Brittany ButlerBesprekingen

This is a fast-paced, complex story of spies and espionage. It begins in London where Juliet Arroway and fellow Syndicate Spy, Mariam Al-Saud are undercover attempting to stop terrorist attacks. Juliet had met Mariam in college and eventually recruited to join Juliet in the Syndicate. The life of a spy is difficult especially when you can’t confide in the people in your life.

Juliet has been living with her boyfriend, Jean-Marc for the past 6 years as he followed his passion to fight for energy reform. Little do they realize that they are secretly working to attain the same goal. Until, the plane Jean-Marc was on goes missing and he is presumed dead. Juliet work harder to uncover the mystery regarding the sudden “accident” to the plane. She recalls how he father died doing what he loved which was intelligence work. She fears the same fate to befall upon her.

Mariam’s father is the king of Saudi Arabia and against the radical actions of his brother, Abdul Aziz Al-Saud. The Syndicate feel the Saudis are related to the attack in London. David Barany is Juliet’s boss and recalls her father’s dedication to his work. He also suspects that Juliet’s father may have been murdered as a result of his job. David fears their plans may have been compromised due to Mariam’s family connection. Despite Juliet’s protests. Graham Harding from FBI is sent to work with her on the Saudi assignment.

Graham has his work cut out for him working with Juliet. She is fueled by anger and revenge for justice on behalf of her father and Jean-Marc. She totally resents having Graham working with her and often reacts impulsivity barging head first into danger. She soon realizes that in order to survive the mission she must work with Graham.

Together they need to breach the Demascas compound and find their target. They aren’t prepared for the secrets, lies and betrayal that lie waiting. Will Mariam prove to be the loyal, trustworthy friend or will she be persuaded to assist her family? What other mysteries unfold are just part of the thrilling adventure into the world of espionage!

The Syndicate Spy
Author: Brittany Buttler @formerspy1
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
Stars: 5/5

Wow what a spy thriller this books was. It kept me on
the edge of my seat. I loved that the main character is
a strong female lead who is also not afraid to show
her soft vulnerable side. I wanted to add part of the
synopsis from the author’s website that had me
wanting to read this book

”The future: Earth’s oil reserves are depleted. Nations
race against terrorists for control over alternative
energy sources, and the Syndicate—a conglomerate of
allied intelligence agencies—must put an end to the
global energy war. Syndicate spy, Juliet Arroway, and
her best friend, Mariam, a Saudi princess, are tasked
to hunt down energy terrorists. When the Syndicate
begins to suspect that Mariam’s family is somehow
involved, tensions build and the carnage multiplies.
When peace means a stunning betrayal, Juliet must
decide if her mission is worth risking her own life as
well as the lives of those she loves.”

There are so many twist and turns in this story that I
ended up buying the book and stopped listening to the
audio version in part because I was not fond of the
narration. The book is well written and it is obvious
that that the author knows the “spy” world.

This is generally not the genre of book that I read but I
told myself that I was going to venture into new genres
in 2023. I could never of imagined the final outcome. I
am looking forward to more Juliet Arroway adventures!

Thank you to @NetGalley for the Audio ARC that
started my adventure with Juliet.
To Brittany Butler @formerspy1 and to Greenleaf Books
for publishing this book.

@formerspy1 #greenleadbookgr #thesyndicatespy
#julietarroway #ciaagent #intelligence #secretagent
#femalespy #spystories #espionage #book
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklovers #book
#booknerd #bookaddict #bookreview #booklover
#bibliophile #igreads #currentlyreading #bookreview
#lovetoread #booksarelife #bookreviewer
#bookaddicts #bookpost #bookworms #booknerd

The Syndicate Spy
Author: Brittany Buttler @formerspy1
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
Stars: 5/5

Wow what a spy thriller this books was. It kept me on
the edge of my seat. I loved that the main character is
a strong female lead who is also not afraid to show
her soft vulnerable side. I wanted to add part of the
synopsis from the author’s website that had me
wanting to read this book

”The future: Earth’s oil reserves are depleted. Nations
race against terrorists for control over alternative
energy sources, and the Syndicate—a conglomerate of
allied intelligence agencies—must put an end to the
global energy war. Syndicate spy, Juliet Arroway, and
her best friend, Mariam, a Saudi princess, are tasked
to hunt down energy terrorists. When the Syndicate
begins to suspect that Mariam’s family is somehow
involved, tensions build and the carnage multiplies.
When peace means a stunning betrayal, Juliet must
decide if her mission is worth risking her own life as
well as the lives of those she loves.”

There are so many twist and turns in this story that I
ended up buying the book and stopped listening to the
audio version in part because I was not fond of the
narration. The book is well written and it is obvious
that that the author knows the “spy” world.

