Every single time Marie Lu releases a new book, I immediately scramble to get my hands on it. So to say I was ecstatic to get my hands on an ARC is an understatement. I knew I would love Stars and Smoke, and I was completely right.

Although I do admit that this wasn't my favorite Marie Lu book, I still really enjoyed it. It wasn't meant to be some world-changing fantasy novel filled with complexities. Instead, it was a book written simply for fun. And that's what it was. Pure fun. I loved reading it, and I already look forward to rereading it.

My favorite thing about this was definitely the dynamic between Sydney and Winter. They were so adorable! Constantly squabbling, constantly bickering. They had all the charm of a typical Lu couple, and the tense setting made it even better.

I did slightly miss the typical side characters Lu writes, I feel like these lacked some of the usual depth. Because this is a series of serials though, I expect to get to know them better and eventually come to love them! I can't wait to read Book 2!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 Stars
It pains me to say this, but I didn't love the novel. Maybe it was too YA for my taste?

A pop star was recruited to become a spy. While on a special mission, he started to fall for his bodyguard and vice versa.

The blurb stated that this was a mix between The Hating Game and Mission Impossible. So going in, I thought I would be getting a fun rom-com with some intense fighting scenes. Something that will hold my interest and keep me on the edge oat. Unfortunately, nothing really happens until around the last quarter of the novel, but by then I didn't really care. Also, it wasn't enough to carry the whole novel. I never grew attached to any of the characters, the romance was lackluster, and some scenes were predictable.

Overall, it was just an okay read.

***I would like to thank NetGalley, Marie Lu (the author), Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Roaring Brook Press for graciously sending me a copy to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

Stars and Smoke marks the beginning of another action-packed series from Marie Lu and I could not be more excited! I had a really fun time watching Winter and Sydney navigate being on this high-stakes undercover mission. This novel made me realize how much I love the action-spy genre. I also really loved both Winter and Sydney's individual inner conflicts. Many of their thoughts were relatable, and it was heartbreaking to see how lonely and unwanted they felt individually. I'm glad that they managed to find their way together by the end of the book, even if it is for a little time. I didn't think it would be possible, but the epilogue of this book made me even more excited for the series than before reading Book 1. I only rate this 4 stars instead of 5 because the plot of the actually "whodunit" part of the mission/investigation was pretty predictable, and I was surprised that Sydney, as an extremely skilled and talented agent part of an impressive secret agency, was not able to figure out who really was at play in their mission.

The premise of this book is so unique. While reading this book, I was instantly taken back to my love of Disney Channel Original Movies, because this would absolutely be a plot of one of those in the early 2000s. I don’t know how Marie Lu has so much space in her brain for her creative ideas but I’m not complaining. I loved this book! It was fun, interesting, and I loved the relationship dynamics. A great book to read for anyone who loves a good spy story!

This is a beautifully written new adult novel (they were a bit beyond "young adult" since both main characters were 19). The complex characterizations were intricately interwoven into the narrative such that you don't feel the information being provided, yet had a firm grasp of each character's strengths, flaws, and fears. The same is true of how the author sets each scene and carries the story.
There is a huge leap into unreality with the ultra famous popstar recruited to be a secret mission spy and the assigned spy bodyguard who he ultimately falls for. But it's fiction, it's fun, it's adventurous and, again I must say it's well written. Loved the imaginative quality to the design of this story. Thoroughly enjoyed and recommend so long as you're not a stickler for your stories being realistic. This is escapism at its finest with a love story to propel the novel.

Stars and Smoke reads like the k-pop love letter than Lu intended for it to be. It stars Sydney, a down-on-her-luck woman who left everything behind to be a spy, and Winter, the biggest pop star in the world. It's a classic story of a bodyguard and her famous charge, but with the added twist that both are working toward the same spy mission. The story is very fast-paced, and though there are flashbacks to the characters' pasts, these never bog the story down, and add some much-needed empathy when the main characters are at their most antagonistic toward each other. The plot delivers what you would expect for the genre, and it is engaging. Fans of both Marie Lu and the spy genre should both enjoy this book. Their "enemies to lovers" develops very classic to the trope; romance lovers will likely be satisfied with that. Stars and Smoke knows what it is, and should satisfy those who come to it knowing what it is about.

Winter Young is a popular pop star who has screaming fans wherever he goes. And then he's recruited to be.a spy for an underground network. And of course he falls for the bodyguard/spy who is assigned to him. Predictable and not very believable.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Winter Young, pop star extraordinaire is tapped as a secret agent with another teenage spy, Sydney Cossette, to infiltrate a billionare tycoon’s daughter’s birthday. Say what?

Interesting premise, intrigue and spys that make for a quick, fun read.

Good balance in the writing. I don't see it going over well with our patrons BUT I see it doing really well with middle school and high school age.

3.75 stars

This was my first Marie Lu book and I requested it because of the blurb. Stars and Smoke is a dual-POV narrative that is a hate-to-love spy thriller involving a pop superstar (the author, in her acknowledgement, writes that she took ample inspiration from BTS, being a huge fan) and a secret agent from a CIA shadow organisation. There's a new world-population-threatening chemical and an international smuggling syndicate, as well as ample time spent in London where the bulk of the action takes place.

