This story is a mix of completely implausible events and great characters. Max and Flynn are wonderful, the additional characters are confusing, are they good guys or bad, colorful and interesting.

Did I say implausible? I'm repeating myself because that was a key word as I read this story. Max a nearly exact image of prime minister Sofia? Flynn, her ex, an agent for the CIA who just happens to need a double for Sofia. Some of the events that occur to these three are almost cringe worthy. Somehow, Walker managers to pull it all together, give almost believable explanations and make the entire story worth following. I found myself enjoying Flynn, Max and their relationship. Max is so hard on herself. Hard enough that she's willing to put her life at risk standing in for Sofia to earn the money to pay back everyone who supported her failed restaurant. She's also capable enough to actual pass herself off as Sofia when their ruse of laryngitis doesn't work. It doesn't take long for the attraction between Max and Flynn to rekindle but he hurt her badly. She needs some time to deal with memories while he needs to maintain a professional position. There is tons of intrigue and action which I enjoyed. And of course the happily ever after.

I can recommend this books to readers who like romance, suspense and can accept the story at face value. It was a good read.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5

Max, an average American girl, who happens to closely resemble the prime minster of a small European country, gets recruited by the CIA to act as her double in Italy. Max is an incredible amount of debt, and doing this 'simple' job of vacationing at a luxurious resort will change her life for the better. The other bonus? Her handler is Flynn, a handsome ex who broke her heart many years ago. Once in Italy, things quickly turn and Max's life is threatened causing her and Flynn to grow closer and closer as they race around the streets of Italy, then across Europe to keep her alive.
Code Word Romance is light-hearted, romantic and full of fast-paced adventure. Overall it was a delightful escape and I will continue to read whatever Carlie Walker writes!

Out of desperation, Max agrees to work with the CIA unaware that she’d be partnered with her ex.

This was the perfect mix of action, humor and steamy romance!

I enjoyed the action pace that propelled this story forward. There was just enough suspense without being too much. The stakes were high almost the entire book but were able to come to a satisfactory conclusion.

More than once I caught myself laughing out loud. I loved the witty bite of humor throughout and her roommate was something special!

The romance goes through so many phases of awkwardness, bitterness and longing but it all worked together. This was open door but not overdone.

Second Chance
Suspenseful
One Bed
Funny
Fast Paced

Rating: 4/5
Spice: Open Door, 3/5

#bookstackcityreviews

Thank you @berkleypub for this #gifted copy!

🍕🍕🍕

This book was so much fun! I loved the set up and the premise, I loved the setting, and I loved the action. But mostly, I really loved watching these two characters fall back in love with each other. This book was so unique and I think it's the perfect vacation read!

Well color me surprised! I didn't hate this book! If you follow my reviews, you will know that I do NOT read romance books. No shade at all, they just don't interest me. I find the tense banter unrealistic and I don't enjoy reading sex scenes.

I picked this one up because the plot sounded a little more suspenseful and/or a little mysterious, and I am happy to report that it was! I liked the exciting plot of a decoy for a prime minister. I like the adventure in Italy parts! Overall it was really enjoyable!

I found Flynn and Max's relationship to be 100% realistic, their conversations with each other were real, not eye-rolling cheesy. I think this fact alone is what made me not dislike the book. It ended up being a very nice palate cleanser for me and I think this would make a great summer beach read!

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker is a fun rom-com with an unexpected second-chance romance.

We’re taken on several adventures as we race through parts of Rome and try to stay one step ahead of the assassins. The prologue drew me in immediately, and the epilogue gave me excellent closure.

Max and Flynn are the leads, with a cast of secondary characters, and it is often hard to decide who to trust. Max was a restaurant owner in Maine, and she had to give up her dream during the pandemic. She has a boatload of debt and owes family and friends but can’t get a job in her field. She lives with a roommate who is a character but definitely comes through in a clutch.

Flynn is CIA and becomes her handler when she becomes a body double of the prime minister of a small country who plans to holiday in Italy. Max and Flynn had a summer romance in their teens, but they lost touch when he returned home to Texas.

The story has several layers, marked with twists and turns and red herrings. The CIA often fails to protect Max while playing Sophia, so it’s good that she’s so resourceful. The story has closure with a happily ever after back in Maine, but I wish there were a few more details regarding Sophia after the big reveal.

Code Word Romance takes readers through Italy with laughter, secrets, and surprises. Max and Flynn are likable characters, and I enjoyed the plot and adventure.

The review is on NovelsAlive.

I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other sites.

