The Syndicate Spy is an absolute page turner of a spy thriller. Juliet and her friend Mariam, a progressive Saudi princess, both work for a group of allied intelligence agencies known as the Syndicate in a futuristic world where oil reserves are depleted and it's a race usually against terrorists to find alternatives. Ex CIA herself, Brittany Butler had me glued to my seat with this book, and the twist was completely out of the blue.

Thanks to Brittany Buttler, Greenleaf Book Group Press and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gritty and tough this is a great spy thriller and a must-read for fans of the genre. Highly recommend.

DNF at 60% , I don't even know where to start I feel like this book had potential but just fell flat, I was having a hard time trying to get through the first half and just realized halfway through that it wasn't my cup of tea. the fmc was very jarring, the pacing was all over the place, I didn't feel connected to any characters whatsoever. I was surprised to see the king's actual family name being used, it almost felt like I was reading something I wasn't supposed to... like it almost felt like I was reading a secret document released by the CIA

I had a hard time getting into this one - as someone who isn't super familiar with the intelligence-spy genre, but with political thrillers, it felt like the beginning had a lot of information at once and the story / world building didn't develop equally as fast.

I had a hard time bonding with the characters and therefore it made me super detached. Willing to give Brittany Butler another shot, but this one didn't do it for me.

This was an emotional rollercoaster of a book. A CIA espionage book written by an ex-CIA agent that has everything that you want in this type of book.

This book touches on all the topics that we are afraid to talk about in the public atmosphere, what (maybe) goes on behinds closed doors in those top secret meetings, the destruction and devastation of attacks of public figures and buildings, and the ins and outs of having relationships as an agent.

The storyline draws you in, hooks you and will not let you go, the twists and turns that will leave you guessing and then second guessing yourself, pulling your hair out, walking away from the book and coming back for more. Amazing.. that ending though. Have your tissues. 4.5/5

Loved this!! Here, Butler blessed us with both action and suspense while intricately mixing it with the steamy romance, thrills, and twist; overall, making it an engaging page turner. Cliffy was brutal. Can’t wait for the next book!!

This is a fast-paced, complex story of spies and espionage. It begins in London where Juliet Arroway and fellow Syndicate Spy, Mariam Al-Saud are undercover attempting to stop terrorist attacks. Juliet had met Mariam in college and eventually recruited to join Juliet in the Syndicate. The life of a spy is difficult especially when you can’t confide in the people in your life.

Juliet has been living with her boyfriend, Jean-Marc for the past 6 years as he followed his passion to fight for energy reform. Little do they realize that they are secretly working to attain the same goal. Until, the plane Jean-Marc was on goes missing and he is presumed dead. Juliet work harder to uncover the mystery regarding the sudden “accident” to the plane. She recalls how he father died doing what he loved which was intelligence work. She fears the same fate to befall upon her.

Mariam’s father is the king of Saudi Arabia and against the radical actions of his brother, Abdul Aziz Al-Saud. The Syndicate feel the Saudis are related to the attack in London. David Barany is Juliet’s boss and recalls her father’s dedication to his work. He also suspects that Juliet’s father may have been murdered as a result of his job. David fears their plans may have been compromised due to Mariam’s family connection. Despite Juliet’s protests. Graham Harding from FBI is sent to work with her on the Saudi assignment.

Graham has his work cut out for him working with Juliet. She is fueled by anger and revenge for justice on behalf of her father and Jean-Marc. She totally resents having Graham working with her and often reacts impulsivity barging head first into danger. She soon realizes that in order to survive the mission she must work with Graham.

Together they need to breach the Demascas compound and find their target. They aren’t prepared for the secrets, lies and betrayal that lie waiting. Will Mariam prove to be the loyal, trustworthy friend or will she be persuaded to assist her family? What other mysteries unfold are just part of the thrilling adventure into the world of espionage!

A spy novel, written by a former spy... This one didn't take much convincing - I was on board immediately. The parts that I enjoyed, I really, really enjoyed but unfortunately the parts that I didn't enjoy outweighed them by a bit. Juliet Arroway is a force to be reckoned with, and after being dealt several tough blows throughout her life, she's still fighting for the greater good. 

I'm in no way opposed to a love story sub-plot in a spy novel, but it really felt like the Juliet of the love story and the Juliet who is a strong, intelligent, competent spy were two different people. She seems to fall just short of swooning on many occasions and given the stakes of her job, it was a bit jarring to jump from a scene of intense action to her innermost thoughts about her love life.

Worth the read and I think it would make an amazing mini-series. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group Press for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for my honest feedback. All thoughts are my own
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3.5 (rounded up to 4) out of 5 stars.

The Syndicate Spy: A Juliet Arroway Novel by Brittany Butler is a remarkable novel that exceeded my expectations. Written by someone with actual CIA experience, this novel starts our strong and never lets up. It is exciting to the very last page. I particularly liked the strong women protagonists. It is a promising novel from a new writer. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

The Syndicate Spy which for some reason this title always is reversed in my head. Anyhow reminds me of the old James Bond style spy thrillers. The story is self-contained and is well thought-out and executed.
This is the first I have read by Brittany Bulter, and I can tell you it won't be the last. Everything from the characters, city, action and plot perfection.
This is a must read for anyone who loves a good spy series.
Thank you Netgalley

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!

ebook received for free through NetGalley

A good book that grabbed me but I then got caught up in other things. Came across the audiobook after and that brought me in and overall it was a good story.

This was an interesting review and if you like spy books based on facts this will keep yoj reading until the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to honestly review.

This was so thrilling and interesting to read. I’ve been interested in the Syndicate after watching Big Sky. I’m so happy I got the ARC for this

Thrilling and breathtaking read. I felt like I was shoulder-to-shoulder with the author, every page and step of the journey.

extremely confident, a bit too confident. i enjoy the genre but didn't connect very much with the main character.

Amazing book from a first time author! It was well paced and thought out. I can't wait to read more from Butler.

I thought this was very entertaining, action packed, and I could envision this as a TV series. I love that the author was in the CIA so she has first hand knowledge on what she’s writing about and that we had a female protagonist in a spy novel. That’s super rare. I actually don’t know of any spy novels with a female lead. So loved that. My only beef with it was it leaned heavy on the romance. I mean, a little is good. I don’t mind me some spy love, 007 and Mission Possible also have love stories, but I would have liked to see it not be so character driven. She’s supposed to be this badass bitch spy and one guy enters the scene and she’s in a tizzy. Otherwise, like I said, it was super fun, enjoyable, and enthralling. I gave is 3.5 stars but rounded up for good measure.

What an ending. Fast paced, and full of action, this story will keep you turning pages.
Many thanks to Greenleaf Book Group and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Who doesn't love a good spy book?? Dystopian remains an automatic like from me. Thank you to netgalley for this advanced copy.