Winter and Sydney 🤩
Honestly, I loved the concept for this book - the premise of a spyXpopstar was intriguing and I loved both of the main characters interactions with one another
The plot was great - the twists throughout the story shocked me!
However, I do feel as though the blurb was slightly misleading as Winter and Sydney clearly had tension with each other from the start 🤐
Overall an entertaining story, would recommend it to those that enjoy a fast-paced read

Fun and quick YA read about celebrities and spies. Nothing about this book was surprising, but the ride was still entertaining. It's perfect for a low-stakes action read where you're fairly certain nothing too bad is going to happen -- that's the magic of YA, right?

The premise, pairing up a young spy with a teen idol, piqued my interest. I didn't see how that was really going to work with the story, but eventually it made sense. I loved the action sequences in this, especially toward the end, but the relationship between the two leads and all the band members were sorta so-so. I dunno, something about the interaction between all the characters felt off. Even the initial animosity between Sydney and Winter was both too cliched and resolved too easily. When their relationship started picking up steam, I wanted to shake them and yell, "Think about the mission!"

I don't want to spoil the ending, but I really like how it ended. The author could have gone the easy way with the ending, but I'm glad she didn't and that she ended it how she did. It felt more respectful to the characters.

This was my first Marie Lu and I was not disappointed! The vibe of this book was definitely The Bodyguard by Katherine Center with spies, and I absolutely ate every second of it up. I enjoyed that the majority of the book was from Winter's pov and that Winter was the stereotypical annoying celebrities that I feel like a lot of books do at first, and Sydney was so funny. BUT THE PINNING FOR EACH OTHER OMG. What truly kills me is that I'm going to have to wait over a year for the sequel. Thank you so much Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an ARC copy in exchange of an honest review.

Marie Lu took a new change of pace with this new novel, and I enjoyed it!

This is a spy novel with a romance mixed into the mix. Winter is a dynamic character. He is a pop star known and loved across the world. He is intelligent, gorgeous, and a perfect spy. I wish there had been more development about him learning his spy skills, but alas, the plot had to keep moving.

Speaking of the plot, it was okay. This is why I gave it a 3 star review. I enjoyed the thoughts and ideas of this book more than the actual book itself. The characters were great! The idea and concept is great! It will be a fun and effective series for young adult readers as well as adults, but the plot was just okay. I think Lu incorporated too many background pieces into the novel. I see these playing out over a series of books, but the reveal and plot of this one had a lot to be desired.

The romance was also a little meh. It wasn't really a will they, won't they, but more of when will they? It was a little spicier most young adult novels, but it was also not very spicy in the romance genre sense of the term.

Ultimately, it was a great premise, but had a lot to be desired.

I wanted to enjoy this but overall found the story, characters, and plot to be something not what I was longing for or one that I would pick back up.

This is why I have read every single book that Marie Lu has written. They are all just so damn good.

Stars and Smoke is the spy thriller we all need right now. Pulse-pounding escape. Layered exploration of childhood and family trauma. That made me cry. On more than one occasion. And one of the scariest villains in YA lit. Right up there with King Lek. And so many plot twists. One I saw coming. One I *definitely* did not. Whoo boy.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to review a digital copy of Stars and Smoke.
This was my first Marie Lu book, and I was interested in the summary after seeing it's a mix of The Hating Game and Mission Impossible. While I definitely got the Mission Impossible vibes while reading, unfortunately I don't see any similarities to The Hating Game...besides the 2 main characters working together loosely.
However, I did really enjoy the book and the Mission Impossible/secret agent vibes. Winter and Sydney/Ashley were complicated characters; I would not say they were likeable but they both had emotional backstories that drew me in and invested in them resolving their issues. I did not see all of the plot twists coming which I loved, but I guess looking back were kind of obvious. There was not a lot of romance to the story, and the characters do not have a HEA together, but the resolution was perfect and realistic.
I've seen there may be more books following Winter and Sydney on missions, and I would be interested in reading more, mainly for the mission than necessarily the characters.

I just reviewed Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu. #StarsandSmoke #NetGalley

I really enjoyed this book, Marie Lu did a great job!

**Review will be published March 23rd on my site and socials**

LIKED BY THE END.

This wasn’t quite what I was expecting. The Hating Game tagline felt like a misnomer (so if someone can point out where that was, please let me know). But the Mission Impossible vibes were there at least! I like this trend of a more romantic comedy + suspense. It’s a mood I am here for.

