I was thoroughly entertained by Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu. A popstar goes undercover with a secret agent in training to take down a criminal organization. What could go wrong? Honestly, I loved the relationship between Sydney and Winter. What started as resentment and antagonism turned into a friendship and a deep attraction. While Stars and Smoke didn't have the extensive worldbuilding present in her other books (likely because Stars and Smoke is set in our world, more or less), the story definitely kept me doing extra chores around the house just to keep listening to the audiobook. Becca Co delivered an incredible performance with her narration. If Marie Lu releases more books in this series, I'll for sure be picking them up.

I loved this book: the characters, the plotline, the descriptions, the fact that there will be another one. I can't wait! The combination of singing superstar and gifted spy creates exciting tension and the chemistry between the two can be felt immediately. Their mission was thrilling and the ending leading to the next book is perfection. I listened to the audiobook and the narration is fantastic.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A new Marie Lu book? With enemies to lovers? I am in love already.

Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu is YA romance novel that follows international superstar Winter Young, who is brimming and sass and stardom, and elite spy Sydney Cossette, who always put her missions before her heart. Their worlds collide when Winter is hired to perform at a crime boss' house for his daughter's birthday, and Sydney needs to infiltrate the base. And the only way to do so, is to pose as Winter's personal bodyguard.

Did I need more Marie Lu in my life, absolutely yes. Did I enjoy this book as much as her other ones, well maybe not. But was it still good? Absolutely yes. And now I just need to (not so patiently) wait for book two.

So I knew absolutely nothing about this book. I knew it’s by Marie Lu and I had just finished a month of binging as many of her books as possible. So it made sense to also read this one. Did I expect fantasy? Yes! Was it fantasy? Absolutely not! Did I still love it?? YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!

Sydney was recruited right out of her school into a highly secretive covert special ops organization. Think CIA, but not. She’s extremely good with picking up languages, as well as pockets.

Winter is an international pop star. Everyone knows his name and everyone loves him! So that’s what makes him the perfect candidate to go undercover.

They’re put together to stop a billionaire from smuggling a highly dangerous drug out of the country and into the wrong hands. But first they have to work together…..

This was definitely a step in another direction for Marie Lu and I’m excited to see where it takes her. Legend was sort of a mystery, but in a dystopian future. This is a spy mystery and I’m excited for a sequel… do we get a sequel?????

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book!

SYNOPSIS
Winter Young is more than famous—he is the biggest pop star of our time. Though he is widely successful with record deals, touring, and fans, he’s haunted by the death of his brother, Art, and his mother’s distant from him.

Sydney Cossette is a secret agent—she has been undercover since her mom’s death. But she also has a secret she is hiding from her agency—the lung condition that hurt her mom is one she also carries, and may compromise her in field work.

When Sydney’s agency approaches Winter for a task, they are both apprehensive. The secret agency wants them to work together to uncover intel that will take down a massive billionaire, Eli Morrison, who has connections with international weapon deals. Since Eli’s daughter Penelope is Winter’s biggest fan, he’s the perfect cover for their mission. But there are secrets all around them, and Sydney and Winter are still unsure of who they can trust…

•••

REVIEW

This was a super fun book that was like a thought experiment of: “What if Harry Styles was a secret agent and had to take down Elon Musk?” This has romance, mystery, and action—it was such a fun ride from start to finish. Fans of Marie Lu may recognize some repetition between story arcs (Winter and his brother Art reminded me a lot of Hideo Tanaka and his brother from WarCross, even though the storylines diverged at the end). I also think that anyone who has read Not if I Save You First by Ally Carter will LOVE this one! There was a lot of fun action that was centered around a really engaging premise, and it went in a direction that I didn’t expect!

So Marie Lu can do everything. Is that supposed to be my takeaway from this? Because it is. My kids already love her writing for the Legend & Warcross series. She is going to woo an entirely different group with this series. They are going to love the characters & they will also be fully invested in the plot. There’s a great balance of action & relationship building & this will be a good segue for some of my graphic novel readers to move into prose. I am so glad the publisher kept the English terms & didn’t change rubbish to trash. The kids will also appreciate that layer of authenticity! The narrator was fantastic. She had an even tone & she executed pronunciations & accents with skill! This will be purchased as soon as I get paid!

i hate posting bad reviews but i could not get into this. the beeping in the audiobook was way too much. i tried over and over to get through it but i had to mark it dnf and move on. i will look for the hard copy or ebook in this, maybe i will like that better

thank you to netgalley for the early chance to read. i really appreciate it

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press and Marie Lu for the honor of reading this book!

I read Stars and Smoke by @marieluthewriter and boy was it amazing! This book has it all action, romance, danger, villains, and so much more! As I was reading I got sucked into the world of Winter (a popstar) and Sydney (a spy) two very unique and different people that come together using their special skills to save the world together! I loved that the book was in duo points of view between the two main characters Sydney and Winter. We get to see how each character responds and what the are feeling during different times through out the book. The cliffhangers at the end of the chapters keep me wanting to keep reading and not put my book down! It was a quick read that was easy to follow along. I can't wait for the sequel in this series! I rated this book 5 stars on my goodread.

