A fun, entertaining read.

I liked how smart Quinn was and how capable she was in sticky situations. James is also well trained and capable but he isn't the stereotypical macho spy that I was expecting. He is a very sweet character and I really liked how the pair's friendship and attraction to each other developed.
There is plenty of investigating, clues to research and a little bit of action and suspense. The romance had just the right pace which made it more realistic.
I was expecting the little twist at the end and I was pleased that I had guessed correctly. I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

What a highly entertaining, fast-paced read Ms. Mann has penned in this book, which kept me smiling throughout and left me wanting more because of how it ends. I loved the way this story started from the heroine's point-of-view and how she's remembering what her Grandfather said a librarian is a lot like. Is it true? How will she ever know if her Grandfather is right? However, it was the moment that the hero and heroine came face-to-face for the first time that I absolutely loved, because the heroine is in her element with helping him. She's enthusiastic, wicked smart and I liked how determined she is to help James, because what he's wanting information on sounds very intriguing and had me wanting to discover more about why the hero wants the research done.

Both the main characters totally charmed me with their back stories, their growing relationship and the challenges they face. The action within this story doesn't happen until the last seven or so chapters, but there are a couple of really good plot twists that made this story a real page turner, especially the one where James is going to need to use all his charm to entice the heroine to listen to why he did what he does to her. Will he win Quinn over? Moreover, there were some really good light-hearted moments between these two that had me smiling every time these two conversed.

Quinn is a fantastic heroine with the way she handles everything thrown at her, and I loved how she continually surprised James. She's a librarian, so why does she have skills that she wouldn't need in such a field? While James, he's suave, tenacious, and I liked how protective he is of the heroine, even though it's palpable she doesn't need as much protecting as he believes. He has some tough decisions to make. Does he tell Quinn who he really is? Will he allow her to do something that she volunteers for, knowing how dangerous things could get?

Overall, Ms. Mann delivered a superb read in this book, which provided plenty of chemistry between the characters, yet only went into a small amount of detail when it came to the intimate moments that were over rather quickly. At least Quinn enjoyed herself. The way this story ended had me on the edge-of-my-seat when it came to the danger the hero and heroine face. Will they succeed in what they're doing? However, it was right at the end where things got really interesting. Will Quinn accept James's offer? What family secrets will she learn? I would recommend The Librarian and the Spy by Susan Mann, if you enjoy contemporary romance with a dash of suspense, or stories that end with a cliffhanger.

I found out about this book through the RT VIP Salon and as soon as I saw the cover, I went to see if it was available on NetGalley. Imagine my librarian excitement when it was there! I honestly think Susan Mann and I could be best friends in real life. We share the same career AND the same spy aspirations ;) I will admit that I look at librarian jobs on certain government websites. Just to see what is available and consider the possibility of applying. It would be quite the change from my library career today....but it is ok to fantasize. I never even thought about writing or even looking for a book about a librarian and a spy. Needless to say, I LOVED it! I plan on rereading it. And recommending it to every librarian that I know.
About the story, I love how Quinn was introduced in the context of her career. Mann really set out to dispel the myth of the stereotypical librarian. And then I just melted when James first shows up at the library needing the help of a professional researcher. Total swoon moment. While the chemistry is noticeable from their first interaction, the reader can tell that James is trying to keep things professional (backbone of a good story). It makes for some good dialogue when the main characters have an obvious attraction to each other.
I love all the literary tidbits sprinkled throughout the story. It is obvious that Quinn and her family are well read and they share books as a family. Quinn is a bit of a bad ass, having grown up with a bunch of brothers. She can definitely hold her own.
I don't want to give away any spoilers at this point, but as the story progresses, James and Quinn have to work together as a result of her research. As they spend more time together, it's obvious that James is losing the battle with staying professional (as a reader you will be dying for things to progress) and I was starting to question his hesitancy. Then the twist and all is explained. I could not put the book down!!! Then ending was totally unexpected and worth staying up late to finish reading. The story is part mystery, action and definitely romance. It is not very explicit for a contemporary romance...but the story was so good....I wasn't really expecting more.
My librarian heart squealed in delight at the conversations about MARC and DDC. They were so integral to solving the mystery part of the story that they really could not do it without Quinn. I'm glad the editors let this stay in because it is sort of librarian jargon, but on the other hand - medical romances are full of medical/doctor-y terminology. I think it's ok to let readers see the technical aspects of a professional career. It really puts us in a more professional light and shows that we are not there to shush patrons and reshelve books for a living. I'm clearly biased about this book. But I loved it so much! I cannot wait for the next one. I will be obsessively checking NetGalley for a release date.

I was intrigued by the summary--I mean, a librarian caught up in spy games--and I took a chance, and boy, was I glad I did! The Librarian and the Spy exceeded my expectations, being a compelling read with original, unforgettable characters.

