This is a SAPPHIC romance in all ways of that word.. I truly LOVE this book. It was an absolutely adorable book and i loved the relationship dynamics between the two main characters. 5 stars!!!

Such a fun read! I could. It put this down, I love a second chance romance and this was the perfect example of that.

Oh boy, do I have a lot of thoughts about this book. As a summary, I think it was fun and mostly held up to what it was advertised: a fun spy novel with a dash of romance ala Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but sapphic and a lot angstier. On the other hand, while I understand that I was reading an ARC, the writing was choppy and out right clunky at times and there was a *lot* of repetition. Overall, it was something I had fun binge reading, and I'd be willing to consider reading another Mae Marvel novel, but only if the premise intrigued me as much as If I Told You, I'd Have to Kiss You did (or if we get a sequel).

The Pros:

This book is super readable, once I started it was hard to put down because there was almost constant action of some sort. It had some funny moments too, and I think that Marvel balanced the emotional turmoil vs delivering the fun spy action really well. Yardley was so sassy and cool, and I loved how she really got to shine with her unusual quirks and traits. And KC was such a prickly character with a soft heart, it made me wish I could really get to see her again once she fully grew into herself because she had so much potential. The side characters were also all pretty likeable, and I think that I could easily see this book getting a sequel, or at least a spinoff novel.

The Cons:

This is going to look like there's a lot more cons than there are pros, but to be honest it's just because I want to really explain why I had issues with parts of the book, rather than just coming across as leaving a quick insult lol. That being said, I genuinely did enjoy the book, but it left me frustrated at times because of how easily avoided these cons are.

The writing in this was nowhere near as polished as I'd have liked it to be, even for an ARC. If I have to pause to try to understand what I'm reading and then re-read it a few more times because it's that unclear, it's really disruptive to the reading experience and says a lot about things not being polished as much as they should be. Not only did it feel like things were choppy and jumping back and forth between things unprompted at times (during relationship fights and missions where there should have been focus especially), but there were some sentences that were so strangely and incorrectly structured that they stuck out like a sore thumb.

"'Probably this isn't a good idea,' KC whispered. The word *this* was punctuated with a small press of her hips into Yardley's," is my prime example. It's not only structured in a way that's incorrect, (for context, she's not answering a question) but also redundant because the "this" could have just been italicized and because the second sentence is redundant. One sentence in particular had *seven* commas in it, while it should have just been a simple thought about a place reminding KC of Yardley.

Then there's the never-ending repetition about how romance is all about choosing to love fearlessly and not letting things get in the way of working things out. Which is a great message! But it comes across as very preachy when it's a message being thrown at the reader from literally every character who interacts with the two MCs. I get that they needed the little shove to sort things out, but so much of that time and page space could have been used to show us their relationship problems and them fixing it, rather than telling us they needed to because they were such a great match.

And for my last (very minor) gripe, the comp to The Pairing is so weird to me. I guess it's just for the queer second chance romance aspect? But the ship and story felt nothing like that novel, and I think it's a bit misleading.

Long story short, if you're interested in the premise of the book, I absolutely recommend picking up If I Told You, I'd Have to Kiss You. It's a queer, action-packed spy adventure and a second chance romance rolled into one, and I'd love to see more books like it on the trad-pub market.

I love a sapphic romance, and this one didn’t disappoint. I was hoping for more fun, and it could have been a little shorter with the mission if I’m being honest. Overall, worth the read!

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin for the NetGalley review copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

A fun queer take on Mr. And Mrs. Smith, it has a good balance between romance and action.

I loved the banter between them. Unfortunately at some points it did seem to drag on and while I appreciate descriptive writing at times it became unnecessary.

hacker x spy plus sapphic? count me in! 🤭

i love that aside from chemistry between yardley and kc, it also focuses on the cia team doing their missions in every place they assigned. despite the toxic-ness (and the banter) between the two mc's, they still want each other.

but my complaint is that they overuse the word ‘dang it’ even though they have some curse words mentioned in this book.

nonetheless, this book got me all the emotions after i read it 💞

Really enjoyed this. The sapphic romance along with spy/action/thriller feel was just what i needed.

