The military propaganda in this book was not my favorite. I enjoyed the writing and the chemistry between the two main characters, but that kind of soured it for me.

A fast paced and engaging lovers to enemies romantic crime thriller. I enjoyed The Art of the Chase by this author and this book did not disappoint!

Verity is a 35 yo, ex military, now turned assassin for hire, and is hired to eliminate Senator Emilio Guzmán while he is partying at a gay nightclub in the Zona Rosa district of Mexico City. She is told to make it look like “gay sex gone wrong”. While scoping out the scene, she eyes “Sirena”across the room. Their eyes meet and soon Sirena is next to her. They have an immediate chemistry, but Verity is there to do a job first. After, she goes home with Sirena who shares her real name, Reina. They soon discover they were hired for the same hit and had both completed their task. After Verity escapes from Reina’s apartment a game of cat and mouse across Mexico City ensues.

With Reina’s next contract to kill Verity, the chase is on. Will their feelings for each other prevail or will they stay true to their profession and fight to the death?

This story is filled with thrills and the author skillfully gives us a glimpse into each of their histories so we gain an understanding of how their lives led them to where they are now. It fascinates paced and exciting with characters I felt torn to choose between. A good read and I look forward to more from Giacalone!

I received an arc from NetGalley and Ylva Publishing. I leave this review voluntarily.

Jennifer Giacalone’s *Verity's Game* is a gripping blend of romance and suspense, enlivened by the sharp wit of its protagonist and a vivid setting in Mexico City’s art world. The story follows Verity, an elite American assassin whose razor-sharp sarcasm provides both humor and tension throughout the narrative. Her quick-witted remarks and biting commentary contrast starkly with the lethal seriousness of her profession, adding a layer of complexity and charm to her character. This sarcasm not only enriches Verity’s personality but also heightens the dramatic tension between her and Reina, her equally formidable and conflicted counterpart.

Giacalone further enhances the story by incorporating Mexico City’s vibrant art scene into the plot. The novel deftly uses fine art as both a backdrop and a plot device, with the characters navigating through glamorous galleries and dark, hidden spaces. This artistic setting serves as a rich, atmospheric canvas for their high-stakes game, reflecting the intricate and often dangerous dance of their burgeoning romance. The combination of Verity’s sharp humor and the novel’s artistic elements creates a unique and captivating narrative, making *Verity's Game* an exhilarating read that artfully balances intense action with romantic tension.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out next week! Yeah a proper sapphic delight. It's extremely entertaining and despite the hired killer angle a nice light read. And no it's not like mr Mrs smith. People actually occasionally communicate in this one.

The main characters are Verity and Reina. Verity is on a mission to carry out a hit on a politician when she meets a woman she's immediately taken with. It's not until the next day when said woman, Reina, holds her at a gunpoint that Verity realises they were hired to get rid of the same man.

I think the characters have a fun chemistry and there's enough drama going on to make the story interesting and fast paced enough for a thriller.

I loved The Art of the Chase and Jennifer Giacalone did not disappoint with this action packed adventure involving Mexican cartel figures from two organizations. For our mains, we first met Verity, a black daughter of a U.S. Army Ranger who had strength and skills from her time in Afghanistan. Her assignment was from the business, Mexilógico, to kill Senator Emilio Guzman, a high profiled and corrupt politician involved in shady deals.

Little known to Verity was that she was not the only one with that assignment. At an evening in a gay club, Verity, the beautiful lesbian hooked up with Reina, a beautiful Mexican lesbian who was carrying out her assignment for Sophia Fortunada and her Global Foundation. Verity and Reina shared a lust-filled chemistry and thus, their relationship and their many adventures together began on the dance floor at that club. Unbeknownst to each other, Guzman did die that night, but the actual job was botched and Verity found that she had become a target, with Reina assigned the task of doing away with her.

The story was as electrifying as was the attraction between the two. They played a cat and mouse game as they had multiple chances to kill each other, but would they ever do it? Throughout the story there were chases, guns, bullet wounds and injuries. At times they were two stooges with a taste of the vibe between Thelma and Louise. There were happy times and sad moments. So compelling!

I appreciated the romance, humor and the goodness that was the ultimate goal that guided both of these ladies. The book was a wonderful reading experience that I highly recommend. My thanks to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

That was fun read! A fast paced thriller told the story of two assassin met unknowingly during the same mission and fall for each other, when the outside forces forced them to kill each other, it was up to the two of them to decides was it still worth it to kept doing the mindless dirty works ordered by the higher up.

