Do you have a summer road trip planned and want to load up on a few audiobooks for the trip? The Syndicate Spy recently came out in audio. I was looking forward to this book when it came out in print back in March but I seem to have more time for audiobooks right now.

I love a good spy thriller, though I prefer ones set during the Cold War era as opposed to the present-day. I like the spycraft that was required now it seems to be all about high-tech surveillance and computer hacking. Even though this is a contemporary setting, I was drawn to it because Butler is a former CIA officer. Most spy novels I read are written by men and feature male protagonists. I was hoping for a female-centered Jack Ryan-type novel.

Juliet is part of an international intelligence agency called The Syndicate. She is paired with Graham. I didn't care for their early interactions. They don't get along and the banter between them felt like it was trying too hard to set them up as romantic interests. My initial thought was how unnecessary this was in a spy thriller. The banter is similar to what you read in an enemies-to-lovers rom-com. I soon realized that I had to shift my expectation that this was a spy thriller and instead, it was perhaps romantic suspense. But as the story progresses more and more romance tropes were introduced and by the end, I came to the conclusion that this was a romance novel masquerading as a spy novel.

While it was not the book I was expecting, it is a decent romance novel. I'm not a big reader of romance novels, particularly ones that have detailed sex scenes. If I had been reading this book, I would have skimmed over those scenes, but that isn't easily done with an audiobook.

I also found the social commentary a little heavy-handed at times. The world is in an energy crisis and an Arab nation has discovered the formula for an endless renewable energy source. The leader wants to keep the formula a secret and basically control the world because they will have to bend to his will to access this energy. There are parallels to what we see now with a few countries controlling most of the available oil.

The Syndicate Spy is Butler's first novel and I see the potential for her becoming a great author. The problems that I had with the writing are often seen in debut novels and are often resolved as the author becomes more comfortable with her voice.

If you love romance novels that feature international danger and don't mind a little heat, then this is a book for you. The story was easy to follow as an audiobook, though I thought the male voices didn't sound very male - like you could tell a female was trying to sound like a man.

My review will be published on Monday at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/06/4-romantic-stories-for-your-summer.html

Set in the not so distant future, this spy novel starts off with a secret spy, Juliet Arroway, following in her father's steps, working undercover in Saudi Arabia and sets off on a fast paced journey that is full of non-stop punches that are one thing after another suspense that kept me reading and fully engaged in trying to figure out if I could guess the ending. I couldn't, though I really did try. Excellent story line, great characters, and I want more! Brittany Butler brings her real life experience to the pages of the book that make it utterly believable and I can't wait to see what else she brings to the table.
I listened to the Audiobook narrated by Amy Landon, who did a phenomenal job with her pacing and tone. Kudos!
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

'The Syndicate Spy' is an espionage thriller featuring a female protagonist - syndicate agent Juliet Arroway. Miriam, another syndicate agent and best friend of Juliet, also happens to be a Saudi princess and handsome FBI agent, Graham, round out the list of main characters. The Syndicate is a conglomerate of allied intelligence agencies. Their goal is to maintain world peace as a global energy war heats up as the result of a world-wide depletion of energy.

A power takeover in the Saudi royal family has led to an increase in violence and a further threat of war. The new, self-appointed head of the family, Miriam’s uncle, is brutal and ruthless and he wants his niece Miriam by his side. He claims to have a recipe for synthetic oil. Juliet and Graham are on the ground seeking information through their assets that could aid them in learning where and how the synthetic oil is made. When rumors begin circulating that Miriam may have turned to her uncle’s side, Juliet is in disbelief. She must find Miriam and save her from her tyrant uncle.

An action spy thriller with plenty of twists and turns. The Syndicate has it all: friendships, betrayals, power hungry leaders and a juicy love interest. The author is a former CIA targeting officer and director of operations in counter terrorism centered at home and abroad. The Syndicate Spy' is book one of the Juliet Arroway series. This was an excellent audiobook - I couldn’t stop listening. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I received a free audiobook in exchange for a fair review. Audiobook Publication Date: May, 2023. Thank you to NetGalley, Brittany Butler and Greenleaf Book Group Press for this Advanced Release audio book.

