Member Reviews

Thanks NetGalley the ARC of this audiobook. I loved this Christmas book with a bit of adventure and action. I fully enjoyed this book especially since it takes place where I live. I had a fun experience listening to the story and the characters were really fun. I think even though it had a bit of Hallmark vibe with the romance side I still fully enjoyed it.

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A quirky spy romcom with great banter, action and unexpected twists

Park is a spy and Lacee is in the wrong place at the wrong time. They end up getting into a Christmas situationship while they go home for the holidays.

I listened to this in an afternoon and had a great time with Park and Lacee's relationship. They were flirty and fun. The meet cute was top notch. The spy antics were silly and totally unrealistic, but be warned about multiple 💀. A couple plot points bothered me, so this isn't a five star for me, but I still enjoyed it.

The audiobook is in a duet style, which means the male dialogue is said by the male actor no matter whose POV we are in, and vice versa. I liked the female narrator and loved the male narrator.

Check this out if you like:
No spice
Flirty banter
Dual POV
Spy stories that don't take themselves seriously
A unique take on a Christmas romcom

Books like this:
The Blonde Identity - Ally Carter
The Takedown - Charlie Walker

It's available on Kindle Unlimited

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Thank you to Kortney Keisel, Dreamscape Select, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a pretty funny rom-com that'll remind you of all the spy movies. Knight and Day and Mr. and Mrs. Smith in particular came to mind for me, and Mission Impossible was a clear inspiration. The book references Bourne and Bond, but this isn't anywhere nearly serious enough to be like them.

No, this story is pretty fun, though it did stretch on a bit long. Or it might have just seemed that way because I listened at normal speed for once; 1.25x was too fast and the NetGalley app doesn't have anything in between because it's dumb. Yeah, thinking on it, the narrative's pace was fine.

I wasn't comfortable with Park and Lacee's manipulation of poor Mary Bradshaw, but they didn't have sinister intent and they didn't just use her and walk away. Mary became family, which made me feel much better about her involvement.

The narrators, Amanda Friday and Andy Harrington, were great. I didn't care for Harrington's speech rhythm at first but got used to it. He sounds a lot like Matthew Broderick.

Overall a pleasant and festive read.

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What could bad breakups, chemical weapons, Christmas traditions, double agents, and falling in love have in common? Kortney Keisel’s Later On We’ll Conspire an upcoming holiday novel provides the answer. Keisel manages to weave all these elements together in a plot that while not entirely believable, is a fun one to read. Lacee is at the mall mourning a bad break up and wishing she had a reason to buy the slinky black dress she has her eye on. Park is there in an effort to get his hands on a computer drive that his handler Sienna needs to resolve a case. A chance encounter in a dressing room leads to intrigue and adventure and a holiday fling.
I love the title - I was humming Winter Wonderland much of the time as I listened to Amanda Friday and Andy Harrington narrate as Lacee and Park. I really like a good audiobook, and the action of this title was really enhanced for me by their work. The alternating narration was very nice in terms of perspective. I enjoyed the insight into both of the protagonists. The plot was very twisty and the dual perspective contributed nicely here as well. All of the great Christmas feels are here. I appreciate them. Having them juxtaposed against hard core action/murder should have seemed jarring, but Keisel really makes it work. She does the same with the romance plot line. The attraction is immediate and the kissing starts not long after…and yet Keisel creates a kind of a slow burn in the midst of a sort of crazy amount of action.
What a fun holiday read. Just cuddle in - fire up a hot chocolate and enjoy the ride. Kortney Keisel’s Later On We’ll Conspire - lives up to the promise of its iconic musical title.

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Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!

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Later on We'll Conspire by Kortney Keisel
4 stars

Overview: Christmas plans are changed after two strangers run into each other. Lacee gets to go home for what she thinks is a holiday fling while Park tries to help a fellow agent with what might be life or death. Neither Lacee nor Park expects to be on the run racing to be home for Christmas!

Our Thoughts: Spies. Small Town. Comedy. Christmas Romance. This book will have you smiling as the plot unfolds. Lacee and Parks' banter is perfect for their stranger-to-friend-to-lovers relationship. It will remind you of the classic movie "Knight and Day" starring Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise. #ChristmasBookWin

Similar to: "Knight and Day" movie starring Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise


#LaterOnWellConspire #NetGalley #Kortney Keisel #readwithus #smalltownromance #series #book #bookrecs #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #readwithushm

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𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁: Loved this one so much! This book seriously would make the best movie. I listened to the audiobook and my hubs was like what is this - then he binged with me. It’s romantic comedy meets spy drama - has MCs with great chemistry, many funny moments and doesn’t go past kissing. Seriously so good!

