4 stars.

"Code Word Romance" by Calie Walker is a blast of a story! It's an espionage suspense thriller with a second-chance and forbidden romance mixed in for good measure. I found this book to be snappy and fast-paced. It engaged me and kept my interest from start to finish. The story might be fairly farfetched, but that's spy novels for you! I liked the characters a lot, especially Max. I found her to be wholly relatable and well-rounded as a character. The doppelganger aspect involving a Sofia, a prime minister, and Max, was entertaining and even had its moments of hilarity. It took me a while to warm up to Flynn as the main male character, but once I did, I got fully invested in his story. Max and Flynn have a lot of chemistry and red-hot, sharp-tongued banter between one another. I liked learning about their backstorie, though I did absolutely *hate* his nickname for her. I laughed out loud on several occasions and even gasped a few times, too! This is a high-stakes, bullet-flying thriller with a good balance of exhilaration, heat, passion, intrigue, and romance. Great writing, a really fun read. I liked it a lot!

Thank you to NetGalley, Carlie Walker, and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I wasn’t too sure what to expect going into this one, but it turns out romcoms and assassination attempts are a solid combination. I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was fast-paced and fun while still keeping you on your toes.

I love a spy romance, and while our main character isn't technically a spy, I think being a body double counts. This was a really fun read between the second chance romance, faking being a prime minister, and all the action of thwarting assassination attempts meant for said prime minister. I enjoyed the mystery of it all and was engaged with romance too. Definitely recommending as a good beach read!

This was a fun and fast paced second chance romance. It was quirky and silly at times, but I thought it balanced the action well. Sometimes the reason for the separation tanks the second chance trope for me, but this one worked. Max and Flynn were so young when they were together, that it was understandable that things would turn out the way they did. I liked that they got to know each other again as adults and readers were able to see the connection that brought them together in the first place. I will admit though that the second chance trope could have probably been omitted from the story completely and I think it still would have worked as a forced proximity/bodyguard romance. The ending was very sweet and this one left me with a smile on my face.

The narration by Stephanie Németh-Parker was wonderful! I was very impressed by all of the different accents and voices she used to differentiate the characters. Overall, this was an entertaining and fun romance!

Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars

CW: financial concerns, threats to safety, assassination attempts (knives, bombs, car chases, guns, etc)

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

Thank you to @berkleyromance & @carliewalkerauthor for the free #gifted copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Code Word Romance
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Carlie Walker
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 320

𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Margaux (Max) had lost everything after the pandemic…her restaurant/job, her home, her close relationships. It broke her when she lost her restaurant. On top of that she couldn’t find a chef job anywhere and resorted to work for a catering company UNTIL she was contacted by the CIA for an undercover assignment that could change her life forever! Flynn is her handler/bodyguard and happens to be her teenage ex-boyfriend surprises her when she gets to Italy for the assignment. He tries to talk her out of it but the five million dollars would fix all of her problems!

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐬:
• Second Chance
• Romantic Suspense
• Fake Dating
• Forced Proximity
• Undercover Spy Mission
• Italian Getaway

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
• It’s full of action!
• Safe word “pesto”
• Lots of bullets & sparks flying!
• Great side characters
• All of the sass and banter!
• The Ending!!! I LOVED it!

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: I really enjoyed this book! It was super cute, full of twists and turns. Just when I thought I knew who the bad guy was, something happened and I changed my mind. It did get a little silly at times but I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good romantic suspenseful story! Carlie is a new author to me and I can’t wait to read more books by her!

This book was such a fun and unique read! A woman is approached by the CIA to act as a body double for a world leader—only to find out her bodyguard is none other than her ex-boyfriend. The action and mystery kept me on my toes, while the romance added a sweet touch. I would have loved to see more of their second-chance history (which is often my complaint with this trope), but their current dynamic was charming. The chemistry and banter between them made for a fun contrast to the high-stakes plot, making this an enjoyable read overall!