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In the not so distant future, the world has run out of oil based energy resources and the agents of The Syndicate have a complex job in navigating the energy war as terrorists seek control over alternative energy resources. Greed still guides actions among nations. Spies from The Syndicate fight to keep the peace. Among them is Juliette. Compassionate and fierce she is on a mission to track down the terrorists and maintain peace among nations. Having lost her father in this energy war, she is fueled by grief.
The story is well developed and I found myself invested in the characters. There was a brief time I almost stopped listening when the MC’s sexual attraction and banter while fighting for their lives seems unrealistic. I stayed with it and was glad I did!
The book is action packed and while I did figure out one of the major twists early on, I was mind blown by the other major plot twist! Well done and totally unexpected!

My thanks to Net Galley and Greenleaf press for allowing me to review this audio book.

Unfortunately I DNF. I had issues connecting to the characters and got a bit lost.

I was so excited to read The Syndicate Spy and really wanted to love it, but it fell a little flat for me. Between watching Brittany Butler's TikToks about her experience in the CIA and The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter being my most anticipated read, I thought I would love this.

In the not-too-distant future, the world is depleted of oil and is fighting over an alternative energy source. Juuliet Arroway is an operative of the Syndicate, a group of allied intelligence agencies. Juliet and her best friend, Mariam, are hunting terrorists to help out an end to the global energy war.

While I didn't love The Syndicate Spy, I didn't hate it either. It was an entertaining read with a lot of action. I liked Butler's insight into covert operations as well as the romance subplot. However, I did figure out the two main twists. The world-building was also underdeveloped and left more questions than answers. The details on the alternative energy source are vague. What happened to renewable energy?

I also didn't particularly care for the one-dimensional Muslim as a villain or the author's resolution at the end. The "evil Muslim" trope is tired, and the religious extremism plotline was poorly executed. Also, the author's solution for bringing equality to the middle east is a gross oversimplification of the issue. I wish there would have been more thought and nuance.

However, if you enjoy spy novels and read for entertainment/are looking for a book with action and romance, pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book could easily be a 5 star. Juliet Arroway, the main character, morphs between a petulant child and a lovesick female. After 9 years as special forces and a spy for the syndicate, she seems to always make poor decisions based on her heart and not her head. The basic story about energy terrorists is very good, but less mushy romance would make it perfect. I received this from Net Galley.

I wanted to like this one. I like the characters and what I got of the storyline, but things just started to seem pieced together - if that makes sense? I didn’t care for the romance between the main character and Graham - I skipped 2 whole chapters so I could see what was happening with the real story line. I also really disliked the reading on the audio version (NetGalley - not sure if there is a difference) and ended up buying the Kindle version to try and read it that way, but still did not finish.

The Syndicate Spy AUDIO by Brittany Butler was a face-paced spy novel with plenty of violence as well as bedroom time. Juliet Arroway, who works for the Syndicate, an alliance of intelligence agencies struggling to eliminate, first, terrorism, and then, war, from the planet, and struggles with the death of her father, who held a similar position in the spy network. The story takes place in the not too distant future when oil is all but depleted. A Saudi prince and terrorist has developed a formula for synthetic gasoline with which he intends to take over the world, starting by mass deaths of all in the Western cultures. He has been committing terrorist acts, including the one that killed Jean-Marc, Juliet’s lover, in a place crash. Now he has Maraim, a Saudi princess, Juliet’s long-time best friend and fellow spy. She watched, in horror, as he, Assiz, cut off the heads of her entire family, and now she is his captive.

I don’t feel like this is realistic. That being said, I have not been embroiled in the conflict in the Middle East so I do not know for sure. Everyone has their own truth and this book exemplifies that dictum to the max. There were two modes: bed or battle. Surely there is more than that. And I’ll be the underdog doesn’t win as often as Juliet does, in battle, at least. I typically love this sort of thriller, but I didn’t this one. None of them are realistic, but this seemed less so.

It was an OK listen. Amy Landon did a credible job as reader and kept up the pace decently, sometimes even a little too fast. I had to check to be sure I hadn’t requested 1.25x. In a different book I would likely give her high praise.