Despite some uneven pacing, I enjoyed this fast, well-written story. The main characters are crafted well, with full back stories, and they have believable flaws and issues. The side characters also play their parts competently. I'm a fan of the Mission Impossible movies (which has been listed as this book's inspiration) and all the high-tech gadgetry was fun to read about. The only major quibble I had was how little time we got building the relationship between the leads before they were already apparently "in love". So much of their individual increasing attraction and feelings happened in their respective heads rather than out in the open or felt based upon believable groundwork in person.

This book. This book. THIS. BOOK. It was so much fun and written so well. I would like to listen to the audio too I bet it’s amazing. Can’t wait to get it for my shelves.

DNF @20%. I try not to DNF ARCs, but I have zero interest in either the characters or the plot at this point. It has a flashy premise that I assume was the selling point (superstar! spies! brother with a secret past!), but somehow the execution is failing to make this glamorous premise interesting.

This book was captivating and left me wanting more.
A fabulous story of a superstar taken on a secret mission and working through spy life.
The beginning felt a little slow, but once the story took off, I couldn’t help but continue turning the pages to see what was going to happen next.
I loved the unpredictability of what Winter’s relationships would be with some of the secondary characters, and how just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, everything shifted.
Well written, and highly recommend.

A mega pop star gets drafted to work as a spy for a covert organization and is paired with a psychologically damaged, but highly competent female spy on a mission in high society London. As ludicrous as this sounds, Marie Lu made it work. By the time I got halfway through the book, I couldn’t put it down to the extent that it was 1 am before I could finally shut my Kindle and go to bed. The characters were so well drawn out, I could easily visualize this being made into a movie. Perhaps, that is the author’s hope and my wish as well. There is definitely room for a second book in a series and much more to explore with Winter Young. This may be a YA genre, but this OA (old adult) definitely enjoyed and recommends Stars and Smoke.

A powerhouse author like #MarieLu will definitely be one to get a book checked out in a school library. So I was excited to get an ARC of #StarsAndSmoke from Net Galley. The story follows superstar entertainer Winter Young as he is recruited as part of a super secret spy operation to work alongside 19-year-old agent Syndey Cossette to bring down a global criminal. The story has it all: spies, spy devices, action, mystery, friends-turned-enemies, a few romantic moments, and more. It has a little of something for everyone. The pacing seemed a little uneven in parts, but it's not something teens will notice. Overall it's a fast paced read that will circulate well in a school library. Many thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for the ARC.

Thank you, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, for allowing me to read Stars and Smoke
early.

This was a perfectly fine read, nothing to scream about though.

5 stars

Marie Lu has created another wonderful book yet again. There are spies, pop stars, danger, and romance, some of my favorite things in books. The plot twist was chef’s kiss, and I hope that we get more content with Winter and Sydney.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book!

She’s a secret agent and he’s the superstar assigned to be her new partner in a dangerous undercover mission that might have more at stakes than just taking down a criminal.... and a little bit with finding love. Winter Young is a rookie backup dancer turned global pop star. He’s handsome, talented, and the ultimate pop star and his biggest fan just happens to be the infamous criminal tycoon Eli Morrison’s daughter, Penelope. When a covert ops organization known as the Panacea group notices this, they recruit Winter as they know he will be invited to do a private concert for Eli’s beloved daughter... and he’ll be the perfect way in to take down Eli. To parter with Winter is Sydney Cossette, Panacea’s youngest spy who also happens to be the only person alive impervious to Winter’s charms. Despite their rocky start, both Winter and Sydney have more in common than they think and spending so much time together in a charged environment... the tension between them might not just be because of the mission but also because of the growing feelings between each other. Yet those feelings are impossible since they come from two completely different worlds. They’ll have to learn to trust one another and work together if they want to make it out of this mission alive and then face the greatest risk of all, their hearts. This was a pretty cute story about spies and romance. The ending is definitely left open ended and I kind of wish there was a more definite ending but I do get why it was ended like that and how it would work for the book. The book was a fun read and I think it would make a great time for anyone looking for a fun romance read.

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

tl;dr
An equally balanced duo takes the lead on a very modern take on the spy genre full of tech-y gadgets and a twisty secret mission.

Thoughts
Give me a lady who can kill paired with a dude who can lie, and I'll show up. Seriously, I've started building a shelf to hold my favorite plot conceit of all time. The thing about the shelf is that it's mostly fantasy novels with very few modern additions (to date). Stars and Smoke is a much more modern (maybe even slightly futuristic) take, with internet viral videos, global news, and hyper advanced spy gadgets all featuring heavily. The plot takes full advantage of this setting and time period, relying on tech and the power of the internet for several of its many juicy twists. Other markers from the spy genre are also present - clandestine parties, car chases, mysterious organizations, and a deadly chemical compound with a confusing name that is never fully explained (I am aware this is a personal hangup, but darn if I'm not hung up on it).

The two leads are both given equal attention, with strong back stories and fleshed out personalities, and I immediately found myself caring for both of them. Although they snipe at each other at the beginning, there's also a fairly immediate attraction between the two that leads to plenty of steamy thoughts, but no overt spice. I prefer my romances to move at a slower pace, but the endgame for our heroes absolutely sticks the landing.

I absolutely loved this - full of action and suspense and wonderful characters I found myself rooting for!

Can't wait for the next in this series to see where Winter and Sydney take us!

Thank you for the early copy - I've already pre-ordered this one to add to my Marie Lu Collection!