This was a really fun read. It surprised me in so many ways from the slightly different structure and the detailed action and tech savvy plot! The entire cast of characters was fun and believable and I enjoyed meeting each and every one of them. What a fun idea and way to go for bringing it to life!

An intriguing spy novel with a few twists. Our spies are former lovers, lesbians and had no knowledge of the other’s real career. Somehow through missions they found time to work on their relationship and have a few stolen moments. Yardley’s very smart, quick witted, snarky and comical in her seriousness. KC is a techie, graduated MIT early with grand thoughts of saving the world, she’s athletic and strong. They make a cute couple, often knowing the other’s plan instinctively and finishing sentences. The mission is important, don’t let the damaging tech get unleashed. It’s perfect for KC and Yardley. Upon finishing my advanced copy from NetGalley I wrote my voluntary review.

I normally force myself to read at least 25% of a book before giving up on it, but I barely made it 10% before I realized I was forcing myself to readn it. Maybe I'll come back another time, hut this just wasn't for me.

Unfortunately this book fell far short of what it could have been. I felt like the characters fell flat and the plot was boring despite being action/spy themed. Overall the writing style was not for me and if this were not an ARC that I was committed to finishing, I would have DNF’ed it.

This was just a rollicking fun time! Personally I'm more of a detective mystery gal, but if I'm going to pick up a spy thriller this is exactly what I want. I think that the romance was the key element that made this book work for me. A secret identity plot is the perfect medium to explore a relationship in trouble story. Relationship in trouble such an interesting romantic dynamic, but for you to believe that things are going to work out there needs to be growth. When the key conflict is just that they have secret spy identities and it's impacting them emotionally it's easy to believe that we can get over that hurdle. Overall, I loved the dynamic between these two and their romance was adorable. I will say there was a bit too much I love America talk for my taste but its a spy thriller so that just comes with the territory.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was really excited to read this book. Conceptually, it's really cool. I love romance books that take elements from other genres. The issue for me with this one was I didn't really feel very invested in either. This is a second chance romance, which I find can be difficult to get right. As a reader, I need to buy into the existing chemistry and history between the two characters, and I just didn't with this one. There's an explicit scene fairly early in, and honestly I just skimmed it, because I didn't feel the tension that would have made it have more gravity and feel rewarding. The spy plot was quite slow at the start for me, and I didn't find it as exilerating or engaging as I would have liked. All in all this book wasn't bad by any means - the writing was very solid - but none of the key elements really caught or held my attention

This is a fun spy story with a big nod to Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Yardley Whitmer is a top field agent for the CIA known as the Unicorn. She has always known she’d be a spy like her grandfather before her. What she didn’t count on was falling in love with KC Nolan. Even though they live together their relationship is crumbling because of the secrets of their jobs and frequent absences. Only when an operation goes awry is KC revealed as Tabasco, a top tech agent for the CIA. She is a computer genius, graduating MIT and pressed to work for the agency while still in her teens.

But now instead of being able to work through what this revelation means they are thrown into an international race to stop a dangerous weapon being sold and used. I enjoyed their dialogue and their inner thoughts made me laugh. They both reflect on the way they were raised and grow from it during the course of the story. The spy craft is satisfying and I love that both women have good skills. Some parts were very exciting while others slowed down a bit. And of course all along the way they still are working with their feelings and attraction.

I think I enjoyed the author’s previous book, Everyone I Kissed Since You Got Famous (June 2024), a little more. But they are very different types of stories. Although both could be considered untraditional second chance romances. (3.5 Stars)

If I Told You, I’d Have to Kiss you was a sapphic spy love story. We have Yardley and KC who unknowingly work together in the CIA yet are somewhat dating without knowing each other’s true identities. The reason I say somewhat dating is because we are introduced to these characters while they are in the midst of a breakup. Their relationship was at the end of the road until they found out while on a mission their true identities.

The premise of this book sounded so much fun. I was really excited to read this, however it did not live up to my expectations. This book felt so long. The pacing was very slow for me which made it very difficult for me to get through. I wanted to love the plot, but I felt everything was just drawn out so much. In a romance novel, I always like a plot, but expect the main couple to be more of a focus, whereas in this case I felt like it flip flopped. It just didn’t grip me as much as I wanted it to.

As for the characters. I felt disconnected to them. I wish we saw more of their relationship, but unfortunately while I think this was second chance, it was more second chance while you’re still in the midst of the breakup and while they did fight, figuring out their identities felt like it solved most of their issues. We seem them work together, have some conversations, but it just felt surface level to me. Part of that was because it was in between the plot of a world ending weapon. I just couldn’t take some of it as seriously.

