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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
GENRE: New Adult
THEME: Contemporary, Romance, Spy
RECEIVED: Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
I’m a sucker for spy books and television shows that revolve around girls kicking some major butt and not afraid of being super smart. Covert Assignment is a mix of Alias and Covert Affairs, it focuses on a young soon to be graduate trying to find her path by using her smarts and following her heart when it comes to her career. It has a mix of romance, college drama, family drama and of course suspenseful spy action.
Covert Assignment follows Elle who is about to graduate with her master’s degree in Information Science and then she plans to go on to get her JD/MBA. But things start to go down hill after her long time boyfriend cheats on her and she discovers her father pushed to get her into where he would like her to attend. She isn’t so excited about her so-called set plans anymore. She wants to succeed on her own without help, thus comes an opportunity she never thought of, the CIA wants to recruit her.
Elle is super smart and I mean even her conversations have discussions about metadata and such that I can’t really understand. But her impressive thesis catches the eye of the CIA and has been helping many operatives during missions. She is asked to work with one of their field agents to uncover a possible threat. The agent is Preston, he is everything her soon to be ex-boyfriend is not. Especially after her boyfriend cheated on her in the worst of ways that is actually went viral. I thought Elle was very relatable; she goes through what many college students experience, trying to find the right career and life path. My only issue with her character was that she couldn’t make up her mind about her terrible boyfriend, the answer was obvious but she was blind to what was right in front of her. She however earns a lot of points for her smart in choosing to go with her gut and sticking up to herself when it comes to her family whom I didn’t like one bit.
Preston Raddick is the CIA agent working undercover at the University with Elle; he needs the information that only she can analyze. The readers don’t get to know much about his background just yet, but in the next book I’m sure were going to get some answers. He does have a military background and really knows how to heat up a room, especially when it comes to Elle.
Overall I enjoyed the suspense, humor and romance. The characters were colorful and kept me interested from beginning to end, even the secondary characters such as Elle’s two best friends were hilarious and always kept me laughing. The spy aspects were exciting and seriously made me think about how life would be keeping so many secrets. I will defiantly be continuing this serious and look forward to what Marciassa has in store with Elle’s next mission.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a new adult novel with some adult language and sexual content meant for mature readers. Fans of Reunited in Danger by Joya Fields and Frigid by J Lynn will enjoy Covert Assignment by Missy Marciassa.
THEME: Contemporary, Romance, Spy
RECEIVED: Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
I’m a sucker for spy books and television shows that revolve around girls kicking some major butt and not afraid of being super smart. Covert Assignment is a mix of Alias and Covert Affairs, it focuses on a young soon to be graduate trying to find her path by using her smarts and following her heart when it comes to her career. It has a mix of romance, college drama, family drama and of course suspenseful spy action.
Covert Assignment follows Elle who is about to graduate with her master’s degree in Information Science and then she plans to go on to get her JD/MBA. But things start to go down hill after her long time boyfriend cheats on her and she discovers her father pushed to get her into where he would like her to attend. She isn’t so excited about her so-called set plans anymore. She wants to succeed on her own without help, thus comes an opportunity she never thought of, the CIA wants to recruit her.
Elle is super smart and I mean even her conversations have discussions about metadata and such that I can’t really understand. But her impressive thesis catches the eye of the CIA and has been helping many operatives during missions. She is asked to work with one of their field agents to uncover a possible threat. The agent is Preston, he is everything her soon to be ex-boyfriend is not. Especially after her boyfriend cheated on her in the worst of ways that is actually went viral. I thought Elle was very relatable; she goes through what many college students experience, trying to find the right career and life path. My only issue with her character was that she couldn’t make up her mind about her terrible boyfriend, the answer was obvious but she was blind to what was right in front of her. She however earns a lot of points for her smart in choosing to go with her gut and sticking up to herself when it comes to her family whom I didn’t like one bit.
Preston Raddick is the CIA agent working undercover at the University with Elle; he needs the information that only she can analyze. The readers don’t get to know much about his background just yet, but in the next book I’m sure were going to get some answers. He does have a military background and really knows how to heat up a room, especially when it comes to Elle.
