It's so tough when a premise and the initial few chapters of a book reel you in, but the execution of the story ends up falling flat.

I had 2 main issues with this book:

First, the romance. I find it incredibly hard to pull off a romance where two characters were together, are presently broken up, and are trying to find their way back to each other. So much leg work is done to show us what these two used to have, but I could not be convinced that they were meant to be in the present. It almost felt like I was reading the sequel to a book. I would have MUCH preferred this if the two were in a relationship at the start and were having to work through the reveal that they were both spies. Then we could at least see their chemistry more up close.

Second, the romance took too much of a backseat to a frankly confusing spy novel. On the one hand, I can appreciate the effort that this duo put into the spy stuff. On the other hand, the plot line was often confusing and too riddled with details. Call me old fashioned, but I want more emphasis on the romance and less on the details of espionage. I think a spy romance could work, this one just didn't do it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin's Press the gifted e-book ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this if you like: Dual POV, second chances, coworkers, spies, steamy

I really enjoyed this one. Forewarning, it was mostly spy stuff with a side of romance, but it hooked me. The story and characters were great. I highly recommend it!

A really fun romp in the style of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I enjoyed the second chance romance angle and all of the espionage.

In this fun and spicy LGBTQ+ spy novel, readers follow Yardley Whitmer, code name Unicorn and top-tier spy, as she tries to figure out how to break up with her girlfriend and preserve her cover story. However, KC “Tabasco” Nolan, hacker extraordinaire, is trying to figure out how to explain her secret job to Yardley but has waited too long and risks destroying their relationship. After an undercover mission goes wrong, Yardley and KC discover that they are both working at the agency and must team up to salvage the mission -- and perhaps their relationship -- before it is too late. Detailed, intense, and entertaining, readers will love the brilliant dynamics and character relationships in this wild and high stakes spy romance novel. Yardley and KC are fantastic characters with great chemistry, and their dynamic is particularly interesting to follow as it evolves over the course of the book. The other characters and the larger plot are also well-written and detailed, and the emotional intensity of their relationship and of their mission are great contrasts and build off each other in some fantastic ways. Fun, entertaining, and immersive, this is a fun new LGBTQ+ romance novel that fans of the genre will love.

Have you ever wondered what if THAT secret agent was a woman? They’d probably be way more efficient if I’m being honest…

Hold that thought and add in a tech expert who’s also a woman, neither of them knows that the other looks like but are both low-key obsessed with the other’s skills but in their own relationships. But they can’t talk to their partners about their top secret spy jobs so that makes life more difficult - leading a double life is never easy.

I don’t think it’s a spoiler, but if you want to go in completely blind, skip this paragraph…. It didn’t take long for me to be clued in that they’re actually in a relationship with each other and the tension they’re both feeling from the lack of communication could be easily avoided if only the powers that be would just tell them!

This book is a perfect blend of espionage, intrigue, and romance. So I guess in that respect, it’s nothing like 007 because, let’s be honest - he’s a total f-boy. A lovable one, but total rake nonetheless.

I loved the writing style - the authors (yes, I found out Mae Marvel is a duo from the Midwest which just made me love them more) kept me INVESTED and engaged. The pacing was immaculate and there was so much emotional depth in this sapphic spy romance. If I can be mean for a second, I find that emotional depth is a hallmark of sapphic romance more than a lot of hetero ones, which is at least 23% of the reason I’ll pick up a WLW love story.

Second chance romance rarely works for me and I thought the spy element (and a rec from some I trust) would allow me to get into it, but sadly it did not work for me!

I wanted both from the spy parts and the romance and truly do not know why these two couldn't just talk it out!!

KC and Yardley, the loves of each other's lives, have let their relationship fall apart because they're both concealing so much about themselves, of which the least important piece is that they both work for the CIA. (It might be better to say that they're concealing so much about their selves). But they're forced to work together in recovering some software (which fortunately exists on a single microdrive) that can wipe out the grid of entire cities, and the proximity forces them into honest conversations; also, they make a number of good solid starts at tearing each other's clothes off before being interrupted for reasons either logistical or emotional, depending.

Though reality intruded on my brain from time to time, I managed to settle in to the alternative universe where working for the CIA (which seems to be staffed largely by queer people) is working for the good guys and where POTUS is a Black woman (whimper). Also, in this real world where, let's face it, most romance-novel prose is competent at best, Mae Marvel's is sharp and sexy.

So why did I keep dropping this book and having to make myself come back to it?

The problem was to do with the Bond-level spy shenanigans, in which KC performs impossible feats of hacking, Yardley performs impossible feats of skullduggery, and both of them are strong and fast to an action-movie superhero degree. All that wound up undercutting the emotional narrative, because I couldn't believe in these two as human beings with broken hearts in need of mending. They were just too perfectly godlike in every other way -- so the story went down smoothly but sans oomph, like a well-made mocktail.

If I Told You would make a fun beach or airplane read, or an audiobook for a long drive. I don't really mean that as damning with faint praise -- it's just that this isn't what I look for in a romance. 3.5 stars, rounded down for personal inclination, and thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a wildly entertaining rom-com that blends espionage and second-chance sapphic romance. There's CIA secrets, international missions, and mistaken identities, perfectly woven into an emotionally vulnerable and simmering romance. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to exploring more titles from this author duo.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Such a super fun read! The action packed scenes I could see so vividly in my head. KC and Yardley's healing of their relationship and their dynamic adds to their navigation of their mission.

This is my second Mae Marvel book and I can't wait for more!

