A fog bound flight
A fling for a night
So what happens when
They meet again?
Having to work together
A storm to weather?

A fresh start in his late Aunt's home and town
In a competition, determined not to let her down.
Wyatt Keene needs a fresh start
And a chance to develop his art.

Scientist Blake Montgomery is shocked to discover
Her competition partner is her one night lover.
They weren't meant to meet again
But their chemistry is hot - what a pain!

Get ready for shenanigans and surprises, too,
As ex-spy Wyatt decides what to do.
There's laughter and mystery as the story unfolds
As well as secrets that need to be told.

Can hiding what he did in the past
Mean their relationship just cannot last?
A great fun read and a mini spy thriller, too,
Where lies can mean trouble for these two.

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

A chance meeting at an airport and a delay in their flights leaves Blake and Wyatt having a one night stand. When Wyatt walks into a research lab to meet the scientist he, an artist, has been paired with, he is met with the same eyes he walked out on that morning. Wyatt is returning home from leaving the spy world behind him and he did not expect to see Blake again. Blake is very structured and seeing her one night stand at her office does not meet her plans. They must work together to hopefully win this artist/scientist pairing contest.
Opinion
This book reminds me of the Fox/Hare series by Janet Evaonvich. The over the top, ridiculous situations they get into make a great read. Wyatt being a ex-spy is just believable enough to keep the story going. I love that he sense something off at the lab and goes into spy mode.
Blake is uptight, like you would expect a scientist to be. However, her human side makes itself known and that makes her character fun. There is potential here for a series, and it is certainly one I'd love to read.
Many thanks to Net Galley and to Entangled Publishing for me with an ARC of this book.

This started off SO strong. One night stand turned forced proximity (through work in this case) is a favorite of mine and I was fully on board when these characters first met. I really thought this would be a 5 star read for me. But unfortunately from there not much happens for about 80% of it including relationship building or tension or spice, it’s all pretty stagnant.

I had a few issues with this read- a major premise was that scientists and artists can’t get along or relate to each other? I’m wondering since when? It is well documented that those who have excelled in STEM fields typically have a creative outlet, sometimes with equal success. It was so one dimensional and unrealistic for me that seemingly everyone at this company and in this town believe this narrative. Another unrealistic aspect was that part of this arts competition the artists were supposedly with the scientists for their entire workday and outside of it and were judged if they did not fulfill this requirement. I can’t imagine a competition where every single artist could work in their chosen medium productively in an environment like that.

A driving factor for Blake is the perfection her parents and family demand yet we never see them on page. Blake seems pretty independent to make her own choices to me. So what’s left is the primary relationship that turned slow burn but unfortunately with fizzled out chemistry.

Side note, the title of this is written as first person point of view but the actual content is third person (somewhat dual), I wish that could make more sense.

I did enjoy the subtle humor injected in and the side characters but if I didn’t have to read this I’m not sure I would’ve pushed through as the tension would be built and then forgotten in all the wrong places. I really want to be able to recommend this but it just fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and entangled for this ARC

A fun read, the story of Blake and Wyatt. It was supposed to be a one night thing, but now he is here in her home town will it be a second chance for them?
I liked how it was told from both points of view and look forward to the other books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love a good spy story. This book had a fun idea of small town romance where a scientist unexpectedly encounters her one night stand who happens to be a spy. However, I personally didn’t enjoy the way the author executed this idea

I'm so very sorry! I did try to like this book, it just personally wasn't me

I had trouble getting into the story because of the awkward writing along with third person pov. The storytelling and word choices felt so jumbled that it ruined the reading flow. A lot to run-ons. Some sentences were mouthfuls! I feel like it should’ve been edited better

“I hated seeing the hurt on your beautiful face when you talked about believing people thought you were boring.

I liked how we gained a good understanding about Blake’s character throughout the book. She is a more reserved and closed off character due to her family’s high reputation/expectations along with the added pressure of being a woman in STEM. In contrast, I felt like I didn’t get a good grasp on who Wyatt is as a person. Therefore I couldn’t really connect with him. There were little mentions of his career as a spy but I wish we had more of his spy life to strengthen his character development/transition from spy to civilian. Also I wish we got to know why/how he first became a spy! like why did the agency pick him to be a spy? how did they hire him?? It’s not like they approached him on the street and was like “oh do you want to be a spy” Honestly, I was looking forward to all the espionage but this disappointed me.

There was a moment where Blake was distressed and vocalized to Wyatt how she’s not the best at public speaking. Wyatt was comforting at first but then Wyatt started telling Blake how she should speak correctly . . .
I understand he was trying to help Blake realize she’s not doing the things that she loves but doing things for others. I feel like he could’ve communicated/approached this in a better way instead of yelling at her! It felt like he was chastising her

I liked the potential of Blake and Wyatt together but their chemistry wasn’t fully convincing me. Their banter was eh. So by the time the love confession happened, I was more confused instead of excited

DNFed at 15% for a few reasons. Which surprised me, because it started off quickly and had some great potential.

