WOW, just Wow. I love this genre (thriller/mystery) and Ms. Noyes has given us an on the edge story that I promise you will not be able to put down. The Mcs, Lexie and Sophia, will have you falling for them right away. I just wanted to rich in and help them so many times, which goes to the the writing of Ms. Noyes' ability to create
well-developed and authentic characters.

'Integrity" is a gripping and thrilling charged novel that will have you reading it in one sitting, or at least I did and did not regret one bit of lost sleep (yeah finished it like 3 in the. morning). The fast moving story along with on the edge anticipation gives the reader a rollercoaster of a ride. I have a reminder to check this authors twitter page for upcoming tidbits of the next book in this series.

If you love this genre and looking for a story that is sure to have you thinking about this book long after you finish it, I recommend this one for a summer read to pass the time at the beach or pool,-just warn your family or friends they will be ignored.....I guarantee you this story will have gripped you so that everything around you will just fall away.

I received an ARC of this book but I am happily going to order the audio as soon as it comes out.

I loved the authors note, highlighting to the reader, this is fiction. This reminded me to sit comfortably and just enjoy the ride!
I was gripped!
Pacing fell off a wee bit around 45%. There wasn't much action on the romance or intrigue plot at that point. It picked up again around the 65% mark and I was once more intrigued.
My attention was then held to the end.
The, for me, loss of pace in the middle, knocked this down to a 3. Points were definitely a 4, but overall a solid 3.

I know I’m not the only reader of sapphic fiction who gets a rush of anticipation when E.J. Noyes has new books on the horizon. Integrity, Book One in the Halcyon Division is the newest release that had me hooked from page one. And then I chose to sacrifice sleep because I couldn’t put it down. Just. One. More. Chapter…and brilliantly titled chapters, I might add!

Lexie, an intelligence agent, receives some intel which she can’t ignore – even after she is advised to. Going on the run couldn’t come at a worse time as she had begun dating Sophia, the first woman she had clicked with in years. Deciding on the two birds/one-stone approaches, she convinces Sofia to go on a road trip with her, which soon turns into a heart-warming love/action/mystery story.
It’s true, Integrity has it all. Despite traversing several US states, Noyes manages to unveil much of the story within hotel rooms. The romance between Lexie and Sophia evolves organically as they get to know each other inside and outside the bedroom. Despite needing to unravel a horrifying mystery without deceiving Sofia too much, the couple cohabitates almost successfully.

Sophia is patient and understanding, while Lexie is guarded and evasive, but somehow, they mould together and make a beautiful couple who are supportive and only want the best for each other.

The mystery of Halcyon and the consequences of Lexie’s actions keep the story thrilling and fast-paced. E.J. Noyes has written a brilliant first book in what promises to be an epic new series.

I received an ARC from Bella books via NetGalley for my honest review.

Lexie Martin, who works as an Intelligence Analyst for the US Government, got some information of a biological/chemical weapon that had caused a massacre. Before she could work out what this meant, a stranger in the night broke into her house and warned her to forget about what she knew. And Lexie is now on the run. She convinced Sophia Flores, the women that she just started dating, to run away with her for an inpromtu road trip/vacation. On the run, Lexie tried to work out the mystery whilst getting to know Sophia more and more. So who can she trust?

This book is a thriller with a side of romance. It was exciting and engaging from the start and literally kept me on edge the whole time. I loved both main characters. The book is from Lexie’s point of view. She was very real, and you can really feel her struggles. Sophia was really sweet and she was just who Lexie needed. And the mystery was very intriguing.

This book was very well written. Never a dull moment. Really glad that it is a series as I was not ready to say goodbye to the characters. Can’t wait for book two! Would definitely recommend.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review "Integrity" by E J Noyes.
The first novel in what promises to be a new series written by consistent 5* author E J Noyes, "Integrity" focuses on the drama in the life of Intelligence Analyst Dr Lexie Martin, after she receives an alarming video link from a trusted source. The ensuing battle for Truth to be recognised and acted upon, and the necessity to keep herself and loved ones safe, protected and alive swiftly follows.

The dynamics between her and Sophie, who is in the early days of meeting and dating is fascinating, and how E J Noyes manages to sustain momentum, interest, raw emotion and a plausible dynamic between the two is cleverly handled.