The first thing that I have to say is I don’t like the CIA butting into my life or the main character's life. I find it a bit rude to interrupt my life for someone else who looks like me. It’s a hard no. I don’t like it at all, especially for the main character, Max.

Second thing, why did I have a feeling that Max Handler might be familiar? And I was right. It’s Max’s former love from years ago. Talk about heartbreak and betrayal all in one. That will be hard on anyone on any day. I feel for Max.

Third thing, we have a second chance trope in this cute cozy mystery book. And why do I feel so heartbroken for Max? She literally didn’t think she would see her former lover again after so many years. Now, he is her handler. I think it’s a good thing because they both have feelings for each other that need to be addressed. Best to get closure than to linger on.

Fourth thing, the roommate! I don’t know why, but I love him. He is one of a kind. The way he is so unserious yet determined to save Max is just perfect. I need him as my roommate.

Fifth thing, the comedy throughout the cozy mystery book had me going. There were so many moments that I laughed out so loud. It made the read lighthearted while the main character, Max, was trying to stay in character and stay alive. 

Last thing, I had a feeling who was behind it. You always have to trust your gut. It’s always someone you know. Always.

Romances filled with action and adventure have been becoming a favorite of mine lately, so I was thrilled to receive a copy of this new book from Carlie Walker!

Max is a doppelganger for the prime minister of a small European country, and when the CIA makes her an offer she can't refuse to pretend to be the prime minister on vacation and draw out the assassins targeting her, Max is immediately in danger. Oh, and her handler is her ex. Can he keep her safe on their Italian vacation?

This was such a fun read! Max is a complete fish out of water trying to live the prime minister's lifestyle, and there are definitely hijinks and hilarious side characters to balance out the assassins and danger. I'd love to see Max's antics on the screen, as this would make for such a fun movie or show!

The second chance romance is a slow burn as our characters get to know one another as adults and learn to trust and rely on each other in a dangerous situation. They truly feel like a team once they realize that their best option is to get along, and this book had the perfect blend of adventure and romance!

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the advance reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This was such a fun book. I am here for all the spy romances I can read. Add in a trip to an Italian resort getaway? Sign me up.

Max is a look alike to the prime minister of a small European country. So the CIA asks her to be a body double on a vacation because the prime minister is being targeted by an assassin. It will be easy, they said, Just lounging by the pool, they said.

This is action packed and such a good time. I side-eyed literally every single character and suspected all of them. Read this book for the everyday person becomes a spy storyline. It's more developed than the romance.

But the romance was still quite sweet. It was a second chance love story, and that made the fast pace work for me in a way that a first time meeting would not have. Flynn is Max's CIA handler, and sparks fly from the very first moment.

Stephanie Nemeth-Parker did an excellent job narrating the whole story and adding to the intensity and excitement through the emotion her voice conveyed.

4.5 stars rounded up

I’m easy to please. Give me a Vespa, a second chance romance, spies, a quirky side character or two, and a gorgeous setting and I’m all in.

Max and Flynn were such a fun couple. I love a forbidden/bodyguard romance and I loved how his book had a doppelgänger element as the catalyst for the story. Their second chance reunion was a bit more action than romance, but it fit the story perfectly.

I loved The Takedown, so Code Word Romance has been a highly anticipated 2025 read. I thought it was a great blend of action and romance, and the fast pace kept me engaged from beginning to end.

Grab your ranch dressing and your kindle and dive in!

Thank you to @berkleyromance for the #gifted eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker is an entertaining second chance, high stakes, forced proximity, and secret identities with a bit of mystery, an identity switch and assassins that was filled with humor and lots of action.

Max Adams was living her dream when she opened the restaurant of her dreams to raves, but they were destroyed when the pandemic hit. She amassed a huge amount of debt trying to keep the doors open but ultimately failed. Slowly trying to rebuild her life, Max gets an offer that could solve all her money problems, since she is the perfect doppelgänger for the Prime Minister of Summerland. She expected to be able to relax in Italy, not being thrown into the deep end of having to evade assassins and fake her way through international diplomacy; all while being stuck with her maddeningly attractive ex, Flynn Forrester, now a CIA agent.

