381 reviews for:

The Spy and I

Tiana Smith

3.45 AVERAGE

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Title: The Spy and I by Tiana Smith 

  • Publication Date- 02/13/24
  • Publisher-  Berkeley Publishing Group 
  • Overall Rating- 4 out of 5 stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

The Spy and I by Tiana Smith is a fresh take on the rom com that incorporates some plot devices from movies we know and love. One of my favorite things about this novel was the wit and banter between the two main characters. I was laughing and having such a good time while reading this. Going into The Spy and I you should expect a light hearted and “insta love,” story. If those are your expectations and to have a silly goofy time then you will have a good time. The spice level was perfect for me, I don’t love a ton of it and when it’s there I prefer there to be an honest connection and meaning to the intimacy. Tiana Smith nailed that. 

Lately I have been having a hard time finding a good rom com with a solid plot that the main focus isn’t on how smutty it can be. This has a solid plot and you find yourself routing for the characters and their agenda. I genuinely did not expect this read to be as fun as it was. 

Looking at my notes while reading some things I said about the book: “Lots of good quotes just a damn good time,” “kind of reminds me of the movie the Heat,” and “I do really like the MC and this isn’t cringey.” 

I would totally reread this when I’m sick or just need a good pick me up. 



Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

It’s no secret that I love an operative/heist/let’s take down a baddie/steal something book. The Spy & I by Tiana Smith provides those thrills, in addition to some humor & some clutch neck-kissing 💁🏻‍♀️.

Dove is a hacker who stays on the legal side of things. She’s totally devoted to her sister, Madison, a supposed photographer that Dove soon realizes is *actually* a CIA agent that the CIA believes has turned bad.

Mendez, another CIA agent, reveals all of this to Dove, AFTER he stops lying to her & maybe before or during? (the details have gotten fuzzy since reading 🤣) around the time they start the neck kissing.

The chemistry between leads in moments like the neck kissing is strong but fyi, that’s about as much as it progresses on page.

Other pluses for me about this book beyond the humor & neck-kissing are the brave heroine & her devotion to her sister—her faith in her even when the signs point to something else.

But weighing down my enjoyment of this one a bit is that the plot doesn’t seem believable to me in a distracting kind of way (I wondered why things were happening like they are) & I wanted more from the relationship, emotionally.

I tried to consider this book on its own but at the same time I couldn’t help comparing it to The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter, which has a similar premise & which I gave 5 ⭐️.

Ultimately this is an enjoyable read with promise but it left me somewhat unsatisfied.

4 ⭐️. Out 2/13

CWs: abandonment of dad; parental loss; murder; reference to torture; violence.
adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

If I hadn't read a very similar book previously to this, I think I would have liked this a lot more. The overall premise was fun and the characters were likable. Some of the overt innuendo was honestly unnecessary - it felt forced at times and made the scenes less enjoyable. There were parts that moved a bit slow and possibly could have been cut. There was so much technical jargon that it brought me out of the story at times. I'm all for authenticity, but I don't think quite so much was needed. 

Overall, I had a good time reading this, but there were a few things that kept it from being an all-out fav. 
booksmartkate's profile picture

booksmartkate's review

4.25
adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced
adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Diverse cast of characters: No

Would be more stars without the bastardization of oreos. 

megs004's review

4.0

The Spy and I was a fun read. It reminded me of a young adult version of Mr. And Mrs. Smith and The Spy Who Dumped Me. This plot is action-packed, as the story begins with Dove doing a penetration tester job. She then meets a journalist, Mendez, who turns out to be a hot CIA agent. She learns from him that her sister is also a CIA agent who is in danger. It was easy to get immersed in the book as the action and suspense were high the entire time. The sexual tension between Dove and Mendez was evident, and I loved their banter. I felt for Mendez because it was easy to tell he liked Dove, but his job hindered his ability to start something new with her initially. I love the way the book ended. I also appreciated that the author incorporated her technology knowledge Into the book. The hacking and the technology aspect was a fun extra touch.

Thank you to NetGallery and Berkley Publishing for giving me a copy of the book.
adventurous mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
saragrochowski's profile picture

saragrochowski's review

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
lisamparkin's profile picture

lisamparkin's review


DNF at 25 percent. The writing has no charm or finesse. The romance is beyond cheesy and obvious. Honestly it’s really rough.

_sarahelaine's review

4.0
adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No