Seriously, what sets this apart from the also runs is the ingenious crafting, taking minimal characters, hideouts (a lot of time is spent in various rooms), and providing a fast paced multi layered plot and character interaction and depth. Conversations, nuances and subsequent actions reveal the multi layers of the characters, and that is one of the reasons this relationship storyline is so believable.

I loved it! Bring on the sequels! 5*

Lexie an intelligence analyst gets some intel on highly unethical chemical warfare. She decides to pursue this info after being told to forget everything she saw, now on the run. Sophie the person she’s been on a couple dates with becomes her cover. A lot of this story is spent in a hotel, which got a little boring. I liked both characters but, being in the hotel for so long got repetitive. The story cuts off right when I wanted to see more of Lexie and Sophie. Interested in seeing how part 2 unfolds. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ah E. J. Noyes could write 400 pages about plain black wallpaper and I would read it. I absolutely adored this! The fact that nothing is presented on a platter and there are delightful oddities mixed with moments of sweetness makes this an absolute triumph. It's a true winner!

I absolutely adore E.J. Noyes’ writing. I’ve read all of her books so far, and I have loved every one. After reading Integrity, I can honestly say that I’ve found a new favorite E.J. Noyes’ novel.

Integrity is the first book in the ‘Halcyon Division Series’. In this tale, we meet Lexie Martin, an intelligence analyst for the U.S. government. It was just an ordinary workday for Lexie when she received information from a former informant about a horrible chemical weapon attack on a village abroad. Suddenly her ordinary life and work changes, possibly forever. After a man breaks into her home and threatens her over the intel, Lexie realizes she must disappear until she can figure out what is going on. She also realizes the people threatening her are reluctant to do anything in public or where others can see, so she convinces Sophia Flores, a woman she has just begun dating, to go on a spur of the moment “vacation” with her. Thus begins a journey that becomes more and more dangerous as time passes.

This story grabbed me on the first page and didn’t let me go until the end. Honestly, it didn’t let me go even then. After I finished the novel, I wandered around the house the rest of the day wishing I could read more of Lexie and Sophia’s story. I told my partner how awesome the book was so many times she began rolling her eyes at me.

The novel is filled with excitement, intrigue, thrills and passion. Lexie and Sophia will grab your heartstrings and pull you into their tale, and even though Lexie will insist she isn’t a spy, this is really a wonderful spy story.

This novel has my highest recommendation, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. You must read this one.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

Hoooooooo-weeeeeee! What a fun ride! A new book by EJ Noyes is truly an event to be scheduled on a reader's calendar. But knowing it's the start of a new series? Priceless! I can't even imagine how the rest of the series will play out ... will Lexie and Sophia continue to fight crime together? The use of first person past tense works so well here that's it's impossible not to become immersed in the story from the first page.

Integrity by E.J. Noyes is an action/romance that had me hooked from start to finish. The story revolves around Alexandra "Lexie" Martin, an brilliant Intelligence Analyst, and Sophia Lopez, a talented website designer. I was entertained by the interesting plot and the amazing chemistry between the two leads.

What really stood out to me was the author's attention to detail and their commitment to creating a realistic spy and security environment. It was obvious that Noyes had done her research, and the scenarios depicted in the book felt believable and exciting.
Now, let's talk about Lexie and Sophia's romance. I couldn't help but root for them from the very beginning. The author's ability to build such a strong connection between the characters is truly commendable. Especially with the circumstances they were facing. Noyes did a good job convincing me of Sophia’s acceptance of the situation once the truth started to come out.

However, I do have one small nitpick. There's a plot point where Lexie has to manually search through a database, line by line, to find specific names containing a particular three-letter string. It seemed a bit far-fetched to me that she spent an entire day on this task when she could have easily reached out to Bink, the hacker introduced in the story, to run a quick search and get it done in minutes. It was a minor issue for me, but still kinda odd.

On a positive note, the introduction of supporting characters like Bink added an extra layer of excitement to the story. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series, as I'm eager to delve deeper into the world of Halcyon and discover more about Bink's own romantic journey (I hope!).