✨ The Vibes ✨
A romance for anyone who grew up reading Ally Carter

📖 Read if…
✨ Gallagher Girls was your favorite series as a kid
✨ You liked the pining and dial POVs of The Pairing
✨ You enjoy stories that are equal parts action and romance

If I Told You, I'd Have to Kiss You follows Yardley, an elite CIA agent, and KC, a gifted hacker as they work on a challenging mission. As an added obstacle, they’re exes that have just learned they’ve been hiding their true identities from each other for years. Now, they’re tasked with not only repairing their relationship, but also saving the world.

I figured I’d enjoy this one, but I wasn’t prepared for how much I’d enjoy it! It’s fun and action-packed, and I really loved how it played with a known trope (spies not realizing they are dating each other) and spun it into something that felt fresh and modern, without sacrificing the romantic tension. I read a significant portion of the book via audio and actually found myself looking forward to work/chores so I would get more time to listen which is a sign of a great book in my opinion.

The book neatly wraps up both the espionage plotline and the romance plotline, but even with that ending, I’d still really love to see this spun off into a series. Give me more adventures featuring Yardley and KC as they face new obstacles in their relationship, or even a series of interconnected standalones featuring other members of the team. I just want to spend more time in this world!

If I Told You, I’d Have to Kiss You is out now, and would make a great summer read! Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In all honesty, I DNF’d this book. The pacing was so fast yet so slow, that I was getting pure whiplash just from the information being dumped on me all at once. The plot sounds good on paper, and if I had gotten any further it might have been good but I just couldn’t get past the major info dumping in the beginning.

Thank you to the publisher for the arc! I absolutely loved this book. There was so much emotional depth to it and it didn't feel like the typical romance where one question/issue was addressed and then everything worked out. You could feel just how much love was between these two but also how complicated everything was.

Also, as someone who grew up loving everything to do with spies, I loved how all of that tied into the book. It felt like there was a really good balance between their connection and romance and the actual plot of what was going on in their lives.

A sapphic Mr and Ms Smith?! Yeeaaahhhh I’m in. This was such a fun read. The chemistry was fire and there were such thrilling twists. This book blew me away.

Thank you Netgalley and Mae Marvel and Macmillan Audio for the e-ARC and ALC.

Audio notes: Mia Hutchison-Shaw is such a talented narrator. There are so many voices and accents she had to do and she did a great job! I wish perhaps there had been another narrator because it was at times very difficult to figure out who's POV I was reading. But still, it was really well done.

This book is so fun! SAPPHIC SPIES. Doing spy stuff!!

KC and Yardley are both spies... and dating... but they don't know the other is a spy until they break up because the other one is never home and has too many secrets. Then they end up on the same mission and realize they're both spies... and the shit kind of hits the fan.

It was fun, and sweet, and really entertaining. I loved that the main characters working together brings them back together, as I am a sucker for second chance romances.

If I Told You, I’d Have to Kiss You is a fun, character rich romance with great LGBTQ+ rep and a twist of spy thriller energy. The standout for me was the cast every character felt fleshed out, with layered motivations and believable dynamics between them. I especially appreciated how communication between the characters evolved throughout the book. I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope, so it was refreshing to see emotional growth and clarity as the story progressed.

The romance itself was sweet and had strong chemistry, but I did wish for a few more one on one scenes between the main couple. Even though the author worked hard to create private feeling moments, I’m someone who prefers more emotional intimacy without a lot of background characters in the mix.

My only real critique is the pacing. The beginning felt spot on, and the middle while slower was understandable given the plot developments. However, the ending moved a bit too quickly. It wasn’t overly rushed, but I would have loved a bit more time to sit in those final moments.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read, and I’d definitely recommend it to fans of sapphic romance, character driven plots, and stories that balance action with emotional depth.

kind of dragged. not my fave this year unfortunately ................................................

If I Told You, I’d Have to Kiss You by Mae Marvel ⭐⭐⭐

A fun, femme‑femme spy romance with sharp banter and plenty of chemistry. The premise is great—two secret agents falling for each other—but the execution leans more on charm than depth. Plot twists felt a bit convenient, and the spy elements stayed surface‑level. Still, it’s a breezy, entertaining read with solid LGBTQ+ representation. Perfect if you’re in the mood for something light, flirty, and fast-paced.

What held it back from a higher rating was the emotional payoff—while the characters are likable, their relationship sometimes felt rushed or underexplored. If you’re looking for a light romantic escape, this delivers, but if you want something that sticks with you emotionally, it might fall a little short.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I listened to this book and was pleased that is had some espionage action. Interesting trope of two undercover agents working but were lovers first, on the brinks of breaking up to find out they both are undercover. It was entertaining.

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review.

I love a good spy movie, book, show, anything really. I love the high stakes adventure and life or death mission. Saving the world has me on the edge of my seat, like will the good guys win? This book felt like that and more. It's about losing the love of your life but getting a second chance that feels like falling in love for the first time cause there's no more secrets. They both found out they're spies. I wish it were a little more saving the world and less relationship complications but overall still exciting and still really cute. I enjoyed it.

“The Pairing” was one of my top reads last year and when I saw that “If I Told You I’d Have to Kiss You” was being billed as a cross between that book and a sapphic reimagining of one of my favorite early 2000s movies - Mr. And Mrs. Smith - I jumped at a chance to read this ARC. The premise is cute - Yardley and KC are in the midst of a breakup and neither know that the other also works for the CIA. They discover the truth on a mission and have to work together while also working on their relationship.

While I enjoyed the idea of the book I did struggle with the pacing which was especially slow in the middle part of the book. I also struggled to connect with Yardley and KC - they felt rather flat. I think this was a me thing but it took me out of the story and left me struggling to continue.

Overall this was a fun and light read! Mae Marvel is a new-to-me writer and I’m looking forward to checking out her other works and seeing what she writes next!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.