Throughout the story we began to understand some backstory of the two of them, but it would be nice to know more.

Their chemistry were off the chart, banter between the two of them were witty and hilarious, I do hope the ending wasn't tidy up so cleanly that left no question the author wasn't interested of making a sequel because I would love to read more of them.
Special thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the arc.

The book is exciting to read if you like a fast pace and a lot of plot twists. However, you never get close to the main characters and thus I never got invested in the story of the two assassins that meet and after trying to kill each other fall in love and work together to get freed from their circumstanses. The book would have been much better with a lot more backstory as well as romance. Now it is almost all about killing, escaping and get revenge.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley.

Rival assassins falling for each other is just such a fun trope, I love it! This is a fast-paced race through Mexico City as both Verity and Reina try to figure out the implications of them being assigned to kill the same man and the fallout of being unable to forget one another while being the next target. Verity and Reina's initial attraction and pickup was a great way to set up the way they just kept circling each other's orbit, even when forces were against them, and the tension between them was great to read.

There's some sweet moments, like Verity's reason for picking an ice-cream seller as her fake job cover, and their mutual love of art and literature. The end wraps up a little too cleanly for my taste for a story about assassins, but it's overall so enjoyable that I don't mind that much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the ARC

When reading the blurb I got a Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibes, but this was so much better!! Sapphic, fast-paced and enemies to lover can never go wrong. I can't explain how delightful this book was to read. It was just fabulous. Highly, highly recommend!

Enemies-to-lovers is one of the best troupes around, in my opinion. And this sapphic-thriller continues to prove me right.

The two main characters, Verity and Reina, are both assassins for hire. While on a mission, Verity falls for Reina. It’s not until the next day when Reina points a gun at her that they realize they were both hired to carry out a hit on the same politician.

A dramatic, fast-paced story follows as Verity searches for answers across a backdrop of clubs, pride parades, and art galleries. Action movies need to take notes. This book felt like a fun action movie, it also helps that I am a sucker for a crazy sapphic love story.

Pairs well with Dimension 20’s Never Stop Blowing Up (because I am obsessed with that right now), pride parades, and your worst enemy (who you also kinda have a crush on).

Two lesbian assassins who go after the same mark without knowing? That’s the kind of (romantic) suspense book I’ve been waiting for.
First the romance and relationship felt really rushed and more based on instant attraction than anything else. But that might also be because the literary flirting was hard to follow as a non-anglophone.
The mystery and suspense was much better. It felt like reading a spy novel based in Mexico City. The environment felt rich and so did the plot. But like a spy movie it’s better not to question most of the actions of the main characters. (Like why is nobody tracking cell phones? What about the CCTV? How are they getting away with it all?).
In summary it was a fun fast action packed read but the romance could have had more depth.

Thank you Ylva Publishing for the ARC.

Loved loved loved. This was such a fun book. I love the banter between characters and their growing relationship. The pacing is fast and keeps you engaged. It is a great book filled with dynamic scenes and characters that are interesting, entertaining, and worth your time.

Verity’s Game is a great written book featuring a lot different themes that i don’t come across a lot. i love that it pulled on different emotions and took us through different journey’s and of course i loved the romance and spicyness of it, however i don’t think it was the best book suited to me hence the 3 stars. This is in no way saying the book deserves 3 stars as i do think this could 100% be a 5 star book for someone else. I would advise everyone to give this book a chance as it may surprise you but every reader is different as you know and what may not suit others may be the perfect book for you, so give it a try!

4⭐️
The premise that the two assassins, the American Verity and the Mexican Reina, are supposed to eliminate the same person and get in each other's way in the process, promises action. However, the fact that the two are also very much attracted to each other complicates matters many times. The icing on the cake is that Reina is given the task of eliminating Verity. A real game of cat and mouse begins as to who will kill whom, or not. Then, they are actually a perfect team.

In addition to the action and suspense, art plays a major role, and social issues are also addressed. The sparks fly between Verity and Reina, whether as opponents in a fight or playing sports in bed.

Although both women are assassins, which is not the most likable profession, I liked both from the start. The sexual tension is tingling and I also enjoyed the banter between them. The only thing I would have liked was a bit more backstory.

