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tt0rres's review
2.0
How many stereotypical library/librarian references can be thrown in to one story?
m_kaythen's review
4.0
Quinn Ellington can't believe her luck when an attractive British insurance agent comes up to the reference desk at the library where she works, and commissions her help on a long-term research project. Quinn is glad to have an excuse to interact less with her overbearing boss for a few weeks, and even more glad to get to know the enigmatic James Lockwood. The two continue to get closer as they conduct their research, and things seem to be going great when James finally asks Quinn out on a date. Things get a bit messy, though, when the date ends with Quinn's apartment being broken into and James shooting her in the back with a tranquilizer dart. And her week only gets weirder from there.
This book was adorable, sweet, and a great quick read. The characters were easy to root for, and by giving James and Quinn a mystery to solve together, the author made the love story much stronger. I also loved that although the book is a romance novel, just as much attention was paid to the puzzle they were trying to solve as to the development of their relationship; it didn't feel like two attractive people were just being attractive together, it felt like the beginning of a relationship, albeit in abnormal circumstances. The plot was entertaining, and I enjoyed that so much of it hinged on niche librarian skills.
This book would appeal to those looking for a sweet romance that includes a decent mystery along with it. The story has some sex in it, but is definitely fade-to-black, and is more of a slow burn in that respect than a lot of romance novels. Most of the story takes place in Los Angeles, specifically in the Santa Monica area, and the details are accurate enough to appeal to anyone who lives there or likes reading books set in the city. The story also includes a lot of details about being a reference librarian, and I was delighted to read the author bio and find out that she was a librarian herself.
This book was adorable, sweet, and a great quick read. The characters were easy to root for, and by giving James and Quinn a mystery to solve together, the author made the love story much stronger. I also loved that although the book is a romance novel, just as much attention was paid to the puzzle they were trying to solve as to the development of their relationship; it didn't feel like two attractive people were just being attractive together, it felt like the beginning of a relationship, albeit in abnormal circumstances. The plot was entertaining, and I enjoyed that so much of it hinged on niche librarian skills.
This book would appeal to those looking for a sweet romance that includes a decent mystery along with it. The story has some sex in it, but is definitely fade-to-black, and is more of a slow burn in that respect than a lot of romance novels. Most of the story takes place in Los Angeles, specifically in the Santa Monica area, and the details are accurate enough to appeal to anyone who lives there or likes reading books set in the city. The story also includes a lot of details about being a reference librarian, and I was delighted to read the author bio and find out that she was a librarian herself.
kittykornerlibrarian's review
4.0
A fun contemporary romance with some spy thriller thrown in. Quinn is a reference librarian in a California public library who is (somewhat unrealistically) hired by a handsome male patron with a British accent who is tracking down information about objets d'art. The attraction is apparent from the very beginning (I don't know any librarians who get flirty with patrons right off the bat because that leads to a lot of creepiness) and their first dinner date ends in an unexpectedly suspenseful situation. This is entertaining and well-paced; some of the dialogue is unbelievably stilted and I would have preferred more lead-up to the attraction and romance at the beginning. Mann packs a lot into one little book and I will read the second one for sure.
katielady's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
bellebookstitch666's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The plot sounded interesting but it dragged on for a while and the main characters were questionable. It’s a cute and corny story if you’re interested.
nnowels's review
3.0
As a librarian, I really wanted to love this, but it started out SO slowly that I kept losing interest. When I finally pushed through to about half-way through the book, it started picking up. Cute idea, hopefully the next in the series starts at a faster pace.
abderiandumpling's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
witandsin's review
2.0
2.5 stars - Reviewed for Wit and Sin
The Librarian and the Spy is a cute story with a fun premise that didn’t quite meet its potential. It’s a book I desperately wanted to like, mostly because author Susan Mann includes enough detail about Quinn’s job as a librarian to delight my bibliophile self. But while there’s a wonderful amount of trivia in this story, the actual plot dragged, the romance was missing spark, and the characters never came alive on the page. It took me a long time to get into this story, mostly because the plot took some time to find its footing. And while Quinn and James are certainly likeable, they never felt three-dimensional to me. Their romance is sweet, but again, was missing something. I felt a lot of the romance was a case of tell rather than show, which could have been part of the problem. As for the action, there was no real sense of danger or excitement when it came to the espionage work, and overall I was just left wanting more.
The Librarian and the Spy isn’t a bad book, only disappointing in that it could have been so much better had the characters and the world come to life. It had the potential to do so, for Ms. Mann’s writing definitely shines in any scene involving research. I absolutely loved those bits because I could feel Quinn’s excitement come through the page and I loved the way her mind worked. There’s also a fun twist at the end of the story that left me smiling and feeling optimistic about Quinn’s future. So while The Librarian and the Spy wasn’t quite my cup of tea, there is enough potential to the series that I’d like to read A Covert Affair.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Librarian and the Spy is a cute story with a fun premise that didn’t quite meet its potential. It’s a book I desperately wanted to like, mostly because author Susan Mann includes enough detail about Quinn’s job as a librarian to delight my bibliophile self. But while there’s a wonderful amount of trivia in this story, the actual plot dragged, the romance was missing spark, and the characters never came alive on the page. It took me a long time to get into this story, mostly because the plot took some time to find its footing. And while Quinn and James are certainly likeable, they never felt three-dimensional to me. Their romance is sweet, but again, was missing something. I felt a lot of the romance was a case of tell rather than show, which could have been part of the problem. As for the action, there was no real sense of danger or excitement when it came to the espionage work, and overall I was just left wanting more.
The Librarian and the Spy isn’t a bad book, only disappointing in that it could have been so much better had the characters and the world come to life. It had the potential to do so, for Ms. Mann’s writing definitely shines in any scene involving research. I absolutely loved those bits because I could feel Quinn’s excitement come through the page and I loved the way her mind worked. There’s also a fun twist at the end of the story that left me smiling and feeling optimistic about Quinn’s future. So while The Librarian and the Spy wasn’t quite my cup of tea, there is enough potential to the series that I’d like to read A Covert Affair.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
darlinginmyway's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars/ way better than I expected given the kind of patchy start. I really like Quinn and James. They're quite adorable and I'm interested in more of their story.
harbarreads's review
3.0
I appreciated how much I learned about being a librarian! It spoke to my bibliophile self. However, it took 100 pages to finally get into the spy/thrilling part of the book and then it dragged. The romance between Quinn and James is sweet and very tame, to the point where I could see them ending their relationship as just friends. While it is cute and fluffy, I won’t be reading the rest of the series.