Could not stand the voices of the characters! Not a fan of this. It was hard for me to push through to finish the story.

Sounds Like a Plan by Pamela Samuels Young and Dwayne Alexander Smith is a dynamic and engaging romantic comedy that explores the power of friendship, love, and taking risks. The story follows two characters who, despite their differences, form a partnership that leads to unexpected romantic sparks and personal growth. The authors’ writing style is witty, humorous, and relatable, filled with sharp dialogue and well-developed characters. Themes of self-discovery, vulnerability, and trusting in others are woven throughout, making for a compelling and uplifting read. With its fun, fast-paced plot and emotional depth, Sounds Like a Plan is a delightful story for anyone who enjoys contemporary romance with a touch of humor.

Mackenzie and Jackson are two private eyes that join forces after both are hired to find the same missing person. Their chemistry is, at first, like oil and water but after they are both set up to take the fall of a murder, they get over it to solve the case.

Their witty banter amidst arguments and attraction was engaging. I think the romance aspect was more of a slow burn than I was expecting. I wanted more of the fire early on. The secondary characters added depth to Mackenzie and Jackson.

The mystery was a bit formulaic and the ending was wrapped up a little too quickly. I think this is more of a mystery with a side of (enemies to lovers) romance - which I didn’t mind.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books or this eARC. Sounds Like a Plan is out now.

Jackson Jones, a driven private investigator, exudes respect by dressing in a suit and tie. However, as a Black man, he would be perceived differently if he showed up in a t-shirt and jeans. Mackenzie Cunningham, equally professional and successful, faces similar challenges due to her race.

Despite being hired by different individuals, Jackson and Mackenzie find themselves on the same side, searching for the same missing person. Their shared goal brings them together, despite their immediate differences.

While they are both equally successful, their competitive nature often leads to clashes. However, despite their attraction to each other, they remain focused on their mission. Unexpected twists and turns in the case reveal that joining forces might be mutually beneficial.

This intriguing start to a thrilling series leaves me eager to read the next book. I find it refreshing that they choose friendship over rivalry, especially in the face of danger.

Many thanks to Atria and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This story initially reminded me of the Finlay Donovan series—fast-paced, witty, and genre-blending. While the two perspectives were distinct, I preferred Mackenzie’s chapters to Jackson’s, as his misogynistic tone and ableist remarks made him hard to like. His constant name-dropping, especially about his Mercedes, added to the frustration.

The plot moves quickly, with entertaining twists and a rivals-to-lovers dynamic between the protagonists. However, the romance felt underwhelming, and Jackson’s abrasive personality made it hard to root for them as a couple. Overall, it’s a decent, fast-paced read with some flaws, best suited for those who can handle darker themes like violence and murder.

I struggled to get into this one. I like most dual narrated novels but the voices felt disjointed for me, which took away from the story.

This is more of an action story than a romance. Closed door-ish. Trigger warning for guns and suicide.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Atria Books for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

No thanks. I didn't love this. The plot sounded promising, but it just didn't work for me.

Mackenzie and Jackson are both private investigators in Los Angeles. When they are both hired by a mysterious lawyer to find a missing daughter of a wealthy client, they initially don’t know they are both after the same person. Eventually they find out not two, but THREE PI’s have all be hired to find the mysterious Ashley. Using their individual talents as investigators they often end up at the same place in their investigation. With each interaction, they both start to admire each other’s individual talents. When things go awry, they need to depend on each other and form a defecto team to stay ahead of the threat and keep each other alive.

This was a super cute suspense novel. Light on steam but heavy on chemistry between the two main characters. I have to admit that the twist kept me guessing and interested in speed reading to find out how it all ends. I love a book with a kick a$$ main female character and Mackenzie is that in spades. She is intelligent, insightful, and doesn’t back down. Her counterpart Jackson, is attractive, smart, and he has a sense of morality, even when it the past it caused the downfall of his career in the LAPD. I loved their banter and interactions. If you are looking for a fun read that will make you chuckle and has mystery until the end, you should definitely grab this book.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Unfortunately, I could not get into this book. Dual POV's trip me up sometimes and this was no different. I was excited for the 2 main black characters but I could not finish this book. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this book>

This book is such a pleasant surprise! Unlike many books that use a mix of genres, the authors here know how to use a perfect blend of thriller and romance while developing well-rounded characters. The plotting could've used some more work and I felt that the pacing was inconsistent at times, but the writing was engaging and kept me going.

The plot sounded so promising. I was so excited for black private investigators, romance, drama and excitement. All I got was a boring and whiny male character and a female main character I wanted more from. This book felt like it was trying too hard to be hip and relevant. Everything about this book felt so unrealistic even though the plot was extremely relatable. I felt like I had more fun reading the back of the book than the actual book. I will try again with this author because the writing did keep me afloat. I wanted to finish just to see how things would end and it was pretty predictable for me.

MANNNN this book was crazy good! I loved the feels that this book gave me. It felt like I was watching a high action film like "smokin aces" it was such a thrill. I def enjoyed the build up of the chemistry between the characters!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Reading this book felt like watching a movie! This was such a fun, exciting, and entertaining read. I loved that there was suspense, humor, rivalry, and some sexual tension. And Mackenzie was such a badass! I absolutely love a strong, black female lead and I found Mackenzie's character to be so loveable. She was intelligent, a risk-taker, and her personality was everything!

I also thought Mackenzie and Jackson had amazing chemistry. Their love/hate relationship was very entertaining, and I thoroughly enjoyed their banter. I am still rooting for them!

I liked this book. I loved how it was a mystery, yet had elements of comedy and romance. I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to see how the investigation played out and see if our main characters fall in love! This book had me hooked, and I hope these authors release another novel like this!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Sounds Like a Plan was a light-hearted mystery with a little sizzle between the two main characters.

I loved this cover and premise, but found the start of the book to be a bit bumpy. Read some of the other reviews and yikes this isn't for me as a lot of people described the MMC as a creep and misogynist.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free eARC for review.

This book has 2 POV's, 2 private detectives, black, male and female. Each chapter switches between the two POVs. I did enjoy the format.

The story starts interesting, they are competing to find the same missing person. Soon, things change and they must work together to save themselves and solve a bigger mystery.
It's a great premise. The only problem is that the MMC is very dislikable. While his character seems to be attracted to the beautiful, smart fellow black private detective, he says several deeming things about black women in general.
Plus at some point, the mystery becomes less interesting. The ending was just OK.
Overall would give the book 3.25 stars.

I really liked the BIPOC rep and the rival PI vibe of this fun romantic suspense. Things go pear-shaped quickly once they both take a job that is literally too good to be true. The constant surprises and messy action keep things moving quickly. It made for a quick, fun read. Big thanks to the authors and Atria Books for a copy. All opinions are my own.

A quick, action packed read. Jackson and Mackenzie have undeniable chemistry as they work together as private investigators.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this advanced reader copy.