This starts out feeling very reminiscent of Finlay Donovan. A divorced single mom gets roped into some spy drama and the Russian mafia is involved. It definitely reads like a comedy of errors and was quite ridiculous at times. I did laugh out loud a few times and had a fun time while reading it but ultimately I didn't care much for our main character. She was self-deprecating to the point of annoying, but did show some growth by the end. I didn't believe the romance at all...where did it come from and where was the chemistry? I didn't see it at all. Overall this one was just ok for me. If it's a series I will not be continuing.

Errands & Espionage is a clever and entertaining blend of humor, mystery, and adventure. Sam Tschida crafts a unique story filled with quirky characters and unexpected twists that kept me hooked throughout. The mix of everyday errands and spy-level intrigue made for a fresh, fun read that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still delivers a satisfying plot. Perfect for readers who enjoy lighthearted suspense with plenty of personality. Definitely a recommend!

ERRANDS & ESPIONAGE by Sam Tschida was such a laugh-out-loud and entertaining spy rom-com! everyone needs a best friend like justin.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book to read and review. I'm SO SORRY that I'm almost a year late with my review, I saw it was still in my queue and wanted to still be able to share my thoughts on Errands & Espionage.

I do believe this is going to end up either being a series or having multiple books, and I will definitely keep reading and seeing where our hero Gabby Greene goes with her story. This was an incredibly fast-paced and easy to read book, and I flew through it. I really love mysteries where everyday people (especially women around my age) are suddenly in circumstances where they have to do spy/detective work (like the Finlay Donovan and Arsenic & Adobo series.) This book definitely follows in that tradition, and is enjoyable for all of the same reasons - but I don't think it's as smartly done. I know that the book has to establish Gabby as COMPLETELY out of her element when the CIA suddenly knocks on her door, needing her to go undercover for a big mission: who WOULDN'T be in chaos if that happened to them?!

A little hot mess would be fun. But Gabby is presented as so completely clueless and haphazard that it does her no favors. She's a recently divorced stay-at-home mom who has to pivot to earn money for the first time in over a decade, but those could truly be her superpowers. Instead of being depicted as a 30-something who's had to carry a LOT on her shoulders, learning along the way, she's consistently shown as a mess who calls in backup for EVERY little detail of her life, calling in her friends, her EX, and even her own children when they're at school to ask her daughter basic questions about using a computer. You know that even if she hasn't been in the office for awhile, she has still been working in the home and managing a family and their needs, so it would be so smart to see her use those skills to blow even the top-tier bad guys away. It could be so empowering to see Gabby come into her own, and learn to be self-reliant as she learns how to be a spy, but I don't know if she ever just takes a breath, plunges in, and does the hard thing (or even the medium/easy thing.) Like I said, I *do* want to see what missions Gabby will have next, but I mostly want to see her shine, because women aren't just bumbling through big things!

Errands & Espionage is a wildly entertaining rom‑com spy adventure centered on Gabby Greene, a newly divorced stay‑at‑home mom who’s recruited by the CIA because she looks just like a dead agent. Tasked with infiltrating a Russian mob operation—all while managing carpools, PTA drama, and meatloaf mishaps—Gabby tumbles headlong into a life she never saw coming. What works brilliantly here is Gabby’s blend of wit, vulnerability, and surprising competence. Tschida writes comedy that lands: from dart‑gun encounters to hilarious mom‑life commentary and a dash of clumsy espionage that’ll have you laughing out loud. Gabby’s banter with her CIA mentor/regal hunk Markus adds swoony fun, although some readers wanted a bit more romantic depth. It’s fast‑paced, playful, and occasionally absurd—in the best way. Sure, the spy plot occasionally feels familiar and not all scenes land with full gravitas, but Tschida keeps momentum through charm and cozy chaos. Most of all, it’s reassuring: this ordinary mom becomes extraordinary on her own terms. Wrap this up and serve with a side of laugh‑out‑loud mom moments. Perfect if you love screwball comedies with a spy-ish twist and relatable heroes who don’t wear heels. A fun romp that makes everyday life feel a little more… thrilling.

Newly divorced and mom of two, Gabby Greene opens the door one morning to find two CIA agents on her porch. To her utter shock, they offer her a job to go undercover and bring down members of the Russian mafia. She agrees, but has absolutely no relevant experience and quickly learns that this job is a lot harder and more dangerous than they made it seem. Can Gabby get the job done while jugging single mom life and keeping her family safe all at the same time?

Errands & Espionage was a total delight of a book! I found myself laughing out loud and speeding through it to find out what would happen. I thought Gabby was very relatable and one of my favorite main characters that I've read about in a while. Throughout this book, I felt like all the characters were surprisingly well-developed, even the side characters with the smallest roles. All in all, I really loved this book and would recommend to anyone who is a fan of the Finlay Donovan series!

4.5 stars, rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

2.5 stars

I really feel like the story could have been tightened up quite a bit and tried really hard to inject a lot of humor but it didn't always land. The romance also felt lackluster with very little chemistry and connection.

This had a fun concept and some laugh-out-loud moments, but it didn’t quite hook me the way I’d hoped. The mix of mom life and spy stuff was entertaining, just a little over the top at times. Still a light, quick read with some clever moments, I just wanted a bit more depth or connection to the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley for the E-ARC. I freakin love a good divorced hot mess mom vibes, because let's face it we are all a little hot mess people. Gabby (FMC) gets thrown into being a undercover 🥸 spy after being a housewife for the last 14 years. This book was so hilarious and there were so many You Got This Girl!! moments and I was here for it all.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

Errands & Espionage by Sam Tschida is a fun, comedic spy novel for fans of the Finlay Donovan series.

