4.5 stars. This was one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time! Who knew that I’ve been missing out on feejays all my live. For those of you who are like me, they are pajama bottoms with feet, yes, I googled them, they do exist. This is only the second book by Larkin that I’ve read so far (the first being Sylver and Gold), but I need to check the back catalogue for more.

The world is in danger and CIA agent Zoey is going to prevent billions of people to die, but to do this she has to go rogue. Peyton, Zoey’s handler, is tasked to bring Zoey in. Their personalities could not be more different and the dialogues between Zoey and Peyton are extremely funny giving them an awesome dynamic together and even with all their quips there is also a deeper and more vulnerable layer to their personalities.

This book should not be taken too seriously, both the action/thriller part and the characters are over the top and I loved every second of it. While saving the world they play this cat and mouse game and also the rather unusual side characters really add to the story.

I only have one minor comment on the book, which is the reason to subtract half a star, and that’s the ending. I was enjoying this book so much, but starting at ~80% both the action storyline and the romance felt rushed towards an ending. But I’m rounding it up to 5 stars anyway because of sheer entertainment value.

Humor in books is always difficult, I often don’t find it funny, but this book was exactly up my alley. Zoey is hilarious, but without Peyton and the way they interact it would never have been that good. Can I have another book with them? I absolutely recommend this book!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been desperately looking for a wlw romance with CIA agents recently. Secret Agent by Michelle Larkin seems exactly what I want, and I was hooked instantly from the first chapter. I love both MCs, Zoey could be annoying at first, but she will grow on you(in some way, we are all Peyton)

The second half of the book is not really my favorite.

I’m perfectly aware of the difference between fiction and reality, but if the author tries to convince readers that a few people can succeed against the government conspiracy and save the world...we will need more. It sounds too native to me, especially the whole giving vaccine formula to other countries to protect humans. I could easily list ten reasons why it’s just not that simple. Yes, I know this is fiction, but still...

Overall, I love Larkin's written style, and I’m still enjoying this book most of the time!

The concept of the book was fresh and appealing and the writing style was amazing too BUT the book started of very slow and it took me a lot of time to get into it. I had to get through about 50% of the book to really get into it but once I did get into it, it was an amazing read. The romance was good, there was plot. Overall it was a good book.

This is a clever and opportune story of the potential release of a deadly virus and the power held by those who own the vaccine formula. Ms Larkin is a good writer and plots her story pacing very well. Even though there are places where the credibility is somewhat stretched, you don’t stop reading as the narrative drives you forward continually.

CIA Agent Zoey goes rogue when she finds out about the virus and she has to stay one step ahead of her handler Peyton. She needs to keep a distance to achieve her objectives and to keep Peyton safe but the distance is an issue because Zoey really likes Peyton…

The book takes us around the world, with enough jeopardy and violence to keep the pages turning. I’ll be looking out for Ms Larkin’s next book. She can sure tell a story.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley

A delightfully entertaining spy novel. Zoey is a highly trained CIA agent. Her adopted father is retired from the agency but gives her a last mission. A new virus is about to be unleashed on the world but higher government people are planning to withhold the vaccine. They plan on giving it only to the people they choose or the countries that pay enough. Zoey needs to go rogue to help save the world. Zoey’s new handler is Peyton. Peyton is smart and by the book.

This is very much an opposites attract trope. Zoey is a snarky free spirit in her “Feejays” and has a heart of gold. The story works for me because both Peyton and Zoey are highly trained and skilled at their jobs. There are laugh out loud moments and fun quirkiness. I would have given it five stars but I felt let down by the ending. It is unclear whether the virus is ever released or what happens to other leaders involved in the plot. Are Peyton and Zoey still with the CIA? Also as much as I like Peyton and Zoey’s romance the fact that Peyton has been a widow only a few months pushes into my icky range. The blurb itself is a little misleading as the first part of the story shows the two getting to know each other better before the adventure begins.

A fun spy story that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The characters are likable with a good mix of adventure and romance. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Michelle Larkin. Just love her. I will read everything she writes and I am certain I will love it. I’m always hoping she will write a series, but so far no luck. She makes me laugh every time with her hard core dad jokes and never disappoints.

Ok, so Secret Agent. Of course, I loved it. It was high action with a healthy dose of humor. The main characters have great chemistry, the supporting characters were fearless and witty, and the bad guys were easy to hate. Everyone was just badass!

The one thing I would adjust would be to build onto the love story just a little more. Like I said, there was chemistry, I only wanted a little more build up and together time between the main characters. BUT, it didn’t take away from the overall story. It was a definite win in my book.