I was invited to listen to a free e-AUDIO of The Syndicate Spy by Greenleaf Book Group Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #GreenleafBookGroupPress #BrittanyButler #AmyLandon #TheSyndicateSpy

Audiobook

Women are heroes too! Enjoyed listening to this thriller and definitely recommend the audiobook.

Fellow syndicate agents, Juliet (daughter of a Syndicate agent), Mariam (Syndicate agent & Saudi princess) & Graham (FBI agent) are assigned to a daunting task of solving terrorist attacks rooted in the oil crisis.

Butler, a former CIA operative, deftly intertwines reality with fiction and creates a believable tale of intrigue, betrayal, loss and heroics. She also broaches the issue of Women’s rights in the Middle East and within the spy trade.

Narrator, Amy Landon, does a good job of narrating the entire cast of characters, and keeping the listener’s interest.

Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

#goodreadsSyndicateSpyJulietArroway #NetGalley
Pub 22 May 2023

In the contemporary spy thriller, Syndicate operative Juliet Arroway is on a mission to stop the world energy war that is taking place, the same mission that took her dad’s life. With something to prove, Juliet takes on this mission with gusto. Following terrorize attacks and devastating losses, she is faced with one final, startling betrayal that could change everything.

In this book, the author is able to create a whole spy world and war that are easy to picture and well described. I don’t usually read spy thrillers, but this one called out to me when I saw it and I’m glad I took the time to read it. I love the duo of Juliet and Graham working together and searching their way through this war to find a resolution. The action parts of this book were fast paced and engaging, but I also enjoyed the slower romance parts interlaid in the book. At times though, the romance parts kind of split up the book in a way that interrupted the flow, but it was nice to have this breaks from fast paced action and violence. Overall this was a well written book with first hand knowledge and a good read. I also enjoyed the fact that I didn’t see the twists at the resolution of the book coming. If you are a spy thriller fan and want something told with first hand knowledge, give this a try!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC audiobook!

I really wanted to like this. I haven't read many spy thrillers with a female main character, and this was written by a former CIA agent. I was primed and ready for an action-packed good time. The beginning really hit it out of the park for me but then it slowly went downhill.

I really didn't like our main character. She came off as an aggressive know-it-all and was just annoying a lot of the time. It was very much her way or the highway, and anyone else's opinions were disregarded as either being close-minded or just wrong. She kept calling everyone else biased when she was just as biased as they were. She kept saying we need to work together with the FBI and then proceeded to not work together, up until of course the romance section of the book. Honestly, the romance in this seemed to come out of nowhere. There was no building of chemistry, just her yelling at him, and then suddenly they're confessing love to each other. The timeline felt very compressed as if this all took place within a week. I'm sure that it was longer than that but there wasn't an exact timeline explained. Because of this is seemed absolutely ridiculous for her to be so overcome by him and in love that she said she couldn't see a life without him. She even mourned his place in her bed when they'd shared a bed only once or twice. I didn't need the romance and I didn't even enjoy the sex scenes. They just took away from the seriousness of the situation they were facing.

It was as if this book couldn't choose between being a romantic suspense and a spy thriller. There wasn't a great balance in my opinion between one or the other. It was a lot of fast-paced action and violence paired with our main character mooning over her work partner. I just stopped caring about Juliet and her budding romance.

Also, there's a twist near the end that was easily guessed. <spoiler>The second they said that Juliet's initial boyfriend of six years was presumed dead because his plane just disappeared, I instantly thought that he was involved in some capacity and wasn't actually dead. </spoiler>

I did like the overall storyline. It was interesting and I really appreciated the realness of the situations the characters found themselves in.

Overall, this was a bit of a disappointment for me. I think I just wanted something different.

In a not so distant future there is an energy war pitting nation against nation. In the center of the energy conflict is a group called the Syndicate. The Syndicate's main objective has been to keep the peace for the last two decades. After a series of terrorist attacks, Juliet Arroway and Mariam-both Syndicate spies-are brought into the crosshairs of one conflict that changes everything.

I believe Butler achieved the promise of the premise of this book and I really enjoyed the political intrigue and action in this story. There were two vital scenes in the story that really stood out and were my favorite due to the tension, twists, and discoveries.

