Unexpectedly going undercover as a decoy for a powerful politician in gorgeous Positano? I'm interested. Her CIA handler is the guy who ghosted her as a teenager that she's been pining after ever since? A recipe for a fast paced, charming second chance romance with great atmosphere, over the top situations, and humor.

A fun, identity swapping, spy romantic comedy.

This was silly and sometimes downright ridiculous, but that was half the fun. It’s also a rather sweet, second chance romance. I adored Flynn and how much he cared for Max.

Essentially, this book is a fun time as long as you don’t take it too seriously.

Thank you to Berkley Romance & PRH Audio for the review copies! It’s that time of year where I’m itching for fast-paced romances that feel like I’m going on a vacation while reading.

Max is searching for purpose. Her restaurant had to close during the pandemic, leaving her with a huge amount of debt, including to her parents and best friend. And, she just so happens to look nearly identical to Europe’s youngest female prime minister. Who is in danger, but wants to go on her annual vacation to Italy. So the CIA offers Max millions of dollars to come to Italy as a body double for her. But when she get there, she learns that her handler is her ex - the one who got away.

If that sounds like a bonkers plot, it was. It was a quick, lighthearted read with some great action. I wanted a little more time spent developing the emotional relationship between Max and Flynn, but I loved that there was never a slow moment, and overall had so much fun reading it. I could imagine reading this on a beach or the flight to a vacation, but I also enjoyed it at home, imagining I was in sun drenched Italy instead of chilly Seattle.

This book is so much fun. I needed a little adventure in my life, so when I saw this book, I was immediately interested. Carlie Walker is a new author to me, and I can confidently say I’d read another by her. I really enjoyed this one.

The location was also a big draw. I just love being an armchair traveller and getting to experience new locations through the eyes of characters. And who doesn’t love Italy? Carlie did a great job of giving us enough glimpses of Italy to satisfy my wanderlust. 

I really liked both Max and Flynn as characters. Max is somewhat closed off after a bad relationship experience (with Flynn, as we find out quickly). I don’t always love this as a character motivation, to be honest. I mean, I “get” it. I just think it’s overused in romances. I’m happy to say Carlie had me leaning in this time; it didn’t actually bother me. We got enough background on the characters to make it make sense. Flynn was a good book boyfriend for Max. I loved the banter between them; there were some genuinely funny moments. Bonus points for the awesome secondary character in Giorgio, the owner of the hotel they stay in. He is just so sweet and funny and wonderful.

The plot moves along at a great pace. Fast enough to keep me sucked in but not so fast that there is no opportunity for the characters to develop their relationship. Despite the hijinks, there are also enough quiet moments between Flynn and Max to balance it out, making their relationship believable. 

Overall, an entertaining read if you’re looking for something with a bit of action in a great location.

This book was so much freaking fun. It has romance, it has tension, it has action and adventure. It’s smart and well-written, witty and engrossing, and I could not put it down.

This one was such a fun one and definitely unlike anything I’ve ever read, in the assassin body double way.

The main character, Max is such a multi-layered character that you can’t help but fall for. Everything that she deals with and the guilt she carries that leads her to accept the decision of the mission is so sad to me. I’m so happy with the way everything turned out for her.

Flynn is such a golden retriever even when he’s trying to be just a bodyguard and stoic as ever and stay in character. I will say, how he handled things in the past was so messed up, but I totally get it because he was a teenager. Teenagers mess up and do dumb things. I’m glad that everything was talked out and explained. I loved the communication in this so much.

The side characters, such as Calvin were some of my favorites. I also loved Giorgio. They were both hilarious additions to this novel. Anytime they came in or talked or even had small parts in this, I was laughing so hard.

I loved the setting of this. It was truly an Italian Summer to the fullest. It made me want to visit Italy more than ever.

This was my first novel I’ve read from this author, but the romance combined with the comedy and mystery/high-stakes of this just makes me want to read everything this author has written ever.

This is almost an exact five star read! So good!!

This was such a fun one! I *love* books with a spy/mission focus, and this one has one of my favorite micro tropes, bodyguard romance!!