In summary, Integrity is an exceptional action/romance novel that blends some espionage shenanigans with a captivating love story. E.J. Noyes' meticulous research, realistic scenarios, and excellent chemistry between the main characters make this book an enjoyable read. Despite a small plot point that had me scratching my head, I was thoroughly entertained and eagerly await the next installment in the series.

Fast paced political intrigue with f/f romance
Lexie, an analyst for an unnamed US intelligence agency, stumbles about a highly illegal crime - a chemical weapon attack. Suddenly she is wanted and hunted and on the run. Fortunately she is a bad ass with field experience. And her integrity (hence the title) does not allow her to give up on understanding what is really going on. To shield herself she persuades Sophia whom she has just started to date to come with her on her short „vacation trip“, cough.
I loved the intrigue and the unravelling of the mystery surrounding the crime information and there were parts of the running away that left me breathless and crossing my fingers for Lexie - I think I saw some holes in her escaping but the story was so entertaining that a waved my overcritical brain away and just enjoyed the show. Noyes really has a knack for vivid descriptions and detailed insights into characters which are a joy to read.
Sophia is a counterpoint to all those spy-non spy sequences. The attraction adds another angle to the book, although there was for my liking a pinch too much bed room-activity.
The end, well there are two more books coming … so it is not the end-end, but satisfying though baffling. Enough to keep me waiting for the next installment - hopefully very soon.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is left voluntarily.

In Integrity, Noyes created a world blanketed in deceit and treachery and a dynamic plot that thickens and swells as the story goes. I read the acknowledgments and can only imagine the work required to tear a draft and start it all over again. So for all the rewriting, thank you Noyes, for giving us yet another book to devour and characters to fall in love with.

In a world where lies and truths collide and intertwine, Lexie is racing against time, to protect intel and uncover truths while playing lover to Sophia Flores. The suspense will keep you on your toes, I can’t go about saying how many times I was tempted to skip to the end just to see how it all ends. The side characters add yet another layer to the suspense and Sophia, what can I say other than I am inclined to believe she is the one to watch out for in the next book.

I just reviewed Integrity (Book One In The Halycon Division Series) by E.J Noyes. Thank you NetGalley and Bella Books for the ARC.

𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻.

This is a romance thriller that combines elements of espionage and love against the backdrop of looming danger. The story follows Lexie, a government intelligence analyst who stumbles upon some crucial information about a chemical attack and unexpectedly finds herself on the run while trying to uncover the truth. She uses Sophia, an innocent and unsuspecting civilian whom she is casually dating, as a decoy while on the run but her feelings for Sophia deepen by the end of it.

While the romance is a tad unrealistic in the face of the massive trouble that Lexie was in, I thought this story still had its entertainment value. The action was generally exciting and I appreciate that E.J. Noyes tried to balance the intense action scenes with tender moments. I also like the characters. Lexie was resilient and determined and I like her sense of duty to protect her country. Sophia, on the other hand, was a compassionate and caring individual who was completely oblivious to the dangerous situation they were in and their contrasting personalities created an interesting dynamic that fueled the story.

However, two aspects bothered me a bit. The first is the inconsistency of the writing style. The story was fast-paced at times but got dull at some point before picking up speed again. The second is related to the romance. Even though the characters had some tender moments together, there was no space for them to develop their relationship and take it to the next level. As I really like the characters, I hope this can be worked on in the next book.

Integrity is the first book in the Halcyon Division Series. This book revolves around Lexie Martin who is not a spy but rather an analyst for the US government. She is provided sensitive information from a contact followed by a scary late-night visit from a thug. Following all that, she however keeps her third date with the wonderful, kind Sophia Flores. Lexie then talks Sophia into joining her on a trip to Florida. Little does Sophia know what she's getting mixed up in with Lexie, who is essentially on the run.

Once again E. J. Noyes has written a book that is so different from any of her past offerings. Integrity has a balance of intrigue, spy games, potential political upheaval, and romance. I highly enjoyed both characters including Lexie's vulnerability and Sophia's strength, both character traits that are in sharp contrast to their day-to-day personas. The ending was the perfect setup and lead-in to Book Two, 4.5 stars

I received an ARC from Bella Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know how I’m going to recover from Integrity or wait for the rest of the series. This book had the perfect balance of action, suspense and romance.