Packed with Vespa chases, assassination attempts, Ms. Walker combined romance, comedy, and suspense, all set against the Amalfi Coast. There were plenty of twists and turns in this book with the romance portion being secondary to the action and suspense. The secondary characters were an integral part of this story, adding depth and dimensional factors.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
# NetGalley # BerkleyPublishing

Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

This book is like if The Lizzie McGuire Movie were for adults, and those adults were actually in the CIA, and Isabella is a foreign prime minister instead of a pop star, and Lizzie is a body double standing in to foil an assassination attempt, and her CIA handler is actually her ex-boyfriend/summer fling from high school that hasn’t seen her in over a decade but never fell out of love with her. That is the exact vibe of this book. And if that intrigues you, then this might be the book for you! 😉

Code Word Romance is the story of Margaux Adams, or Max as her friends know her. Max has always dreamed of being a chef and owning her own restaurant. Unfortunately, after making that dream a reality, COVID hit her business hard, and she had to close, leaving her in major debt. When a suspicious woman in a trench coat comes knocking and makes her an offer she can’t refuse, her life gets flipped upside down. All she has to do is pretend to be the prime minister of a small island country for five days, and she’ll get five million dollars. She can pay off her debt to her friends and family and maybe even re-open her restaurant. But there’s a catch … this prime minister is currently the target of a major assassination plot. The CIA assures her that this will be as easy assignment. Spend a few days on the Amalfi Coast in Positano, Italy, then a few days in Rome pretending to be Sofia Christensen while they draw out the assassin, and all her money problems will disappear. But things are not always as they seem, and the plot on her/Sofia’s life may go deeper than even the CIA knows. That is not to mention her super sexy handler who also just happens to be the boy who broke her heart when she was 17 … what could go wrong?

This book was so cute!! I actually loved it, which is unusual in a second chance romance for me. It’s actually my least favorite trope in romance books, but this one did it so well that I didn’t even mind. The premise of this book is so cool. How fun would it be to have a famous doppelgänger? And to work with the CIA? Anything cloak and dagger like that has always been so fascinating to me, and I love reading about it. Asset x handler was a pairing I didn’t know I desperately needed in my life, but I did! Now was some of it wildly unrealistic? Ok, yeah sure. But isn’t the whole point of reading to escape your world and suspend belief for awhile? I digress.

Flynn and Max had such good chemistry! It was so fiery and palpable. I was rooting for them so hard. Flynn totally had “touch her and die” vibes and actually had the skills to make good on it. He had that whole mysterious, CIA thing going for him, too. It was so obvious that he was still hung up on Max after all those years, and there is nothing I love more than a man who pines 😮‍💨.

Also, I am so obsessed with Calvin, Max’s quirky roommate who always happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He truly made this book laugh out loud hilarious with all of his antics.

This really was an adorable read! I would compare it to a Katherine Center novel. It would be the perfect book to take to the beach or sit by the pool with. A little romance, a little action, a little spice. Picturesque, European beach scenery. We loooove. I highly recommend adding this to your summer TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley, Carlie Walker, and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker is a fun, action-packed rom-com with the perfect mix of suspense and sizzling chemistry.
Max, a chef drowning in debt, is offered a life-changing deal: pretend to be Europe’s youngest female prime minister, Sofia Christensen, while avoiding assassination attempts. The catch? Her assigned bodyguard is Flynn—the man who once broke her heart.
I loved the blend of humor, action, and romance. Max is a strong, relatable protagonist, and her banter with Flynn had me laughing throughout. Their second-chance romance adds depth to the story, making their dynamic even more engaging. The spy training scenes were especially fun, and the Amalfi Coast setting added a dreamy backdrop.
While some parts felt a little rushed, the chemistry between Max and Flynn kept me hooked. If you love second-chance romance, espionage, and witty banter, this book is a must-read!

