I did not finish this book. I made it only a few chapters in. I couldn't stand the narrator and the subject did not pull me in. The writing felt too bulky in my opinion. I didn't connect with the characters to try to figure out why I was to care about them. This book just wasn't for me.

Overall, this week was fine for his complaints, but I was mostly bore through a good chunk of it



Entertaining to a certain extent, but I don’t think for me

Not a fan of this one. Felt like I kept hearing the same phrases/words over and over which was distracting to the other content and overall story.

The premise for this was intriguing, but I was unable to get into the audiobook. Nothing wrong with the story or narration, it just didn't grab my attention.

Thanks to Greenleaf Book Group Press for access to an ALC on NetGalley.

True confessions time! I was so looking forward to this one, as the story sounded like something that would really grab the reader (or listener) and I have been trying since FOREVER to successfully complete an audiiobook.

Alas, it was not to be. I may need to accept that this format is not for me. I just can't stay awake...but I did enjoy the part that I was able to hear enough that I will definitely get my hands on a print version. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of the progressive Saudi princess who helps the protagonist hunt down terrorists! It's a great story. Thanks to Greenleaf Book Group Press and Netggalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review. (My rating is based on the portion I heard).

Although this novel has an interesting premise, there's far too much romance in this espionage novel for my taste.

Great first read from this author! This book is well written and gets your attention instantly. Can’t wait to see what is next from Brittany Butler.

Wow! There's a lot to unpack in this novel and I enjoyed every minute of it. The characters are incredibly well-written and I love the development and growth as the story progresses. A little romance in a spy novel always adds to the tension for me and there were twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I would call the audiobook an experience and the perfect way to enjoy this amazing book!

I found this book to be boring and difficult to get into. I didn't engage with the main character and actually find her to be annoying.

I enjoyed this book by Brittany Butler. I listened to her story on the Team House Podcast and thought that having the opportunity to read her book would be amazing. It is so well written with twists and turns no one would have expected. The book in its entirety is amazing and I would love to get my hands on the second one as soon as it comes out.

Syndicate Spy feels like the middle of a series, not the beginning -- due to the vast amount of rich worldbuilding and allusions to past adventures for the core team and their predecessors. It's hard to picture exactly what the titular Syndicate is -- it starts out sounding like a CIA-esque superspy group, but then winds up more like the UN Peacekeepers of a fully fledged, uniformed, well-equipped army.
That being said, the novel does a great job examining the complex relationships between energy, rights, sovereignty, and all the other complications around countries and individuals trying to relate and measure good/bad.
The twisting allegiances and physical/power dynamics between the numerous reversals of allegiances and complex fight and love sequences is entertaining and keeps you on your toes.

I'm a fan of spy thrillers (e.g. David Baldacci, Brad Thor, Brad Taylor, etc.), so I figured I would enjoy this female-led espionage tale. I did, though I will say that it did dwell on the romance between MCs Juliet and Graham a bit more than I expected. I didn't dislike that, but I guess I'm just not used to it within this genre as it doesn't feel as big a part of the male-written stories.

Overall, the twist was somewhat expected and the action wasn't always well-paced or maybe well-spaced out, but I liked The Syndicate Spy and appreciated having a female protagonist.

Entertaining, action packed, love story. I enjoyed the narrator! I think she did a great job.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy for my honest review.

The Syndicate is a conglomerate of allied intelligence agencies, trying to keep the peace while nations are fighting over the world's natural resources. With oil reserves depleted, the global energy war has taken a toll on nations and their citizens. Syndicate operative Juliet Arroway has the difficult job of balancing a life in secret and maintaining her relationships. Her best friend Mariam is a Saudi princess, dedicated to work beside Juliet to seek out the terrorists and bring about peace. When multiple terrorist attacks result in horrific losses, the Syndicate begins to suspect that Mariam’s family is involved. Can Juliet separate her feelings and work with the FBI, despite having misgivings about working with one agent in particular?

I had trouble with this audiobook from the beginning, as it started out with the reader not really being able to follow the sequence of events or the characters. I did like the narrator, as she did a good job of voicing the character as it was written. The biggest problem was the vernacular, the overly descriptive and often cliche expressions uttered by the main character. As a big fan of spy thrillers, I had high hopes for this novel. The pacing just seemed a little off and the characters a little flat. It was a struggle to listen to this book, so I would not recommend The Syndicate Spy to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given the opportunity to listen to an Advanced Audio Version of this book by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to write a review was entirely my own.

