This book had a really interesting premise two PIs who have to work together to solve a mystery. I was thinking Stephanie Plum type mystery but unfortunately Jackson very unlikeable almost insufferable so I struggled through this one.

Ok I will not be leaving this review online. Mainly because as a Caucasian woman raised in the south in the 80s and 90s I worked very hard not to be like my grandparents and even my parents generation.
This book made me intensely uncomfortable with some of its wording and references. I think I would have been able to get past most of them if the relationship building would have worked. As it was, it felt like this book was trying to hard. I think it would make a great movie. And as I know that one of the authors is a screenplay writer that makes sense. His chapters in the book are very dialogue forward. No Cushioning it with descriptions. I went into it expecting a corny style PI mystery romance but
Honestly, just an all around train wreck for me.

This book was so cute! I love the idea of "dueling" private investigators. Having to work with your rival? Recipe for disaster...or is it? The book was really cute and I loved the competition aspect between the main characters.

I can't understand why this book doesn't have better reviews. Did it seem predictable at one point? Yes. But did it completely flip the script and pick up on the action? Absolutely, and I loved every moment of it.

Featuring two Black private investigators, with a Black woman who is a total bad a$$, this book is a refreshing and thrilling read. The story starts with Jackson Jones and Mackenzie Cunningham being competitive and not liking each other, leading to plenty of witty banter. As the plot unfolds, they realize they're better off working together as friends and dive into the mission of finding Ashley Cross.
This is the first book I've read by these authors, and it won't be the last. Their ability to blend action, suspense, and character development is impressive. I’m definitely checking out their other works.

Recommend (Yes/No/Maybe): YES! This was a fast, fun read, and I can easily see it being adapted into a show or movie. I need a book 2 with even more action and some romance! If you’re looking for a swoon-worthy, action-packed mystery, this is the book for you.

Troupes & Warnings:
BIPOC
Dual POV
Rivals
Private Investigators
There is some violence but I didn’t find it too bad but if violence and g*ns isn’t your thing then this may not be for you.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

This was a super cute read! I love anything with mystery and romance! The ultimate and perfect combination for any page turner! Mac and Jackson had me laughing here and there and waiting for their heat and chemistry to keep building up! All in all the ingredients in this book are very addicting in a bit by bit manner! The whole time I was reading this book I kept imaging rock and roll songs playing in the background depicting when they would debate with each other and when things would get crazy LOL

Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

My apologies for being so blunt, but it’s a no from me. I had to DNF fairly quickly into this book. The writing was so rudimentary that I couldn’t believe this was a published book. The character descriptions were basic and there was way too much telling instead of showing. I did not finish this book.

This was a twisting turning novel with a little bit of thriller.
This duo kept my interest as they sexual chemistry developed. Will they or Won’t they??!!! Then, before they express it...bullets fly past. It was a fun read. I could see another book coming out.

This fast paced story is a light hearted thriller with a enemies to friends twist that is full of banter and sassy comebacks. The book is written with alternating chapters, from the point of point of view of each character. The two characters are wach written by a different author, thus ensuring a unique voice. This quick read is just the fare for a fun diversion.

This was a fast paced read with lots of twists and turns and it was a lot of fun. Mac and Jackson were both hired to find the same person, but it all went off the rails and they have to fight together to figure out the truth. They are on the run and sparks are flying. Jackson and Mac clash at first but then he sees the real her and he is absolutely enthralled and can't get enough and will do anything to protect her. Even though they are dueling PIs, they have to work together this time and it's new for both of them.
I thought this read was such a fun time and the book flew by. There were parts that I was confused about but I just kept going and ultimately just liked how fast paced it was and it didn't drag out. Twists kept coming and things kept changing and I liked that they were on an adventure of sorts. 3.5 stars.
Thatnks to Atria, Netgalley and the authors for an early copy.

Sounds Like a Plan by Pamela Samuels Young; Dwayne Alexander Smith was a fun and exciting romance/mystery.
The characters are entertaining and the storytelling was engaging.
I enjoyed the dynamics of the relationship and seeing them from all perspectives.
A compelling read that I really enjoyed.

Thank You NetGalley and Atria Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Dive into the dangerous world of private investigating with this sexy dual POV novel.

I found the beginning to be a bit slow- yes, I know that it needed the exposition to establish the characters' povs/voices/personalities and set up the plot and what not, but it did drag a bit to me when I was promised this fast paced action story.

With that being said, once this book got going, it really got going! I adored our FMC's strength and smarts, as well as our MMC's suave. Both characters felt fleshed out with very real struggles and very raw chemistry.

It was such a fun rollercoaster of twists and romance and action. The ending was excellent and I had an absolute blast!

Thank you to Pamela Samuels Young, Dwayne Alexander Smith, Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC <3

What do you get when two private eyes team up to solve a lucrative case and then find themselves running for their lives from the people who hired them? You get this surprisingly fantastic, fun novel that I hope is only the first in a series. Told in alternating POV, this is one of my favorite detective novels of recent years.

