Scan barcode
agrippinaes's review
3.0
This has a fun concept and was entertaining. I like Christi Barth’s writing style - it’s easy to read and engaging. The book starts out very well – the first meeting between Blake and Wyatt sparkles with banter and their chemistry is great. It’s sexy and steamy and sets up the story really well.
Their dynamic continues to be quite fun over the course of the book. I really like romances where one of the couple has, in the past, had some kind of dangerous profession and is struggling to adjust to civilian life and I liked how it was portrayed here.
The rest of the plot is okay. I personally found the artist competition a little bit forced as a concept to bring them together, and the other aspect of the plot – namely Wyatt’s suspicions about a conspiracy happening under his nose – could have been fleshed out a little bit more. That part of the book was shaping up to be interesting but a lot of the conflict happened off-page. I think stories like this need to be one or the other, to me – either showing Wyatt completely adjusting to civilian life with no suspense element, or really go for the drama at the end. The book didn’t commit to either so it fell a little bit flat at the end for me.
But overall the book is a good one; it’s entertaining and fun to read, and I enjoyed the dynamic between Blake and Wyatt a great deal. It was steamy and they had great chemistry. I would recommend this if you’re looking for a fun small town romance with the hidden identity trope. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.
Content Notes: Hidden/mistaken identity, small town.
Warnings:
Other:.
Their dynamic continues to be quite fun over the course of the book. I really like romances where one of the couple has, in the past, had some kind of dangerous profession and is struggling to adjust to civilian life and I liked how it was portrayed here.
The rest of the plot is okay. I personally found the artist competition a little bit forced as a concept to bring them together, and the other aspect of the plot – namely Wyatt’s suspicions about a conspiracy happening under his nose – could have been fleshed out a little bit more. That part of the book was shaping up to be interesting but a lot of the conflict happened off-page. I think stories like this need to be one or the other, to me – either showing Wyatt completely adjusting to civilian life with no suspense element, or really go for the drama at the end. The book didn’t commit to either so it fell a little bit flat at the end for me.
But overall the book is a good one; it’s entertaining and fun to read, and I enjoyed the dynamic between Blake and Wyatt a great deal. It was steamy and they had great chemistry. I would recommend this if you’re looking for a fun small town romance with the hidden identity trope. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.
Content Notes: Hidden/mistaken identity, small town.
Warnings:
Spoiler
References to past violence / gun violence / knife violence, death of a parent (in past), references / discussions of the September 11 attacks, terrorism, gender essentialist language, sexism in STEM / sexism in the workplace.Other:
Spoiler
On-page sex, infidelity / cheating (in past).anie_star's review
3.0
Blake Montgomery is an uptight scientist in real life, but every now and then, when she goes on a trip, to a place where she knows no one, she lets loose. She shops around has one-night stands and just has fun, away from the pressure of a family, and reputation and far from the rumours she is so afraid of.
When her plane is delayed she meets Wyatt. He is interesting and hot and grabs her attention right away. He seems perfect to spend time with before they both go to their real lives.
Wyatt spends many years as a spy. When he is suddenly a normal person again, he has a hard time switching back. He is going to a little town, to the home his late aunt left him.
Blake is taken aback when she sees him there. And even though she is beyond uptight about it, the chemistry between them becomes too much.
It could be such a cute love story, with a whole lot of chemistry and a side of danger, but Blake kind of ruined that. She is more concerned with her reputation than anything else and colder than the Antarctic. She is like a walking (bad) stereotype of a scientist. There is a huge difference between being professional and uptight.
thanks to the Entangled & NetGalley for the ARC, all thoughts are my own
When her plane is delayed she meets Wyatt. He is interesting and hot and grabs her attention right away. He seems perfect to spend time with before they both go to their real lives.
Wyatt spends many years as a spy. When he is suddenly a normal person again, he has a hard time switching back. He is going to a little town, to the home his late aunt left him.
Blake is taken aback when she sees him there. And even though she is beyond uptight about it, the chemistry between them becomes too much.