This was just what I needed! This book has everything. It’s hilarious, packed with action and suspense, and has a captivating second chance romance that had me rooting for Max and Flynn the whole way through. The writing is witty and entertaining, and I had so much fun following along on the adventure. I loved main character Max, she is endearing and unique, just like the storyline!

Read/listen if you like ⇣
•Rom-com
•Action-packed
•CIA mission
•Italian setting
•Second chance romance
•Fake dating
•Single POV
•Light spice

Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the eARC

This book was really cute and kind of gave me vibes of Chasing Liberty/First Daughter vibes.

Max is recruited by the CIA to be a body double or a Prime Minister in a small island called Summerland. They happen to look exactly alike, and the Prime Minister, Sofia, is currently the target of an assassination. When Max accepts the job and shows up to Italy, it turns out that her handler is her ex and first love, Flynn. Now she has to not only avoid being killed, but see her ex for the first time in over 10 years.

Honestly, my favorite part of this novel was the action movie style with Sofia and Max and Flynn. I love the assassination attempts and trying to figure out who was after Sofia and why. I was a little let down by who ended up being behind the attempts as well as how it was figured out. But up until that point I really liked it.

I also did like the chemistry between Max and Flynn. It was interesting to see that they immediately picked up with their feelings from where they had left off, but I guess if you loved someone and never got closure those feelings could still be pretty close to the surface. I didn’t love the reveal for why their relationship ended in the first place. To be fair, I don’t love second chance romances so as far as that goes, the reason was fine. I didn’t feel like they had split due to reasons that were going to ruin a second chance. I was just a little disappointed because it was more of a “Really?” moment.

Max is an interesting character because she’s simultaneously a mess and really together. She knows what she wants but doesn’t quite know how to get it. I did enjoy her roommate because he was a bit silly. But at times that silliness went a little too far. At one point, he slips out of the CIA’s hands and ends up just exploring Rome and I don’t understand how the CIA could be that incapable.

Overall, the story was super cute. I was sucked in pretty quickly and wanted to know that Max, Sofia, and Flynn were going to be ok. There just were some parts that I felt could’ve been fleshed out a little more. I think if you enjoy early 2000’s bait and switch action comedies, you’ll enjoy this one. I just wanted a little more.

Code Word Romance felt like I was watching a movie. Part Knight and Day, part The Spy Who Dumped me. This is a fun quick read that makes me want to book a ticket to Italy ASAP.

_
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Flynn. Calvin. ☺️

I was worried this book would be predictable but there were so many scenes that surprised me! Flynn was a delightful MMC. Max made for an interesting FMC. Calvin was such a fun side character.

The hijinks that unfolded all around Max through this story definitely kept you interested and trying to figure out what would happen next. Anyone else want to throw a lobster at someone?

Carlie Walker has found her niche. She has cornered the market with action Rom-Coms. Codeword Romance is so fun, thrilling and action packed. This was a fun one, and I loved the Italy atmosphere

Max agrees to body double as a foreign prime minister to the tune of five million dollars and a stress free Italian vacation. Only it's not stress free and someone wants her (errrr the PM) unalived.
Her handler is none other than the one who got away which is confusing and a little painful but also a lot dreamy.
Carlie's debut The Takedown was such a joy to read, Code Word Romance immediately became a highly anticipated read for
2025. It did not disappoint. If you need a book to bring you joy, I don't think you could go wrong with this one. It's a romp (not serious) sort of high stakes Italian adventure but with paparazzi, pasta, and a high speed chase or two. I had a lot of fun reading this one while traveling myself!
Thank you Berkley Romance for the advanced copy! All thoughts are my own.

Max is majorly in debt after her restaurant went under. When the CIA approaches Max to act as a body double for the Prime Minister of Summerland (whose life is in danger) for $5 million dollars, she says yes. She is shocked to find out her handler is Flynn, who she shared a summer romance with years ago.

This book had a little bit of everything. A romcom mixed with action and mystery. It was a quick and entertaining read. I really enjoyed Max as the FMC. She was brave, smart and fun. Unfortunately, the chemistry was lacking for me. A bit disappointing with the second chance romance trope.