Max was living her best life. She opened the restaurant of her dreams to raves, but her dreams were stolen when the pandemic hit. She amassed a huge amount of debt trying to keep the doors open and ultimately failed. Slowly trying to rebuild her life, Max got an offer that could solve all her money problems. She just has to impersonate the Prime Minister of Summerland while relaxing in Italy and evading assassins. Easy peasy, right?

I was a HUGE fan of The Takedown, and I am a HUGE fan of Code Word Romance. Once again, Carlie Walker took me on an action packed adventure with extremely likable characters. My heart ached for Max. Not only was she mourning the loss of her restaurant, but she carried so much guilt over all the money her family and friends pumped into her business. She longed to make things right with them and was willing to risk her life to do so. Obviously, I was rooting for her, but I was rooting for the romance even more.

Could you imagine being tapped by the CIA for a mission and discovering that your handler was none other than your first love? This was a second chance that was many years in the making, and I was here for it. Flynn had a magnetic personality, and I was easily drawn into his orbit. My adoration quickly grew, and there was no denying that there was still a little something burning between him and Max. It was lovely getting to learn about their past while watching their bond grow anew in real-time.

I felt like this book had it all - action, adventure, drama, danger, rom, and com, and it was one heck of an entertaining ride.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and Ms. Walker for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

This was fun! Definitely a good beach read (the cover is spot-on). Max is a failed restauranteur whose restaurant failed during COVID and who has been treading water ever since, desperate to repay all the money she borrowed from friends and family. The CIA approaches her about her uncanny resemblance to the prime minister of "Summerland," a tiny European island country in the Scandinavian area, who has been besieged with assassination attempts. Apparently Max is being recruited to be Sofia Christensen's body double during Sofia's annual vacation to Italy in an attempt to draw out the assassins and uncover who is behind the attempts.

Max overcomes her hesitation to get involved when the CIA offers her $5 million for the job - it would repay everyone she owes and allow her to move on with her life. Her handler, though, is none other than the guy who broke her heart years ago. Apparently he made an offhand comment about how a girl he used to know "looks just like Sofia" and things snowballed from there. Anyways, once Max has been dyed and plucked and educated (Miss Congeniality-style) she's off to Italy where things get really serious really quickly - both with the assassins, and with Flynn, her handler.

This was actually a lot of fun. It started off a little slowly but things sped up once Max touched down in Italy. The romance was a little muted but I actually liked that: who has time for romance when you're continuously being shot at, fending off attacks, and escaping from explosions? I kept thinking: this would make a fun movie. I particularly liked the roommate, Calvin.

This is not earth shattering literature but it was a LOT of fun. I will absolutely keep my eye out for future books from Ms. Walker. *4 stars*

I don’t read enough romance with suspense/action elements - this was so fun!

Max bears an uncanny resemblance to the Prime Minister of Summerland, and when she’s offered $5 million to be her decoy for one vacation, she’s all in. The small issue she discovers after? Her bodyguard is CIA agent Flynn, who broke her heart years ago.

In addition to romance, this one is full of twists and betrayals and nonstop action (and so many mentions of delicious Italian goodies!) and is such a great summery read!

Are car chases involving Vespas your thing? How about Italian beaches? Seeing the sights of Rome? Fighting with food? Thwarting assassination attempts? Well, then I have the book for you.

A chef, buried under mountains of debt, agrees to impersonate a young, European prime minister on vacation, only to discover that her CIA handler is the ex who broke her heart years ago.

This is the perfect book to throw in your beach bag or read poolside this summer. It’s second chance romance without the heartbreaking angst meets forced proximity goodness with a dash of fake dating and an Italian backdrop.

It's a ton of fun, and I highly recommend it.

I received an advance copy of the book from Berkley. All review opinions are my own.

Another edition to this rebooted "romantic action/suspense" genre that I thoroughly enjoyed. This one totally kept me on my toes and was so original and fun. Equal parts action and romantic chemistry and steam. I still wonder if Sophia and Max are somehow related, but I guess we'll never know! I really liked this author's fast-paced writing style with just the right amount of description to put you right there in Italy with the characters without getting bogged down in it. I'm definitely going to read The Takedown now and her next novel when it's out.

The premise of this was more fun than the execution. Although predictable, I was hoping for a bit more fun and a bit more steam. Still, it delivers on its description and is a fast read. The setting could have been utilized slightly better but I think this book will work for a lot of readers. Good luck!

