(Image from Barnes & Noble)

At first glance, The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women looks like any other East Coast boarding school.  But that's just its cover.  No one would ever guess the school's real purpose—to train the next generation of super spies.  Gallagher Girls may look like ordinary teenagers, but they're not; they're the best, the brightest, the most elite spies-in-training on the planet.

The daughter of two legendary spies, 15-year-old Cammie Morgan can't wait to put the skills she's learning at Gallagher Academy into action.  She just never imagined she'd be practicing covert operations on the hot guy she meets in town one evening.  If only she could talk to Josh without sounding like an idiot, Cammie wouldn't have to hack into his computer or tap his phone to get to know him better.  But she can't.  She's tried.  And, she definitely can't "be herself" around him because everything about who she is is classified.  What's a love struck super spy to do?  Get her man by any means possible, of course!  Will her first mission be a roaring success or a miserable failure?  How about a little of both ...

Considering the book cover and title, it doesn't take a genius (or a super spy) to figure out that I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter is a whole lot of fun.  It's one of those light, funny stories that just makes a person smile.  The tone is upbeat, the story moves swiftly, and there are some plot curves to keep the reader guessing (a little).  Yeah, yeah, it's predictable, but who cares?  This is a delightful beginning to a popular series that I should have picked up a lot sooner than this.  Did I mention how totally fun it is?  

(Readalikes:  The other books in the Gallagher Girls series [Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy; Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover; Only the Good Spy Young; Out of Sight, Out of Time] and Heist Society by Ally Carter)

Grade:  B

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG for mild language and a (very) little innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find