Sasha Budanov is accustomed to life as a loner. Always on the move, she’s now reached a crossroad. Looking for answers about her shadowy youth, she’s returned to the strict boarding school in Germany.When I started reading I couldn't put it down.Catherine Bybee is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book.

Loved reading the extraordinary, phenomenally amazing fifth book in the First Wives series. A. J. needs to discover who murdered his sister and why. When Sasha shows up at her old school, A.J. asks for her help in solving his sister's mysterious death. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, engaging and riveting from cover to cover, and a must read love story.
I reviewed a copy of the book through NetGalley.

Say It Again is the fifth book in Catherine Bybee's First Wives Club series. I have loved every book in this series and Say It Again is no exception!

I have been intrigued by Sasha since the very first book in the series. She has always been kind of an enigma, floating in and out of the other character's lives as she sees fit. In Say It Again we learn all about Sasha's past and what has made her into the woman we saw in the first four books. AJ Hofmann enters Sasha's life while investigating his sister's death. He has noticed a pattern of alumni from Sasha's school dying or being killed.

I really liked how AJ and Sasha's relationship was built. It was a definite slow burn that often times took a back seat to the investigation. The mystery part of the story was so well written and I definitely didn't guess how it would all shake out. No one write suspenseful romance like Bybee and she definitely hit it out of the park again!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is an amazing climax to the First Wives series, which is fast paced, exciting and fun. Say It Again, however takes it to a whole new level; it is a gripping, action packed adventure of secrets uncovered and mysteries unfolding.

We finally learn more about the illusive Sasha and her backstory, and whilst I knew her history would have shaped the woman we had come to know, I wasn’t expecting the depth and intricate relationships from this emotionally unavailable modern woman. Learning her journey and the path she had to walk alone was enthralling and this final book kept you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the very last.

This book exceeded my already high expectations, and I cannot wait for what Catherine Bybee has next to share with us, I highly recommend this book and this series.

If you like a tough heroine that can really kick tale, Sasha is the one for you. She was trained as a child to fight and learned on her own how to hack into computer systems. There’s nothing this woman can’t do, except stay in one place and develop relationships.

When A.J. signals her out to help him find clues to his sister’s murder, Sasha is hesitant. But soon she’s leading the way and A.J. willingly follows. With the help of Reed and Neil as well as their team of experts, they find connections to Richter, the boarding school she grew up in that is more than it appears to be on the surface.

While the romance is rather light, the action and mystery is constantly unraveling. From Europe to the U.S., this story takes us on a high octane journey to find solutions to more than the murderer. It’s a tangled web that requires everyone’s expertise to untangle and I loved watching it happen.

Sasha isn’t the type of heroine I like to hunt out. I enjoy a tough female character, but Sasha was so cold and rarely showed any emotion. However, there was no doubt that she wanted something more but didn’t have a clue what it was or how it would look if she ever came across it. It’s safe to say that she grew on me the more I got to know her.

Likewise, A.J. isn’t all alpha. He tends to be the underdog and follows Sasha lead. But I did love his ability to smile and be lighthearted, bringing some of that into her life.

With all the action and constant changes of scenery, this felt like a fast read. I never skimmed because I wasn’t sure if I’d miss a clue or a vital piece of character revelation. The chemistry between Sasha and A.J. was always evident and I felt this was more about the mysteries than the romance. Nevertheless, it was a really interesting read and one I’d highly recommend if thrillers with a touch of romance are your thing.

This book was just so good. I just couldn't get enough of it. I'm so excited to see what's next from this author.

When I requested this book on Netgalley I did not expect to receive it the next day! I downloaded it on July 14 and it’s only yesterday that I got the time to read it!
Okay, so still don’t really have the time but the suspense was killing me! So I paused everything and it was Sasha time!
If you’re a fan of the series, you will absolutely love Say It Again!
And if you’re not a fan of the series, you will absolutely love Say It Again!
It is INTENSE! From start to finish and I’ve read the book overnight. I just couldn’t stop. And the thing is, I know this is the last book in the series but I want more. And I am pretty sure there is potential since, you know, Claire is still young, and she has friends… and then everyone is having kids so the spinoffs can go on and on forever!
All favorite characters are back and seeing them again, makes you realize how much you miss them. The thing with Catherine Bybee’s books, is that the main characters are good and the secondary ones are even better. I simply love them all, even Jax who barely appears or Checkpoint Charlie. The plot always makes sense and it is highly dense. At no point you feel bored. Always a page turner.
Sasha’s personality was well presented. The character we’ve seen before in glimpses is now fully here! We get to know her better and appreciate her more. Reading her character develop through the pages was a joy. As for AJ, well he’s good. I did not expect full disclosure at the beginning (after the failed chase) but well, this only got things started faster.
I have to admit, except in his story, I’ve never seen Neil talk that much  (I also missed Rick in here. I thought Mr. Serious and Mr. Smiles, you know, were inseparable).
But let’s get back to the essential, this book is great because other the characters have a support system which is each other. After all, having people you can count on is everything!
Thank you Catherine Bybee for another wonderful book! And here’s for more to come!

