I'm not a big thriller/mystery fan, but this book looked like a romance that had thriller elements to it, so I decided to check it out. In my opinion, it's not a romance. It's more a thriller/mystery with romantic elements. The romance isn't the focus of the book and this book had very little steam.

The story had way too much going on. They went from one lead to another, with lots of drama and lots of people getting murdered. I didn't predict the killer, but there were very little breadcrumbs that would lead you to that conclusion. And the death at the very end - I thought it was unnecessary and sad. After that point, I was not interested in hearing about Mackenzie and Jackson's happy ending.

This book wasn't for me.

Pamela Samuels Young and Dwayne Alexander Smith brings us the story of two PIs Jackson and Mackenzie. They are both given the same missing person's case. When they find each other with every new lead, they realize that they are not the only ones who were given this case. When the events of the case lead to murder and with their lives at stake, they must put aside their differences and learn to work together before they fall to the same fate. Will they be able to solve the case before they lose their lives while working together? Or will their growing feelings and wanting to be the one who solves the case get in their way?

Ms. Young and Mr. Smith tells a story from both points of view. We get to see how events unfold through both the characters where we learn how they feel towards each other without letting the other one know about it. We get to follow along with them as they try to one up each other yet wanting the other to be there. We see how all these feelings are warring with each other inside both characters and how they manage them. See from the beginning how these two PIs start out as rivals and perhaps end up as something more. You keep turning the page to see what they will do next as they get closer to the truth until you realize that you have reached the conclusion and then wished for more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books. I look forward to reading more from these authors.

This started off good but I lost interest in spots and ended up not finishing the book. It’s plot could have used a little more detail

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.

Loved it! I really enjoyed reading this one. I liked the story between Jackson and Mackenzie. It was an easy and fun read.

things i had issues with in this book:
1. asking if someone was "on the spectrum" in regards to them being dumb, which is just straight up ableist
2. felt like a sponsored post for krav maga because if you took a shot every time it was mentioned, you would die of alcohol poisoning, and that's not even mentioning that krav maga was developed by the IDF so ew
3. weird page long explanation of using ChatGPT to stalk people. literally using step by step instructions
4. victim-blaming that was then played off as a joke after the FMC got sexually assaulted

just an overall mess

Thanks Atria Books and NetGalley for the gifted DRC book.

Rival private investigators, both hired to find the same missing person, join forces when someone wants them to go down for a murder.

The premise of SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN sounded like it would be a fun and fast-paced thriller with romance mixed in. I was disappointed to find it full of misogyny, fatphobia, and a horrible scene equating autistic people with being stupid that I think was intended to be a joke. I wasn’t laughing at any of it. This is not a book I’d recommend.

True rating: 🖤🖤🖤.5

Mackenzie and Jackson are rival investigators who find themselves working the same missing persons’ case. As they attempt to solve it, they quickly find out that they’ve been set up. As the story unfolds, they must work together to survive and figure out who is behind their attempted demise.

This was a solid read and I really enjoyed the pacing of it. The mix of genres was really nice and kept me engaged while reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this as an Arc!

This isn’t my normal genre of books but I wanted to give it a shot. I’m so glad that I did. I really enjoyed reading this one. I liked the banter between Jackson and Mackenzie. It had a really nice pace and flowed really well. It was an easy read that kept you wanting to read. If you like an easy detective/ love story novel. Definitely give this one a try. I am glad I did.

DNF
Clever premise but the execution left much to be desired. The writing style was too simplistic and the characters felt one dimensional.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-book ARC in exchange for my review.

I've been enjoying PI investigation books lately, and I was excited to start on this one. But I was so disappointed. I really struggled to get to know the characters and keep details straight. I'm not sure why this one didn't work for me, but it didn't. I was surprised to see the author has several other books out - this reads more like a first novel.

This wasn't the book for me, but I'm sure others will enjoy it.

2 of 5 stars for "it was ok"

Mackenzie and Jackson are private investigators hired to investigate a missing person case. The first person to find the missing woman gets the reward. The two end up working together, a partnership with tension and plenty of sparks.

The book alternates between Jackson’s and Mackenzie’s point of view, allowing us to know how each is thinking and feeling about the case and about each other. Jackson is determined and can be charming, but is a bit sexist. He also makes at least one offensive joke, if nor more. A joke that could have been left out without any harming the plot or character development at all. Mackenzie is smart and headstrong. They make a good team.

