Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have only managed to make it halfway through so I'd rather stop here and state that this book just wasn't for me.

This book was a great read! It read quickly and seamlessly. I'm so excited that it's in the works to become a movie! I can't wait to see how this plays out on the big screen as it was very exciting and suspenseful to read. Vivian was put into positions where she had to make tough choices while looking out for herself and her family. It was interesting to see the choices she made and how they played out throughout the book.

An fresh perspective that makes the story even more engaging. Moves along at a good pace and has a reasonableness that makes it more believable than many such stories. Definitely an interesting read. Looking for more titles from this writer.

Vivian is a highly respected analyst with the CIA focusing on Russian "sleeper" cells in the US. When a new program gets her into a Russian's laptop, she spies (pun intended) a folder called "Friends" that contains photos of 5 people.....including her husband! What should she do?

This is a novel of secrets, lies, and love. How do you reconcile that the man you have loved for 10 years and who is the father of your children could be a Russian spy? Viv makes several choices that have consequences for her and her family. Cleveland has written a real "page-turner" with many, many twists and turns. Some have compared it to "Homeland" and "The Americans" and it certainly reads like a good spy movie or TV series. I could not put it down. For fans of quick action and mysteries that keep you guessing. Here's a plus -- although the story is suspenseful and heart-pounding, the violence is kept to a minimum and the profanity is almost non-existent. A definite departure from many novels in this genre.

Imagine that your good life is smooth and then everything falls apart in a single moment.  That is what happened to Vivian Miller.  She is a high-powered CIA analyst whose life is turned upside down when she makes a discovery about her husband.  Everything she thinks she knows changes.  

If you like thrillers, this is a pretty good read.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. Had I been allowed to rate the book at a 3.75 I would have but I gave it the benefit of rounding up. The story was a good read that didn't drag and there were definitely parts where my hands were sweating for our heroine, Viv. I felt as if the various plot striata ranged from interesting to unrealistic, which results in my mediocre review. I certainly didn't hate the story but others books I have rated higher seemed more realistic and exciting. The ending left me with more questions than answers, although perhaps the author intended for just that.

I have been pondering since I've finished this book, if I would give it 4 stars, or 5 stars. I can't really come up with a great reason to not give it 5 stars, but I can't give the book 5 stars if I compare it to my other 4 star-book. I do think this is a GREAT book and especially the ending made me doubt my rating.

Pros
Trust nobody: This is a book where you can trust nobody. I have been reading those kind of books a lot lately and I LOVE IT. Vivian is a main character who is in a web full of lies and doubt and you can feel it in every fiber of the book. I didn't trust any of the side characters and the way that played out was great!
Way out: I did NOT see any way out of the mess that Vivian is in. At some point she only makes it worse by making mistakes and doing reckless things. I liked the way the story played out and I felt like the book was satisfactory in the questions that were answered. I also liked the ending, but that was even better after reading the last few pages.
Ending: Okay, the ending was COOL. I liked the way things turned out but OH BOY! That final page was GREAT and I actually need another book right now? But I don't think that it's going to come, so I'm in WTF modus right now and have no idea WHAT HAPPENED in the end.

Cons
I can't come up with a very clear con, but I will still rate the book with 4 stars.

Overall
Easy to read, a lot of suspension and a great ending. I love how Karen Cleveland was a CIA analyst for years and how you can see that in this book. You just feel like she didn't just made stuff up. A seriously good debut that I would recommend to any thrillseeker.

Wow! This book was well written and held my attention more than expected. I could not put it down. The characters were intriguing, and the way their lives all intertwined was astounding. The ending could not have been more surprising. It was the last thing I expected. This book caught my attention immediately, and while there were some parts that I found a little tedious, I thought the overall book was on point.

This book had a strong start, but then it just frustrated me over and over again. And then the ending.

Karen Cleveland has mastered the art of suspense. Her writing in "Need To Know" flows with a sense of reality. Every dialog is believable, every word in between advances the story. This one is just too hard to review without giving too much away, every line I plan to write here has spoilers! Just know that this book does not disappoint! From beginning to end it is pure intrigue. It reminds me of the hit Tv show Madame Secretary. Only better!