Overall, I did enjoy the story. It didn’t grip me like I wanted it to and I felt disconnected the whole time. Thank you Netgalley and St Martin Griffin for an earc. All opinions are my own.

Mae Marvel delivers an irresistible blend of espionage, queer romance, and second-chance angst in 'If I Told You, I'd Have to Kiss You.' Yardley "Unicorn" Whitmer and KC "Tabasco" Nolan used to be in love - until betrayal shattered their relationship. What neither realized? They were both secretly working for the CIA. Now, years later, they're forced back together to track a stolen piece of tech across Europe, navigating gunfights, safe houses, and unresolved feelings along the way.

This book is wildly fun. Think: 'Killing Eve' meets 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith', but with actual emotional depth and a sapphic core. The spy elements are slick and entertaining without veering into overkill, and the romance has a sharp, aching edge. Marvel knows how to write longing - both the messy kind and the hopeful kind - and the chemistry between Yardley and KC practically hums off the page.

What stood out most to me was how skillfully the book balanced action with character growth. Yes, there are heists, disguises, and high-stakes missions, but there are also moments of real vulnerability - especially as both women confront the ways they hurt each other and reckon with their own fears. KC's struggles with confidence and Yardley's devotion to duty give the story real weight.

If there's a flaw, it's that the final act leans more into the romantic resolution than the spy plot, but by that point, I was fully invested in their emotional arc and didn't mind the shift. The supporting characters (shoutout to Yardley's hilarious grandmother) round out the world nicely without stealing focus.

Witty, sexy, and emotionally grounded, 'If I Told You, I'd Have to Kiss You' is a standout queer romance wrapped in a spy thriller's trench coat. I'll absolutely be reading whatever Mae Marvel writes next.

mine, i think it was well-executed here; it’s obvious what yardley and KC saw in each other, why they broke up, and why they can’t get over each other.

however, KC and yardley (especially yardley) spend the entire mission proving exactly why they were kept in the dark about each other’s careers while dancing around the (painfully obvious) plot twist, and there were some downright cringe moments (the “okay, boomer” mid-interrogation? come on) that pulled me out of the story. the ending was cute but a little too clichéd for my tastes.

also—just let the lesbian character call herself a lesbian? it always disappoints me when authors treat “lesbian” like a dirty word.

I enjoyed Mae Marvel's last sapphic romance, Everyone I Kissed Since You Got Famous, and their new book had a great premise, but there were a lot of issues for me that made this book a tedious slog. Two women on the tail end of a rough breakup discover that they are both spies for the CIA, and have in fact worked together on multiple ops. A fun if entirely ridiculous premise, right? You can read the blurb for yourself if you want to know more about the plot, but I'll just talk a little bit about the good and bad of this book for me personally. The good: well-written intense chemistry between the leads and some fun locations as the women and their team jet all over the place tracking down leads and bad guys in their mission. The parts that didn't work for me: too much of the time I ended up skimming, bored during what should have been tense scenes. Both women were uncomfortably patriotic about their jobs, and it didn't come across as believable. The villain was telegraphed very early, which might be part of why so much of the middle was a slog for me, and the cliches, while often tongue-in-cheek, were a little too prevalent. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for a digital review copy.

Their romantic relationship may be ending, but KC and Yardley’s professional relationship is only unknowingly just beginning. At an op going wrong, the couple learns their cover stories that they have painstakingly created are a piece of fiction, and instead, the two both work for the same agency that has kept them ignorant of their true identities. Now the two must learn from their relationship failures in order to work together to save the world.

This novel is more than a gender flipped Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Instead, it illustrates the benefit of diversity in every aspect of both life and the workplace. If I Told You, I’d Have to Kiss You tackled complex issues like living with anxiety, identity issues, and the importance of communication through humor and a little bit of spice. As far as second chance romances go, this one really stands out. The two women have their dream jobs, their dream partners, and are trotting around the globe, but none of that matters if you let the real villain win – the implosion of your relationship – by failing to communicate. KC and Yardley’s failures and wins illustrate that sometimes love is just not enough. The two women saving their relationship was just as pleasurable to read as the spy action.

Readers of romance, queer romance, and spy novels are sure to enjoy this book.