Code Word Romance comes out next week on March 18, 2025, and you can purchase HERE.
We swerve around a Fiat 500, whose driver has the audacity to obey the speed limit. Gail drives like she's fleeing the scene of a crime, paying very little attention to trivial things like stoplights, stop signs, or traffic laws. In the passenger's seat, I thread my fingers through the grab handle, holding tight. "Just thinking. Overthinking"
"Don't do that."
"Sorry."
"Also, don't apologize," Gail chides. "Prime ministers never apologize."
"Seems like maybe they should," I mutter, considering one or two in particular.

Thank you @carliewalkerauthor, @berkleyromance, and @netgalley for my free advanced copy.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 320 / Genre: Romcom
Release Date: March 18, 2025
🥳#HappyPubDay!🎉

Max is desperately trying to recover from the massive amount of debt she’s under since her restaurant failed thanks to Covid. But then miraculously, the CIA knocks on her door and makes her an offer she can’t refuse. Due to her uncanny likeness to the prime minister of a small European country, she’s asked to pose as her double as she vacations in Italy. Free vacation plus enough money to get out of debt—what could go wrong? Oh well, there are also assassins after the real prime minister who will now be after her and her handler turns out to be the only man she’s ever loved and who totally broke her heart.

I loved this fast-paced romcom thriller! It literally has almost all my favorite tropes—false identity, assassins, forced proximity, second chance romance, and a fantastic vacation location. And the fish-out-of-water scenario led to some hilarious predicaments. I highly recommend reading this one.

Lighthearted, captivating, and fun!

Code Word Romance is a sweet, amusing, action-packed tale that takes you into the life of Max, a debt-ridden young woman who finds herself inadvertently hired by the CIA to be a body double for a European prime minister with the unfortunate consequences of not only putting her life in danger but being in close contact and protected by the one man who left her heart shattered into pieces eight years ago.

The writing is warm and playful. The characters are feisty, impulsive, and amusing. And the plot is an adventure-filled tale of temptation, mystique, chemistry, attraction, witty banter, humorous mishaps, danger, and romance.

Overall, Code Word Romance is a charming, humorous, entertaining read by Walker that is the first novel I’ve read by this author, but certainly won’t be my last.

Thank you @berkleyromance for the free book and thank you @prhaudio for the #gifted listening copy of Code Word Romance! #BerkleyBookstagram #BerkleyIG #berkley #PRHAudioPartner #PRHAInfluencer #berkleyromance #CodeWordRomance #CarlieWalker

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐍é𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡-𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟏𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

This was such a fun and entertaining book! I loved how it was the perfect blend of a second chance romance and a spy thriller. Max was such a fun character and I loved her! This would seriously be the perfect spring break or summer read on the beach or at the pool. It was super entertaining and just a fun book.

🩷Fake Dating
🩷Forced Proximity
🩷Italian Getaway
🩷Second Chances
🩷Rom-Com Meets Spy-Thriller
🩷Undercover Mission

🎧I read this one both with my eyes and ears. The audio was narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker, and as always, she did such a great job with this one. I found myself gravitating towards the audio more because I enjoyed my time listening to her as she brought Max and Flynn’s story to life!

Posted on Goodreads on March 18, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around March 18, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on March 18, 2025
**-will post on designated date

This book was so much fun! Max and Flynn are the best and I loved their dynamic and banter. The story hooked me from the first page as Max and Flynn are in a high speed chase!  Honestly, the whole book felt like a whirlwind in the best way.

Max is a down-and-out chef working a catering gig that she absolutely loathes. When she's offered the chance to make enough money to pay off the debts from her failed restaurant, she knows she has to go for it, even if it does mean putting herself in harm's way for a lookalike prime minister of another country.

When she arrives in Italy, she's met by her handler ... who is none other than the ex that broke her heart. The story gets wild from here and it's so worth the ride!

“Code Word Romance” by Carlie Walker

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

what a fun, exciting, romantic story!!! I loved everything about this story: the characters, the plot, the setting, the fun!! my heart really felt for Max as she tries to figure out how to reset her goals and dreams after losing her beloved restaurant. I love the way she’s so determined and focused on what matters to her. and Flynn is such a rough on the outside, complete softie on the inside, he’s so tender and sweet with Max while being so bodyguard strong in protecting her 🥵🥰

and the side characters here are the sweetest treat of this story! Calvin especially, I was hoping he was really as sweet, random, and hilarious as he seemed AND HE IS!!!! he’s just the bestest friend, randomest person, and all around good, sweet person.

this story kept me hooked from start to finish, it’s just a grand ole good time 💃🙌🫶

thank you @berkleypub @berkleyromance for the ARC!!!

Code Word Romance is a page-turning romance/mystery/thriller mashup for your next weekend escapist read.