The action and suspense had me reading at warp speed as I had to know what was happening next. That last 3rd of the book had me at the edge of my seat, or bed, but same difference. And that ending, perfection.

When it came to the romance, I cannot recall a book I’ve read recently where you get such a full insight into the first stages of a relationship. It was really nice getting to see that in such detail and I look forward to what’s to come for them.

3.5 stars
Noyes is one of my favorite authors. I have loved all of her previous novels. She writes unusually sensitive content. She always really makes me FEEL every detail. Love, hate, betrayal, excitement, fear, pain etc. Unfortunately what I felt, in this story, was boredom. I was trapped with the 2 main characters, in a hotel room for 8 days going over and over the same storyline. It wasn't until the 90% spot that the story got interesting again. But even that was hard for me to believe. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. Too neat of a wrap up for this complicated plot.
Sadly, I can't recommend this one.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lexi is a government analyst and Sophia is her new girlfriend. The plot revolves around government secrets and falling in love. Lexi seems like a strong character but there are flaws which come out in the book. Sophia is a sweet character but is stronger than she seems. The book is fast paced and is dangerous. There is emotion and bravery involved. I recommend this book for romance and intrigue readers.

This was a departure from the norm for Noyes. I liked the premise and the book started out with lots of action and intrigue and ends with even more, keeping us waiting for book 2. When we first meet Sophie, she and Lexie have been on two dates that have both gone well but Lexie almost misses their third date. Lexie has gone on the run from her government job after receiving some concerning classified information and brings Sophie along as a cover. Sophie is kept in the dark as to the true reason for their last minute get away but starts to get suspicious as the days go on. From there it turns into a spy on the run story with Sophie obliviously along for the ride. I did feel like it fizzled out a bit for a bit in the middle where Lexie was going through the minutiae of solving a mystery for several days before it picks back up again around 3/4 through the book. It’s also told in 1st person from Lexie’s POV so we do miss some of Sophie’s thoughts and feelings but I did like the development of their relationship and felt like their road trip really offered n opportunity to show the evolution of their relationship. I’m hopeful we see more of Lexie and Sophie in the next book in this series. Though it’s not my favorite by Noyes it was fun to read and it’s unique premise makes it memorable. I’ll be on the lookout for the next one.

Lexie Martin is an analyst for a US intelligence organization. A contact gives her proof of a chemical weapon attack on civilians potentially done by the USA. She works the intelligence looking for clues and reports it her boss. That night someone breaks into her house wanting her to delete all in intel. Using her training she is able to escape. She reaches out to a person she trusts who encourages her flee and keep digging. On her way to she gets reminded of her brunch date with Sophia Flores and so she keeps it. This is only their third date but impulsively she invites Sophia on a road trip to Florida and she accepts.

Lexie is smart, dedicated and has integrity as the title suggests. Sophia is wonderfully smart her, gentle and kind. She feels their spark but knows things aren’t quite right. At first Lexie is using Sophia as cover to help her get to Florida but they are delightful as they hunker down together (forced proximity), and get to know each other better.

Told entirely from Lexie’s POV it is fun to be inside he mind as she accesses risks, analyzes data still tries to woo her woman. There is a lot of lightness in tense moments. And with so much time spent hiding in hotel rooms it is a credit to Noyes writing skills that it never gets repetitive. I found the lead up to the ending exciting and was only disappointed not to know what happens in the big picture with the information.

But this is the first in a series and I will be on the edge of my seat waiting to see Lexie and I hope Sophia again. Thank you to NetGalley and Bella Books for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

Lexie is not a spy, she’s an analyst. Not the nerdy type that can’t defend herself but the badarse type that can use different type of weapons and has fake IDs at the ready. The type of analyst that has a ‘side job’ to her official government one that may get her in very deep trouble. But Lexis is also an analyst that recently decided to use a dating app and has met Sophia, a civilian by all intents and purposes. And Lexie likes and needs Sophia in, mostly, equal measures. So Sophia joins Lexie on an adventure worthy of a spy- she just doesn’t know it. I loved the thriller part of this book and the romance part equally. I can’t wait for book 2. And I would definitely watch the movie.
Free ARC via NetGalley.