Lacee just accidentally walked in on a stranger in the dressing room at the mall. Who would have thought that be her meet cute with a handsome man. They had an insta connection and she thinks he’ll ask for her number but then he walks away. Ok so maybe not the one.

Then Lacee runs into her ex boyfriend/boss while on the escalator and thankfully that handsome man happens to be right there. He plays along as her new boyfriend, then again he leaves her after an amazing kiss. Like what’s going on with the universe.

Ok fate for the third time put him in the airplane seat right next to her as she’s heading home to Leavenworth, WA for the holidays. But after the flight they board ways yet again. Then her rental car is cancelled and he offers to drive her home, ok so he has to be the one if not why would he keep being there.

Park is an operative for the CIA and he had to plant a chip on a scarf, then a random woman smuggled it out of the store and mall for him. Park planned to grab it that night but it turns out the woman wrapped and mailed it home as a present - screwing his plan. So now he’s heading to WA and needs a way to get close to her, so he cancelled her car rental forcing her to travel with him. This chip is the key to his mission and he can’t fail.

So when this random but adorable woman proposes they have a fun Christmas fling for the next week it’s the perfect excuse to keep things on track… but when does anything go to plan.

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* CIA Operative x Chemist
* Action-Packed w/ Twists
* Great Banter
* Sizzling Chemistry
* Christmas Fling
* Holiday Timeline
* Dual POV
* Kissing Only 💋

🧪⚛️🔫🧪⚛️🔫🧪⚛️🔫🧪⚛️🔫🧪⚛️🔫🧪

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Had a lot of fun with this holiday spy rom-com. The characters played well off of one another, there was a lot of good banter, and I often found myself giggling at cute but awkward moments. It was a pretty lighthearted story, a bit cheesy, and very easy to listen to. The duet narration really added to my enjoyment— the narrators did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life. If you’re looking for a light holiday romance with humor, a bit of mystery, and just kisses… this is a great addition to your festive TBR.

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I don know what I was expecting when I started Later on We’ll Conspire, but man it was not what I listened to. I loved it!

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I really hate to say this, but this might be my least favorite book of the year. I strongly hate insta-love, which this book had in spades. There was also an entire chapter dedicated to the FMC talking about how she hasn't shaved her legs in a while but after meeting the MMC she might need to shave her legs. Plus, when they first kissed, he compared kissing her to her being Reindeer leading his Santa Clause through the Christmas night sky...I just couldn't take this book seriously. It was so bad.

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This was such an entertaining and fun read. I had a blast listening to the audiobook version. I thought the pacing of the story was spot on, where there was enough movement and action to hook me and keep me entertained. I truly appreciated that Lacee was intelligent as sometimes with these spy romcoms, that can be lacking for me. The main characters matched really well in their strengths and weaknesses. I loved the twists, particularly one that had me say out loud "what!" in a very happy and animated manner. The romance was cute and those kisses were swoony.
I liked how the narration was a duet. It was easy to follow along to and I thought the narrators did well to express the proper emotions of each character for the scenes and sounded good together.
I listened to an advance listening copy of this novel from Dreamscape Media and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I purchased an ebook copy of this novel.

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I absolutely loved this story I devoured it in one sitting. There were times I found myself laughing out loud Full of action and chemistry . Park received a mysterious package from an old co-op partner stating she was in trouble little did he know it kind of a set up. He retrieves the microchip that he needed. He needs a safe exit strategy. Lacie finds herself barging in on park in a changing room. Later on, they bump into each other checking out Park plants the chip on to Lacie. His plan was to use Lacie to get the chip out of the mall safely but that turned out to be more than he bargained for. He has to follow her to hometown to retrieve the chip.

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Thank you Dreamscape Media for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I’m not sure what is about holiday books with spies who fall in love, but I’m here for it! This was such a fun captivating read. I read in October and though technically a holiday book I think it could be read year round. I had so much fun as Lacee and Park meet and then keep bumping into each other. They have so much banter and chemistry. I read open and closed door books and always appreciate even the couple has a strong connection. This kept me guessing and I couldn’t stop listening to find out what would happen next to Lacee and Park. There were a few jokes I didn’t appreciate (I.e. teen moms) but otherwise I really enjoyed this book.

I loved that the tables were flipped and it was Lacee who had a secret identity and not Park. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration by both Amanda Friday and Andy Harrington. I will definitely be on the look out for more books from this author.