Trust - who should you trust especially when you work for the CIA. . Vivian's job at the CIA was to uncover Russian Sleeper Cells but what she uncovers threatens everything that matters to her. What to do and who to trust?

This was such a blah book. I wanted her to be kick ass and she was just so indecisive. I wanted to punch her. I was probably wrong to think she would morph into Bourne but did she have to be so whiny?

An enjoyable thriller with lots of twists and turns. It was a little confusing at times but had an interesting plot and enough happening to keep me reading.

This book had you guessing until the very end. CIA operative who discovers she's married to a Russian spy....or is he? The plot twists and turns so much you don't know who the good guys and bad guys are. Excellent read!

It's like the show The Americans came to me in book form... but BETTER! Addictive from page one, this is nonstop and had I not started it late last night, would've been a one sit read. Cleveland does such an impressive job of building the angst, paranoia, loyalty, disloyalty, the fine line in between it all and just how far you'd go for your family in only 304 pages.

I've had this on my backlog shelf for MONTHS. Not one typically in for political or spy type thrillers, I had set this aside even though I had heard nothing but good things. When my book club decided this would be our October/November read, I was so happy! One, it's always nice to get a book chosen that you already have on your shelf... but to then knock out a backlog book in the process??? WIN WIN! I am now KICKING myself for waiting so long. I was hooked only 5 pages in and half way through the book before I even knew it.

I mean, what would you do if you found out the person you trusted the most wasn't the person you thought he was.... or is he? They say you never really know how far you'd go for someone until you have children and Vivian is one woman you definitely do not want to mess with. She may not go all Red Sparrow on you or kill ten men with only her tiny fists, but she's smart... we'll just have to hope she's smart enough. **wink**

An absolutely addictive read that I highly recommend. For those who have reached out to say you have this on your shelf, I recommend you drop whatever you're reading right now and pick this one up ASAP!

This is a good espionage genre book. I find it exciting to read things by new authors, as they have likely read many of the other greats, but have a spin of their own, which makes the genre move forward. Karen Cleveland did a great job with this.

I truly adored this book - it was everything that I love about a thriller. Completely kept me guessing about who to believe and who to trust and I was so wrapped up in the characters and the story line.

I also loved the way in which it ended - enough of a cliffhanger so if a sequel were to be published you would want to pick it up, but also enough closure if that weren't to happen (although I hope it will!)

I will not be providing feedback on this title. I believe I have access by mistake and do not wish to read or review it. I escalated the issue to the NetGalley team and they advised I provide this note in lieu of a review or other feedback. Thank you very much and apologies for any confusion caused.

I will not be providing feedback on this title. I believe I have access by mistake and do not wish to read or review it. I escalated the issue to the NetGalley team and they advised I provide this note in lieu of a review or other feedback. Thank you very much and apologies for any confusion caused.

I will not be providing feedback on this title. I believe I have access by mistake and do not wish to read or review it. I escalated the issue to the NetGalley team and they advised I provide this note in lieu of a review or other feedback. Thank you very much and apologies for any confusion caused.

This book, although not my typical genre held me captive with hair raising, heart pounding suspense and left me breathless as I rushed through pages, each building on the frightening question of just who can you trust? Vivian Miller is a dedicated CIA analyst who is involved in identifying Russian sleeper agents who are secretly living among us. She is intense, expertly trained, and well on her way to a big promotion when one day a click on her computer sends electrifying shocks to her whole being! The more she learns the harder it is to tell when someone is lying. Vivian knows she has stumbled on a threat to her family, her four beautiful children, her job and country. I don't want to give away anymore except to say you will be torn between trust and allegiance, suspicions arise, reason and logic are confronted, and tested. The ending is amazing! This story is shocking in its reality of today and the world we live in. It is authentically written, I highly recommend it not only as a good spy thriller, but one of how a loving family is caught in a terrible high stakes drama. I definitely want to read more from Karen Cleveland. (less)

If the protagonist is a CIA analyst, then I'm from Mars.

The writing style is right up my alley, but sadly, the heroine may very well be the most terrible CIA analyst to ever exist in both the fictional and non-fictional realm. She does not have credibility, and considering that espionage is the meat of the story, this has a negative effect on my reading experience.