It could be such a cute love story, with a whole lot of chemistry and a side of danger, but Blake kind of ruined that. She is more concerned with her reputation than anything else and colder than the Antarctic. She is like a walking (bad) stereotype of a scientist. There is a huge difference between being professional and uptight.
thanks to the Entangled & NetGalley for the ARC, all thoughts are my own
geauxgetlit's review
4.0
Eeek! Of course, I loved this book! The characters profiles have been my forever dreamworld fantasy match.
Hunky artistic spy meets beautiful brainiac scientist…need I say more?!?!
My heart soared in delight as they both were able to open themselves up to each other and see themselves in a greater sense.
I love it when the universe turns one night flings into happily ever afters!
Steam:
Hunky artistic spy meets beautiful brainiac scientist…need I say more?!?!
My heart soared in delight as they both were able to open themselves up to each other and see themselves in a greater sense.
I love it when the universe turns one night flings into happily ever afters!
Steam:
meganh10's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
raving_reads's review
2.0
The beginning was very engaging but it lost me in the middle. Who doesn't love a must-protect her from my enemies premise?! This was a fun read with fun characters and great banter. I think there was no drastic peak in the middle so it just felt very long at times but still a fun rom-com read!
Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
amberreadsalot's review
3.0
I was excited to pick this up - spies, ONS to love, a super smart FMC - but this book didn't hold up to my expectations. I would classify this as a fair to middling romance. Blake is a very buttoned-up scientist who lets go on her quarterly trips away from her small Maine town. Wyatt is a recently bounced ex-spy - his cover was blown - unknowingly headed to the same small town as Blake. They end up having a very enjoyable ONS never expecting to see each other again. Of course, they do.
This book dragged a bit and some of the plot points don't make sense. Blake is insistent no one knows she and Wyatt slept together yet somehow manages to tell an entire group of people at a dinner party. Blake's apparently rigid parents exist only in the background yet somehow feed her personality throughout the story. I didn't fully understand positioning her as the town daughter. Maybe if I had read the brother's book it would have made more sense. I also would have expected Wyatt's blown cover to play a larger role given the emphasis on it. The secondary spy plot felt completely unnecessary.
The rest of the book is not bad, just not super exciting. I would still give this author another chance because there were moments I enjoyed.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.
This book dragged a bit and some of the plot points don't make sense. Blake is insistent no one knows she and Wyatt slept together yet somehow manages to tell an entire group of people at a dinner party. Blake's apparently rigid parents exist only in the background yet somehow feed her personality throughout the story. I didn't fully understand positioning her as the town daughter. Maybe if I had read the brother's book it would have made more sense. I also would have expected Wyatt's blown cover to play a larger role given the emphasis on it. The secondary spy plot felt completely unnecessary.
The rest of the book is not bad, just not super exciting. I would still give this author another chance because there were moments I enjoyed.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.
jillmlong's review
2.0
This book was ok. It was easy to get into and the characters were cute. This was a fun quick read but nothing I will remember.
beyondevak's review
4.0
Quick Summary: A chivalry is not dead spicy romance
My Review: The (ex) Spy Who (maybe) Loved Me by Christi Barth was quite entertaining. I loved it!
About the Book: What started out as a one night stand between strangers ended up as something way more special.
This story grabbed my attention from the beginning. The playful banter between scientist Blake Montgomery and agent Wyatt Keene was tops. From their initial conversation to their hot coupling to their unplanned reunion to the undesirable challenges they dealt with, they had something together. I especially appreciated how they both had such strength of character and evidence of integrity. They were fiercely passionate about what mattered to them, not to mention, their chemistry was fantastic. In truth, the bantering between the two characters was so well done. It was written in such a way that it revved up their engines, so to speak.
About My Favorites:
One of my favorite scenes in this story happened early on in the book. It endeared me to Wyatt and made me love Blake even more. It involved the takedown of Rob and the subsequent sexy tension that built between Blake and Wyatt. Ms. Barth wrote the scene so well and on point that I felt it down to my toes, thank you very much! After that particular confrontation, I was sure Blake would throw caution to the wind and jump Wyatt right there.
Adding to the whole Rob thing, I loved how Blake chose to ultimately handle him. (Right on!)
Another favorite of mine was when Wyatt recounted the situation concerning his parents. That was rather emotional and sadly so real. It was a gut punch to my heart. It makes me tearful even now. I loved how Blake supported him and just plain loved up on him. That said so much and revealed the true direction they were headed in.