The one aspect of the story that had room for improvement was the romance. Romance is one of my most widely read genres and there was one obvious way in which I felt Butler could have improved upon the romantic relationship: fully flesh out the main love interest. Graham had some of the typical hallmarks of a romance hero-chiseled jaw, dreamy green eyes, etc.-but what he lacked was the most important elements that would make him a fully fledged person. We get a few tidbits that create a hazy idea of his personhood, but not enough to make him more than one degree away from becoming a caricature.

What made this book the most interesting is that the author is a former CIA officer; her experience definitely piqued my interest in this story. I will definitely watch for her future works and I look forward to seeing how she grows as an author.

*Audiobook Review: I would rate the narrator at about 2.5 stars. At first I thought the narrator was a computer-generated voice of some sort. The readings of the exposition seemed robotic, with the intonations falling off at the end of a word and/or sentence. The narrator did do a better job with the dialogue-especially Juliet and Mariam's voices.

I read and reviewed an ARC of this audiobook thanks to the author and Greenleaf Book Group Press via NetGalley. All honest opinions are my own.

3.5 ✨'s

This was a regally good listen. The central plot was interesting with some big twists. The narration was very good. The romantic aspects of the novel were a bit over the top

THE SYNDICATE SPY by Brittany Butler and read by Amy Landon is the beginning of The Juliet Arroway novels and a strong start!

First we learn that this near future world has run out of oil and there is a fight for energy resources. The Syndicate is a group of allied forces trying to keep these resources out of terrorists hands. Juliet is one of those operatives and with her friend Mariam, a Saudi Princess, they work to end the energy wars. When Juliet's boyfriend is killed during a wave of attacks and the Syndicate believes Mariam's family is involved, Juliet has to find a way through and find the truth. It doesn't help that a handsome FBI agent has been assigned to help.

I thought this was a good start to a series. In these firsts, there often has to be a bit of explanation, but it didn't feel overly informative. The action was swift and the pacing steady. I don't particularly love romantic interests and this one fell into the meh category for me, but if you enjoy that kind of thing it will probably be great! I did love the women's roles in this story. I won't say more, but these are some tough professionals!

The narration was really well done. I felt the strength of Juliet as well as her second guessing and shocks. The action sequences were fast, but I was able to visualize it all at the 2x speed.

Ultimately, this was a solid start to a near future spy thriller series that highlights women's roles in intelligence. The author's experience in the intelligence field feels evident and I will be excited to see where this series and character goes!

Thanks to @netgalley and Greenleaf Book Group Press for the audiobook and for letting me share my thoughts. This audiobook is available now for all you spy thriller fans!

If you’re looking for a good book to keep you on the edge of your seat, this is the book for you. I enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook. It was well written and narrated. The story wasn’t predictable, which was nice. I’m looking forward to the other books in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group Press for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

I couldnt finish this - its not the book - its the voices of the audiobook narrator. I just want the book read to me, not pretend to be every character with a different voice.

I was initially really excited to read this story. However, I could not stay engaged. There was a lot going on, and it felt bland. This is sadly a pass for me.

What a life I can’t imagine this author had and is having her background made this story more interesting to me knowing she lived a little like this. This story has a da Vinci code vibe to me. It was a fast pace exciting story and the plots and plan just goes to show you never know what some people will do. I am looking forward to more of this series and this author.
The only problem I had was. I couldn’t figure out what speed to listen to. I would put it on 1.5 and it sounded super slow but 2 was to fast I ended up listen at 1.5 which was ok but just thought I would note that thank you netgalley

Thanks to NetGalley,the author, Britney Butler, & BAudioLimited for the audio copy.
Trigger warning for victims of war, PTSD, veterans, terrorism, descriptive action/torture/killings, etc. I enjoyed the storylines of Juliet & Graham and found hints of the twists throughout to be quite entertaining, I figured out some of the eventual outcomes prior to them being fully revealed at the end of the book. The main relationship between Juliet and her asset was really well developed- a fictional realistic version turn of events - considering the past events presented. Interested to see where Juliet’s story goes from here in the next novel.

I didn’t particularly enjoy the narration, I found it to be monotonous in tone at times especially in the beginning chapters. It gets better throughout and toward the middle/end with inflection and inserting emotion throughout with more believability.