Brittany Butler asks readers to suspend a lot of belief in this spy thriller. I have to admit after listening to The Syndicate Spy to being surprised when I read the author’s bio and background because even a novice in world relations and the spy world would be scratching their heads in disbelief at Arroway’s antics. Plus the romance is an affront to most working women - especially those in the military field. I’ve never seen experienced agents act so carelessly or with such ignorance of just simple procedure. I truly hope the secondary title of this book does not mean that this is intended to be a series because Arroway is not worth a spy fanatic’s time. I tried to suspend my own knowledge of the military world to just enjoy the story, but I just wanted to fire Arroway and Graham and put professional agents in the field. These are not agents you can count on to save your butt in the field.

<i> In the near future, Earth's oil reserves are depleted. Nations grapple to find an alternative energy source. Terrorists race for control over world resources. And the Syndicate―a conglomerate of allied intelligence agencies―struggles to maintain peace.

Syndicate operative Juliet Arroway and her best friend, Mariam, a progressive Saudi princess, are tasked with hunting down terrorists and putting an end to the global energy war, the same mission that cost Juliet's father his life. But when multiple terrorist attacks result in devastating losses, including the death of Juliet's longtime boyfriend, and the Syndicate begins to suspect that Mariam's family is somehow involved, Juliet must rise above her heartbreak to discover the truth.
In her quest, Juliet is paired with Graham―a dashing yet arrogant FBI agent―and embarks on a dangerous journey toward love and survival as they race to obtain the formula that could solve the energy crisis.

But when peace demands a stunning betrayal, Juliet must decide how much she is willing to pay for the success of her mission. Brilliantly weaving fact and fiction, Butler tells a story seldom told―how female heroics can change the course of war. </i>

It took awhile to get into this book, at first having trouble connecting with the characters and the story, and then, suddenly, it all came together into an engaging, action- and romance- packed spy adventure. The dialogue between the two main characters occasionally felt a bit stilted and unnaturally flowery when veering towards their burgeoning romance, but that wasn’t enough to detract from the well- written political dynamics and action sequences. In those regards, the author clearly knows her stuff ( which makes sense for an ex-CIA). An enjoyable audiobook, as narrated by Amy Landon, that could also make a great movie.

Thank you Brittany Butler, Greenleaf Book Group Press, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Syndicate Spy
Author: Brittany Buttler @formerspy1
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
Stars: 5/5

Wow what a spy thriller this books was. It kept me on
the edge of my seat. I loved that the main character is
a strong female lead who is also not afraid to show
her soft vulnerable side. I wanted to add part of the
synopsis from the author’s website that had me
wanting to read this book

”The future: Earth’s oil reserves are depleted. Nations
race against terrorists for control over alternative
energy sources, and the Syndicate—a conglomerate of
allied intelligence agencies—must put an end to the
global energy war. Syndicate spy, Juliet Arroway, and
her best friend, Mariam, a Saudi princess, are tasked
to hunt down energy terrorists. When the Syndicate
begins to suspect that Mariam’s family is somehow
involved, tensions build and the carnage multiplies.
When peace means a stunning betrayal, Juliet must
decide if her mission is worth risking her own life as
well as the lives of those she loves.”

There are so many twist and turns in this story that I
ended up buying the book and stopped listening to the
audio version in part because I was not fond of the
narration. The book is well written and it is obvious
that that the author knows the “spy” world.

This is generally not the genre of book that I read but I
told myself that I was going to venture into new genres
in 2023. I could never of imagined the final outcome. I
am looking forward to more Juliet Arroway adventures!

Thank you to @NetGalley for the Audio ARC that
started my adventure with Juliet.
To Brittany Butler @formerspy1 and to Greenleaf Books
for publishing this book.

@formerspy1 #greenleadbookgr #thesyndicatespy
#julietarroway #ciaagent #intelligence #secretagent
#femalespy #spystories #espionage #book
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklovers #book
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.

Initially, I was very excited for this story. It was like stumbling upon a Yelp review for a new restaurant that looked like a perfect match for me. A action packed spy thriller with a zest of romance. Sadly, it fell short of my expectations. To put into food perspective, my burger was overdone, the fries were cold and the ranch sucked. I couldn’t wait to get the check and go home.

