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A review by lynguy1
The Spy and I by Tiana Smith
4.0
The Spy and I by Tiana Smith seems to be marketed as a romantic comedy. I feel it is more of a romantic suspense and action novel with it being heavier on the suspense and action. There is attraction and an eventual romance mixed with a little humor. While the story starts and ends in and around Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia, most of the book takes place in Prague, Czech Republic.
Dove Barkley is a cyber security analyst who is mistaken for her sister Madison, who happens to be an undercover CIA operative. Dove gets pulled into a government mission by Mendez who claims to be Madison’s partner.
Dove is confident and feels powerful when coding, but not when she’s back in reality. She’s socially awkward, competent, lonely, talented, and generally optimistic. Mendez is smart, capable, charming, and can easily switch his outward personality traits.
The narrative flows well with a twisty and absorbing plot and a story that captivated me from the first chapter to its conclusion. My main quibble is that I wish the world-building for Prague was more in-depth. It seemed like the book could have taken place in any city. Themes include secrets, mistaken identity, trust, subterfuge, relationships, power, murder, rejection, fear, and much more.
Overall, this entertaining and fast-paced novel has great characterization with likeable characters as well as solid action and thrills. Readers who appreciate romantic spy novels will likely enjoy this novel.
Berkley Publishing Group and Tiana Smith provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for February 13, 2024.
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My 3.98 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
Dove Barkley is a cyber security analyst who is mistaken for her sister Madison, who happens to be an undercover CIA operative. Dove gets pulled into a government mission by Mendez who claims to be Madison’s partner.
Dove is confident and feels powerful when coding, but not when she’s back in reality. She’s socially awkward, competent, lonely, talented, and generally optimistic. Mendez is smart, capable, charming, and can easily switch his outward personality traits.
The narrative flows well with a twisty and absorbing plot and a story that captivated me from the first chapter to its conclusion. My main quibble is that I wish the world-building for Prague was more in-depth. It seemed like the book could have taken place in any city. Themes include secrets, mistaken identity, trust, subterfuge, relationships, power, murder, rejection, fear, and much more.
Overall, this entertaining and fast-paced novel has great characterization with likeable characters as well as solid action and thrills. Readers who appreciate romantic spy novels will likely enjoy this novel.
Berkley Publishing Group and Tiana Smith provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for February 13, 2024.
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My 3.98 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.