First, the writing style was not my jam. It was a bit all over the place. Second, Blake was not someone I liked at all. Her POV was full of issues - first off, her lamenting about her weight at only 130 lbs, then some of her inner monologue that felt like the author used a thesaurus to add scientific terms vs. making it relatable to her readers.

I made the choice to DNF when they were arguing about keeping their one-night stand a secret. It just felt so silly, something a reader could easily poke through as far as reasoning goes. Just overall couldn’t get into it, and found my concentration drifting off.

3.5 stars. This book was wacky. I kept expecting for Wyatt to get an assignment and then when he finally did, it was towards the very end and we didn’t even see any of it. I think I would’ve liked this book a lot more if it had a little more action considering one of the main characters is an ex spy.

The main focus was definitely on the relationship between Blake and Wyatt and having to work together after their one night stand. It was entertaining but needed something else.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The (ex) Spy Who (maybe) Loved Me is a romance comedy staring a too uptight scientist who fears small town gossip and a newly ex-spy who fears his past catching up with him. By Christi Barth there is heat, sassy, and lovable characters. While one-night stands are not my favorite trope to have as a beginning, once Blake Montgomery and Wyatt Keene made it to Swan Cove, I really began to enjoy this story.

Both of them were wound too tight for their own good but I could understand why Wyatt felt that way. Blake on the other hand needed to own her life. However, it makes for some truly wonderfully funny banter between the two. The chemistry between the two was also true so the banter was even more hilarious. So it is a thumbs up for Blake and Wyatt, along with his aunt that left him her home and Blake’s boss who paired them together.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was thinking this might be a light steamy book after the first chapter but it turned out to have much more depth than that and I enjoyed the storyline and basis for the book . It’s a romance that begins with a one night stand with no personal details shared and takes a turn when both ate in the same town and then paired together for contest. One is a former spy and one is a dedicated scientist working on medical breakthroughs. The story is a journey for both main characters to find their value in life moving forward and not just the value of their professions or family names .


I voluntarily received a free copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own

I would recommend this book to friends, family and my book clubs

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this ARC. I absolutely loved this book. Sexy scientist meets sexy spy. I couldn’t get enough of these two! Literally pictured myself as Blake because I’ve always dreamed of this type of meet up turned friendship turned relationship. I would kill to read this book again for the first time.

This starts off with delightful fun. Wyatt Keene has just finished working for an unknown government spy agency where he got to save the world multiple times. Blake Montgomery is a brilliant PHd scientist working on working on a cure for blindness at the famous Cygnet Labs in the small town of Swan Cove, Maine. When flights are cancelled at the Portland airport the two meet up in a bar and agree to a wildly successful one night fling.

Not 24 hours later the two are unexpectedly thrown together. Turns out that Wyatt is also an aspiring artist. His late aunt entered him in an art competition and he is a finalist. The competition is sponsored by Cygnet Labs and wants a scientist and artist to collaborate in creating a new work of art. Their hook up was supposed to be anonymous and Blake isn’t thrilled to see Wyatt again. She also isn’t happy that the competition is going to take time from her work.

Of course the two get to know each other better but not intimately (for a while). Sadly the middle part of the book really slows down. There is posturing of my STEM brain doesn’t have time for a relationship which leads to an occasional kiss. And although he is there to do his artist thing it isn’t actually mentioned again until almost 2/3 the way through the book. She has issues with lying because of an ex. Which I thought would lead to something big with his past but ends up being a small hick-up. Scenes felt like they were building up to something where it is a big party, an interview or even stopping some espionage but then the story skips ahead and you don’t see the action. What is the point of having a ex-spy save the day if you don’t get details.

This is a stand alone book but is a sequel to Hottie on Her Shelf which I’ve read. Blakes brother Fitz and librarian and town mayor Hallie, the MCs in Hottie make appearances in this book. I like being back in Swan Cove and felt a little more informed about Blake’s family having read the other book. This book light and fun reading but after starting so strongly it turns into an average romance. Last note the page count for the book is 307 and is incorrectly listed at 150 on Goodreads. Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC in exchange for a voluntary review. (3.5 Stars)

The idea of the book is good but there was a part that was a bit hard for me to get through. I didn't really feel the attraction between the characters; it all felt purely physical to me, I also couldn't connect with the characters due to the book being in third person. Even though you get enough information to understand both characters, I wanted to know what they were thinking and feeling from their point of view. The conflict, if I can even call it that, was solved way too quickly in my opinion. I would've liked a bit more tension, to wonder will they or won't they make up.

Apart from that, it was a nice read full of banter. I'll say it wasn't my favorite but I liked some parts of it.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for giving me access to and advanced copy of this book!