The plot is a little over the top. We’ve got top-notch hackers, hired killers and a kidnapper, but it’s fun in an action movie kind of way. The wrap-up to the mystery is a bit quick, but I honestly didn’t see it coming.

my feelings on this were constantly conflicting. I absolutely hated Jackson. I think he’s misogynistic and super obnoxious.

This was a fun book. I liked the spy stuff and it was just a quick read even though it dealt with some very heavy topics.

My only issues was the MCs and how they just talked bad about people for no reason. I thought we were past that.

Jackson and MacKenzie both work for separate firms as private investigator. I like that the book had 2 people working on case that were from different agencies.

This book was exciting and thrilling! With just the right mix of spy novel excitement and tension and romance, you definitely don't regret picking up this book! It's not my typical read, but I was pleasantly surprised!

Clever, witty, and full of fun banter, Sounds Like A Plan is the perfect book for anyone looking for a light-hearted mystery romp.

While I LOVED the beginning and middle of this book, with Mac and Jackson making the CUTEST couple. the ending was the main thing that pissed me off. So, I'll start with the things I liked.
A)
Roxanne.
Roxy was such a sweetheart, I couldn't help but love her! She had a major crush on Jackson, but when meeting Mac, she didn't get jealous or anything like that. Instead, she fought for her and accepted her within their first few moments.
YAY to hacker girls with self-confidence on the moon!
B)
Jackson's relationship with his daughter.
Most books with single dads have them with strained relationships with their daughters, kids insisting their parents should be back together, But Nicole understood her parent's relationship was irrevocably ruined, and while she didn't let that affect her relationships with either of them, she didn't try to force onto them that kind of selfishness. ❤️
C)
The representation.
The representation in this book was great! With Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+, it was something I could truly envision. I only wish they'd also added Muslim or Middle-Eastern representation, something SEVERELY lacking in today's literature.

Now, the end. The ending was rushed and horrible. The twist for the end of the case was great, and I was looking forward to a deeper dive into their relationship now that the heat was off. But instead of that happening, instead, they don't see each other for three weeks, and the end is them making a plan to meet for dinner, with no sign of their future romance. Excuse me? What happened to the ENTIRE BOOK being the build-up to their relationship? Ugh. Jackson's relationship with his ex-wife was also a loose end I couldn't help but get annoyed over. They built up a great case for a confrontation where Jackson and her settle their differences and agree to cool the passive-aggressiveness, but instead, that's just left hanging. Also, Jackson calling Mac a "bitch," was WAY out of line when she was just trying to save his life.
No.
Just...no.

While I adored most of this book, the ending was a major ruiner and made me take off two stars. Not the best book I've ever read, but something I'll be re-reading over a long vacay. For fans of Tessa Bailey's "My Killer Vacation," this book is for you!

I really wanted to love this one more than I did. The concept is so good! Two competing PIs brought in to find a missing woman end up being suspected in a murder and have to go on the run. The book really fell flat for me. I was extremely disappointed by the misogyny and ableism that was in the book. Why in 2024 are "jokes" being made about people on the spectrum being stupid? Especially by one of the main characters. DNF at 85%. I had no interest in moving on after that point.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I chose to DNF at about the 20% mark. I really liked the premise of the book, with two PIs being assigned the same missing persons case. I could not get past the long, at times rambling, internal monologues (the one about ChatGPT just felt like strange product placement), or the sexist remarks constantly made by the mmc. This book just wasn’t for me.

contemporary, thriller, romantic, snarky, situational-humor, verbal-humor, private-investigators, ex-cop, ex-journalist, missing-persons, investigations, siblings, Black, mystery, dual-narrators, unputdownable, rivalry, California, ethnic, cultural-differences*****

Jackson Jones and Mackenzie Cunningham are each Black private investigators hired by the same high end white lawyer to find a missing adopted young woman before her mother dies in hospice care. But it's not a snooty story nor a high testosterone vehicle, it's great fun for all and perfect as a pick me up after a rotten day at work. I thought it was great and hope that this team will cooperate again in other books!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Atria Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 09 Jul 2024

I enjoyed this Mr and Mrs. Smith-themed thriller. While the two leads were a bit hard-edged, the action and mystery were entertaining and unique. I could see this book becoming a series or film (and I'd watch it rather than the new Mr. and Mrs. Smith series)

Thank you Atria Books for this entertaining review copy.