This was an excellent read that will appeal to a wide audience, not just YA. The characters are great and the premise is unique and intriguing. I was sucked into the story and so invested. Winter was so much more than it appeared at first glance. There is a lot of character development. I was excited to learn this is the first in a series. I look forward to more.

Marie Lu has been one of my favorite authors since I first discovered her back in 2013. While I've enjoyed all her releases, this is the first one that I loved as much as the Legend series. I went into Stars and Smoke knowing it was a pop star turned spy with a dash of bodyguard romance thrown in. That's what I was given and more, which I expect from the talented Marie Lu.

Winter, a gorgeous pop star, is the perfect person to help a secret agency take down a crime boss for the government since the man's daughter is Winter's number one fan. Agent Sydney is quickly making her way up the ranks of the Panacea Group, and the next assignment would get her a promotion. Even though she is less than thrilled to be paired with Winter, she's determined to complete the mission. When the mission goes sideways , they find themselves targets and their hearts getting attached is the least of their worries.

I loved both the main characters. Pop star Winter is beautiful and talented, yet he hasn't let stardom give him a big head. His family situation hurt my heart, but I loved that he had such a close relationship with his team. Also, I was here for the queerness he added to the story He's bisexual, and it isn't a throw away comment but elaborated and validated by his past relationship that he's still close to. Then we have Sydney, who is constantly motivated by her past. She's not a warm character but she does thaw around Winter as the feelings between them grow. Their relationship is a slow burn with a touch of steam, with plenty of bickering/bantering along the way.

The story line itself had me engaged from beginning to end. It alternates between Winter and Sydney's POVs and a few mission logs between Sydney's handlers. It was full of twists and turns that I hadn't seen coming. Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu is a fantastic story with diverse characters, bi rep, MCs with personal childhood traumas, a pop star and a spy, Necco wafers high-tech gadgets, danger, an unexpected connection and a mission completed. I can't wait for the next book.

4.5 Stars

Stars and Smoke is a wild ride from beginning to end. This dual point of view book is smart, fast and full of action.

Readers familiar with author Marie Lu’s dystopian novels will be happy to learn that she easily slides into a more contemporary setting.

At the center of Lu’s story are Winter and Sydney. The two are as opposite as possible, and that’s a great setup for this sort of book. Both characters are extremely well written and their inner thoughts and emotions are well explored. Though I finished feeling as though I knew Winter better than Sydney, leaving her with a little mystery fits well with her position as a spy.

Lu’s pacing is superb, and the world she’s created is believable. Her cinematic setting is easy to get lost in.

Stars and Smoke is a fast-cased action/thriller that you won’t want to put down. I can’t wait for the sequel.

It has been years since I’ve read anything from Marie Lu. Her writing has a special place in my heart. I remember being a freshman in college and enjoying reading the Legend series. When I got approved for a digital copy I was extremely content and started reading Stars and Smoke immediately. I love how Marie Lu writes her characters. They are always likable. Winter and Sydney were adorable and especially dealing with enemies to lovers. Enemies to lovers will forever be my favorite type of trope. I enjoyed the creativity and the worldbuilding of the story. I am used to Marie Lu’s fantasy style and this was such a captivating story. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for this amazing opportunity!

Sydney a budding spy is hoping for the one big job she can do to become a full-blown agent. Enter Winter a pop star that has the eye of the daughter of who job is about so Winter is recruited as a special asset into this world only to find out his deceased brother had worked for this group as well and that got him killed and this is Winter’s one chance to know the truth.
This is a wonderful, very fast pace, action packed book that I believe will appeal to a wide audience. The characters are awesome and realistic and it seems no one holds their punches throughout the book, but come together when it is needed. I hope people of all ages like it as much I do.

Enemies to lovers. Body guard romance. Spies! Seriously everything one could ever want in a romance. LOVED this one!

Marie Lu can do no wrong and I am anxiously awaiting the next book

This is a bodyguard meets spy thriller as Winter and Sydney dance around their mission and their feelings trying to complete the task assigned to them. It’s fun to suspend belief in an effort to delve into this one and Winter’s rockstar lifestyle as you imagine him putting on private concerts and living the lavish lifestyle. I was intrigued by seeing that there was more to him than met the eye, and I liked that we got to know Sydney more by her examination of who Winter was and by how people largely reacted to her in her role as his female ‘bodyguard’ and how they perceived that. I would definitely read more in this world. Even though it doesn’t shatter any ground, for YA readers this is a fun, fast-paced read.

It's fun! Who doesn't love some young adult spies who get to experience all the fun of fame and fortune? I think the storyline tries to get very involved because it's a spy story but because we're mostly focused on Winter and Sydney, the spies, rather than the people they are trying to expose, it gets a little bit messy and confusing. I wasn't that into the action at the end, but the rest was pretty fun to read.

Marie Lu is back, but this time with a spy/thriller/romance contemporary YA novel. It’s different than her previous works, but it still has the same captivating writing style that we first saw in the Legend Trilogy.

I really enjoyed this first installment in the series and I can’t wait to see how this series plays out.

A major departure from Lu’s typical science fiction fare, this bodyguard romance was enjoyable if a bit predictable. However, YA audiences will enjoy the romance and references to Kpop.

