Code Word Romance, Carlie Walker (Review by Shay Tibbs)

I didn’t think I could love Walker’s writing style even more after The Takedown, I was so excited to read this book! The plotline quickly grabbed my attention with a messy female main character thrown into an unbelievable situation where she steps in for Europe’s youngest female prime minister, Sofia Christensen, due to their uncanny similarities. A contemporary suspense title with a second-chance romance, Max finds herself in Europe on what could be a life-changing mission only to find out she’s there because of her ex, and they have enough unresolved issues that may make working together impossible.

After being promised a simple Italian beach vacation to the tune of 5 million dollars for simply happening to be someone’s doppelganger, things get a little bit more complicated with Flynn being her handler. As Max does her best to learn how to mimic the Prime Minister’s every gesture, the stakes get higher and higher putting her in dangerous situations that will keep you guessing who’s after our FMC. Wanting the mission to be a success so she can pay back all the friends and family that she feels she failed when she had to close her dream restaurant after COVID brings heart to the humor of the story, I truly think CODE WORD ROMANCE is a must-read.

What I loved most was the balance of the cross-genres and the witty banter that carried our couple through to the end. The romance added to the action scenes, a constant push and pull of trust and skepticism that I found endearing and perfectly paced. The side characters gave just enough extra to make us fall in love with them and suspect their involvement in the assassination attempts all at the same time, I couldn’t wait to see where the book would go next. There’s nothing like forced proximity and near-death experiences to make you have to trust your partner,

Pick this book up if you love to suspend your reality just enough to believe anything is possible, if you’ve ever wanted a life full of Vespas, adventure and gelato. For me it was such a perfect mix of comedic spy-thriller Argylle meets Lizzie McGuire and I hope more readers give this book a chance, it was just so fun!