At first I was a little hesitant about requesting a book about a virus impacting the world, but I am glad I got the opportunity to read and review this book. It was so entertaining on many levels. The story exhibited heart, laugh out loud humor, a situational gravity impacting the entire world, generosity, and smoldering character chemistry between Zoey and Peyton. Zoey was entertaining as the flippant CIA agent but paired with Peyton as her handler, they were an unstoppable force. I just wish that the outcome of the world crisis would have been addressed in the epilogue.

On a funny note I will never look at potato chips and potato chip families the same way again :). On another note, off to buy some Feejays.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Newly appointed agent handler, Peyton has a challenge in her hands to control Zoe. With walls around her heart that hide a caring side, Zoe starts to see them crumble when she finds out Peyton's secret and the power she has over her heart. With the world's future in her hands, how will Zoe juggle her need to care for the world with her need to keep Peyton safe?
A very nice book with a good balance of adventure and romance, and strong and likable main characters, "Secret Agent" will keep you entertained and invested until the end

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

I thought when I read this we see Zoey already went rogue but that’s wasn’t the case we got to see Zoey and Peyton interact while trying to do the right thing and falling for each other. I enjoy this read it was fast-paced have heart and humor. Some parts I wish would be addressed more but other then that good read.

The chemistry between Zoey and Peyton is apparent from the first and I loved snarky talking Zoey from the start. This story takes our intrepid agents around the world and back again. This story is filled with a tapestry of threads to follow creating a picture of bravery and love.

CIA agent Zoey Blackwood is highly intelligent, witty, gorgeous and multilayered. When she was matched by CIA’s pairing algorithm with handler Peyton North as a perfect match, the algorithm seemed to have gotten it wrong.

In this opposites attract, fast paced book filled with controversy, drama and its array of skilled and eclectic characters, Secret Agent had plenty of elements that made it a great book. The pairing of Zoey and Peyton worked for me, I liked that their story was never in the background and though I would have liked to read more on them, the ending was perfect.

I just reviewed Secret Agent by Michelle Larkin. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC.

This book is very entertaining. It has smart-alecky CIA agent Zoey and her straitlaced handler, Peyton. Zoey's previous handler, her adoptive father, has recently retired and she is having trouble working with new people. There is the back story of the US government planning to release a deadly virus in order to profit from the sale of the vaccine. Zoey is then forced to go rogue in order to help save the world. At first, this gave me pause about picking up the book. Do I really want to read about a deadly virus in the middle of a pandemic? But reading the book, I find myself wishing that there's more of the secret agent thing through the book. The mission became more of an incidental thing. We are told about it being dealt with without the details given. But, I do understand that this mainly focuses on the two main characters and how their relationship develops. The book would have to be double the length it is if the author also goes into the day by day of Zoey going about the mission. Saying that, overall this is a fun, enjoyable read.

**Thank you to Bold Strokes Books for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!**

Michelle Larkin writes great crime stories with strong female characters and combines that with some wit and charm.

In this book Zoey is the definite star, seems like a bit of a loose canon but that couldn’t be further from who she actually is. She is witty and caring and has undying love for feejays. Which I need now as well by the way! Zoey is hard to read and chases away all her handlers, until Peyton. Peyton is highly competitive and uptight. They get on each other’s nerves but make a great team, they can read each other. Peyton reluctantly lets Zoey in, well sort of. All the secrecy about Zoey’s unsanctioned mission. I won’t go into this mission as it is better to read it yourself.

Minor issue, the I love you, I could have done without it. Totally unnecessary to have it there ontheven story and the epilogue is also a little meh.

I’ve come to learn that you can trust Larkin to write a compelling crime story and some strong and fun characters to solve all the world’s problems. I see an opening for a series here and I wouldn’t mind reading more stories with Zoey and Peyton.

This has been a very interesting story for me, once I have been able to untangle all the threads that the author has been weaving and I have managed to understand what was happening, which I have to say has cost me a little and at first I was quite lost. My fault for sure.

The two protagonists have not started on good terms, though at first I did not understand what their problem was. They are an agent and their handler, within the CIA, but they have been working together for a while, since an issue in Niger is discussed during the first chapters. But then they seem as if they don't know each other at all and once they do they go from having a only professional relationship to a personal one, suddenly. This has been a bit incoherent, but not to the point of ruining the story. Since as in previous books by this author, she built characters that really entertain you, catch you and make you keep your interest until the end.

In addition to two interesting main characters, it has a network of secondary characters that complement them perfectly. I will not go into assessing whether the story that is raised is credible or not, as well as its development and resolution, because as it stands has been enough for me.