I found the action sequences to be completely unbelievable and the romance was being forced upon us at inappropriate times, taking away from scenes. The characters were too predictable and cheesy. I found myself laughing out loud at how corny the romance scenes could be and it just pulled me out of the story every time. The main love interest, Graham, is too perfect. He always says the right thing at the right time, it’s like he’s tapped into her head, making it uninteresting because there’s no emotional investment. Juliet, never seemed like the hardened spy she claimed to be, always making stupid decisions in combat situations and putting her partner in compromising positions. Also, does no one die in this book? Grenade blasts, gun shots, sword slices, broken jaws and everyone just shrugs it off like they’re fine. So many scenes in this book had me wondering, why’re we even reading anymore? There’s nothing at stake, the main characters can’t die, they just get hurt and then magically heal super quick. This book got really boring really fast.

A positive, I think the author illustrates the complex duality that intelligence officers and SOF operators deal with on a daily basis, juggling who they are as a person and who they’ve become. Overall, I thought the plot had a lot of promise but the execution left me disappointed.

I listened to the audio format and I thought the narrator did a great job of playing the different characters, but when doing scenes with multiple accents you could hear her start to blend them together.

An interesting fast paced espionage story with suspense, mystery and romantic elements around the non usual topic of energy resources for our planet. The topic was approached realistically and with the necessary literature nuances to carry away the reader or audiobook listener.

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook and the narrators' voices added up to a nice audio experience. However, if I was to suggest one thing is that I would prefer it to be a bit shorter in length. The audiobook was almost 11 hours long.

I’m a big fan of mystery/thriller novels. I would say this book was more of a romance novel. Brittany Butler’s professional background does give the spy part more credibility. The narration was done well. If you are wanting a light romance, women’s fiction with a bit of fighting for justice, you will enjoy this book.

Thank you #NetGalley, #GreenleafBookGroupPress, #BrittanyButler, #AmyLandon and #TheSyndicateSpy for the advance audiobook for my honest opinion.

I think I have found my favorite genre and that is in part due to Brittany Butler! When I started listening to this one it was supposed to be for when I went on walks with the dogs and did my chores over the weekend, instead it was a sit through and ignore all other items on my to do list.

Butler gave me a spy I want to cheer on, a villain I want to hate, an asset I want to succeed., and a love interest I want to blossom. The content can be a little hard to handle at times, as it is indicative of the inequality of females and the sometimes gruesome events that happen in extremist groups in the middle east.

I cannot wait to get the next book of this series and it is absolutely one I will be anxiously awaiting with each new installment.

The narration was good, I enjoyed the tone of most characters--though there was one that just seemed a weird take (and since he was a main it was a lot), but it was not enough to take away from the story.

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

A good book that grabbed me and took me along for a ride. Glad I came across it

This book is typically something that I usually do not read but getting it as an audio book from NetGalley, I did not mind giving it a chance. While there was some real fun parts of the book, there were others where I would just go huh. I felt like the first part of the book they are trying to drill the name of the terrorists, I swear every other word was their name. It became a bit much. Then the under tone of the romance that Juliet build up with Graham, even though at the beginning she was with another guy for about six years. The way it just appeared made me go okay. But it was fun to read a different style book. I like the tension with Mariam when it came to her family and from that part of the book it went wild. So not being my cup of tea, if you like spy books with some twists and turns, this will be right up your alley. I look forward to seeing some other books as well.

I requested this audiobook ARC because of the title and synopsis. First time author, Brittany Butler, ex CIA agent, did not disappoint. The first book in the series takes you all over the globe. Syndicate agents, Juliet Arroway and her partner Maryam work together in an attempt to bring peace between the West and Arabic nation’s fight over synthetic energy.
Butler gives us action and suspense while intricately mixing fact and fiction. Add in a steamy romance, thrills, and twists ….all making for an engaging page turner. It has some predictability, but still keeps you focused on the storyline and what happens next. Juliet, the main character, full of passion and fury, at times, just could not get out of her own way. Makes me wonder if the author gave us some of her own experiences through Juliet.
As it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, eagerness awaits! I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

I don't often read spy thrillers, but when I have in the past, I've enjoyed them. So I decided to take a chance on this one.