Overall I enjoyed the suspense, humor and romance. The characters were colorful and kept me interested from beginning to end, even the secondary characters such as Elle’s two best friends were hilarious and always kept me laughing. The spy aspects were exciting and seriously made me think about how life would be keeping so many secrets. I will defiantly be continuing this serious and look forward to what Marciassa has in store with Elle’s next mission.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a new adult novel with some adult language and sexual content meant for mature readers. Fans of Reunited in Danger by Joya Fields and Frigid by J Lynn will enjoy Covert Assignment by Missy Marciassa.
Initial reaction: This is the kind of novel that I expected to enjoy, but the execution of the novel did it no favors. Between the haphazard tech jargon, the slut shaming and Elle giving a guy who was terrible for her one too many chances, and just something about this narrative that felt like it was trying too hard - I couldn't get into it. I'm still going to try the sequel to see if that's an improvement, but I have a feeling this could've been a lot better than what it presented itself as.
Full review:
*sighs* Okay, I'm going to level with you guys a bit - I wanted to like this book and it seemed like it was right up my alley with an intelligent heroine who's a graduate student and has the possibility of being drafted into the CIA, but this book really disappointed me on several levels. I expected it to be far different than the formulaic and awkward presentation it had.
I guess the first thing I'll say is that the slut-shaming was one element of this story that completely ruined it. Elle starts off as a student who thinks she has her life all figured out - where she wants to go to school, the possibility of who she wants to marry (long time relationship), and she's doing well for herself. She's intelligent, she has a solid group of friends - you know, what could go wrong?
Apparently when your long-time boyfriend is caught red-handed with another woman in a series of graphic sexual pictures - that's the first step. Understandably, Elle's upset and her relationship with Adam is on the rocks. Adam tries to apologize, comes off as an ultra misogynistic douche ("I'm just a guy! She was just someone I could blow off steam with! She didn't mean anything, not like you!") and Elle was having none of it. I actually admired her shutting him down, even if it took her a while to see the relationship would never work again. But Elle has a heavy tendency for slut shaming other women, even women who engage in casual flirting with any guy she may be potentially interested in (She even slut shames/bitch slams the secretary who flirts with Preston, her coworker and potential love interest aside from Adam.)
But that's not the only problem with this novel. I felt like a lot of the jargon and dialogue shaping Elle's thesis and college environment was...fake. Psuedo-intellectual. It was trying too hard and extremely vague. I kept reading about Elle working with data numbers and trends and figures, but none of it was ever really described to any kind of detail or genuine interest. And it felt weird to read, as well as convoluted - I couldn't really immerse myself in the narrative on that note. I could also say that I had a hard time following the characters because while they were presented with stakes in the story, they just weren't all that developed, really.
I understood that with respect to Elle's work, she had the potential to be drafted to the CIA, and there was some kind of terrorist plot that was involved at the university she was at, but in the end, the narrative didn't make me care enough.
I did get Elle's interest in her relationship with Preston though. I understood also that she ended up wanting to change the course of her her life because the path she thought she wanted to go wasn't the one she wanted to take at all (between her father pulling favors for her to attend school in Virginia versus going into the CIA, and of course Elle realizing that despite her relationship with Adam, he wasn't ever going to change his betraying ways.) I could see those issues, but the problem was that I only felt a loose connection to them because the presentation didn't feel all that intimate. There was something about this narrative that held it back from being a more resonant read. I wish I could say otherwise, but it just didn't provide for a pleasant reading experience.
I'll read the sequel to see if it improves, but overall, this narrative left me wanting more from it than it provided, even with some of the action scenes and CIA portrayals. It just didn't feel genuine enough for me to follow.
Overall score: 1.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.
Full review:
*sighs* Okay, I'm going to level with you guys a bit - I wanted to like this book and it seemed like it was right up my alley with an intelligent heroine who's a graduate student and has the possibility of being drafted into the CIA, but this book really disappointed me on several levels. I expected it to be far different than the formulaic and awkward presentation it had.
I guess the first thing I'll say is that the slut-shaming was one element of this story that completely ruined it. Elle starts off as a student who thinks she has her life all figured out - where she wants to go to school, the possibility of who she wants to marry (long time relationship), and she's doing well for herself. She's intelligent, she has a solid group of friends - you know, what could go wrong?
