I was just watching the TV show, Leverage, which is full of spy content and romances amidst a spy crew, so this hit extra hard for me because I love a field agent and a hacker falling in love. Layer in a sapphic Mrs. and Mrs. Smith vibe? SOLD. This book was so cute, but had a great deal of emotional depth and tenderness between the characters. I find myself reading less and less romance these days, but when I do, my standards are generally quite high, and this book met all my standards. Utterly loved it. 4⭐

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Rating: 4.25 ⭐️

Mr. & Mrs. Smith but make it sapphic! This rom com spy novel is action packed will all the humor and steam you could ever want.

I had high hopes for this book but it fell short for me and I ended up DNFing it. Maybe at the right time I would've been more interested.

This book was the sapphic Mr and Mrs Smith of my dreams. It was fun and earnest. I loved how they were pushed into high pressure situations that made them realize all they hadn’t ever said and actually get to know each other in ways they couldn’t before. Loved it.

1 part Mr. and Mrs. Smith, a handful of D.E.B.S., and a dash of Alias. If I Told You, I’d Have to Kill You is a Sapphic spy romance that plays like a 2000s romcom.

Yardley “The Unicorn” is one of the CIA’s top agents. A second-generation spy, she’s built a legendary reputation, but at the cost of her personal life. Her relationship with her girlfriend (ex), KC, has unraveled under the weight of secrets. But Yardley isn’t the only one hiding the truth. When an undercover mission goes sideways, Yardley comes face-to-face with “Tabasco,” the agency’s go-to cyber expert. Who also happens to be KC.

Both women realize they’ve been working for the agency all along. Now, in the middle of heartbreak, they have to keep things professional and salvage the mission. But nothing is ever that simple.

I really enjoyed this book. First, the action-romance balance is spot-on. The pacing keeps up with the genre’s high-stakes energy, but then created moments of quiet showcasing the tension and chemistry in Yardley and KC’s relationship

Second, starting the story in the middle of a breakup was interesting. The miscommunication trope is handled in a way that feels smart and true to their jobs. Instead of watching two people fall in love, we’re watching two people already deeply in love struggle to keep their distance while still instinctively protecting one another.

If you're looking for a fun book to kick off Sapphic September, start here, and I would suggest checking out the audiobook narrated by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw.

This story was, okay. I was intrigued by the concept. Lesbian spies? Yes please! But – it read like a YA highschool drama, and written as such. Perhaps the part that annoyed me the most was that Yardly was not given enough credit for how much she does kick ass – it became the CJ is the hero and can do everything story… and meh- I just didn’t like the lack of balance. And I didn’t like the unnecessary drama. Get over it and each other ladies! Gosh, I was not rooting for them to end up together, and as a sucker for fluffy sapphic stories, that goes against my mushy heart. The writing and humour felt forced, and I lost connection to the story very early on.

This queer romance takes a spin on a Mr. & Mrs. Smith-style romance and I ate it up! The journey was so cute and I’m a sucker for a second-chance romance – having a cast of queer characters made it even more enjoyable! Highly recommend if you need a cute queer romance. <3

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for an E-ARC copy of this book.

lesbian! spies! lesbian! spies! this book was exactly up my street and i had such a great time with this. i say i don't like second chance romances but i think i actually love them when they are done well and this one was done beautifully. this book was fast-paced, fun, sexy sapphic times and i adored it!

Such a nice read. Secret love is always fun, and following along as two characters are secretly falling for each other is always entertaining. We are taken on a fun ride through this story, and it did not disappoint in the end.

This was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't sure as I started this that I liked it. I found the character descriptions a bit over the top. The intense focus on how attractive everyone was was a bit over the top and started to feel repetitive. Once I got past the set up to the story I really did start to enjoy it. I loved the mix of caper and romance, spy thriller and spice. It is definitely a romance first, but the spy thriller was a great foil, and interesting sub plot. One thing I loved was that the circumstances of the thriller meant there was no third act breakup, there was enough interesting conflict with the spy action. It was glittery and sexy and fun.

I was all for lesbian spies but the amount of detail often left me losing interest. I found rooting for the couple difficult.

This was such a fun, fresh take on a gay romance. The voice felt authentic and captured that perfect mix of awkwardness and intensity that comes with first love. I especially appreciated how Marvel wove humor into the story without undercutting the emotional stakes. It’s a sweet, satisfying read that younger readers (and nostalgic older ones) will love. I mean it's lesbian spies! How fun!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book! I ready this super quick and had a great time! It is a unique story I haven’t read before and I enjoyed both the fun plot and the romance. It is definitely a romance book and not a thriller/action book, but the thriller/action aspects were a fun part of the romance.

You had me at "sapphic spies." I love the premise, the gayness, and the espionage. I just needed the writing to be better.

Overall a fun sapphic book! I liked the spy aspect of the book, I thought that added an interesting piece to this. A quick an easy read!

For Yardley Whitmer, code name “the Unicorn,” being a spy is easy. It's relationships that are hard, as her lover KC slowly drifts away from her.

KC “Tabasco” Nolan, hacker extraordinaire, KNOWS that Yardley is keeping things from her. Of course, so is she.. working for a government agency.

And somehow, BOTH are unaware they're spies working for the same agency.

Then a op goes BADLY wrong, both learn the other's secret, and they have to go on the run together....

Good read as long as you don't think about it TOO much.

A great premise for a novel: spies in a relationship where neither one is aware the other is a spy. This comes to light soon enough in the book, then it becomes a bit heavy with the spy jargon. Fast paced story with a nice romance. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

This book was not one of my favorites, but I kept going because I wanted to solve the mystery within it. The romance was a little lackluster for me and I felt like the pacing was slow for something that I wanted to be more action packed.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC of the novel. This was a fun spy story that allowed the relationship between Yardley and KC to grow back from the brink. I enjoyed the split narration between them and getting more of their view of each other and themselves. The spy shenanigans kept the plot moving and left little room for filler so you just want to keep reading, The blurb of being Mr and Mrs Smith but queer was spot on and made me really enjoy it. 4 stars.

I absolutely LOVED this second chance, Sapphic, dual POV, spy romance that has the best Mr and Mrs Smith vibes in which two female CIA operatives realize they are both in the company and find themselves forced to work together to retrieve a device that could end the world. Full of suspense and tons of emotional depth/growth. It was also great on audio narrated by Mia Hutchinson Shaw and perfect for fans of authors like Ally Carter or books like The confidence games. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review!