Susan Mann seamlessly weaved popular culture (Harry Potter, LOTR, etc... the only thing lacking was Game of Thrones) into Quinn's and James's conversation, and their banter and quips were quick and lively and engaging. Quinn is an amazing heroine--refreshing and strong and confident in herself. I love how she totally loved books (kindred spirit there!) and how they need her mad librarian skills to solve the mystery. I also love the way she lived and breathed spy novels--it's in her every pore and pours out in her conversation and actions. I thought she, the untrained civilian, would overshadow James the spy, but I was glad to see James holds his own in the end.

The pacing of the story is just right, with a balanced mix of suspense and mystery and romance (closed doors sex but lots of kisses!!), and totally love the twists and turns in the story, even until the end. (Please, do yourself a favor and don't read the ending first!) I love the one scene of Quinn and her family--I hope there's more in the next books! Already, I'm looking forward to the next books in the series. I hope there are lots

I chose this book because of the blurb (the cover is a bit meh) and settled in for an exciting read about a librarian and a SPY. Well, it took a while.. actually quite a while for the story to pick up. I had to persevere to get to the more interesting parts of the book.

For me to read a book, you have to grab me immediately in the first chapters. Otherwise, you lose me. The only reason I ended the book is because I requested and received an ARC on Netgalley.

This seems like the start of a great new series. I really enjoyed how they use a Librarian and show her research skills. If was a great read

That was a truly fun romp! Humour, adventure, peril, a developing romance (no insta-love here, which was GREAT as that ruins a story for me), and $5,000 for the Friends of the Library group! I have to say, when I got this I thought it might be a typical romance and I'd read it but forget it. I have talked about this book to more people because it really charmed me! I can't wait to read the second installment and have already put it on my TBR list.

Quinn Ellington revels in her work as a reference librarian, but sometimes the most exciting part of her day is locating the sports section of the newspaper. Her desire for adventure is partially satisfied through the spy novels she reads at home. When a dashing British insurance investigator solicits her services for a project, Quinn eagerly takes on the new project - her interest is piqued both by the project and the man! But after a seemingly perfect first date, Quinn is surprised to find intruders in her home, and through the skirmish to subdue them, Ben reveals he's been hiding his true identity from her. If she takes him at his word, she may get the chance to have an adventure not unlike her spy novels. But, can she trust him?

Oh my goodness this is by far one of my more favorite reads as of late. Can't wait for another.

As a librarian, I loved reading a book about a kickass librarian! Awesome!

It's OK. I enjoyed it. First off, though, I thought the relationship between the main couple was good and developed nicely. I did have some problems with it, though. The first half of the book, before anything remotely spy-like happens, is much too long, so it feels like it's not going anywhere and all that's happening is she wishes they were going out. Once it gets started, it gets much better, though the CIA and the librarians accept each other much too easily, in my opinion. The only odd part was that once they had taken a room together and even walking down the street or driving or anything, they discussed their case much too openly without ever seeming to check for bugs or anything.

Cute and a bit of mystery. Really enjoyed this book and can't wait for more.

A very good romance. Written quite well. Strong characters.

I requested this from Netgalley because of the twee title: my hopes were high for a librarian caught up in high stakes espionage a la True Lies. Unfortunately, while detailed and earnest, this moved very slowly and did not quite ignite the suspense, romance, humor, or excitement I expected from something with such a cutesy title.

Yes, there is a librarian, and there is a spy, but it takes a long, long time to get to the spy. We first meet Quinn, our titular librarian, at a very leisurely pace: Quinn likes trivia. Quinn has a cat. Quinn has five brothers. Quinn has a nosy best friend. Then suave, British insurance consultant James Lockwood comes in and we learn that Quinn likes In-and-Out and Quinn likes James. It is not until 30% into the book that, lo and behold, Quinn's British insurance consultant is revealed as an American covert operative. It takes another several pages to finally unravel why Quinn is critical to his mission, but I had lost interest by then.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. The anecdotal parts were fun but James and Quinn's romance and "adventure" left me somewhat nonplussed.

Loved this book. Fast paced, great couple.

A fast paced story of a humble librarian Quinn and her CIA agent boyfriend James. I liked to characters, the storyline and the writing, which combine into a fun and hard to put down book. Highly recommend this one, and was pleased to see there will be another in the series with a continuation of these characters. Looking forward to reading that as well.

LOVED this book! Charming and fun story that made me smile - even as I turned the pages just as quickly as possible. Quinn is a research librarian who assists James, a library patron with some detailed research. He literally buys her time from the library manager. Quinn then finds herself in the middle of a mystery and surrounded by half-truths and lies, not knowing what to believe or who to trust...even as she fights her attraction to James....or whatever his name is.

This is a great book, and that it is the first published work by this author is amazing. Normally, a first book shows potential and the future books improve upon the potential. Not true in this case, rather the author started out as wonderful, from the quirky characters I cared about to the fun story. She is now on my must read authors' list and one who's books I'll be anxiously waiting for. Do not hesitate to buy this book - it is worth every dime.