Apparently when your long-time boyfriend is caught red-handed with another woman in a series of graphic sexual pictures - that's the first step. Understandably, Elle's upset and her relationship with Adam is on the rocks. Adam tries to apologize, comes off as an ultra misogynistic douche ("I'm just a guy! She was just someone I could blow off steam with! She didn't mean anything, not like you!") and Elle was having none of it. I actually admired her shutting him down, even if it took her a while to see the relationship would never work again. But Elle has a heavy tendency for slut shaming other women, even women who engage in casual flirting with any guy she may be potentially interested in (She even slut shames/bitch slams the secretary who flirts with Preston, her coworker and potential love interest aside from Adam.)
But that's not the only problem with this novel. I felt like a lot of the jargon and dialogue shaping Elle's thesis and college environment was...fake. Psuedo-intellectual. It was trying too hard and extremely vague. I kept reading about Elle working with data numbers and trends and figures, but none of it was ever really described to any kind of detail or genuine interest. And it felt weird to read, as well as convoluted - I couldn't really immerse myself in the narrative on that note. I could also say that I had a hard time following the characters because while they were presented with stakes in the story, they just weren't all that developed, really.
I understood that with respect to Elle's work, she had the potential to be drafted to the CIA, and there was some kind of terrorist plot that was involved at the university she was at, but in the end, the narrative didn't make me care enough.
I did get Elle's interest in her relationship with Preston though. I understood also that she ended up wanting to change the course of her her life because the path she thought she wanted to go wasn't the one she wanted to take at all (between her father pulling favors for her to attend school in Virginia versus going into the CIA, and of course Elle realizing that despite her relationship with Adam, he wasn't ever going to change his betraying ways.) I could see those issues, but the problem was that I only felt a loose connection to them because the presentation didn't feel all that intimate. There was something about this narrative that held it back from being a more resonant read. I wish I could say otherwise, but it just didn't provide for a pleasant reading experience.
I'll read the sequel to see if it improves, but overall, this narrative left me wanting more from it than it provided, even with some of the action scenes and CIA portrayals. It just didn't feel genuine enough for me to follow.
Overall score: 1.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.
I would give this 3.5 to 4 stars.
I liked that this story had a little bit of a twist and wasn't just a typical college romance. Elle has caught the attention of the CIA with her masters thesis and in ways she doesn't understand at first things start to get a little out of hand. It doesn't help that she has to lie to everyone, but she has Preston who is the CIA agent helping her out. I like Preston, he didn't waste any time letting Elle know what he thought of her and there was no pussyfooting around their attraction, which was refreshing. This story was very short and pretty enjoyable. Length is part of the reason I am rating this 3.5 stars. I wish there was more detail in parts or maybe just some more added to the story, I felt that the wrap up at the end happened so suddenly, I would have like to see more. Overall, I enjoyed reading Cover Assignment, it was sweet and exciting and a little different which is a good thing sometimes.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I liked that this story had a little bit of a twist and wasn't just a typical college romance. Elle has caught the attention of the CIA with her masters thesis and in ways she doesn't understand at first things start to get a little out of hand. It doesn't help that she has to lie to everyone, but she has Preston who is the CIA agent helping her out. I like Preston, he didn't waste any time letting Elle know what he thought of her and there was no pussyfooting around their attraction, which was refreshing. This story was very short and pretty enjoyable. Length is part of the reason I am rating this 3.5 stars. I wish there was more detail in parts or maybe just some more added to the story, I felt that the wrap up at the end happened so suddenly, I would have like to see more. Overall, I enjoyed reading Cover Assignment, it was sweet and exciting and a little different which is a good thing sometimes.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I was reminded of the movie "Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros)". No connection whatsoever to the book, nor is it even similar to the book. Perhaps it was the word "blossoming" that could be ascribed to the book. After all, this is about the "coming-of-age", "self-discovery", and "blooming" of Elle.
How many of us have life plans? Carefully organized, projected, ironed and sealed. All of our decisions and all of our choices are adherent to "The Plan". Everything was right on track but what if life gave us a curve ball? Some of these curve balls are just a snap of a moment while others hit you right between the eyes.
What will you do then?
Full review at Whatever You Can Still Betray.
How many of us have life plans? Carefully organized, projected, ironed and sealed. All of our decisions and all of our choices are adherent to "The Plan". Everything was right on track but what if life gave us a curve ball? Some of these curve balls are just a snap of a moment while others hit you right between the eyes.