There wasn’t as much romance as I was hoping for. Though the second half did a better job of adding to those elements. I would have loved to have seen them be able to connect more and not just about the job they were on. I liked both Sydney and Winter as standalone characters. There were some flashbacks that helped flesh out their personalities and I think there’s going to be some great development in book two for both of them.

The antagonist was painfully obvious so don’t expect to be surprised by necessarily that piece. Action wise, I definitely enjoyed those scenes. High intensity, not quite sure what was going to happen. Waiting for the next page kind of on edge.

I do have plans to read the next book and I’m curious to see what the next adventure will bring!

Overall audience notes:
- YA Contemporary Romantic Suspense
- Language: very little
- Romance: make-outs
- Violence: med-high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: near death experiences, gun violence, kidnapping, poisoning, loss of a parent

An incredibly popular author but this book was accessible for those new to her work. Definitely YA Romance more than adult romance but there’s a need for stories like this

Marie Lu’s spy romance is thrilling and impossible to put down!

Lu gets creative with “Stars and Smoke,” drawing inspiration from famous celebrity secret agents throughout American history. In her fictional world, Winter Young is a global pop phenomenon that has been breaking records left and right. His rising star status catches the eye of the Panacea group—a private company hired out by the CIA to infiltrate criminal tycoon Eli Morrison’s security. Sydney Cossette, Panacea’s youngest spy, is chosen to be Winter’s partner while he charm’s Morrison’s daughter at her birthday party. She reluctantly shows him the ropes while pretending to be his bodyguard. But when things go wrong and their target becomes the lesser of two evils, they realize that something far more sinister is at play.

Lu goes to great lengths to immerse the reader in the high stakes environment associated with the Panacea group, which I appreciated. She creates cool gadgets for her characters, going into detail about what role they play in their mission, and walks the reader through Winter and Sydney’s necessary training.

I also absolutely loved being able to read from alternating perspectives! Winter and Sydney’s backstories made my heart ache, though I should have anticipated the feeling because Lu’s words often bring tears to my eyes. In Winter’s case, all he wants is to be loved after living his whole life believing that he is unwanted. Sydney wants to put the years of abuse behind her and find the place where she belongs. Both characters seemed to be lost souls unsure of their place in the world until they met each other. I loved watching the two barely tolerate each other at the beginning of the novel, bickering the first chance they could get. However, the more they fought, the harder they fell for each other and their forbidden romance tugged at my heartstrings.

I cannot wait for Sydney and Winter to reunite in the next serial standalone!

ML is the queen of YA sci-fi. So when I saw that this was a NA bodyguard romance book, I was surprised. Excited because I love ML's storytelling, but still surprised because it's totally different than what she normally does.

And that difference is noticeable from the very first page. However, it is still very much quintessential ML storytelling. The characters have that charming snark to them, the plot is imaginative and fast-paced, and the writing itself is bingeable.

My only critique would be the overall vibe/feel of the book. Even though the characters are old enough for this to be categorised as NA, there is still a strong YA feel to the story. Not quite juvenile, but definitely younger than what I would have expected for this kind of story. But it makes me excited to see ML branch out more and I hope she eventually makes that full leap into adult.

So overall, this is quite a fun start to what I think will become an adorably action-packed series!

Marie Lu has written many genre-changing novels and her voice is one I will always trust.

Stars and Smoke is different than any of her other works, but if you’re looking for a comparison, Warcross would be the closest.

Winter Young is the biggest pop star in the world, and he is as smart as he is talented. He puts on a perfect show but has a lot of tragedy and pain in his past.

Sydney Cossette came from Nowheresville, USA and was only too eager to leave her dead-end town after her mother’s sickness and eventual passing. When she was recruited by Panacea, a secret agency that handles the jobs the CIA and MI6 can’t legally deal with, she jumped on the opportunity.

Winter and Sydney are brought together on a mission where she must pose as his bodyguard so they can attempt to take down a very powerful, very dangerous man named Eli Morrison.

Lu’s writing drew me in from the first page and this story was a fun change of pace from the fantasy and contemporary romance novels I’ve been reading. It was predictable at times, but the characters endeared themselves to me and kept me reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC, definitely check this one out when it releases on March 28, 2023!

Marie Lu hits it out of the park once again, readers!

I'll dive right in:

The plot:

Are you a sucker for a good bodyguard love story?

Me too.

Sydney is a new member of a covert government operations unit that is tracking a wealthy businessman who may or may not be one of the world's top criminals. The Panacea Group recruits a well-known pop star named Winter Young who is being paid to play at the tycoon's daughter's birthday party in London in order to obtain evidence of his illicit behavior. Sydney's responsibility is to act as Winter's bodyguard and make sure everything goes as planned.