I loved everything about this book. Michelle Larkin has a knack for writing romantic intrigue novels. She adds humanity to her characters by giving them enough wit, charm and deep seated goodness that you can’t help but fall in love with them and cheer on their successes.

The blurb for Secret Agent is misleading as its focus is on the espionage angle of the story. I found myself pulled into this opposites attract romance which begins to bubble long before these women are sent on their desperate race around the planet. Zoey and Peyton are CIA agents and they do get tangled up in a plot involving a deadly virus and some despicable men bent on keeping the vaccine formula secret from the rest of the world for profit and political power. It’s a big deal and the thriller, danger, violence (minor torture scene NOT involving Zoey or Peyton) fan in me enjoyed the adrenalin rush. What I enjoyed more was getting to know Zoey and Peyton, their quirks, cleverness, kindness and their sorrows. These women. I fell in love with them both and knew they would find some way to save the world and find their HEA.

I chose to read this book because I am a fan of thrillers with sapphic leads. Instead I found myself swept up in the romance between these two formidable women and loved every minute of the read. This one hits my favourites of 2022 list.

A copy of this book was received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.

This is the second book I’ve read by Michelle Larkin and I will have to download some of her past books because this was just as good as Sylver and Gold. I loved the CIA spy angle and the political backstory was intriguing if a little too close to home with the deadly virus scenario. I really like Zoey, she was always 10 steps ahead thinking of every possible scenario while still trying to get to know Peyton. I liked Peyton as well but she wasn’t quite as entertaining as Zoey. The book draws you in from the first page during Zoey’s annual psych review with Dr. Pokale. Everything is very fast paced but also still gives enough background on the MCs to feel like they are truly getting to know each other. From the description I was a little concerned the two MCs wouldn’t be with each other enough to make a romance seem believable but that wasn’t an issue for me. The side characters were great and would have loved to see a bit more of Dr. Pokale. Overall a very entertaining read!

I quite enjoyed this story. However, from the synopsis, I was hoping for more of the spying side. I thought the story would start with Zoey having already gone rogue and Peyton looking for her. Instead it gave some of Zoey;s back story and interaction between Zoey and Peyton (which was interesting) but I felt it wasn't as exciting as it could have been. The corrupt politicians/government officials are believable.

This was a quick, easy and funny read that was well written with a good cast of characters. The storyline was engaging with lots of action which made me want to keep reading and I read it in one sitting. There are some questionable things that happen in the plot - if you know you know - but this didnt affect me enjoying the book. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

The good
+ The way they took care of each other when they needed it
+ The bond and (in Peyton's case semi-)trust they formed before everything went down
+ Zoey's bond with Sterling
+ Zoey taking care of the troubled kids and giving them a good shot at a better life
+ The loyalty of Zoey's kids
+ How they all took care of Horace
+ Peyton's grief and how it wasn't glossed over. She cried ugly tears for hours and Zoey was awesome

The neutral
o I was kindly provided with an ARC. My review remains honest and unbiased
o Most of the trip over the world happened off-page, which made the pace of the book feel a little off
o Their relationship starts budding three months after Peyton's husband's death, and grows even more within a few months of that. I think that's really fast and it didn't sit well with me. Even if Peyton wasn't in love with her husband, she still loved him
o They had no conversations about raising a baby together, only about their attraction. It was implied, of course, by Zoey's overprotectiveness of the baby, but they still should have talked about it

The bad
- Zoey fed Peyton drugs without her knowledge. That's just bad news
- There was no description at all of the aftermath. They completed their mission and there was an immediate epilogue without news about what happened. Was the virus spread in the end? What happened to the American government? Were Zoey and Peyton even still living in the States?


I took a while to warm up to Zoey, but when I did, I loved this pairing. They're perfect for each other and both of them have hearts of gold. I'll definitely be taking a look at other books by this author. I would recommend this book for those who love their books action-packed but full of romance and found family.

CIA agent Zoey Blackwood is about to take on a mission that will make her a prime target for the very agency she works for.
Zoey has been informed of a virus that will soon be catastrophic to the world is being released and that the US government has the cure but they are planning to sell it for profit. Zoey's not so underground contacts have the cure and want Zoey to give the formula away. This lands Zoey right in the cross hairs of forces that will take her out.
Zoey's handler Peyton North must find Zoey but which side will Peyton land on in this fight? As they play their cat and mouse game those close to Zoey also become targets.
This story is also full of humor which makes it so enjoyable. Who wouldn't love a smart alec CIA agent on a deadly mission?

Thank you #NetGalley #Boldstrokesbooks #SecretAgent for this ARC