The pace is fast and some situations are a little unrealistic, but it's fun to follow their bumpy road, even if sometimes the air is too leaden. If you like reading stories where the protagonists make the world a better place, but not always in a legal way, you should read this book.

Thanks to Ylva Publishing and NetGalley for receiving an ARC for an honest review.

Story of two rival assassins. Both are questioning why they continue to do this job. One is contracted to kill the other. How Verity and Reina negotiate this leads to an interesting and at times fraught situation. Some flashbacks (not many) showing how they came to their current positions. A good read. I have read another book by this author and found it enjoyable and have one still to read.

Another hit from Jennifer Giacalone!
After reading Jennifer Giacalone's first book, Art of the Chase, I was eager to read more of her stories. Verity's Game has a cat and mouse dynamic where both main characters are evenly matched in skill sets, there's loads of action and humor, and it's set in Mexico City. I loved getting to see parts of Mexico City thru the story, experience the energy of certain neighborhoods and really appreciate the choice of this location. Similar to Art of the Chase, art does feature in Verity's Game as well, with artists and artwork that may be new to readers; the artwork itself is nearly a character, as is an unusual vehicle that may stir emotions and become a favorite for some readers for its use and meaning. I anticipated the plot reveals ahead of time but the fun was in getting to them, seeing what happened in the meantime. I suspect this book might have been intentionally written to be somewhat less complex than Art of the Chase in terms of the plot, but it does have lots of twists and turns to keep you engaged and interested in order to see how all the pieces fit together. Both books have a cinematic feel to them that enlivens your imagination and feeds your senses like only a truly great masterpiece of a movie can do.
Part of the winning combination in Giacalone's writing so far is that you'll be entertained but also educated about art and social issues among other things along the way, without any of it being preachy or too deep in the weeds for none but the most ardent nerds to happily immerse themselves in. You'll get incendiary chemistry between main characters and it will come out in every interaction no matter where they are (yes, in the bedroom too); you'll laugh and chuckle and smile and smirk while reading, possibly tear up; and you'll get to the end feeling so satisfied that the only downside is having to wait for her to publish another book to put you thru this kind of rollicking good time rollercoaster all over again.
I highly recommend both of her books and suggest planning your reading so you have leeway to read longer than you originally scheduled, so the feel gooded-ness this story will give you (from your brain to your funny bone and other places too) can be prolonged as much as possible. Be sure to give both books your full attention so you can take in all the details and clues. And check out the art mentioned in both books so it can be seen, known and appreciated by a larger audience.
I look forward to reading her next book whenever it's published.

This was an enjoyable thriller-romance, perfect for a quick read if you don't mind the main characters being assassins for hire.

The main characters are Verity and Reina. Verity is on a mission to carry out a hit on a politician when she meets a woman she's immediately taken with. It's not until the next day when said woman, Reina, holds her at a gunpoint that Verity realises they were hired to get rid of the same man.

I think the characters have a fun chemistry and there's enough drama going on to make the story interesting and fast paced enough for a thriller. There's probably some suspension of disbelief when it comes to some plot points (I mean one of the characters literally sucks a bullet out of the other, which made me stop reading for a long minute just to wonder... Why) but that comes with every book in this particular genre.

It's a good book for a a bit of mindless relaxing.

Verity is a hit woman, working for a Mexican cartel. She tracks a target to a gay club, kills him and makes it look like sex play.

There she dances with the gorgeous Reina, who takes her home for a hot, sexy night.

Next morning, each makes a startling discovery: BOTH are hit women, assigned the same target. Worse, they each botched the others hit.

What follows is a fun, enjoyable caper novel, with lots of clever banter and humor. I liked both Verity and Reina, and the storyline kept me reading eagerly.

**Review: "Verity's Game"**

"Verity's Game" is a gripping thriller that hooks you from the very beginning. The story follows Verity, a smart and mysterious character, who faces intense challenges that push her to her limits.

The plot is full of unexpected twists and turns, keeping you guessing until the very end. Verity is a well-developed character, making her journey both exciting and thought-provoking. The book raises interesting questions about ethics, trust, and power.

The pacing is perfect, making it hard to put the book down. The supporting characters add depth to the story, and the author's descriptive writing makes you feel like you're right there with Verity.

Overall, "Verity's Game" is a fantastic read for anyone who loves psychological thrillers. It’s a thrilling and unforgettable book that explores the darker side of human nature.