International thriller with intrigue,Terrorists,spies and intelligence agents.
If you like this kind of story it is for you.
Narration was good.
Voluntarily reviewed

I want to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. This is my own unbiased review of the *audiobook* edition of The Syndicate Spy.

The Syndicate Spy has a bit of everything: a global terrorism plot, lots of action-adventure, romance and sex, friendship and betrayal, and surprises. I found the opening chapters moved slowly--as such I almost gave up on the book, but I decided it had more to do with the narration than the story itself.

Let me speak directly about the narration. I did not care for the narrator. It was done be a female, and she had a great deal of difficulty with the male speaking parts. Having a male voice do the male characters would have helped the audio presentation immensely. Instead, all of her male character voices sounded exactly the same, despite the fact that the characters represented Middle Eastern and Russian origins.

I have never heard "caliphate" pronounced the way the narrator said it, so much so that I looked at several online sources to verify this error. Not sure why this was not fixed in post-production.

I'm sure I would have enjoyed the print version more, and to be honest I can't recommend the audio version of this book. So I am giving this audio edition three stars; had I read it instead probably would bump up to four stars.

I appreciated the author's background and feel this added to the realism of the storyline.

In "The Syndicate Spy," Brittany Butler takes readers on a journey through a near-future world grappling with an energy crisis. The story revolves around Juliet Arroway, a determined Syndicate operative, as she confronts terrorists and uncovers a web of deception. Butler blends elements of mystery, thriller, romance, and women's fiction, in this novel.

The author's ability to weave fact and fiction is commendable, shedding light on the power of female heroics in shaping the course of war. However, as an espionage enthusiast, I struggled to stay fully engaged with the story. Despite an intriguing premise and a strong narration by Amy Landon, the book fell short of my expectations. Nevertheless, the inclusion of multiple terrorist attacks and the emotional journey of the protagonist kept me invested to some extent.

Overall, "The Syndicate Spy" offers an interesting perspective on the consequences of global resource wars. While it may not have fully satisfied my espionage cravings, the book's blend of genres and the author's storytelling skills make it a worthwhile read for those seeking a mix of mystery, romance, and women's empowerment.

#TheSyndicateSpy #BookReview #Mystery #Thriller #Romance #WomensFiction #Espionage #FemaleHeroics

*Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook ARC of this novel*

I wanted to enjoy this novel, but there were a number of items that felt they fell flat. Between the lack of depth for the characters outside of surface level chips on shoulders, there was not much substance to speak of. There were also some odd instances of phrasing that took the reader out of the narrative. I believe there are some very good aspects to this story, just could use some refinement to have the subjects be more taingible.

I very much enjoyed the audio narration of this story which is what led me to giving an extra star. I will be looking for other work this narrator puts out.

This intriguing audio espionage thriller is set in the near future when Earth has depleted all of its oil reserves and the world finds itself on the brink of war based on ownership of alternative energy sources. American Juliet Arroway, a former Army ranger, now works as an undercover spy in an international syndicate with operatives from governments around the world aimed at ending terrorist attacks related to alternative energy development. She on the hunt for a the head of a Middle East terrorist group, known as Abu Hassan, but whose identity has remained elusive, and she’s partnered in tracking her down with Mariam al-Saud, the daughter of the King of Saudi Arabia who Juliet met at Foreign Service School in D.C.. Unexpected twists and turns abound amid terrorist attacks in London and Paris, and Juliet’s having to partner with Graham Harding, a self-assured FBI agent she finds endlessly abrasive. The plot also involves the fight for women’s rights in closed-down traditionalist Arab, male-dominated societies.

That thriller part of the book proves grabbing and I loved the amazing audio version- with amazing narration from changing of international accents to keeping the suspense at full tilt. The plot also clearly draws from the author’s years as a CIA spy recruiter, with her focus on both the Middle East and the fight over women’s rights.

That being said, clunky explicit sex scenes and the constant angst in Juliet’s love life truly drag the action down – instead of heightening the thrill or adventure or coming off as erotic. Hopefully these will become more believable and nuanced with better editing guidance as future books continue Juliet’s work as a master spy agent.


Thanks to Greenleaf Book Group Press and Netgalley for an audio review copy of this book.

I really tried but I just could not get into this one. I felt like it started in the middle of the story and I could not catch up. The writing was dry with little description to help the story along. I didn’t relate to any of the characters and ultimately DNF’d this one because I couldn’t get into it.