What will you do then?
Full review at Whatever You Can Still Betray.
Note: This book is New Adult and may be unsuitable for readers under 17. There are lots of mature language and explicit sexual situations.
Note #2: This is take 2 of this review. I got 3/4th of the way done with my last one and my computer crashed. -_-
Covert Assignment reminded me a little bit of the tv show Chuck. (Which is on Netflix right now and is AWESOME!) Chuck is about a spy for the CIA and NSA and part of what they do was recruit students out of a college. Elle gets recruited by the CIA in school because of the work she was doing on her masters thesis. They were really impressed with her analtyics work on metadata. They send over super hot agent Preston to oversee her research and to collect the data she gets for a mission.
Elle is super talented. She is so ambitious. She already got her bachelors degree and she is currently working on her masters thesis. Then she wants to go to law school and get her joint MBA/JD degree, she is all over the place! Not too many information science majors go to law school or business school. She has three completely different careers going on at once. I have to say after I got to know her, the information science major/career seems to be the best fit for her. I just couldn't see her in business school. Elle felt like she is just a plain little mouse, but she couldn't be more wrong. I loved that Preston never saw her that way. He thought she was one of a kind and he was totally right. Elle is bursting with passion and energy and she is just such a fun person.
I also loved how logical she was. She is logical to a fault. For example, when her D-bag of a boyfriend/ex boyfriend wanted to meet up and explain why he cheated on her with that skank Bella (Elle's words, not mine! Alright, I completely agree.) Elle uses logic to break down the situation into a step by step analogy of how they are like a broken algorithm. It made me chuckle. And holy cow, I hated Adam! I can't think of a single character in any book that I have hated more than Adam. He was just such a jerk! I can't believe how awful he was to Elle. How cruel and mean he was to her. He wanted her back together with him, but at the same time he put her down and told her she wouldn't be able to do any better than him and oh yea, he continued to cheat on her! I mean, how low can you get. I am so glad that Elle was so strong with him.
I am so excited to read the next book. Covert assignment had me on the edge of my seat. The main appeal for me was Preston and Elle. I just loved reading about the two of them. At first glance they seem to be so different but at the same time, they work so well together. This is going to be a series that I continue for sure. Covert Assignment was a total hit for me.
Note #2: This is take 2 of this review. I got 3/4th of the way done with my last one and my computer crashed. -_-
Covert Assignment reminded me a little bit of the tv show Chuck. (Which is on Netflix right now and is AWESOME!) Chuck is about a spy for the CIA and NSA and part of what they do was recruit students out of a college. Elle gets recruited by the CIA in school because of the work she was doing on her masters thesis. They were really impressed with her analtyics work on metadata. They send over super hot agent Preston to oversee her research and to collect the data she gets for a mission.
Elle is super talented. She is so ambitious. She already got her bachelors degree and she is currently working on her masters thesis. Then she wants to go to law school and get her joint MBA/JD degree, she is all over the place! Not too many information science majors go to law school or business school. She has three completely different careers going on at once. I have to say after I got to know her, the information science major/career seems to be the best fit for her. I just couldn't see her in business school. Elle felt like she is just a plain little mouse, but she couldn't be more wrong. I loved that Preston never saw her that way. He thought she was one of a kind and he was totally right. Elle is bursting with passion and energy and she is just such a fun person.
I also loved how logical she was. She is logical to a fault. For example, when her D-bag of a boyfriend/ex boyfriend wanted to meet up and explain why he cheated on her with that skank Bella (Elle's words, not mine! Alright, I completely agree.) Elle uses logic to break down the situation into a step by step analogy of how they are like a broken algorithm. It made me chuckle. And holy cow, I hated Adam! I can't think of a single character in any book that I have hated more than Adam. He was just such a jerk! I can't believe how awful he was to Elle. How cruel and mean he was to her. He wanted her back together with him, but at the same time he put her down and told her she wouldn't be able to do any better than him and oh yea, he continued to cheat on her! I mean, how low can you get. I am so glad that Elle was so strong with him.
I am so excited to read the next book. Covert assignment had me on the edge of my seat. The main appeal for me was Preston and Elle. I just loved reading about the two of them. At first glance they seem to be so different but at the same time, they work so well together. This is going to be a series that I continue for sure. Covert Assignment was a total hit for me.
