Member Reviews

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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I realize this is an Inide book, and it definitely comes out in the narration. Some of the words like button are spoken in a weird accent and also sound like they are just reading a script with no enthusiasm & not trying to tell a story. I listen to hundreds of books a year and this one stands out so much different, it was so hard to listen to at times. This book was way to long for the story it told and at times was had to follow because it skipped around to much. I think there needs to be more editing. I think the love story was cute, and I think it would have been better if it had not been audio.

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An action packed Christmas romcom with spies and deceit and a MMC who is often caught in his underwear!

Park is a secret agent tasked with acquiring some computer chips. He involves Lacee without her being aware & must travel cross country with her to successfully acquire the chips. Lacee, thinking it’s just a coincidence that he keeps showing up, decides they should have a holiday fling.

This book was cute but quite cheesy. It’s a closed door romance with just kisses but it has a lot of innuendos.

I listened to the audiobook for this and the narrators did a duet. I do enjoy that type of narration!

This book came out in 2022 as part of the Christmas Escape series! Last year I read Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel and it’s part of the series too! The audiobook releases on October 28th. Thank you Kortney Keisel, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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What a fun read! I adored Park and Lacee are adorable. From the meet cute to the wild twists and turns, I was hooked. Lacee is a very likeable, down to earth character who is full of sass and wit. I love that she rambles when she’s nervous or flustered (which happens quite a bit around Park). Park is full of charm, confidence, and charisma, and has a side smile that triggers Lacee’s calm to turn upside down. Fortunately, for the romance fans, Lacee has a way of causing Park to pause and stumble when he’s supposed to be cool, calm, and collect. Their Christmas deal and rating system was a blast! Yes, the story itself is completely farfetched, but if you are looking for a comedic, fast pace, action infused Christmas romance, this is your pick.
Side note, I really enjoyed both of the narrators to deliver this dual POV story.
I received a complimentary audiobook from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own.

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What a sweet surprise this one was!!
Christmas ✔️ Romance ✔️ Murder ✔️ Investigations ✔️ Spies ✔️

Park Bradshaw has been on a hiatus, basically, since things went south last year. He's a very skilled CIA operative, but, has been basically on desk duty since his last mission went way wrong!

So, when he gets a surprise package from Sienna, one of his operatives, asking for his help...he runs!

But, the mission is not so simple. In fact, it involves a couple of murders! =0

When he literally bumps into Lacee in a fitting room, his world is shifted on it's axis...
Still not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing, he follows his gut...and ends up getting both of them mixed up in stuff that he NEVER intended to get her involved in.

AND...it only gets better from there!!

This one had me LOL in my car, at work, and anywhere that I was listening. It is full of comedy, as well as Spy Stuff, a little romance, a lot of drama, and a great cast!
LOVED Lacee's family!
LOVED Park's 'adopted' Mom!
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED all the antics!!

In my opinion, this one is NOT TO BE MISSED!

And, it has a lot of Christmas themed stuff going on...Hot Chocolate, Baking, Family time, Gingerbread Houses… etc. When you roll it all together, it is quite the package!!

4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, happily rounded up to 5!

#LaterOnWe'llConspire by #KortneyKeisel and narrated beautifully by #AmandaFriday and #AndyHarrington.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #DreamscapeSelect and #KortneyKeisel for an ARC of the audiobook which is due to be released in a few days on 10/28/24!! So, LOOK 👀 for it then!!

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
Insta @ #BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine.

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

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What do you get when you cross a Hallmark Christmas movie and Mission:Impossible? This book!! It was super cute, very PG (lots of kisses), and just some good holiday/spy games fun. The characters were hilarious and the situations they got themselves into were equally hilarious. I’m not always a huge fan of holiday focused books, but this is the exception - well done !! Audiobook note: it was duet !!! I love duet. The performers did a really awesome job.

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Are you ready for a fun Christmas read full of spies, family, surprises, sweet love story and lots of humor? I saw this book when it released in a multi-author series and wanted to read it last year, but I never got around to it. So when I saw it was available to request the audiobook to listen and leave feedback, I jumped at the chance. Many of my friends absolutely loved it. And I have loved the books I've read by this author.

Let's just say that I made a good listening choice for me! I loved it. I loved the mystery throughout the book and kept hoping it would be a certain way for these two characters! And I was right!!!

The other fun thing, right before I started listening to the audiobook, I was talking with a friend about Leavenworth, WA. And guess where these characters end up heading during part of the book??? Leavenworth, WA!!! It was really funny. And made me want to go back to visit this fun and quaint town!

I loved the spy aspects of this book and how everything was revealed and all the loose ends tied up! So much fun! I laughed and held my breath at some points. And I couldn't help but think about the movie Knight and Day!!! Hahahaha!!! It's a favorite movie in my household and this felt like that. Loved it all!