This was a unique story. I liked the chemistry with our two leading characters and the drama an ex-spy trying to reintegrate into regular life faces.

I really enjoyed the story however these characters did not have the full chemistry that they did in the beginning of the book. It almost felt forced after their initial hookup. I’ll be honest the main female character kind of got on my nerves. The actual story kept me hanging in there and overall it was a good read, just fell flat on some things for me.

I loved everything about this book from the title that plays on the name of a James Bond movie, to the captivating writing, witty dialogue, and interesting characters.

Wyatt’s identity as a spy has been compromised and his agency is forcing him into retirement. On the way to his (maybe) new life in Swan Cove, he meets Blake at the airport. They have a scorching night together, believing that they will never see each other again. But Blake is not only a scientist, she is also a member of the most prominent family in Swan Cove. To make matters even more complicated, Wyatt’s aunt had entered him into an art competition that saw him paired with Blake for an amalgamation of art and science.

The story started out with a one-night stand between two strangers. The author successfully created the right amount of sexual tension to make the encounter exciting and believable. And that heat and chemistry carried through till the end.

The unique and well-crafted characters felt like old friends I had known forever. Blake was flourishing as a scientist, but completely stifling her personal side. She had a hidden sarcastic side to her that came out clearly in her inner dialogue. A tipsy Blake was even more of a treat. Wyatt couldn’t just turn his spy instincts off, but he did an admirable job of fitting in as a regular joe. I enjoyed the short but interesting flashbacks to some of Wyatt’s missions.

I had a lot of fun reading this book and I can highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a simmering romance. I am definitely going to look into the other books by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was excited to pick this up - spies, ONS to love, a super smart FMC - but this book didn't hold up to my expectations. I would classify this as a fair to middling romance. Blake is a very buttoned-up scientist who lets go on her quarterly trips away from her small Maine town. Wyatt is a recently bounced ex-spy - his cover was blown - unknowingly headed to the same small town as Blake. They end up having a very enjoyable ONS never expecting to see each other again. Of course, they do.

This book dragged a bit and some of the plot points don't make sense. Blake is insistent no one knows she and Wyatt slept together yet somehow manages to tell an entire group of people at a dinner party. Blake's apparently rigid parents exist only in the background yet somehow feed her personality throughout the story. I didn't fully understand positioning her as the town daughter. Maybe if I had read the brother's book it would have made more sense. I also would have expected Wyatt's blown cover to play a larger role given the emphasis on it. The secondary spy plot felt completely unnecessary.

The rest of the book is not bad, just not super exciting. I would still give this author another chance because there were moments I enjoyed.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

A one night stand after been stranded in an airport with an interesting strange. Meeting say stranger the following day in her lab as her new partner in an art-science project. Can Blake’s life get more complicated? Add an irresistible attraction, an absolute reject for liars and a big and dangerous secret to the mix and Blake and Wyatt’s story is recipe for disaster. A funny, steamy and powerful love and life story.

I love this author, and she seems to have done her research for this book. Unfortunately, somewhere in the middle, she lost her style, and things got boring.

Her depiction of scientists was extremely off-putting. They aren't all socially stunted, and they don't speak like automatons. I'm married to one so I can personally attest to this. And highly intelligent people aren't weird.

I loved Wyatt, but I was frankly sad that he was linked to such a disagreeable woman. Blake is about as lovable as a snake. (Sorry, snake lovers).

I'm not sure if I would have finished the book if I had not agreed to leave a review. But I did enjoy a few things, and I kept going.

I wanted to scream when Craig mentioned the sunset over the ocean. Huh?? The sun sets in the west, but he was talking about Maine, so...????

The book jumps around too much, so it doesn't flow well. And I recognize that it's my problem only, but naming her Blake was a bad choice. I kept mixing her up with Wyatt because she has a man's name. Yes, I have heard of Blake Lively. It just struck me in a bad way throughout the book.

The beginning of this book starts off with a big bang! It pulled me in immediately and I loved the banter. The book was slower paced after that and started to lose my attention a bit. I was rooting for Blake and Wyatt the whole time and really enjoyed them together. Overall, it's a great slow paced, small town, romance.

Blake Montgomery is an intelligent and successful scientist living in a small town in Maine called Swan Cove. When she visits NYC, she decides to through caution to the wind and have a one night stand with the charming and handsome Wyatt Keene. Wyatt is trying to reacclimatize to civilian live after being a black ops special agent. Except suddenly Blake and Wyatt aren’t just forced to live in the same small town, but share the same office. Things get pretty interesting for the pair when the chemistry and sexual tension are page scorching.

I enjoyed this fun romance read. I always love reading about a FMC who works in STEM! Blake is smart and sexy, and Wyatt trying to learn who he is without his job was entertaining.

Read if you enjoy:
Forced Proximity
One night stand to friends to lovers
Banter
Small Town Romance
Protective MMC
FMC working in STEM

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.