This is more of a suspense novel than a romance. If you’ve read Bybee’s earlier books in this series, you’ve been introduced to the mysterious Sasha. She possesses unbelievable skills but always appeared on the periphery. Now she’s the main character and we find out more about her background and how she developed her amazing skills. She was educated on a weird sort of military school in Germany where graduates are often recruited for all sorts of spy agencies and even more nefarious tasks.

In this novel, she seeks to uncover why some alumni of the school have been mysteriously murdered. One of the victims was the sister of AJ Hofmann, a charming and good-looking guy who has sought to investigate on his own.

I found myself not really caring about the mystery since it was all so improbable. I just couldn’t believe any of it, but was willing to suspend disbelief. I just couldn’t warm up to Sasha as a romantic heroine. She is portrayed as cold, almost an automaton except for her unspoken affection for the women and families of the First Wives Club. AJ might have been charming, but he really didn’t have that much going for him. He tags along as Sasha does all the investigating and espionage. All he’s done in his life was steal cars. Really? If you’re looking for a hero who is good-looking and clearly crazy about the heroine, but really doesn’t have much else going for him, then AJ is your guy. I needed something more to really enjoy him and didn’t find it. I was disappointed because I had really enjoyed the other books in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

5 Star Review Say It Again (First Wives #5) by Catherine Bybee

Reading this book was bittersweet, knowing that it is the final book in the series. There is something about Catherine Bybee’s style of writing that resonates with me. She weaves a story that has me totally immersed from the first to the last page.

Although a stand alone I would probably be inclined to read the previous books in the series before reading Say It Again as the books provide the back story for this book.

This is Sasha Budanov and AJ Hofmann’s story. Sasha is used to being alone thanks to her chosen profession, however she has been unsettled and finds herself at a crossroad in her life. Determined to get answers to her mysterious past, she returns to her old boarding school in Germany.

The sparks soon fly when Sasha meets AJ at the boarding school where he is seeking his own answers. The chemistry sizzles between them with an intensity that surprises them both. As they become more involved, the secrets from the past and the present bring danger to them both.

I was intrigued by Sasha from the first time she appeared in the series and I knew that her story was going to be something special. It was every thing I hoped for and so much more.
AJ was the perfect man for Sasha, strong, determined and swoon worthy.
Ms.Bybee creates characters that are strong, yet vulnerable and you know that there will be plenty of romance and some rather steamy scenes.

It was also great to catch up with the other couples. A fitting conclusion to a great series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

5 Excellent Stars
* * * *
Catherine Bybee has taken me by the hand and shown me all the ways love can work for those who are willing to find it. This entry was the last of this specific series and the entry to a new upcoming one. With Sasha, she saved an intense and complex story for last and it worked on all levels.

I so enjoyed Say it Again! Honestly, I didn’t expect this type of read from Ms, Bybee and I think love it even more for that. It’s so refreshing when an author you love surprises you by showing another side of her talent.

This one has action, thrill, intrigue and of course romance. It’s pretty perfect.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sasha has been intriguing since we first met her in the series. I couldn't have loved her book more! I mean, there's a spy school for kids, spying, AJ, and AJ. Yeah, it was wonderful!

Just finished and all I can say is wow. Catherine Bybee has a great flow to her writing, an easy read. once you get started you will not be able to put it down. A must read, that I was given and boy am I happy!

Say It Again gives readers action, intrigue, character growth, love, and friendship as Sasha and AJ join forces to navigate interconnected troubles from their pasts. The novel meets the extremely high expectations for this final installment of Catherine Bybee’s beloved First Wives series. This novel is a great ending to a wonderful series!