The family aspects were great. Especially Park's grandma! You're going to love her and all that she is involved in. The BEST!!!! Get ready for fun, swoon, laughter, surprises, twists and a Merry Christmas!!!

Content: Some mild moments of peril. Some mild innuendos. Some kisses but nothing further.

I received a copy from Dreamscape Select via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own. I had also previously purchased my own copy of the ebook.

Happy Reading!!!

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Wasn't my favorite but was a light and easy read.

I liked that Lacey was a sassy and I thought a lot of her inner dialogue was funny but the story was a little bit predictable. I also liked the christmas themes.

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CIA agent Park is benched after screwing up an important assignment. When a colleague asks for his help with a dangerous mission he is eager to oblige. But when he starts a romance with Lacee and she gets caught up in all the danger, he realizes some things are more important than the job.

I DNFed this novel at 53%. The title and premise for Later On We'll Conspire are interesting. A mix of a spy thriller and a holiday romance? Yes, please. Sadly the execution falls short in nearly every aspect.

I have to admit I did not like this book from the very first sentence referencing Jeff Bezos. But I wanted to give this book a fair shake. Listen to at least half so I could write an informed review. Regrettably my gripes did not improve over the course of the book.

"His eyes are purple and full of annoyance. Either he's got some really cool contacts, or he's an anomaly. But based on the fact that no one can be born with purple eyes he's wearing colored contacts."

What stands out the most are the cookie cut characters and awkward dialogue. The characters have barely any personality besides being attracted to each other, and at times I seriously wonder how either of them is a functioning adult, let alone “one of the top CIA agents”. I'm pretty sure we are supposed to like Park, but a good portion of his actions are morally questionable at best. When a guy thinks a woman looks most beautiful when she is drugged and can't defend herself...that sets off alarm bells in my mind.

Holiday media is always a bit cheesy, and as a lover of the genre I embrace that. However Later On We'll Conspire takes it to a whole new level, where cheesy turns into cringe. While kissing Lacee, Park thinks:

"She's Rudolph and I'm Santa Claus. She's guiding the sleigh ride."

The plot is so predictable I am surprised this book wasn't published decades ago. It follows a lot of the classic 90s romcom clichés, including some of the more problematic aspects.

Now onto the narration. I think going for dual narration for this book was a wonderful move. It feels more dynamic and engaging. However the narration in general was another point where Later On We'll Conspire falls short.

The speed of the narration between the two narrators differs quite a bit which makes listening at a higher than 1x speed a bit annoying. The narration itself also wasn't very good. Andy Harrington did a passable job with Park. However I really didn't enjoy Amanda Friday's narration.

Firstly her tembre is nasally and staccato, which makes characters sound annoyed a majority of the time even when it doesn't fits the scene. Secondly her sentences often don't flow well from one to the other with long pauses between sentences. Thirdly all voices for female characters sound incredibly similar.

The ideal reader for Later On We'll Conspire is a fan of old school rom-coms with predictable characters and cheesy humour. Someone who can shut off the logical part of their mind and isn't bothered by social attitudes from a few decades ago.

TW: murder, mentions of disordered eating, non-consensual drug administration, undressing a drugged person, purposefully misleading a woman with dementia

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I've read a few other books by Kortney Keisel that I loved, so I didn't want to pass this up. Unfortunately, I could not connect to the plot. This will not persuade me away from other future KK books. Clean romance.

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Loved the romance aspect of this book and thought the banter between them was great. The action part seemed a bit far fetched and cheesy to me. Overall it was a great book and I would recommend it but just know there are a few parts that see a bit fake and made up. It was like a crazy action movie met with a hallmark movie. (if you aren't into hearing some violence this isn't the book for you as there are some violent scenes). I really liked the narrators for this book and thought they did an excellent job!

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A fun, quick-paced holiday/ spy read. The banter and dynamic between the two main character’s was super fun to follow and made me fall in love with them. I enjoyed the spy plot, while a bit unbelievable, it was the perfect lighthearted read that I needed. The narrators did a great job elevating the characters and developing their quick- burn romance.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this audiobook!

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Later On We'll Conspire by Kortney Keisel is a hilarious, action-packed holiday rom-com that had me grinning from ear to ear! If you loved the movie Knight and Day with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz this book is perfect for you! It’s got all the fun spy action and flirty banter you’d expect in a romcom, but with a festive Christmas twist!
The story follows CIA operative Park Bradshaw, who’s on a mission to recover a microchip when he crosses paths with Lacee in the most awkwardly hilarious way! Think dressing rooms, bad guys, and an unexpected kiss on an escalator! The chemistry between Park and Lacee is electric, and while the plot may be a little cheesy, it’s full of twists, turns, and surprises that keep you hooked!
I especially loved that it’s a closed-door romance with no swearing, making it a perfect feel-good holiday read without any awkward moments! This book truly has it all—romance, mystery, holiday cheer, and plenty of laughs
Huge thank you to @netgalley and @dreamscapeselect for the audiobook copy of this book!🩷

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