If I Told You, I’d Have to Kiss You by Mae Marvel has a fantastic premise packed with adventure and romance. The story follows two women who work for the CIA, Yardley Whitmer and KC.

Yardley, known as The Unicorn, is an ace spy following in her grandfather's footsteps. KC, Tabasco, is an expert hacker who was recruited at 14 and serves as the backbone for many missions at the CIA. Yardley and KC have just discovered each other's true identities, but with a big mission on the line, they don’t have time to unravel the fact that they are soon-to-be exes.

The dynamic between these two strong and talented women kept the story interesting, and their adventures kept me interested. The story includes a lot of action, and I liked following along with the adventure. As the narrative moves between the romance and the action, it occasionally felt jarring to switch, but the two women, despite their differences, work well as a couple.

Overall, the story is an enjoyable read with a blend of excitement and romance.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin´s Griffin for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book!!

If I Told You I'd Have to Kiss You by Mae Marvel immediately intrigued me with its concept (seriously A+++ for this idea) and I was drawn into the story right away. The chemistry between the characters was fantastic, and the romance had just the right balance of tension and charm to keep me hooked.

That being said, I did find the middle of the book to be a bit repetitive at times. While it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment, I did catch myself wishing for a little more variety in the pacing.

Still, this book is a fun, lighthearted read—perfect if you’re looking for something entertaining and easy to get lost in. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone in need of a fun escape or a reading cleanse!

This is a great queer spy romance! Yardley and KC are both compelling leads, even if I did want to shake them sometimes. There's a great supporting cast that's full to bursting with queer characters. I'm curious what others will think when they read the book, but I definitely found myself liking Yardley more than KC. I felt that more of the 'work' to fix the relationship ended up on Yardley's shoulders and that KC could have done more, especially given how much she kept from Yardley.

I had some quibbles with the book, one of which is innate to the genre. Both our leads work for the CIA and if you know any US history, you know it's not the *best* organization. There is a level of introspection on that, but it's mostly surface-level. I would have liked to see more than just "look at the old white men who did bad things". How do you, as a queer person, reckon with working with an organization that yes, does a lot for national defense, but also has a long history of hurting people.

What a fun premise- just like Mr. and Ms. Smith or The Incredibles, but this is a queer romance, Ms and Ms Smith. Yardley and KC are breaking up and moving out, although they both clearly still love each other. They both work for the same company as secret spies, but don't know it about each other. They work together and realize they don't know each other at all, although they very much love each other. Professionally known as Tabasco and The Unicorn, they are the best in their fields.

The biggest issue is that they are spies and really should have known each other's secret identity, it didn't make a lot of sense that they were both excellent and well regarded and didn't know they were living with a spy fluent in so many foreign languages. I wish there was a bit more build up of the romance, the spy parts were fun, not silly. I do like some of the "Mae Marvel" books but this was not my favorite, I found it to be a bit disjointed. But it was a good story and setting.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's press for the ARC. Book to be published June 10, 2025.

This book is certainly entertaining! I love the concept of a queer spy rom-com and boy does this book deliver. It felt like a queer episode of “Chuck.” While the story held my attention, I did find the spy stuff hard to follow at times. Additionally, I would have liked a bit more background for KC and Yardley at the beginning of the book. Starting with a breakup is a good subversion of the normal three-act structure, but I don’t think I was able to form a meaningful connection to their relationship having missed out on all of the good parts. Subsequently, I was not as invested in their HEA. Nevertheless, this is still a great book that I would absolutely suggest. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

ARC review | 3.75 | adult sapphic romance

Release date: June 10, 2025

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Yardley, a spy with the CIA, has a stellar reputation within her field: she's a legend, known as the Unicorn. So is KC, a tech wiz with the code name Tabasco, equally as respected for her hacking prowess. So when the two women, who've been dating for three years, discover each other's real jobs- and that they've both been working as spies for years, and never been able to tell each other- their already tenuous relationship is hanging on by a thread. They've broken up, and now they're discovering they never really knew each other in the first place. When the two team up on a mission, their feelings and their safety are thrown every which way, leaving them to grapple with the connection between them as they deal with international secrets and high-stakes operations.

