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-Synopsis-

They were each other’s first love. Now they might be each other’s last hope. Perfect for fans of Ally Carter, Spies, Lies, and Alibis is an unputdownable binge-fest, full of laughs, heart, and mischief.

Cybil Langford has spent years hiding behind her polished, professional facade as the executive assistant to a powerful real estate mogul, where she’s perfectly positioned to collect intel on her boss’s criminal network. But when her mission leads her into the path of Lorenzo Ramirez–a ruthless crime boss with deadly plans–she’ll need every ounce of cunning and charm to stay one step ahead.

Then he walks back into her life.

Ben Bradley is deep undercover for the FBI, living under an alias, as a financial advisor with a reputation for helping the wealthy and corrupt launder their money. His target? Lorenzo Ramirez, a dangerous crime boss with his hands in everything from smuggling to murder. But when a familiar face from his past suddenly reappears, things get . . . complicated.

The last time Cybil saw Ben, he was an annoying prankster–and her first crush. The last time Ben saw Cybil, she stole a piece of his heart. Neither expected to run into each other at a high-stakes fundraising gala where crime, corruption, and undercover agendas collide.

Forced to work dangerously close, neither knows the other’s true agenda. Cybil sees the boy who once broke her heart, now a man whose motives are deeply suspect. Ben sees the woman he never got over but can’t determine if she’s an innocent caught in the crossfire or a willing accomplice. As they navigate a world of spies, lies, and fragile alibis, they must dismantle the walls around their hearts.

The intel is classified. The trust is fragile. And their covers are one lie away from blowing wide open.

-Review-

To begin, I would like to thank NetGalley, Natalie Walters and Thomas Nelson for allowing reviewers like myself to listen to a copy of this audiobook in exchange for honest reviews. Thank you!

Before I was able to snag a copy myself, I repeatedly heard great things about the audiobook of Spies, Lies, and Alibis. After having finally listened through the whole book myself, I can agree with that popular opinion. Both Andrew Eiden and Dominique Salvacion did a wonderful job playing Cybil and Ben (as well as all the other characters). They had the comedy down as far as their inner monologues and banter back and forth were concerned. The way they voiced the characters, made it feel as though I was watching a movie in which they were actual members of the FBI and crime circuit, with how confidently they played their roles. The only ‘issue’ I noticed were a couple instances of mispronounced words but that was hardly anything immersion shattering for me. I would hands down, choose to listen to either of them again in the future.

Spies, Lies, and Alibis follows the perspectives of both Cybil Langford and Ben Bradley as they are navigating their own separate roles of investigating a particular Lorenzo Ramirez. Their paths begin to cross, much to their initial chagrin as they also happen to share some rocky history as children and teenagers. This history led to heartbreak which has left a bit of a bad taste in both of their mouths. However, as they become more entangled in this whole undercover investigation rabbit hole, it forces buried emotions to come to the surface. It is up to them to either open up to the truth or bury it under more lies.

This book predominantly takes place in Dallas, Texas. Being native to the DFW metroplex myself, I thoroughly enjoyed actually being familiar with certain freeways and cities that were mentioned. It made the story feel even more real and entertaining as it was basically taking place in my own backyard.
The investigation ends up taking everyone to Italy as well, where some high tense moments take place. I enjoyed this bit of travel we experience as it pertains to the undercover career very well. The fact Ben was able to speak fluent Italian made perfect sense given his job and his familiarity to the customs made for some hilarious interactions with Cybil of whom, was not as caught up on her Italian knowledge. I enjoyed the different cultures and places experienced in this book.

This book is classified as a contemporary romantic comedy with suspense, and mystery. While I enjoyed the separate elements of each genre, I did at times feel as though they did not mesh as well as they could have. For example, the romantic comedy aspects were at times canceling out any real sense of danger and suspense. During intense moments, both Cybil and Ben would make some sort of sarcastic remark or joke, of which you instantly know nothing serious is actually going to happen. Pouring water on the fire if you will.

As far as the romance and the mystery is concerned, there were several instances in which Cybil and Ben almost blew their covers and completely ruined the plan, due to their familiarity and feelings for each other. The first time this happens, I easily moved past it no problem. Once this pattern kept repeating, it became more of a hassle to read as it was becoming slightly exasperating. Ben specifically had more riding on this investigation as he knew one of Lorenzo’s victims. The whole reason behind the FBI getting involved in the first place, was to bust Lorenzo for another crime, thus finally putting him behind bars. Ben’s carelessness when it came to Cybil made it seem like he no longer cared as much for the plan, nor did he really have any disciplinary action for his lack of judgement. These parts did not feel as realistic as they should have in my opinion.

As far as the main characters are concerned, Ben was my favorite as his motivations were understandable and selfless. Cybil on the other hand was mainly motivated by money. While I cannot fault her entirely, due to her relationship with her incredibly immature mother, it made her feel a bit shallow and ignorant in my opinion. Even as an undercover ‘spy’ she constantly came off as someone who had very little idea of what was truly going on. Some of the incredibly risky decisions she makes could have easily gotten herself thrown into the river (as she herself admits to on MULTIPLE occasions).

The relationship between Ben and Cybil was slow-paced. They were much more focused on their own missions in the beginning so this fit in with the overall pacing of the investigation. That being said, they both had moments in which I wish the communication would have been better, alleviating some of the misunderstandings between them earlier on. However, I understand why it was written that way since the investigation would have taken a backseat in that case for sure. There were growing tensions as well as increased attraction between the two as time went on so that was fun to experience.

All in all, I am giving three stars because I thought the plot was interesting as far as the mystery was concerned with this particular crime group. I though the genres shined when they were separate but got muddied as others were added into the mix. I would recommend the audiobook version for sure and I would not mind reading more from Natalie Walters!

Once again thank you to Natalie, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for offering copies of this audiobook in exchange for honest reviews!

-About the Author-

Natalie Walters is a best selling author who loves writing romantic suspense with dynamic plots, memorable characters, humor, heart, and adventure.

As an Army wife, she fills her stories with the right balance of romantic and suspenseful tension to get the heart-racing and a cast of witty characters–all of which, may or may not be inspired by true people and/or events.

When she’s not writing, she’s dreaming of her next vacation, spending time with her family, or chasing after her sock-eating Goldendoodle, Scout. Annnd binging CourtTv.

You can find Natalie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliewalters_writer/

Or join her Facebook group: Natalie Walters Book Battalion