This took me a bit to adjust to because I picked it up assuming it was YA science fiction/fantasy as the other books I’ve loved by Marie Lu have been. This is a YA spy adventure with romance that’s a bit far fetched, but definitely in our reality. Once I adjusted my expectations to the book I was actually reading, I thought this was a lot of fun. Nothing crazy mind blowing, but a great palate cleansing book that I kept wanting to pick up in the midst of some more serious reads I had going on. Famous guy becomes a spy and has a thing for the spy showing him the ropes?
I enjoyed the dual perspectives. The audiobook narrator was a female that voiced both but she did a good job and wasn’t pitching her voice oddly to be the guy. There were a few classified transcripts read that had things blacked out and the audio production was done in a fun way for that.
3.5⭐️
*Thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Listeners Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Marie Lu is one of my favorite authors. She has a way of creating a new world and drawing you into it completely, not letting go until the very end. I loved everything about this book: the bad ass bodyguard with a secret past, the super famous yet somewhat flawed pop star, and the mission to save the world. There was so much going on that I could not put this one down. Can’t wait to see what happens next!

Anyone who is a fan of Korean or Chinese dramas, will thoroughly enjoy this cute book. I am a little unsure if this is more new adult or young adult. This has the content of YA but the ages of the main characters are of 19 and now-a-days it's kind of all blurred.

This started off totally like an Asian drama and I was eating it up, I was loving everything about it. It was just super cute. The narrator was absolutely wonderful and anyone who knows me, knows I'm very picky about my narrators because they can either make or break a book and this is no different. Good thing for me, this narrator was great and kept my attention throughout most of the book.

I really enjoyed our 2 main characters Sydney and Winter. Sydney was great, she comes from a terrible background who wanted a fresh start working with this organization to take down bad guys, wanting to make her life count, wanting to make her life mean something. However, she comes with a chip on her shoulder that bleeds into her interactions with Winter, our superstar-which I liked!

Just like in asian dramas, the superstar has a sad family dynamics and really is just misunderstood. Totally like asian dramas, again which is why the first half of this book had me glued and sucked in. It was all just cute. Winter is just a nice guy and it was sweet.

The interactions between Winter and Sydney only brought more to the story and it continued to just be everything you'd expect from asian dramas. For the first half I loved it.

This slightly over half way things started to change for me. The author randomly; out of nowhere; threw in a mention of LGBTQ that didn't make sense and was so out of left field if felt forced. It almost was like the author needed to check of that box so she just randomly threw it in there ONE time and left it at that. I thought that was just stupid. For those who wanted representation will be disappointed. It was very poorly done.

Then things changed for the better too quickly between Winter and Sydney. Their back and forth snippets at each other lost it's spark! If they (especially Sydney) really had a chip on their shoulder I would've liked to have seen more dislike towards each other. But, they all of a sudden got physical and it just didn't feel real to me. Their relationship moved on too quickly and after that the story just felt like any other cheesy YA story. There was no more depth to their relationship and I struggled to find the desire to finish their story.

Overall it started off so great and I was loving it then literally half way through it just died and wasn't fun anymore. just Meh. I would've hoped for more from this author and I just became disappointed.

I love everything Marie Lu so I was so excited to read Stars and Smoke! This book is like no other Marie Lu book I’ve read, it still was a fast paced, exciting read that grabs you from the get go and makes it a quick binge red because you don’t want to put it down.
You have pop stars, spies and romance in this book.
Let’s start with the pop star Winter Young, a Chinese American super star. He has some home life struggles that is causing him to cling to the past which Panacea, a secret organization utilizes when they recruit him for this mission. What is the mission? The mission is to take down a major criminal operation, but the best part is he just has to be himself. Enter our spy, she’s a kick butt, ice queen who doe not want to deal with another pop star. Her name is Sydney and she is running from her past unlike Winter, she is all for the rick and danger to escape his ghosts.
You know there is going to be some romance and there is definitely a bunch of romance tropes to go with all the adventure, enemies to romance, body guard romance, and spy thriller.
You will defiantly want to pick up this exciting, breath taking adventure story that will keep you entertained and on edge with her surprising twists.

A pop star sensation becomes a spy for a secretive group. In an attempt to finally get a bad guy.
This book was an average read for me. I was able to figure out what happened early on. The pacing was slow at the beginning but it picked up pace towards the end. My favorite scenes were of learning of all of the top secret gadgets. I could have stayed in that room listening to what all they can do.
The characters are well rounded and as the series progresses we discover a bit more of their backstory and quirks.
The narrator, Becca Q. Co voice was fun listening to. I wasn’t a fan of the tones and inflections used for Penelope. It sounded nasally but thankfully it wasn’t the entire book. I did enjoy the voices she used for Winter and Cindy.
This would be perfect for fans of group bands and The Recruit and CIA shows.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

I'm such a fan of Marie Lu and this latest New Adult thriller/romance between Winter, a pop star and Sydney a burgeoning young spy was hugely entertaining! The opposites attract/enemies to lovers vibes from their forced partnership were excellent as they're teamed up to help catch a billionaire bad guy.

