Swoons & Spies • The Traitor's Kiss

Sage Fowler has a sharp tongue, clever mind and an unruly temper, all things that make her unfit for marriage in the society she lives in. As a matchmaker's apprentice, it is her job to be observant, to take note of things and to wrangle the young ladies that will be married off for political alliances. But when their group's military escort senses a political uprising in the making, Sage is recruited as a spy to help infiltrate enemy ranks. The more she learns, the more uncertain the world becomes and the less certain she is about who to trust among those who surround her. Will Sage be able to unravel the mystery and help change the fate of her kingdom?

Plot? Personally, I feel that the major strength of this novel lies in the plot. It was a story about spies, including the subterfuge, fighting and dangerous adventure that entails. But it was also about relationships, whether it be that of a commander and his squad, or a girl and her friends, or a brewing romance in the unlikeliest moment. I really enjoyed the way that Beaty combined it all into one really compelling storyline, and I can't wait to see where the story goes next.

Characters? I was immediately predisposed to liking the main male character, Alexander Quinn, because he ticked off all the boxes for me - a captain, a big brother and someone capable and confident in his abilities. He stole my heart from the moment he first showed up! But, of course, I harbor a soft spot for Sage Fowler, even though it took a little while before I warmed up to her properly. She was smart, independent and headstrong, all things I love in a female character. I also enjoyed getting to know some of the members of Quinn's squad, as well as Sage's friends, though I don't feel like they were as fully fleshed out as the two main characters.

Writing? The early chapters of this novel were very slow for me, and it took some time before I hit the turning point. But once I did, it was easy to fly through the pages! A lot of that has to do with the shorter, choppier chapters, which switched between perspectives and helped add to the urgency of the pace (particularly towards the end). One other thing that I feel is worth mentioning is that the world-building was weak and suffered from being easily comparable to other fantasy worlds.

Overall? Even though this novel and I got off to a slow start, I wound up really enjoying The Traitor's Kiss. It was a fun combination of spy adventures and swoony bits! I definitely felt very satisfied by the time I turned the very last page, and I can't wait to see how the story continues in the next one.

What is your favorite spy movie? Rachel & I actually discussed this prior to writing out the posts, and I'm fairly confident that she and I will have the same answer - and that is Mr. and Mrs. Smith. It is not only the movie that basically revealed to the world how explosive the chemistry between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt was, but it was also funny, smart and seriously entertaining. I've watched it a few times since the first time I saw it, and it holds up every time. (I will say that Kingsman: The Secret Service was a close second for me. I really enjoyed that movie too!)

The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty | Series: Traitor's Trilogy #1

Publisher: Imprint | Publication Date: May 9, 2017

Source: ARC received from the publisher (Thanks!)