Unfortunately, it just didn't do it for me. I found Juliet Arroway, the main female character, to be overly controlled by her emotions, whatever they happened to be at the moment, which is likely to get a spy killed. Whether she was fixated on grief, revenge or love, that was her sole focus to the exclusion of all else. As a result, she lacked depth and wasn't very likable.

I did like Graham, her male counterpart, well enough, but there were too many things that weren't believable, like getting sliced in the abdomen with a scimitar and being near death, only to need a few stitches to survive.

Given the author's background, I had anticipated something with some realism to it, but this just didn't really work for me at all.

All the same, I appreciate the advance review copy. Thank you, Brittany Butler, Greenleaf and NetGalley.

This book was outside the genre I usually read. As usual the romance was my favorite part. The narrator’s voice was very fitting to the character. I felt like it fit perfectly. There were some moments where her voice was so deep and quiet that it was hard to hear without adjusting the volume. I liked her use of voices in the story but there were moments where she didn’t change her voice and I was unsure who was talking.

The story itself was good. It started a little slow for me. I think at the 60% mark it really picked up. One of the plot twists was predictable to me but the other was quite shocking. If I can get myself in the mood for a book outside of romance maybe I will continue to the series again. I do love Graham. A dashing and arrogant FBI agent is right. Juliet was meh for me. Honestly I could take or leave her. Overall book was good.

Published: 05/22/23
Narrator: Amy Landon

Thank you NetGalley and Brittany Butler, Greenleaf Book Group Press for accepting my request to read and review The Syndicate Spy.

The cover states -- A Juliet Arroway Novel, as far as I can tell this is the first and I hope there is a second. I liked Juliet, and inturn the book. Right away the book started, kudos to Butler for that. Rarely do I come across a book where the first thirty to forty pages are more than setting up the story. TSS reminded me of the television show 24. Out of the gate the action was on. TSS and 24 were centered around work. When you take a job, you have to learn about your coworkers while performing. Butler did a good job developing the personal side while getting the spy-business done. The story itself is smart. There are middle-eastern countries, cultures, and clothing pieces mentioned appropriately.

I did take issue with Juliet at the border with Graham. Maybe, just maybe that was realistic, I had a hard time believing it then, and I'm still not buying it. ( no spoiling). There was some bantering between them that I thought dumbed down the smart storyline.

I did like the full circle part of the story. There was a shielding incident that I had forgotten all about, and whoa Butler did not.

The narrator was good, and I hope if there is a second book she will narrate.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I take issue with 95% of the swearing, it cheapened the writing and was not necessary. It felt as if it was inserted to fulfill a quota. For that 3.5 stars, not rounding up.

I tried but finally had enough. DNF. The main character had a giant chip on her shoulder, was ridiculously defensive and offended with other military groups, externally emotional, and on the brink of handing over confidential secrets to her boyfriend. Not believable as someone who could hack it in that arena where that would be the daily environment/choices.

Thanks to Netgalley for advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

Great book! I love a good spy story and was hooked from the start and loved the main character was a female. It was fast paced, race against the clock action. Juliet wasn't going to slow her fight against the terrorists.

I can't wait for more from this author.

Well written and full of details that feel plucked from the news, politics, science and current conflicts. Set in the near future, the pace is fast, though slowed for romantic interludes that should appeal to romantic suspense fans. I’m more a fan of straight suspense, but appreciate that this has a strong female /male dynamic. A fully fleshed out ending also leaves room for more books with these characters.

Do you have a summer road trip planned and want to load up on a few audiobooks for the trip? The Syndicate Spy recently came out in audio. I was looking forward to this book when it came out in print back in March but I seem to have more time for audiobooks right now.

I love a good spy thriller, though I prefer ones set during the Cold War era as opposed to the present-day. I like the spycraft that was required now it seems to be all about high-tech surveillance and computer hacking. Even though this is a contemporary setting, I was drawn to it because Butler is a former CIA officer. Most spy novels I read are written by men and feature male protagonists. I was hoping for a female-centered Jack Ryan-type novel.

