular (or so I gleaned from the detailed descriptions of his physique), but he’s more than that.
He’s strong yet gentle, business-like yet emotional. He doesn’t freely talk about his emotions and his headspace, but he also doesn’t really hesitate to open up when asked or when he feels he should. Cabe is protective of all those he loves and never fails to show them how much he cares as often as he can.
A lot of his sensitivity and protectiveness stems from the fact that he’s grieving the death of his fiancée. Though it’s not a recent loss (it happened a few years before the start of the novel), Cabe struggles with his survivor’s guilt as well as his loneliness. When we meet him, he’s focused solely on work and the company he owns with his friends, doing everything he can to keep any semblance of a personal life at bay. But you know what they say… love finds you when you’re not looking for it.
(Or, at least, that’s what everyone tells me to make me feel better about my love life. But I digress…)
I will say that, coming from my experience of interacting with grievers daily, Scarlett Cole does a great job describing the depth and pervasiveness of Cabe’s grief as well as his journey through it. While I don’t want to spoil anything, I will say that Cabe’s evolution is really realistic and well-paced.
Cabe does a lot on his own to process his grief, but Amy, the female lead in the story, definitely jump-starts things. She’s Cabe’s equal in almost every way. She’s incredibly intelligent and observant, not to mention strong, physically and emotionally. She has her strengths but she’s not perfect. In fact, she’s well aware of her weaknesses, acknowledging them throughout the novel and accepting help when she knows that she should. Though she goes undercover and positions herself as bait in her sting, Amy is no damsel in distress. Not even close.
I think, perhaps, Amy’s lack of “damsel-ness” is one of the things that endeared this novel to me most. When reading romance, nothing makes me cringe more than when women who are depicted as capable and intelligent make illogical decisions and put themselves in the role of a damsel in distress. Yes, as humans we all make mistakes, but they don’t end in damsel status nearly as often as some romance novels indicate.
Though Amy does make a stupid decision or two and messes up, she knows how to save herself. She has back-up plans on back-up plans. Not only that, but trust in others coming through for her (while she still does everything she can to help herself) is a large part of her back-up plans. This doesn’t make her a damsel. It makes her a smart and adept human being. When in peril, her strategy doesn’t just involve waiting around for someone to save her. She does what she can to help herself with what she’s given. Amy has agency.
Amy’s agency also shines through in less “life or death” kinds of situations. Deep Cover is incredibly timely in that Amy is a part of the #MeToo movement. After being harassed and made to feel uncomfortable at her previous office, she transfers elsewhere in hopes of a new start. Her story shows the complexities of just what that transfer request and harassment do to her reputation and her mental state.
By setting up this predicament early on, we view everything she says and does throughout the novel through this #MeToo lens (just as Amy would see it). Because of her past, she has to constantly monitor her behavior and composure at work. She even has to police herself around Cabe. She can’t risk any sort of non-professional relationship with him because it could damage her career aspirations — as well as the case she has been working on tirelessly.
Scarlett Cole’s inclusion and discussion of sexual harassment in the workplace — as well as its ramifications — is expertly done in Deep Cover. It’s effective without being overly distracting. After all, given Cabe and Amy’s chemistry, the last thing I would’ve wanted would’ve been distractions from the sparks flying between them.
Let’s talk about those sparks, shall we?
Every time these two are in a room together (or even just thinking about each other), the magnetic pull between them is obvious. Sure, there’s definitely physical and sexual attraction between them. That much is obvious. But these two also have a high level of respect for the other’s skills and accomplishments which then fuels their attraction.
But the thing I love most about their dynamic is the fact that, while neither is perfect, they’re both amazing at communication. There are no scenes in Deep Cover where things could’ve gone differently if Cabe and Amy had just discussed something or told each other about a thing that would otherwise keep them apart. It’s incredibly refreshing to read about two people who realize the importance of communication and to not have to scream into the void about how stupid it is to conceal vital information.
Oh, AND when there are small breakdowns in communication, Cabe and Amy are mature and in touch with themselves enough to know that they’re worrying for nothing and that their brain, not the situation itself, is what is making them crazy. I love all of the overt steaminess in this novel, but these acknowledgements were perhaps the sexiest aspect of the novel for me.
Speaking of that overt sexiness, the plot of this novel (man and woman must go undercover to stop some very bad — and dangerous — people from doing some very awful things) really lends itself to sexual tension and heightened emotions. I mean, all this takes place against the backdrop of a glitzy casino. I’m talking men in sharp outfits, strong drinks, and lots of risk. It’s a sexy, un-complicated story that allows for a lot of great character moments and stressful situations that will make your heart pound.
Though the plot is a continuation of the plots from the first two books in this series, you don’t have to have read the first two novels to be invested in what happens to any of the characters here. Sure, it’d be helpful if you want more context on the bad guys’ previous actions and more characterization when it comes to Cabe’s best friends, but Deep Cover does a great job at quickly summarizing what has happened previously so that you can enjoy the ride that this novel has to offer.
How would I know? Well, though I loved Under Fire (the first book in the series), I sadly never got around to reading Final Siege. At least not yet. That being said, I had no problem picking up where Final Siege left off and jumping right back in to the series’ connective storyline. Deep Cover has short and succinct “the road so far” moments that are enlightening without being too overbearing.
Regardless of if you’ve read the other books in Scarlett Cole’s Love Over Duty series, Deep Cover will surely capture your heart. It’s a delightful read from start to finish.
And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to track down Final Siege because I’m a completionist and I’m not quite ready to leave these characters behind just yet!