Max happens to resemble Europe’s youngest female prime minister, Sofia Christensen. When Sophia receives a death threat, the CIA offers Max a life-changing amount of money if she pretends to be Sophia on her trip to Italy. Complications arise when Max’s handler turns out to be Flynn, the man who broke her heart years ago. Max must pull off the impersonation because her life is on the line, but can she lose her heart to Flynn again? It’s all risky.

Because romance is a part of the story line, you might enjoy knowing the tropes. They include opposites attract, fake-dating, forced proximity, and second-chance (slow-burn) romance.

In addition to romance, there is suspense, intrigue, twists and turns, an Italian get-away, witty banter, mystery, and danger.

Max desperately needs the promised payout and wants to keep living (i.e. avoid an assassination). Is she clever enough to achieve both? Throw in a second-chance romance and the story moves along at a brisk pace. If you’re looking for an escapist read, this might provide the entertainment you need.

I like a romance (rom-com) with more going on than just romance, and this delivers a page-turning, unique plot with some of my favorite tropes. An engaging beach or pool read.

Thanks #NetGalley @BerkleyPub #BerkleyBuddyReads for a complimentary eARC of #CodeWordRomance upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Happy book birthday to Code Word Romance, a whirlwind romance filled with danger, adventure, political intrigue, and second chances. Tbis is my first read by the author, but it won’t be my last. I loved the premise of an everyday woman stepping into the shoes of a powerful leader, and the blend of high-stakes espionage and heart-pounding romance kept me turning pages late into the night.

Max is a fantastic protagonist. She’s got a sharp wit and is a strong woman. After losing her restauriant because of Covid, she’s just trying to make ends meet, and her loss weighs heavily on her. So, when the CIA offers her a lot of money to impersonate a prime minister for a short period of time, she can’t resist. Of course, things get a lot more complicated when her assigned handler turns out to be Flynn, a boyfriend who broke her heart years ago.

Flynn is fantastic, and I can see why Max fell so deeply in love with him. Intelligent, protective, and charismatic, he’s dreamy, and the way he feels about Max is so swoon-worthy! Their romance hooked me from the start. There’s so much unresolved history simmering between them, and I was really interested in learning what pushed them apart because you could tell they still had those deep feelings. Every interaction between them crackled with sexual tension, and their chemistry was off the charts. I think their love story felt even more intense and charged because of the dangerous situations they were put in.

Between assassination attempts and high-stakes deception, the plot was action-packed and exciting. And the vibrant Italian backdrop added so much to the story. I love books set in Italy, and this one captured the setting well. It’s such a fun read, packed with action, humor, intrigue, and a fantastic second-chance romance that was funny, romantic, and intense. I can’t wait to read more by the author. Special thanks to Berkley Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

The story opens with a dangerous motorcycle chase on the streets of Rome, where we find our heroine Max being chased by assassins. Then the story jumps back six days where we find out Max looks just like Sofia Christiansen, the young prime minister from Summerland, small island nation off the coast of Norway. There is a plot to kill Sofia, and the CIA needs Max’s help as a body double. Offering her enough money to pay off all her debts and then some, Max reluctantly agrees, and quickly finds out she’s in way over her head.

Overall, Code Word Romance is a silly, fun adventure romance. The story can be completely over the top and ridiculous at times, which works; however, other times the mood is more serious, making the over the top parts feel slightly out of place. But Walker uses lots of fun humor and banter to keep the mood light.

“Driving a Vespa to an assassination is like bringing a loofah stick to a sword fight.”

Flynn is Max’s CIA handler and the whole reason she’s been selected for the job. They had a first love summer romance 14 years prior; it was meant to be, but distance and youth kept them apart. Now by a weird fluke, they are together and it works. From the moment Max sees Flynn, she knows he’ll always be the one for her. And even though she tries to protect her heart, he’s right there, wanting and hoping for the same things. Because of the memories and recalled feelings, it doesn’t feel like an insta-love. I hurt with Max as she remembered both the good times and the pain of rejection.

The assassination plot is mediocre but fun. In what I am guessing is an attempt at red herrings, the author has a couple characters behave a bit oddly. It always felt off to me, like it’s supposed to be funny, but came off more silly and odd. And despite having no training, Max does a good job. However, she unnecessarily keeps putting herself in difficult situations and trying to make them work. Like when pretending to be Sofia and running into a Summerland diplomat, then agreeing to play tennis with him - why not walk away? She really does mess things up quite often, but it works in the end.

Code Word Romance is a fun adventure, but you have to suspend reality and enjoy the romance for the silly fluff that it is.

My Rating: B