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4⭐️ This one really surprised me. The first few chapters were funny, then the characters got really annoying (especially Lacee), but then that ending and the action brought it all back together, and I enjoyed it.

There were a lot of good things to this book. It’s also not your typical holiday romcom. It had action, mystery, romance, and of course, it was still full of that holiday spirit. But not that cheesy Hallmark holiday spirit. Of course some of that banter was cheesy, but the plot and story were not.

The characters were good, I thought the author tried a bit too hard to be funny at times, which resulted in Lacee coming off as too much and annoying. But overall, I think Park and Lacee were cute and had enjoyable banter and interactions. The secret agent stuff always brings a fresh element to a romance, so that was fun to listen to Park’s internal monologue when he tried to keep his identity a secret from Lacee. And my goodness that twist? For real did not see that coming. You should have seen my face. Agape I tell you.

My second ever duet narration, and I think I prefer it over any other form of narration. It’s more engaging. I have no qualms with the male narrator, which is a rarity, but I really did not enjoy the female narrator. I’ve listened to a few books narrated by her before, so I was surprised to dislike her in this one. Maybe it’s because I had her on 1.75 speed, but her voice just got on my nerves. She sounded monotone but not at the same time? But honestly, my experience for this audiobook was still good, and I would recommend it.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Kortney Keisel for the complimentary copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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OMG this book was so much fun, and I laughed out loud so many times.

Lacee is headed home for Christmas, alone after her boyfriend broke up with her and fired her three months ago. Park is helping a co-worker with her secret mission.

Park is in the middle of attempting to get away from the guys hunting him down for the chip he is hiding in a changing room when Lacee bursts in. Oops. After some nice, but awkward, conversation (Park is in his boxers) they run into each other again. Lacee has just spotted her ex and can't stand for him to think he is winning so she asks Park to go with it and plants a big kiss on him. Park plants the chip on her to get it out of the mall without being taken by the bad guys. Now he has to get it back which leads us on quite the adventure.

Highly recommend this one. Amanda Friday and Andy Harington are excellent narrators and perfect for this story! I will definitely buy this and listen to it again and again.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Select, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this story.

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The good parts were fun, I'll give it that, but despite the action I felt like it was really dragging. At about the 60% I decided to just skip to the end and then got the big surprise "gotcha" reveal and the book went from borderline boring to flat out annoying. Please only tell a book from a single character's POV if you want to tell this type of story. It doesn't work to have a surprise reveal about a character if I've been in their head for half the book and none of these things came up. Then you're just lying to me. It's not fun. It's stupid.
This is Kortney's second strike for me and I don't think she'll be getting a chance for a third.

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If you’re a fan of spy/action movies and romance, pick up this book! I know it’s still Halloween week, but you should consider this one if you make a holiday TBR.

Read if you like:
🕵️spy/action movies with a little romance
🎄holiday books
🕵️forced proximity
🎄closed door romance
🕵️FMC in STEM (yay chemistry!)
🎄banter

I really loved the storyline here and I’m always down for an FMC in stem, especially chemistry 👩🏼‍🔬 Park and Lacee were so fun together and had instant chemistry. The action/spy stuff felt real and was a fun edition to the storyline! I definitely didn’t see one of the twists coming! Plus it’s Christmas themed? Yes please!

Amanda Friday and Andy Harrington did such a great job narrating this one and I really appreciated the duet narration here! Thank you netgalley and the publisher for my #gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

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First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
Later On We’ll Conspire by Kortney Keisel was a holiday romance meets cheesy 80’s spy movie. This book was Threat Level Midnight meets a Hallmark channel Christmas movie.
I’ll be honest- I really needed to suspend reality for the entirety of this book. That said, I did definitely enjoy it! Two spies, each playing each other to further their mission, each falling for each other while trying to stay on task. This was cute and kinda silly and fun. If you’re not into a holiday romance with a capital H, this might be a good one! Holiday themes without dripping in tinsel.
3.5⭐️

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Such a fun little mystery, although predictable. I loved the banter between these characters and the narration was super entertaining! Loved it! Also, there is almost zero spice, which was a tad disappointing but the story kept me entertained anyways!

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This book is not your normal sweet romance book. It's even better. The action keeps you on your toes and the love story is the sweetest. But the humor was incredible; I was laughing so much throughout this book. It's not often you're found laughing and thinking how cute a couple is when there are people being killed in the same scene. Kudos to the author for doing something different and killing it!
*Update 10/24/24*
I just listened to this book a little less than 2 years later and it is just as good as the first time I read it! The narrators did an excellent job bringing the characters to life. It wasn't just someone reading a book, it was Lacy and Park telling their story.

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