Lastly, the sketching and art were such pivotal moments in the story. Not only was there a raw vulnerability that was displayed, but there was also trust. That made things so loud and clear...even though there were matters that still needed to be addressed.
My Favorite Quote: "You’ve got this outer uniform of scientist, and underneath is all the softness and passion. This is exactly how I’ll always remember you."
My Final Say: This was a hidden treasure read. I highly recommend it. Readers who enjoy STEAM stories with a bit of a heat factor will love this one. I certainly did. (I love brainiac romances.) This is worth the read.
Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level:
My Review: The (ex) Spy Who (maybe) Loved Me by Christi Barth was quite entertaining. I loved it!
About the Book: What started out as a one night stand between strangers ended up as something way more special.
This story grabbed my attention from the beginning. The playful banter between scientist Blake Montgomery and agent Wyatt Keene was tops. From their initial conversation to their hot coupling to their unplanned reunion to the undesirable challenges they dealt with, they had something together. I especially appreciated how they both had such strength of character and evidence of integrity. They were fiercely passionate about what mattered to them, not to mention, their chemistry was fantastic. In truth, the bantering between the two characters was so well done. It was written in such a way that it revved up their engines, so to speak.
About My Favorites:
One of my favorite scenes in this story happened early on in the book. It endeared me to Wyatt and made me love Blake even more. It involved the takedown of Rob and the subsequent sexy tension that built between Blake and Wyatt. Ms. Barth wrote the scene so well and on point that I felt it down to my toes, thank you very much! After that particular confrontation, I was sure Blake would throw caution to the wind and jump Wyatt right there.
Adding to the whole Rob thing, I loved how Blake chose to ultimately handle him. (Right on!)
Another favorite of mine was when Wyatt recounted the situation concerning his parents. That was rather emotional and sadly so real. It was a gut punch to my heart. It makes me tearful even now. I loved how Blake supported him and just plain loved up on him. That said so much and revealed the true direction they were headed in.
Lastly, the sketching and art were such pivotal moments in the story. Not only was there a raw vulnerability that was displayed, but there was also trust. That made things so loud and clear...even though there were matters that still needed to be addressed.
My Favorite Quote: "You’ve got this outer uniform of scientist, and underneath is all the softness and passion. This is exactly how I’ll always remember you."
My Final Say: This was a hidden treasure read. I highly recommend it. Readers who enjoy STEAM stories with a bit of a heat factor will love this one. I certainly did. (I love brainiac romances.) This is worth the read.
Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level:
aldarakamey's review
2.0
The plot was so good... it had everything to be a good book but somehow the author end up wanting to write something big that end up being meh.
illstoptheworldandreadwithyou's review
4.0
When two strangers meet at an airport bar on an evening all flights have been canceled, they quickly agree to take their sparks-filled chemistry to a hotel room for one night only. No information is exchanged. They plan to hop on their flights the next morning and never see each other again, but it doesn’t exactly work out that way….
As it turns out, the two are headed to the same place and will spend the next several weeks paired together in a contest. And, oh yeah, he is a recently burned spy, and she is a scientist at a premier medical research facility that could easily be a target for international espionage.
This one was so much fun. I enjoyed the banter and chemistry between Blake and Wyatt and appreciated how they taught each other to see something new in themselves. And I love to see a woman in STEM FMC and people finding the right fit in life for themselves.
There were some moments in the book that I found a bit frustrating, and I was expecting to see a bit more of the spy action on the page. Overall, though, this one was a fun diversion for me.
I received an advance copy from Entangled Publishing and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.
As it turns out, the two are headed to the same place and will spend the next several weeks paired together in a contest. And, oh yeah, he is a recently burned spy, and she is a scientist at a premier medical research facility that could easily be a target for international espionage.
This one was so much fun. I enjoyed the banter and chemistry between Blake and Wyatt and appreciated how they taught each other to see something new in themselves. And I love to see a woman in STEM FMC and people finding the right fit in life for themselves.
There were some moments in the book that I found a bit frustrating, and I was expecting to see a bit more of the spy action on the page. Overall, though, this one was a fun diversion for me.
I received an advance copy from Entangled Publishing and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.