Gabby Greene is a newly divorced, stay-at-home mom who is barely hanging in there when she is recruited by the CIA to go undercover. They need her help because she looks distinctly like an agent that was recently murdered. This leads us on a fun and crazy story that gets more unbelieveable as you go (but that's what makes this a great escape read)! I loved Gabby - she was extremely relateable and a bit goofy. The side characters are really good, too! As Gabby works to get info on the Russian mob, she gets herself into all sorts of predicaments and takes us on for the wild ride.

Overall, I thought that this was a quick, easy read with funny and relateable characters, and crazy shenanigans that will make you laugh out loud. I look forward to joining Gabby on her next mission. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Errands & Espionage has such a fun premise and I enjoyed going along for the ride. However, I found myself constantly comparing this book to a series with a similar concept, and E&E just came up short for me. Though a bit outlandish, I found the plot fun and mostly engaging. The heroine, however, was bumbling and frenetic and I found her hard to root for. I recommend this book if you're looking for something fun, somewhat silly, and if you haven't read books of a similar format.

Thank you to Forever for gifting me with an ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun and silly cozy mystery. I love books with “hot mess” moms for main characters. Add spy stuff? Yes please. I can’t wait for the next one to see more of Agent Gabby Greene and her crazy life

This was the perfect read at this time in my life. I loved the cozy fun vibes wrapped in a fun mystery read. I enjoyed Gabby's character and could relate a lot to her situation with her kids. This book took me out of real life and brought me a fun weekend read.

What a fun, smart, spy rom-com! Adults who love a good spy romance will soak up this story and sympathize with the every-day problems that lead into the story! Perfect summer-time read!

Gabby Greene is just a stay at home mom trying to make ends meet when the EOD comes to her door with an offer to go undercover for them. Gabby is not exactly the undercover type. She's not coordinated, has no self defense skills, and isn't sure what she's getting herself into. But she says yes, and goes on a crazy week of work as an executive assistant for a money launderer. Funny and full of self discovery, Gabby learns a lot about herself in a few short days. She learns that she can do what she puts here mind to, and that she has value outside of being a divorced mom.

Errand and Espionage is a great book with fun characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"Errands & Espionage" is a captivating mix of mystery and humor that kept me hooked from start to finish. With an engaging plot, lively characters, sharp dialogue, and well-timed plot twists, Gabby Greene’s unexpected dive into espionage is an absolute treat.

The pacing is just right, with twists that hit at the perfect moments. The spy action is fast-paced and thrilling, while the relationships between the characters are rich and authentic. Gabby’s transformation from a worried mother to a high-stakes spy is portrayed with emotional depth. She goes from juggling her kids' schedules to risking her life to protect her family, and you really feel her sacrifices. The ending is both satisfying and leaves you eager for what’s next in Gabby’s new life.

I highly recommend this fun, exciting read, especially to fans of the Finlay Donovan series. A big thank you to Forever Publishing for providing a digital copy through NetGalley— all opinions in this review are my own.

2.75 stars rounded up.

Errands & Espionage is a comedic spy adventure about a divorced single mom who is roped into pretending to be a CIA agent. If that sounds wildly improbable to you, it is. And it doesn't get more probable as the book goes on. Now, I can usually suspend my disbelief for the sake of having a good time, but besides the FMC's relationship with her best friend, the rest of this book fell extremely flat. Her kids were annoying rather than endearing, there's no way I thought she was *good* at being a CIA agent, and the romance was sooooo boring. Her relationships with everyone (except her best friend) were extremely one-dimensional, which definitely influenced how much I enjoyed the story.

I'm going to sound contradictory here because I genuinely thought the writing was good. I got through this story in probably 3 sittings and it was extremely easy to read 100+ pages at a time and not feel like much time had passed. I like the author's writing style.

Besides the characters and the writing, the plot was boring. It's been done before (and done better), and I'm pretty sure I caught a moment where a character who wasn't supposed to know her real name (because she's undercover), said it twice. Maybe that was supposed to be a "hint" about that character (because yes I predicted who the "mole" was), but if it was a hint it was wayyyyy too obvious. I hope that was fixed in the finished copies.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with copies of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Single mom getting recruited by the CIA simply because she looks like an agent who was killed… sign me UP!

This seriously felt like a 2010s comedy spy movie - I loved the beginning and middle but the end was only okay. I did feel like it was kinda trying to be Finlay Donovon - not that it was the same but definitely inspired by the books and it just felt like another iteration of it. I did really enjoy this book and the amount of times i laughed out loud!

Reminiscent of Finlay Donovan, this fun mystery is a good fit for anyone who loves amateur sleuth stories, particularly when they seem like they could be your neighbor!

From carpool lane to deep undercover work, this is motherhood and spy work with a twist.

✨ Book Review: ERRANDS AND ESPIONAGE by Sam Tschida ✨

🥸 Gabby Greene is a stay-at-home mom going through a divorce. She’s spiralling and not at all who you would think of as a good candidate for the Elite Operatives Department (EOD), a specialized, off-the-books division of the CIA. Yet, she looks just like the agent who was just compromised and killed and this mission is critical. What ensues is hilarious, relatable, and so fun.

Read ERRANDS AND ESPIONAGE for
🥸 Hilariously clumsy spy antics
🦸‍♀️ Modern day motherhood realities
🪩 Amazing support characters, especially best friend Justin/Betty Danger
🪆 Russian mafia
🤯 Satisfying whodunit surprise reveal

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5/5 stars)

😘 Thanks to @ReadForeverPub and @NetGalley for the gifted eARC. All opinions are my own.