Half spy thriller, half enemies-to-lovers bodyguard romance, Marie Lu's new book is definitely a good time. The two main characters had a lot more depth then I was expecting and I especially liked the exploration of Winter's relationship with his mom. The book was just suspenseful enough to keep me hooked and was full of delightfully clever banter. It also found a good mix between romance and plot, hitting some of the best tropes of the romance and spy genres. Lu's easy to read writing style paired well with the romance genre, making the book a quick but enjoyable read. My only complaint is that the twist was super obvious and the plot was pretty predictable in general, but since the book leans more towards romance, it didn't bother me too much.

Overall, this book is a fun read and I'm excited to experience the rest of the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Roaring Brook Press for the ARC!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and of course, Marie Lu for providing me with an eARC of this novel. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

I liked this book alright. The world building, as per usual, was wonderful. It wasn’t quite the same as some of Lu’s fantasy novels, but I enjoyed it a lot. It gave me some major Kingsman/ MIB vibes. But other than that, I didn’t find myself wanting to know what was happening, or how things played out.

Winter was okay, but I really didn’t connect to any of the characters in this book and found myself forgetting details because I just didn’t have the desire to keep it all.

For those who are fans of spy novels/ some action and MIB vibes, then this will definitely be the book for you.

When you think of a spy thriller, you don't think of 19 year-old spies. However, the world Marie Lu has painted has jus that. A young girl who has a tainted past, as short as it has been, is tasked with turning an international pop star into a spy, and Lu has made it believable.

From the beginning, the worlds of Sydney and Winter are revealed to have pain and sadness. They both are looking for more in their lives, and when a secret organization Panacea gives them a chance to thwart a potential terror threat, how can they refuse? Winter turns out to be a natural and easily falls into character behind his musical persona. Sydney still harbors secrets as she tries not to fall for the most beautiful person she has ever met. Then the mission goes sideways, and they take matters into their own hands, facing perilous waters.

Stars and Smoke is definitely a detour from the normal dystopian universes Marie Lu has guided us through in the past. I thoroughly enjoyed this new world of superstars and espionage. The characters were superbly written, revealing emotions and histories that endear the reader. Lu has knocked it out of the park in her first foray into the action/thriller genre. This is the first in a series, so the promise of more adventures with Winter and Sydney will be worth the wait.

Thank you to Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

DNF at 30%
I tried to get into this book many times, but it just wasn't grabbing my attention. After read Marie Lu's Warcross duology, what I read of Stars & Smoke was very disappointing. The pacing was very slow, the plot felt nonexistent, and the characters were flat. This is more of a personal preference than anything else, but it just wasn't the right book for me.

(I will not be rating the book in my review, and I don't plan on sharing it, except to Goodreads and Storygraph.)

Thank you so, so much to Macmillan Children's and NetGalley for this e-ARC of one of my most anticipated reads of 2023! I'm such a huge fan of Marie Lu and I love reading about her new characters and worlds through the times. I am a huge Gallagher Girls fan, so seeing Marie Lu venture into teenage spy territory immediately had me hooked. Throw in a teenage superstar in there and I was more than sold. It's undercover spies with a bit of celebrity/bodyguard action and a lot of fun. Not to mention, there's found family trope. This book is definitely one for teenagers and caters to a teenage audience more than anything, which I think was definitely the point! I hope that this is only the first in the series because I am really excited for what comes next!

What a fun and exciting book! And great group of characters. The was completely sucked in from the very beginning. I couldn’t stop reading.

I wasn’t sure if this was going to end of a cliffy, so it was rather nerve wracking as the end drew nearer. Thankfully it ended perfectly. And left us wanting more.

Bring on book two!!

I always love seeing what Marie Lu comes up with, and this did not disappoint! At first I was a bit hesitant about the teens being spies but I think it was done respectfully and purposefully, so it didn't deter me from falling into the story. The romance was cute and the spy parts in intriguing.

“I have a feeling we are destined to make bad decisions forever.”
“I sincerely hope so.”

Soooooooo, Marie Lu has been an auto buy author for me ever since I met June & Day and fell completely in love with them. Honestly, I don’t even read the blurbs. If she writes it, I’ll read it. And into Stars and Smoke blind I went.

The cover tricked me. One look at it and I was absolutely sure I was about to dive into a cute Young Adult dystopian. Joke is on me. First, while YA, it feels more like a NA. Second, it’s not dystopian but contemporary. Third, this is anything but cute and light. Oh no! This is a bodyguard/celebrity/spy romance with both Winter and Sidney having to deal with loss and pain, with trauma and loneliness.

They also will have to work together. And from the initial dislike, they become more. But like the moon and the sun, they’re destined to shine apart. Or are they?

The twists in this spy novel were absolutely delicious and both Winter and Sidney played their parts marvelously.

And let me tell you this too: that ending is so Marie Lu… if you read any of her books — ANY — you know what I mean 👀

What’s inside:
🖤spy romance
🖤celebrity/bodyguard romance
🖤dislike to love
🖤forced proximity
🖤dual POV

⭐️ YA. 4 stars ⭐️ Thank you so much @macmillanusa @netgalley and @marieluthewriter for this eARC 🖤

Sexy, cute, and fun! New genre by an author I already love for me and was happily surprised with how much I liked this genre! Would recommend!

Such a cute spy novel! I need more Winter and Sydney now! This is a perfect YA spy/heist novel with a dash of romance. Winter is the worlds biggest superstar who ends up being recruited by a spy agency for big job. Sydney is tasked to go undercover as his bodyguard. The story starts off a little slow but once things get going, it’s pretty fast paced. Both characters have traumatic pasts that play a role in their relationships with others. Winter and Sydney are intriguing characters on their own but together they have great chemistry. I’m already ordering this for my classroom and can’t wait for more! Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s for the arc.