The characters:

I imagined Winter's face as Kun from WayV and you can't do a thing about it. He's beautiful and talented and haunted by the death of his brother. He loves what he does but always feels as though he's not doing enough in his life to make it worthy. I admired his bravery, generosity, and cinnamon roll persona.

Sydney's grit and intelligence make her the ideal equalizer. Her only family members are people she works with. She doesn't enjoy "babysitting" a haughty pop star. She had only ever experienced loss and struggled to reach where she was, so she does not perceive Winter, who appears to have it easy, to be in the same situation.

They both discover things about each other that surprise them.

Overall thoughts:

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I did not see much of The Hating Game comp because a lot of the misdirected hate came mostly from Sydney. I can see a lot of The Bodyguard, though, which I loved. This isn't a real enemies-to-lovers story or a hate-to-love in a sense. The romance was organic and sweet.

I loved it. I love the cover. I cannot wait to own a copy for myself.

This book goes to show you that no matter what genre Marie Lu writes, she's going to hit it out of the park.

I love Marie Lu. I still recommend the Legend series to my students, and her Skyhunter duology is one of my recent sci-fi favorites.

This was a bit of a departure for her. Instead of a sci-fi/fantasy romp filled with intrigue and political strife, we get a teen spy/mystery. A teen with a rough childhood must team up with the hottest pop star to try and take down a major trafficker. Of course, things don't go as planned and not everyone is what they seem.

Lu still does a great job of writing strong lead characters and dialogue, but I just wasn't as invested in this book as I have been with her past stories. I liked the Mission Impossible-like gadgets and plans, but some of the reveals seemed pretty obvious. Everything played out a little too quickly and neatly at the end, but I do like that things are left open enough to have future missions.

I know mysteries are the soup du jour in YA right now, but I enjoy Lu's sci-fi far more.

I've loved every single one of Marie Lu's books so far, and Stars and Smoke definitely did not disappoint! As usual, the characters' banter is top-notch, and moments of humor are interspersed with serious plot points and romantic tension. The characters are fully fleshed out, complete with flaws, and the reader can learn a great deal about them just from descriptions of their body language. Vivid imagery allows the reader to imagine themself in the characters' places. I was also pleased to find that there were several plot twists I couldn't even imagine coming.

My only complaint is that some of the romance in the book seemed somewhat forced rather than flowing naturally like it has in other Marie Lu books. Some of it was fine, but I think the book could have been equally good without the romance aspect. There were also a few questions that I wish could be resolved, but those will probably come in book 2!

This YA Spy/Romance is so good. I was reading as fast as I could to see what would happen next. I loved it.
I just reviewed Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu. #StarsandSmoke #NetGalley
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Marie Lu never disappoints! I've had the immense privilege of having read many of her books over the years, and this is as fun and wild as the rest of them. A thrillingly fast read that looks at big questions, as Marie Lu does. Surprisingly, I figured out the plot twist from early on. I am pretty proud of myself!!! The book reminds me of a certain Stephen King's book. I love how the many fears of an artist are explored in this book. Sydney's character was fascinating. The way their relationship is built, their motivations, are superb. At first, you wonder how Marie Lu can pull it off, for they seem entirely unmeetable in their relationshio development, and then you quickly begin to understand them and how and why they fit together and it's perfect. Surprisingly, the book felt less actiony than I thought. It developed more as a preparation and mental game book than action packed scenes, but that didn't take away from the story itself. Marie Lu still managed to pace the book fantastically and up the stakes well. It was a highly enjoyable read.

Some of the lines in Stars and Smoke are just *chef's kiss,* such as the following (not a spoiler):

""I’d say it’s my job to notice you, Mr. Young, she replied. Winter smiled innocently at her. “And?” And you look like the hottest damn person who’s ever existed. The honest answer shot unbidden into her mind."

Chef's. Kiss.

Overall, another fun book by the one and only Marie Lu. Thank you so much for the earc. It's been an honor!

I always say that this author's writing keeps growing with each of her new works (skyhunter, previously) and the statement stands strong with Stars and Smoke as well. I really enjoyed this book, the characters and their backstories, all the people surrounding them and the love they all share, along with the romance. the plot with secrets spies and undercover missions was very intriguing and made it hard to put down the book.
I think the only reason i'm not entirely gushing is because I wanted more.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Good read! It's a well written story of action-adventure, with an innocent romance entwined. The author is very good at depicting the scenes and environment in detail, giving you movie clips in your mind. Would recommend reading this story.