I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After covid forced her to close her restaurant, Max has been left in crushing debt, working dead end jobs just to survive. So when a CIA agent approaches her, trench coat and all, asking her to be a decoy for the Summerland Prime Minister, Sofia Christensen, she jumps in. After all, she is identical to Sofia, and even if the PM is facing assassination attempts, $5 million is worth it. However, the spanner in the works is her handler, Flynn, who is the only man to ever break her heart. Can Max impersonate a foreign dignitary well enough, while dealing with assassins, and a broken heart?

Oh my god, this book was amazing! I knew from the synopsis and cover that it would be a good one, but I was still blown away. Reading it all in one sitting, I was immediately transported to Italy, exploring Rome and Positano with Max, Flynn, Calvin, and even Giorgio. I love Italy, and it was so good to be back there alongside the characters in this book, but luckily, every time I've been, I haven't been involved with international espionage, unlike Max who had only ever been as far as Canada, let alone across the Atlantic. I felt a real kinship to her - Max was someone who would do anything, including jumping head first into something which could kill her - to help her friends and family. After covid caused her restaurant to struggle, she borrowed a lot from her parents and best friend, and then the restaurant had to close completely. Nearly $2 million in debt, she is barely staying afloat while living with her reclusive stoner roommate, Calvin. That's why it was so easy to accept Gail's offer, because she knew the money would help her family, and get her back on her feet. I loved seeing her when she discovered that ail wouldn't be her handler, but instead it would be Flynn, who just happened to be her ex, who left her all those summers ago. It wasn't easy for her to let him back in, but the yearning from both sides was honestly palpable, and such a dream to read. As you would expect, it doesn't all go smoothly, and Max causes a few international incidents, not limited to kissing her 'bodyguard' in front of the world's press while masquerading as a top diplomat. There were so many twists and turns in the book, with unexpected characters popping up at the completely wrong time, that for ages I wasn't sure who to trust and who was potentially an enemy. The ending made up for it, and in true Max fashion, it was not all plain sailing. Such a great summer read!

I had such a great time reading this! The perfect combo of high-stakes action and romantic moments, Code Word Romance features Max who is approached by the CIA to impersonate a European president as a lookalike. Desperately needing the money, she takes on the role in beautiful Italy, except her handler is none other than ex summer fling Flynn.

It was great to watch them explore their second chance romance alongside the very serious role of President/handler as she navigated possible exposure and assassination attempts. I do wish we had got more from Flynn as he was quite closed off, but I liked the prevalence of the James Bond aesthetic storyline - barrelling down the tiny streets of Italy on a Vespa as you’re chased by assassins, yes please!

Overall a fun read with a unique layer over the classic second chance romance trope.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eArc.

Max, an ordinary girl drowning in debt, is recruited by the CIA to impersonate Sofia Christensen, Europe’s youngest female prime minister, due to their striking resemblance. The gig? A high-stakes Italian getaway; complete with assassination threats. The twist? Max’s handler is her swoon-worthy ex, Flynn, who once broke her heart. As danger looms, Max must nail the role of her life while trying (and maybe failing) to guard her heart against old feelings.

Sadly a DNF read for me. The pacing and progression of the story seemed quite slow for me and even though the stakes were high, I didn’t feel a sense of urgency for the plot or characters.

Fun, fast-paced, and packed with chemistry! 🔐💖 Code Word Romance is a delightful blend of espionage, humour, and heart. Carlie Walker has created a rom-com with a difference—secret codes, undercover missions, and all the sizzling tension of forbidden attraction. The banter between the leads is electric, and I loved the mix of mystery and romance that kept me hooked from start to finish. It’s playful, clever, and pure escapism. Perfect for fans of romantic comedies with a dash of action and adventure. Prepare to be charmed!

What a fun and hilarious read! Perfect for the summer time! But I don't think the publisher or author understands what an enemies to lovers book actually entails - nothing in this book is enemy to lovers? Being mildly bitter about a break up years ago and having a few awkward moments does not make them enemies. They just had bad communication skills?

Such a hilarious story, I was hooked. From the start you’ve got everything here, spies, bodyguards, Italian getaway , great characters abd relationships , five star read

A funny and fast paced action romance filled with laugh out loud moments and wonderful chemistry, Unique and a little high stakes fun, second chance romance for Max and Flynn with a great plot!

This was a fast-paced storyline that had it all; second chance romance, thrilling assasin chases and enough chemistry to set Italy on fire.
I really enjoyed the storyline of the book and the direction that it takes Max in. You could see her character development throughout and how the actions shaped her and I really loved how things ended for her. You could sense from the first meeting with Flynn how things would pan out, but the sexual tension and chemistry were evident throughout and I really liked how their relationship evolved again.
The real hero for me was Max's flatmate. He was such a surprise character, especially from our first meeting with him and he definitely had a few secrets up his sleeves. The way he rescued her was so cute 🥹, although we was led to believe his guilt at one point.
The settings of the book were just beautiful, from the beaches of Positano to the bustling streets of Rome, it really did catapult us into Italy.
The ending of the book was fast paced and had me turning the pages wanting to know what happens next. I could guess who the culprit was behind the assassins, but this didn't spoil the story for me and was still so exciting.