Mackenzie and Jackson have the best chemistry I have read in a long time. Their lust/hate relationship is so much fun, and had me laughing along with them. The ending of the book leaves us in a place where the story could continue, and I certainly hope there are plans for sequels. The plot was an exciting thrill ride, as the investigators are competing to find a missing woman so she can be reunited with her dying mother before it is too late. The twists are many, and the tension was high until the very end.

While not as out and out funny as Stephanie Plum or Finlay Donovan, I think fans of those series or the Kinsey Milhone books would enjoy Sounds Like a Plan. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the digital ARC of Sounds Like a Plan. The opinions in this review are my own.

I love a good murder mystery book especially when there is a little romance thrown in like Red Notice, but this did not do it for me. I felt like there were too many directions it could go and I just did not like Jackson as a character. There were a few twists towards the end, but not enough to make up for the other parts in my opinion.

"Sounds Like A Plan" by Pamela Samuels-Young and Dwayne Alexander Smith is an intriguing novel about two private investigators teaming up to solve a case. The book's premise is engaging and reminiscent of the exciting, humorous atmosphere in Stephanie Plum and Finley Donovan novels, featuring thrilling scenes, mysteries, unexpected twists, and lively banter. However, some readers may find Jackson's character overly misogynistic, making certain parts of the book challenging to read. Despite this, the story picks up momentum and delivers several surprising twists, making it worth sticking with till the end.

Thank you to Pamela Samuels-Young, Dwayne Alexander Smith, Atria Books, and Netgalley for providing an advanced reader's copy of this book. Sounds Like a Plan is on sale July 9th, 2024.

What a fun and fast-paced romp of a mystery! I will say I went into this book thinking it was more a romance with a mystery subplot instead of what it really is which is the opposite. Definitely don't read this for the romance because you'll be edged through the whole book!

I love a book with multiple POVs, so I think it's even more fun when those different POVs are written by different people. It definitely gave the characters distinct voices throughout the book and added a fun perspective this book might not have had otherwise.

A fun murder mystery was just what I needed, and this fit the bill. It had some excellent twists that I almost couldn't guess at, and it was written similarly to a lot of the interesting murder mystery movies that have been coming out lately.

I can't wait to see if these authors partner for a second book! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for my ARC!

While this seemed like a fun mystery and romance read, I did not enjoy this book. I was definitely intrigued by the mystery surrounding our missing person and there was plenty of action and twists with that. But the mystery felt like it was going in so many directions and it was never going where you thought it would. And yes you obviously don’t want the ending to be easily predictable but all the different leads became a little too much. But the main reason I did not like this book was the sexist comments and thinking made by Jackson. His character was so annoying and had a misogynistic comment almost every chapter.

Overall I did not like this book.

Honestly, this book was so hard to get through. The idea of the story is great, it sounded so fun to me. Once I started reading it, the fun was gone. The dialogue between the characters and when they were thinking to themselves was so disheartening. At times the dialogue and its misogynistic under AND overtones were weird, out of place, and quite frankly tone deaf.

This book follows two competing private investigators who are hired for the same case. Mackenzie and Jackson realize they must work together in order to solve the case. The premise of the book is great – it felt very James Bond vibes with the action-packed scenes, mystery, and twisty turns on their case. I enjoyed the way the authors wove in action, but kept it real with how the two characters faired in the aftermath of the scenes – it brought humanity to the character rather than them simply being PIs.

I wasn’t always vibing with everything that came out of Jackson’s mouth. Like he said some things that I had to stop and reread because I wasn’t sure I read it right. It was confusing, like his part on ChatGPT, or overtly misogynistic.

The romance in the book is minimal. The readers are only given one scene that explores the characters' physical relationship. I wish we were given more on how their relationship developed after the case was closed. It seemed rushed when there was a three-week jump, and we had no insight into how they were grappling with their feelings and desires for each other. The ending of the book does leave it open to continue the series with the couple working together.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and its take on a private investigator story. I wish it had more development of Mackenzie and Jackson’s relationship, as there were repeated slow-burn moments that made it a point in the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love the premise of the book “Sounds Like a Plan” and the mystery plot line was really great. There were a lot of twists and turns after Mackenzie and Jackson get hired to find the same girl and as much as they start of on the wrong foot they quickly realize they are better off working together instead of against each other. Especially when people that were involved in their case start dying and they know they could be next. There is some character development of the MMC’s and when they aren’t fighting they have good chemistry.

Having said that I found there wasn’t much development of the relationship between the two of them and Jackson would often treat Mackenzie really horribly. The last disagreement they had was bad and hard to read. With all the fighting it was hard to see how they could be falling in love and the ending left things really vague. If you like a closed door mystery/spy romance this book is for you but don’t expect too much from the romance part of the book while reading it. I enjoyed parts of this book but it’s not one that I will reread.

This book was fun. So much banter 😍. This book is fast paced, fun and exciting. You never know that’s gonna happen next in this wild case. Jackson & Mackenzie are both badass private investigators on a case that will keep surprising you.

From each of their POVs they make up nicknames for each other “pretty boy”, “miss hotness”, “hot chocolate”, “mac attack”. So cute! The chemistry and banter is so good.

0.5🌶️