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(Note:  Although this review will not contain spoilers for Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, it may inadvertently give away plot surprises from I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

With the less-than-desirable results of her last mission fresh on her mind, all Cammie "The Chameleon" Morgan wants is a drama-free sophomore year at her elite boarding school.  Apparently, that's a little too much to ask for when you're a 15-year-old super spy (in training).  From the minute Cammie overhears chatter about a mysterious mission called Blackthorne, she's intrigued.  When she learns that it involves a group of teenage male spies-to-be moving onto the campus of the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, she's flummoxed.  She can take down a target using a shoelace and a ping pong ball without breaking a sweat, but dealing with boys—on a daily basis—is another matter entirely.  

With the highly-skilled Blackthorne boys on their turf, the Gallagher girls have to step up their game.  Which isn't easy with cute guys watching their every move.  Determined to ignore the unwanted attention of the aggravating (and totally hot) Zach Goode, Cammie vows to use every tool in her (not inconsiderable) arsenal to beat the boys at their own game.  But with confounding security breaches threatening the top-secret status of her beloved Gallagher Academy, Cammie realizes that working with the boys may be the only way to save her school.  Can she trust Zach and his comrades?  Or will the girls have to go it alone?

If you're looking for a fun, fluffy series to take your mind off life's stresses, you can't go wrong with Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls books.  They're cute, clever and just all-around entertaining.  Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy is no exception.  Sure, the ending's predictable but, really, who cares?  The novel remains an easy, exciting read that will keep you reading, laughing and cheering for the always irresistible Gallagher girls.

(Readalikes:  I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter)

Grade:

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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

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There are two things books about World War II usually aren't:  snarky and upbeat.  Code Name Verity, a YA novel by Elizabeth Wein, happens to be both.  Maybe that's why it's such a different kind of read, one that's affecting and grim, but still almost funny.  You don't see that a lot—actually, you never see that—in stories about this time period.  Code Name Verity is unique and that's why I liked it.

The first half of the story is narrated by a young Scottish woman, whose ability to speak German makes her a perfect spy for England.  When the novel opens "Verity" has been captured by the Gestapo and is being held for questioning in Ormaie, France.  The Nazis have made it clear that if she does not reveal the nature of her mission, she will be executed.  After she's beaten and tortured, of course.  Given scraps of paper on which to write out her confession, Verity takes her time, spinning out tales like Scheherazade.  Since the SS officer in charge appreciates a good story, she gives him one.  As she writes about espionage, friendship, courage and cowardice, Verity fights for her life, one word at a time.   

Margaret "Maddie" Brodatt tells the second part of the story.  An English pilot, Maddie is used to making secret flights into enemy territory.  She's flown her friend Verity several times, always without incident.  Until now.  Now, Verity has been captured and Maddie's hiding out in a leaky barn in Nazi-held France.  Scribbling her own notes, Maddie talks about her childhood, her lifelong desire to fly airplanes, her friendship with Verity, her fears of being courtmartialed—or, even worse, being captured like Verity.  Although she doesn't practice her religion, Maddie's Jewish ancestry could still land her in a Nazi death camp.

As the two women write their histories, a remarkable story emerges—one of adventure, one of bravery, one of hope and one of friendship that transcends the horrors of war.

Although Code Name Verity is being promoted as a YA book, I don't see it appealing to teens really.  Not that it lacks action or intriguing characters or even a sarcastic, foul-mouthed narrator—it has all that.  But it's still kind of an old-fashioned book.  Action-packed and absorbing and entertaining, for sure, just in a vintage kind of way.  Does that make any sense?  Probably not.  No matter.  Suffice it to say, I enjoyed this unique and powerful WWII novel.  It's different—in the very best kind of way.  

(Readalikes:  Reminded me a bit of Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith)

Grade:  B

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  R for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder invectives), violence/scenes of peril, and sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Code Name Verity from the generous folks at Hyperion.  Thank you!

       

(Image from Deseret Book)

Although she has retired from the cloak and dagger life of a spy, Isabelle can't quite restrain her interest in the mystery.  She knows she should mind her own business, but the more she gets to know the serious-minded James, the more endearing she finds him.  And, the more she ponders Phillip's disappearance, the more she realizes how much she misses the rush of the career she's left behind.  So, with Sally in tow, Isabelle offers her sleuthing services to a reluctant, but grateful James.

It's not long before James has amassed a small group of searchers, an intriguing set of strangers, all of whom are intent on finding young Phillip.  While all members of the party insist they are helping only out of the goodness of their hearts, Isabelle questions their motives, especially as the journey becomes increasingly more dangerous.  Someone, it seems, is more intent on finding the jewel Phillip is hunting than the man himself and that person will stop at nothing to get the precious stone.  Even if it means killing a nosy former spy in the process.  With her life in danger, Isabelle must find the traitor—before it's too late.

Before picking up Legend of the Jewel, I'd never read anything by N.C. (Nancy Campbell) Allen.  A shame, because, apparently, she began writing about Isabelle and her cohorts in her popular Faith of Our Fathers series.  No matter.  Legend of the Jewel works well as a standalone, but even better as the first installment in an exciting new series.  Isabelle's a compelling heroine, someone who's tough, though grieving and vulnerable.  The romance between her and James develops in a believable manner, while never feeling dull or stale.  Although this is LDS historical fiction, it's not preachy (really, it hardly mentions religion at all); it's just a fun, clean mystery that's well-written and entertaining.  I loved it.