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this book.
I knew when Sasha’s character, which we learned a little about in the other books in this amazing series, that she was going to be even a complex character and that she would be hard to like. But as her stories evolves we see that she has become the woman she is because she had to grow up in hard and military like world in a boarding school she was given no chance to refuse. And you love her for who she is.
Sasha has been a protector all her life, from the time she was in the Richter school in Germany, and as she made her way through life protecting the people she was contracted to protect. Her benefactor asked one thing of her and that was to protect her son, and his wife. She failed one and protected the other. Now she is at a crossroads in her life and when she goes back to Richter, she finds that all is not what she thought it was and behind the walls were secrets and lies. And now the person she needs to protect is herself.
Sasha has never been in a normal relationship and when she meets AJ, who also investigating Richter, she finds herself attracted to him. Like everything else in her life she is protecting her feelings and emotions, but AJ will start to pull down the walls around Shahe’s heart and make her feel his love and protection for her.
A very intense and emotional story of two guarded hearts who find that when you let that guard down you will find the happiness you want, but never thought you could have.

I have loved the First wives series and although Sasha isn’t a wife, I was intrigued with her possible story. Catherine Bybee did not disappoint! We have seen Sasha as a loner and all around badass woman in some of the other books so it was great to see the wall slowly crumble with her character. This book was well worth the wait! #SayItAgain #NetGalley

Sasha has always been the mysterious character in the previous books, we never really got to know her, as for most of the books she has just been loitering in the shadows! I was so happy that we got her story and learnt about what made her such a bad ass!

Sasha is floundering and looking for answers to questions that have haunted her for much of her life. So she heads back to the boarding school in Germany that she spent most of her childhood up until she graduated from college. While searching her own clarity, she meets AJ, he is also searching for clarity regarding the mysterious murder of his sister who was also at the same school.

I really liked this cast of characters, from Sasha and AJ to Claire the current student who is looking for escape and the very mysterious Pohl! Once again, it was fabulous to see all the other characters come into play from previous books. I loved how they readily accepted Sasha, AJ and Claire and drew them into the unconventional family that they have created throughout this series.

I will say that it was with sadness that I picked up this one… I have thoroughly enjoyed The First Wives Club series, of which this book was the final installment of and the pre-series (is that even a thing) to this series called The Weekday Wives! But I know that I will love anything that Catherine Bybee writes and so I cannot wait to see what she gives us next!

Thanks to @netgalley and @ for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion!

4.5 <b> Breaking in and Starting a Book Club </b> Stars
This book is finally about Sasha.. but its also the end of the first wives club.. my poor poor heart. This book exposes so much of Sasha that I don’t think any reader was ready for any of it. Her background was laid out perfectly and sprinkled with the right amount of badassery. I struggled with AJ being the fit for Sasha but at the end of it I think it worked out because it made Sasha a REAL character instead of some Cat burglar no one could ever touch. I also loved that the author let their relationship flow naturally Sasha was not one to just fall in love, get married and have babies in one book… so her character remained pure.
We as readers went out looking for who Sasha was during her own journey to discover who she was and what we learned is we never really knew Sasha this whole series. And it turns out.. she didn’t know herself either because she was also running from herself the entire time as well.

I was so excited when I found out that we were getting Sasha's story even though she isn't a First Wife. She has been in this series from the very first book and has been this mysterious woman. She never let anyone close or disclosed anything about herself, but she was always there when anyone needed her. You just knew there was so much to learn about her character.

Sometimes with an anticipated character like hers, the background just can't compare once you learn it. Boy is that not the case here. The author did Sasha justice. When I think of Sasha, I reminded of an older tv show called the Alias with Jennifer Garner, but more badass. I just love a heroine who can can outsmart and take down a person before they even know what's coming. That's Sasha. I loved her!

AJ was nothing like I expected for Sasha, and yet he seemed to fit her perfectly. She needed someone that wouldn't feel threatened by all that she is. He also still needed to be a strong character himself, as well as be patient to be able to breakdown all those walls she had. It was a tall order, but he fit it seamlessly.

There was an unexpected side character that really added a lot to this book. I think that was such a brilliant move of the author. It brought more heart to Sasha and was another piece to broke down those walls she had. I would love to say more but I liked that I wasn't expecting that character, so I'm going to leave it.

I loved seeing all the gang from all the previous books again. This is one of my favorite series and I'm completely satisfied with how the author concluded it. I highly recommend this series and I know I will be re-reading it again and again.

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

This author is new to me and this is the last in the series. I didn't feel I missed out on anything by not reading the others but having enjoyed this so much I am definitely going to seek out the others here.

a great summer read - absolutely loved this !!