Disclaimer: Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Being a fan of Mr. And Mrs. Smith, I really enjoyed this book. Even though Yardley and KC are still in love, they end their 3 year relationship. Once they learn the truth about the other's work, they realize they've unknowingly been working together all along. It may be a bit hard to believe they never figured it out over the years, but this is a work of fiction so it wasn't an issue for me. After their secrets are revealed, Yardley and KC have the chance to get to know one another as they really are while saving the world. This is a well written second chance romance with plenty of action and intrigue that held my interest. I look forward to Mae Marvel's next release.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Finally the Mrs. and Mrs. Smith spy romance of my dreams. Mae Marvel wrote a fantastic spin on the second chance romance in the clandestine services world. The protagonists relationship felt true to the story. The mix of professional/personal antics elevated the tale from your basic spy thriller. Overwhelmingly enjoyed.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

A renowned CIA agent and her techie girlfriend are in the midst of a breakup when an op goes wrong and they suddenly realize they're both spies--and the agency has been keeping their identities from each other. Now, forced to work together right as they reckon with all the lies they've been keeping, they'll have to decide what matters more: being the perfect spy or living the life they've always wanted. This was cute, but the pacing in the third act felt off. I wish it had really leaned into the spy thriller aspect as well as the romance.

I absolutely loved my first read by Mae Marvel. If I Told You, I’d Have to Kiss You was not what I expected; it was so much more. For some reason, I thought this was going to be a comedy, but I was mistaken.
High-stakes espionage, spy-versus-spy conflict, and matters of the heart are all on the line. Two spies at the top of their game are surprised to discover they have been dating for three years. Their inability to fully reveal their true selves has led to the relationship crumbling, despite the love they are sure of.
When a mission goes awry, the truth about their double lives is uncovered. Now, they have to manage their personal and professional lives to work together and prevent a dangerous weapon from being sold/unleashed on the public.
This was brilliantly done. The personal struggles intertwined with the professional challenges were balanced and believable and both of our heroines are kick@$$. I appreciate how they worked through their feelings in a way that showed real growth and led to a realistic conclusion. The romance and the action were given equal attention, creating solid and engaging plotlines. I enjoyed the supporting characters as well, especially Kris.
The writing was well done, the dialogue was easy to follow, the spy-thriller aspect was exciting, and the romance was satisfying and authentic.
I had such a great time with this story. I would certainly read more by this author.
Kudos for unapologetically queer characters, competent women in charge, and explosions.
#spythriller #espionage #sapphic #queerrep #epilogue #action #romance

This was a pretty solid meh.

While it did keep my attention, it was oddly hard to follow. It also felt like some overarching lessons weren't actually learned throughout the story and were just thrown together at the end. For example, Yardley's last speech in the Situation Room, while true, did not feel earned. The dialogue also felt forced at times. Lines that were supposed to come across as quippy spy banter were sometimes just cringey (I'm looking at you "Okay Boomer").

I did actually enjoy the love story, which was the whole point, so that's what's keeping my rating in the threes.

This one is for the queer fans of Burn Notice and all others who are into spy romances. The ending brings some heat.

If I Told You, I'd Have to Kiss You is a fun, sapphic twist on Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but both parties are on the same side. I was excited for this one, as I really enjoyed Mae Marvel's Everyone I Kissed Since You Got Famous and like the idea of a heist/spies romance book. But I have found that that vibe can be hard to pull off. There is a significant amount of suspension of disbelief needed here, both in the fact that neither of these brilliant women realized that they were both working for the CIA while living under the same roof and this overarching feeling that US government agencies are necessarily the good guys.

I didn't feel like we got much background on their pre-breakup relationship, but that kind of works because they weren't really able to open up fully and truthfully into their relationship before learning they are both spies. So now, as they work together, they are able to figure out how to be honest and how to show who they truly are to the partner they claimed to love before. I really enjoyed how KC is able to build her skills and confidence and Yardley finds herself in a mentor role and is fully supportive, even when she would rather be guarded or protective.

I found the book to drag a bit in the middle, but it cooked at the end. I will read more from this writing duo in the future.

3.5 Stars - thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press & Mae Marvel for the digital ARC.

This was cute and I liked the premise, but I wasn’t getting a good sense of the protagonists’ personalities or the weapon they were looking for, so I wasn’t invested in the characters or their mission. It also probably didn’t help that I felt like Yardley and KC had little chemistry with each other, so the romance aspect wasn’t enough to convince me to keep reading. I ultimately DNF at Chapter 7 (28%).

Since I didn't finish the book, I won't be leaving a review for it on Amazon or Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.