This was such a fun easy read with a real heartfelt drive for the female main character Max - it made all the mad decisions and wacky twists which were hilarious but a bit insane easier to go along with. Genuinely cackled aloud at points and I did Google Moose Tracks ice cream so might book a flight just to have some.

This was a perfect mix of romance and thrills that made it hard to put this book down so if that sounds like something you’d like, make sure to check out this book (and, if you haven’t yet, definitely get your hands on The Takedown as well).

A wonderful mix of suspense, thriller, espionage and second chance romance.

Max is a reluctant body double for a Prime Minister and only took the job to pay off some of her debts. Now she's literally dodging bullets. To make it worse, the one person who can possibly keep her from winding up dead is her ex!

Flynn and Max exude that slow burn, bickering banter that I just eat up! When you're just sitting waiting for that forced proximity, one bed goodness to raise up that tension and ignite some flames,
There are plenty of laughs to be had and I'd certainly snap up more books from this author.

I loved The Takedown! It was one of my favourite reads of last year and a very pleasant surprise so I’ve been looking forward to Carlie Walker’s new book and I had so much fun reading it!!

I had high expectations for this book - I love second chance romances and I’ve recently found that I really enjoy a bit of action and mystery in my romances so when I couldn’t have been more excited about this book and it did not disappoint!

Starting with the romance - I loved seeing Max and Flynn reconnect and get back together. Being in multiple near-death situation definitely helped them realise that they wanted to be together fairly quickly but it was so clear how much they cared about each other and how the feelings from their teenage years were still there.

On to the action side of the book; I was on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out what was going on, who was orchestrating all the murder attempts and how they would dodge them and find their way out of those situations.

This was a perfect mix of romance and thrills that made it hard to put this book down so if that sounds like something you’d like, make sure to check out this book (and, if you haven’t yet, definitely get your hands on The Takedown as well).

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Second chance romance. Max was in love with Flynn years ago, and now she meets him again it is in a situation she never expected - impersonating a prime minister and working for the CIA. Can he keep her safe? A fun and fast paced read.

A great action romance with a stunning Italian setting that had me wishing for a summer holiday (without danger, thank you!). I enjoyed Max and Flynn's second chance romance and really appreciated that we find out early on what happened between them and it wasn't drawn out over the book. It meant we get a good idea of where they're at when reunited and made this tension between them all the more interesting. Was the plot in any way believable? No, but it was loads of fun and though I wanted to see a bit more chemistry between the Max and Flynn, I was enjoying all the mystery and plot twists as well as seeing Max totally able to handle herself in these wild situations.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

thankyou netgalley for this ARC!!!!

i entered this book with super low expectations. a romance, mystery.... like no thanks, but holy shit, i got proved wrong.
this is a second chance romance. which i usually honestly hate, but i adored this.
the banter, the sexual tension, ahhh, just perfection.
i thought it was super random how her ex from 8 years ago just says "oh yeh my ex looks just like this prime minister, lets use her as bait."
like how do you still remember her.....?
i loved the plot it had me needing more, i could not put this down at all. this was also a slow burn so it took about 70% of the book for them to kiss, but when they did it was everything!!!!!
i would consider reading more from this author it was written so well.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Carlie Walker for sending me an ARC of this book!

Code Word Romance is a romantic action book from beginning to end! I found this a very funny, easy read and one I would definitely recommend to romance and crime readers alike!

This is my first ever read by this author and I will 100% be reading more of Carlie Walker’s work! 🩷

was a little thrown at the beginning.

The jump back in time to show the lead up to what was going on.

After I got past that, I started to enjoy the book.

I couldn’t help but feel like I’d seen a similar movie before, but I loved the dynamic between Flynn and Max.

This book is many things - a second-chance romance, a comedy, an action-packed rampage set against a beautiful Italian backdrop - and most of all it’s a lot of fun. Right from the prologue, which throws us into immediate excitement and peril before tracking back to the beginning, Max has a fresh, funny voice and is full of good intentions. Even when thrown into a rapidly spiralling situation where it’s impossible to know who to trust. I found it harder to get a read on Flynn, but it didn’t matter too much because the plot absolutely zooms along and dragged me in, and the whole thing is sprinkled with well-drawn and memorable supporting characters (especially Calvin). I’d definitely recommend this as a very entertaining read.

Hallmark movie, an adult Lizzie MCguire or just a brilliant witty fun romance.
This was perfect for anyone and everyone. I loved every part of this book and just felt like smiling everytime I new I'd be reading it and after.
It was spoony in all the right places. Fun. A bit far fetched but easily balanced with the level.of "real" you want from characters and plot.
This is definitely a feel good romance.

When someone described this as the Lizzy McGuire Movie but there are spies involved I was an immediate yes.

I loved the unique premise of the CIA rocking up at Max’s doorstep telling her that they would clear her debts if she would spend a few days being the body double of Europe’s youngest prime minister, Sofia Christensen due to the current assassination threats.

Only problem is Max is a chef not a spy, her only qualification is the she is Sofia’s doppelgänger and her bodyguard is the man that broke her heart - what could go wrong?

This was a hilarious read. It took me a moment to get into it but with each passing page I was hooked. You have everything you could want from a high action spy novel but with a whole heap of comedic moments, chemistry and what the heck is happening…

Spies
Second Chances
Bodyguards
Italian getaway
Hilarious best friend

3.75 stars