Max is a chef who lost her restaurant and buckets of money during the pandemic. So when she is approached by the CIA to serve as a decoy for a female Prime Minister who is uncannily similar in appearance, she says “Why the heck not?!” Given a swift make over and flown to a luxurious resort in Italy, Max feels like she’s won the lottery, until she realizes her handler is her first love who broke her heart! Ope! Walker delivers high octane physical chemistry in combination with forced proximity/forbidden atmosphere that was just delightful. There is mystery of who wants to assassinate the Prime Minister, bombings, knife fights, and motorcycle chase action, funny comedic relief, and Max and Flynn working through their past relationship ending with vulnerability. All these ingredients delivered in a romantic Italian setting, make for the perfect spring/summer rom-com!

I GOBBLED THIS BOOK UP.

Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook and to Berkley Romance for the gifted finished copy and eARC via NetGalley! These are my honest thoughts.

THIS WILL BE THE BOOK OF THE SUMMER. It was so much fun and will make the perfect beach read this year! There was adventure and twists I did not see coming. I loved both our main characters and their redemption story. I loved the premise of this story, and all of the side characters. I kept trying to figure out who was who! It felt a little like a John Wick-adjacent story... who will be the assassins???

The audio was also super fun and fast paced! I was sucked in instantly and consumed it in a day!

FIVE stars. So fun! This one is out March 18th!

This book was hilarious. The humor hits from all directions especially when it comes to her best friend Calvin, and he's the smallest of the characters in this book, lol. Max is a chef, going through some hard times, she's catering for weddings and someone from the CIA tells her that they will pay her the big bucks to act as a decoy, little did she know she was not alone in this because her EX is her handler and I was all for it. Max and Flynn are hilarious together. Until things get a little crazy, but I am not going to lie how everything unravels was pretty funny, and her best friend popping up? lol, it was GOLD. This book is packed with so much action, I was here for it this book should be a movie lol.

I really enjoyed this second chance romantic suspense spy thriller that involved Max, a broke chef who lost her restaurant and owes her family and friends a lot of money, reluctantly agreeing to pose as one of Europe's youngest female Prime Ministers while she's on vacation in exchange for a large financial compensation.

The CIA approaches Max because she bears an uncanny resemblance to the PM and they want her to act as a decoy on her Italian vacation while they try to capture the assassins who are trying to kill the PM. Little does Max expect to find herself reunited with Flynn, the one who got away and who is now her CIA handler. Things go from weird to crazy as the two find themselves fighting off assassins and running from the paparazzi.

Great on audio narrated by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and perfect for fans of books like The bodyguard affair by Amy Lea, The bodyguard by Katherine Center or authors like Tiana Smith. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

That was a very thrilling fun romcom romance to read. Loved everything about it, the chemistry of caracters was just amazing.

thanks to netgalley for this ARC, this is my honest feedback.

This was a fun read! It’s an action filled, spy thriller with a second chance romance! It definitely kept me on my toes! But, I did find myself wanting something more from the characters. I wasn’t quite as connected to them as I would have hoped. It also got a little confusing at times.

After Max's restaurant failed during the pandemic, she's burdened with significant debt and guilt from borrowing from family and friends. So when a CIA operative shows up at her door and promises her five million dollars in exchange for being the body double of the prime minister of a small foreign country, she can't help but accept. But she didn't expect her high school summer fling and first love, Flynn, to end up being her handler--or the shear number of assassins that seem to be after her, er, the prime minister.

I was a HUGE fan of Walker's first book, The Takedown, and this one brings similar campy action-adventure-romance vibes (with a summery Italian vacation spin, rather than home-for-the-holidays vibes). Although I tremendously enjoyed this one (and thus the five-star review) it didn't hit quite the same as the first. Mostly, the ending wrapped up way too quickly. It seemed like Max just all of a sudden figured out who was behind everything, called them out without any evidence, and then that was that. The end. I think the mystery elements could use work, but literally everything else--the romance, the action sequences, the dialogue and descriptions--were stellar. Perhaps as someone who reads a lot of mysteries, my standards were just too high for that element. But overall, this is an extremely fun read, perfect for summer beach or poolside reading.

Thanks to Berkely for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 8/10

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 $𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘆, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿… 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁?

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼? 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁?

After recently finishing The Takedown, I was so excited to hear that Carlie was publishing another book this year. I was even more excited that it was in the same universe as The Takedown!