The depth to the characters was really impressive, both Winter and Sydney had relatable family trauma/baggage they were each working through that I found highly relatable. It was also really fun listening to this one narrated by Becca Q. Co.

My favorite parts of the story were when there was side conversations between the spy handlers and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book in this series (duology?). Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

CW: death of a loved one, absentee parent, kleptomania

I loved the romance and the dynamics of fame and the relationships dynamics that arise between both fake dating and bodyguard/celebrity romances.

Stars and Smoke is a YA spy thriller romance. Winter Young, the latest pop phenomenon, is recruited to help bring down an infamous criminal tycoon with the help of agent Sydney Cossette. While entrenched in the mission, sparks fly between Winter and Sydney.

This book has the perfect combination of pop star, spies, romance and action. I found this to be an enjoyable read and really like the world that Marie Lu has created. I look forward to seeing if there are more stories to come in this spy world! The characters are likable and the action is fast paced and keeps you turning the pages. If you are looking for a fast paced spy novel with a hint of romance, this book is for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

This story is involves a rock star named Winter Young who is asked to participate in an investigation of a very dangerous millionaire criminal. Winter partners up with an up and coming spy for a government spy agency in getting evidence on a criminal. Winter is asked to perform at the birthday party for a criminal mastermind’s. Winter has to partner with a beautiful agent named Sydney to try and get evidence to bring criminal evidence of espionage. Little did Winter know all the trouble that awaits him and Syndey on this wild adventure. I liked the idea behind this book, but at times I wanted more. Then I realized this is book one of the series, so I am very excited for the next book. Fans I’d Marie Lu will be very happy with her new book.
Thank you Macmillan audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this arc.

Pop-stars, spies, and a side of romance -this was a very fun start to a series! Stars and Smoke feels very much like a Marie Lu novel- a solid blend of action, plot, and a bit of romance. This contains a complete story arc, but definitely leaves room for a book 2.

Winter Young is an international pop sensation, but he never feels like he can live up to the memory of his deceased older brother who died serving in the Peace Corps. The daughter of a criminal tycoon is his biggest fan and he's recruited to go undercover and collect the evidence needed to bring the man down. Acting as his bodyguard will be Sydney- a talented spy who escaped a difficult childhood by dedicating her life to this secretive organization. Is there chemistry between them? Obviously! And things don't go as planned...

This was a very fun, action-packed novel that fans of Marie Lu should enjoy. And the audio narration is very solid as well. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Stars and Smoke was an engaging action spy thriller with a romantic twist, featuring an experienced agent and emerging superstar teaming up to take down a trafficking ring. While not my favorite read of the year, it was a nice break from the heavy fantasy and sci-fi of my reading list, reminding me of a YA version of shows like The Famous Jett Jackson and Kim Possible.

We start with Winter Young, the emerging pop star, looking for a purpose in life and feeling he's not actually changing lives like his late brother Artemis did in the peace corps. When a secret agent group gives him a mission with life and death stakes, he's in for more than he asked for, especially with his new partner Sydney. I enjoyed both of them, especially Winter, who readers know is far from the shallow pop star, and he's fast to pick up on the secret agent life, and my favorite character. Sydney isn't too bad either, rough on the surface, but we find out more about her as the story goes on and becomes vulnerable. The romance was done well, and I enjoyed the progression in each stage. The other characters were developed enough with many bringing their own brand of wit, and while I did get confused a couple of times on some characters, and there was a couple that surprised me, I enjoyed them.

The main characters are 19, on the very upper end of YA, veering possibly into NA, but the content is good for teens, some kissing and a little undressing.

The world is basically our own with secret agencies put in, like James Bond or Mission Impossible, so it's easy to understand, even if you don't read a lot of sci-fi or fantasy. I do like the origin story and the little aspects of the mission.

The story doesn't lag too long on a single point and keeps you on your toes as there's a new twist or wrinkle right around the corner, and a few of them actually surprised me. It's got a few intense moments, but it was a lighter read in terms of themes and concepts, and sometimes that and some action is all you need for an enjoyable story.

The narrator, Becca Q. Co, had great energy mixed with with an easy to listen voice that gave the action exactly the tone needed. I also enjoyed her voices as she also did some British accents pretty authentically.

Based on the ending, I'm wondering if this series is going to be more about Winter and Sydney's relationship with a standalone mission in each book, as opposed to taking down a giant mission. Either way, I look forward to more books in this series.

This was a quick and fun read! I love that it flips stereotypes by having a female bodyguard and male pop star. I really enjoyed it and would definitely read a sequel.