I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
And boy, this is gonna be honest. This was so badly written I'm wondering if someone's playing a joke on me. I don't know if the author grew up speaking English, but this reads like it was put through Google Translate or - seeing how clunky the grammar is - translated literally from another language.
Now, if bad writing isn't as bad a dealbreaker for you as it is for me, the plot isn't great either. It doesn't make any sense, and I couldn't care less about the characters.
This had such a great premise but the execution was not it.

Rating: 0.8/5

I haven't got a clue what I have just read. The accompanying synopsis seemed quite intriguing, but the actual book bore no resemblance to what I had been anticipating. It is possible that this is a very clever piece of work that I am just not bright enough to fully appreciate. Alternatively, it could be that it simply lacks some fundamental elements necessary to facilitate an enjoyable and rewarding reading experience. Until otherwise persuaded, I have decided to come down on the side of the latter.

As ever, I would still like to convey my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review. It is a pity I was not in a position to pass more favourable comment on this occasion.

The MI5 Girl in Oxford promises intrigue and espionage set against the backdrop of one of the world’s most iconic academic institutions, but fails to deliver on that potential.

The plot is uneven and often lacks clarity, with abrupt transitions and underdeveloped stakes. Characters are thinly drawn, and their motivations frequently feel unconvincing or unexplored. Dialogue leans toward awkward, and the pacing struggles to maintain momentum.

There are glimmers of a compelling story here, but overall, the novel reads more like a rough draft than a finished work. A stronger editorial hand and deeper character work would have gone a long way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brown Dog Books for the eARC.

I really struggled to read this book, especially from the prologue, and the use of some outdated terminology (and potentially offensive) terminology around Muslim people really threw me off read this. I think it has potential, but a lot of work needs to be done in order to get there.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brown Dog Books for the advanced reader copy.

I was curious about the tone of this spy book--that it was a quiet, intellectual kind of spy caper. Unfortunately, trying to read this book left me confused and frustrated, starting with the prologue. There were very few dialogue tags and multiple characters speaking, leaving me unclear about who was talking. I couldn't hang with this one.

I was very hopeful for this book but if I am being honest it was a hard read. At points it felt very disjointed and often the focus of the story was difficult to decipher, due to the jumping narrative. Personally this would not be a book I would recommend, due to this I have not left a review on Goodreads or amazon.

I’m sorry to say but this book was awful.

There was potential with the plot however I think the author needs some more guidance, this could have been a good read