Juliet is part of an international intelligence agency called The Syndicate. She is paired with Graham. I didn't care for their early interactions. They don't get along and the banter between them felt like it was trying too hard to set them up as romantic interests. My initial thought was how unnecessary this was in a spy thriller. The banter is similar to what you read in an enemies-to-lovers rom-com. I soon realized that I had to shift my expectation that this was a spy thriller and instead, it was perhaps romantic suspense. But as the story progresses more and more romance tropes were introduced and by the end, I came to the conclusion that this was a romance novel masquerading as a spy novel.

While it was not the book I was expecting, it is a decent romance novel. I'm not a big reader of romance novels, particularly ones that have detailed sex scenes. If I had been reading this book, I would have skimmed over those scenes, but that isn't easily done with an audiobook.

I also found the social commentary a little heavy-handed at times. The world is in an energy crisis and an Arab nation has discovered the formula for an endless renewable energy source. The leader wants to keep the formula a secret and basically control the world because they will have to bend to his will to access this energy. There are parallels to what we see now with a few countries controlling most of the available oil.

The Syndicate Spy is Butler's first novel and I see the potential for her becoming a great author. The problems that I had with the writing are often seen in debut novels and are often resolved as the author becomes more comfortable with her voice.

If you love romance novels that feature international danger and don't mind a little heat, then this is a book for you. The story was easy to follow as an audiobook, though I thought the male voices didn't sound very male - like you could tell a female was trying to sound like a man.

My review will be published on Monday at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/06/4-romantic-stories-for-your-summer.html

Set in the not so distant future, this spy novel starts off with a secret spy, Juliet Arroway, following in her father's steps, working undercover in Saudi Arabia and sets off on a fast paced journey that is full of non-stop punches that are one thing after another suspense that kept me reading and fully engaged in trying to figure out if I could guess the ending. I couldn't, though I really did try. Excellent story line, great characters, and I want more! Brittany Butler brings her real life experience to the pages of the book that make it utterly believable and I can't wait to see what else she brings to the table.
I listened to the Audiobook narrated by Amy Landon, who did a phenomenal job with her pacing and tone. Kudos!
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

'The Syndicate Spy' is an espionage thriller featuring a female protagonist - syndicate agent Juliet Arroway. Miriam, another syndicate agent and best friend of Juliet, also happens to be a Saudi princess and handsome FBI agent, Graham, round out the list of main characters. The Syndicate is a conglomerate of allied intelligence agencies. Their goal is to maintain world peace as a global energy war heats up as the result of a world-wide depletion of energy.

A power takeover in the Saudi royal family has led to an increase in violence and a further threat of war. The new, self-appointed head of the family, Miriam’s uncle, is brutal and ruthless and he wants his niece Miriam by his side. He claims to have a recipe for synthetic oil. Juliet and Graham are on the ground seeking information through their assets that could aid them in learning where and how the synthetic oil is made. When rumors begin circulating that Miriam may have turned to her uncle’s side, Juliet is in disbelief. She must find Miriam and save her from her tyrant uncle.

An action spy thriller with plenty of twists and turns. The Syndicate has it all: friendships, betrayals, power hungry leaders and a juicy love interest. The author is a former CIA targeting officer and director of operations in counter terrorism centered at home and abroad. The Syndicate Spy' is book one of the Juliet Arroway series. This was an excellent audiobook - I couldn’t stop listening. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I received a free audiobook in exchange for a fair review. Audiobook Publication Date: May, 2023. Thank you to NetGalley, Brittany Butler and Greenleaf Book Group Press for this Advanced Release audio book.

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In the not so distant future, the world has run out of oil based energy resources and the agents of The Syndicate have a complex job in navigating the energy war as terrorists seek control over alternative energy resources. Greed still guides actions among nations. Spies from The Syndicate fight to keep the peace. Among them is Juliette. Compassionate and fierce she is on a mission to track down the terrorists and maintain peace among nations. Having lost her father in this energy war, she is fueled by grief.
The story is well developed and I found myself invested in the characters. There was a brief time I almost stopped listening when the MC’s sexual attraction and banter while fighting for their lives seems unrealistic. I stayed with it and was glad I did!
The book is action packed and while I did figure out one of the major twists early on, I was mind blown by the other major plot twist! Well done and totally unexpected!