This was such a fun read! If you're a fan of spy films or novels and rom coms, you'll enjoy this one. I loved getting to know Yardley and KC: watching them learn to be vulnerable after years of necessary secrecy added some great depth to the novel, and the mission kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked that we focused on the same mission throughout, with Yardley and KC swapping knowledge of the trade and learning each other on a deeper level than they had before. Their feelings, while confusing and chaotic, kept them feeling like real characters instead of just legendary super-spies. Not to mention, I loved the humor and the realistic character development throughout! With some well-placed romantic scenes, a few surprising twists and turns, and an excellent group of friends to add humor and dimension, I'd definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Mae Marvel for an advanced copy of this book! Make sure you keep an eye out this summer for this release!

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the chance to read this early!

A queer take on Mrs. And Mrs. Smith! This was quite the fun ride of undercover spies and romantic yearning. The real heart of this whole story is how smitten these 2 truly were for each other.

I did quite enjoy the spy aspect of this story it was like watching a James Bond movie but with kickass girls. My biggest complaint was it did seem to drag in the middle too much for my liking but that wouldn’t stop me from recommending this to people.

Overall a solid story and romance and very happy I got a chance to read it!

This book really has a lot to like. Several other reviews have mentioned ALIAS or Mr. and Mrs. Smith and I do think those are apt comparisons. This is definitely more of a spy novel with a side of romance. If I had know that I probably would have felt a bit differently but I kept expecting more romance. My one complaint is that some parts get very technical - again, if this was just a spy thriller I probably would have expected that - but sometimes it got a bit much. I would still recommend this for anyone wanting sapphic spies! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Think Mr and Mrs Smith -- both our MC are secret agenst- although they do not know that about each other - one is a field agent the other in intelligence (i mean how good are they if they don't know know about the other ones secret- but that neither here or there) - i feel like this one had alot of humor and alot of spying/thrill but not enough romance. They get put on a job together and find out the truth about each other and while saving the world figure out their lives and relationship

Thank you net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I found out before reading that Mae Marvel is a pen name for Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare. I recently read their book “Big Name Fan” so I was surprised to see this book coming out so near to that one! I will say I wasn’t that enamored with “Big Name Fan” so when I found out this book has the same writers, I went into it with lowered expectations. That being said, this book was such a delightful surprise!

The romance and chemistry between Yardley and KC is delicious and I was rooting so hard for them. Usually, romance books have two characters meet and fall in love throughout the book. But in this one they are already in love, just having issues, and have recently broken up. Working their issues out meant that instead of realizing their feelings for the first time they fall deeper and deeper in love. I enjoyed watching their beautiful connection grow and strengthen. I love that this book didn’t have the typical third-act breakup that other romance novels have. Plus, the book takes a typical spy premise (along the lines of Mr. And Mrs. Smith) and makes it queer. The two of them being in the same field and not knowing it is such a fun way for us to meet the characters. The build-up and payoff of the heist are entertaining and pulled me in! I said up until 4am to finish reading because I needed to know what happened.

If you already like Ruthie Knox or Annie Mare you will enjoy this! If you were skeptical about their work before, give this a chance! If you like romance, especially with the extra flair of espionage, this is a great read!

This was a delightfully sweet love story, wrapped in a spy thriller and I was hooked from the first page. I loved the characters so much and the push and pull between the romance and thriller aspects as the story evolved. Would the spies manage to get past their covert lives and find their happily ever after or would the shadow of their secrets smother their romance?
The writing was snappy and as someone who lived in Virginia and North Carolina some of the colloquialisms had me cracking up because they were just so on the nose.
Loved the intrigue but loved the romance more.

The premise of this novel is giving Morgan and Garcia from Criminal Minds, though in execution it was less banter-heavy and more just heavy-heavy.

Wow, this was such a heart-pumping and soul wrenching book that I was mostly teary eyed for the whole of it! The way it started, I was just waiting for the revelation and then I loved the way they rediscovered each other! The story was perfect and the characters were amazing to fall in love with as they fell in love over and over again. I commend the authors on their writing style, they really know how to pack an emotional punch in 300 pages. Overall, it was a wonderful read!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!