Code Word Romance combines a spy thriller with a kick-your-feet-giggling romcom, giving you the perfect taste of both genres. With Max and Flynn being not just ex’s, but THE ex’s, we got the slowburn, the you-hurt-me back and forth banter, some FAKE DATING (which you always know is even better with an ex), as well as trying to be professional at the same time since Max is supposed to acting as the Prime Minister during all of this. Carlie has a way of writing the best books for screen adaptations - we need more adventure romance!!

I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this one, publishing 3/18/25!

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the eARC!

☀️ undercover mission
☀️ CIA agent x handler / bodyguard
☀️ second chance romance
☀️ fake dating
☀️ italian getaway with a twist

Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker.

I loved The Takedown so was excited for another spy/CIA romantic comedy and Code Word Romance was just as much fun.

Max has been struggling since she needed to close her restaurant and is just getting by. All that changes when the CIA approaches her because she's a doppleganger for Sofia - the Prime Minister of a small Nordic country who has just received death threats. They want Max to go to Italy and be her body double. Max agrees and then finds out that her handler/bodyguard is Flynn. The ex boyfriend who broke her heart one summer.

This book was fun. I loved the banter between Max and Flynn. The scenarios they managed to get in and everything about this book. Was is super realistic, nope - but it was a perfect book to enjoy on a sunny afternoon and I can see this being a great pool/beach read. I love books that make me laugh and are fun.

Code Word Romance comes out March 18th!

I'll be the odd one out who just can't suspend belief to enjoy this implausible second chance romance between Max and Flynn. CIA simply would not do this- would not hire someone to impersonate a leader and so on. If you can get past that, then you'll find a couple who has to work together. They do have good banter and you'll root for them. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

✨️Thank you for the free book Berkley! And thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the e-book edition as well.

❤️What a fun, unique and adventure-filled book! I loved every minute of it.

🕶When assassins try to kill the prime minister of Summerland, the CIA hires Max, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Sofia, to impersonate her during her annual vacation to Italy. There, Max discovers that her handler is none other than Flynn, the boy who broke her heart back when they were teenagers. During the course of one short week in Italy Max and Flynn will find themselves eating delicious food, dodging assassins and trying not to rekindle their old spark.

❤️I've never read a book quite like this one. It was fast-paced, romantic, and intriguing. I enjoyed seeing Max grapple with the disarray of the life she left behind in Maine, the feelings she's fighting for Flynn, and her attempt to impersonate the prime minister. She showed so much strength and resilience. Flynn was the most protective CIA agent...because his feelings for his asset were more than just professional and I loved seeing him fight to maintain focus on his job while being incredibly distracted by Max. I had no idea how this book was going to end, which is always fun because there were twists that I never saw coming. And I can't write this review without mentioning my favorite character, Calvin. Max's American roomate was the perfect comedic relief in the book and I absolutely, 100% adored him and his pet turtle, Kevin.

This book was so funny! I loved all the banter between Max and Flynn. The humor kept a high-stakes book feeling light-hearted and fun. It was a delight to watch Max and Flynn still pining for each other after all these years but trying to be professional. I found the ending to be a bit rushed. I wanted a big showdown with whoever was after the prime minister but the assassination plot got wrapped up too quickly for me. Overall though I had a good time. If you're looking for a light book to make you laugh this would be a great pick.

Five stars!! I thoroughly enjoyed Code Word Romance and was entertained right from the beginning. I suspended my disbelief at times but even still loved this story. Margaux, known as Max, is in a terrible spot but taking a vacation as a body double for a Prime Minister may be just what she needs. So why not?! Her handler turns out to be a man from her past and I looooved the complications this brought to the story. I also loved learning their history as the story went on. Code Word Romance is laugh out loud funny, action packed, thrilling, and swoon worthy. I enjoyed every moment reading and need to read Carlie Walker’s previous book asap!

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for my e-arc!! Code Word Romance is out March 18th!!

This book is light and fun, but a bit chaotic. There’s no real chemistry between the hero and heroine, no real character development. The spy thriller subplot didn’t make a whole lot of sense, especially when she decided to wing it and give a speech as if she were the real prime minister. Risk of being exposed as a body double? High. Risk of getting killed by the assassin? Also high. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.