This is generally not the genre of book that I read but I
told myself that I was going to venture into new genres
in 2023. I could never of imagined the final outcome. I
am looking forward to more Juliet Arroway adventures!

Thank you to @NetGalley for the Audio ARC that
started my adventure with Juliet.
To Brittany Butler @formerspy1 and to Greenleaf Books
for publishing this book.

@formerspy1 #greenleadbookgr #thesyndicatespy
#julietarroway #ciaagent #intelligence #secretagent
#femalespy #spystories #espionage #book
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklovers #book
#booknerd #bookaddict #bookreview #booklover
#bibliophile #igreads #currentlyreading #bookreview
#lovetoread #booksarelife #bookreviewer
#bookaddicts #bookpost #bookworms #booknerd

Butler's attempt at a spy thriller was confusing and poorly written. Honestly, how many times can we be told that two people communicated with just a look? Books like this are supposed to be unrealistic and overblown - see the Pendergast series, for example - and that's part of the fun. So I didn't mind that. But this one was just silly sometimes. Not one I can recommend.½

The story needed more background information on the energy situation and the syndicate. Found it very difficult to follow and be invested in the book.

There’s nothing like moving and losing the copy of a book you were reviewing, truly. It certainly wasn’t my proudest moment.

Finally recovering this book from a box, I was excited to dig in. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed, and this book ended up taking me far longer than usual to read - weeks, not a day or two. Why? Frankly, the action was so unrealistic, and I felt no connection to the characters, so I had to repeatedly set it aside.

After so much time waiting to review this book, I am sorry that I don’t have many positive things to say about it. I did not like the plot (overdramatic), the characters (I could not sympathize with them), or the overall novel. Occasionally, you want to like a book and just can’t do it. That describes my relationship with this thriller that did not thrill me.

I had high hopes for this book, but could not finish. The story was all over the place, and it seemed to lack editing. The cover makes it seem as if this is part of a series, so maybe if I had read the previous books it would have made more sense.

This book was provided as part of the Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book as part of LibraryThing’s early reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.

I made it halfway through and could not finish. It was an interesting idea, but the pacing was very inconsistent as were many of the details in the story. A revolver turns into a pistol. At one point the characters were on a plane for a 6 hour trip. They have one conversation and arrive. I can't buy into the story with bits and pieces all over the place. Maybe the next one will be better after more editing. 0 stars for DNF

This was received as a part of the early reviewer’s program. I liked the book. The writing and story is suspenseful enough to keep your attention. It’s refreshing to have an action type story with a female lead character. The fight scenes, while slightly unrealistic, were not any more so than those in other books with a male lead (The Grey Man series, David Baldacci characters, etc.)I also enjoyed the romantic twists that were much more realistic than what I’ve found with most male authors. I look forward to reading more of the series in the future.

I gave it less than 5 stars for the serious technical flaws. Things like an artificial oil. Really? It got more goofy as the author tried to describe the concept in more detail. Nuclear, I could believe. Other energy alternatives, yes, but artificial oil, no way. I admit, I’m a scientist and a nerd so the technical issues really bothered me. Like another reviewer who commented on copper not rusting. Grr. Yes, rusting is oxidation of iron and copper oxidizes to a pretty greenish turquoise color. So, not rust, but similar.½

Juliet Arroway is former Army who now works for Syndicate. Her mission is to end the energy war and avenge her father. The book opens with her doing missions along side her partner and best friend Mariam. Some events happen that don't go their way. These events separate Marian and Juliet, bring the death of her long term boyfriend, and force her to work with Graham with FBI. Juliet and Graham spend the book working together to end the energy war. They are three steps behind the mastermind and all their sources are comprised. Juliet at first couldn't accept what Mariam did but she she understood. There were two twist at the end. One I can understand and I could see why the author did it. The other twist I thought was pointless and didn't really add anything to the plot. Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next book.
½

I couldn't get into this one. The basic writing is typically a 3/5, but it often spends time on details that don't set the scene or build on the characters at all, and are occasionally placed at awkward moments that make the details that do matter a little confusing to discern. The story telling brings things down quite a bit. Everything is far too convenient. Every door is blocked, until the characters need to leave, then there is an opening for some reason. The main character (a 5'4" female) is held captive by three or four large men, until she randomly goes berserk and easily breaks free and defeats everyone (happens multiple times). And they are consistently outnumbered (and gunned) twenty to one (authors words) and yet somehow take everyone out with the main character often escaping with minor or no injuries. It also has the classic poor writing moment of "professionals with fancy equipment not seeing anything obvious (all men) until heroic female comes in, points out small detail, and then suddenly the pros have amazing tools that would have solved all the problems if they had only thought to use them." This last complaint ties into my final gripe with the book, just how heavy-handed and pandering the politics are. I'm fine with politics and religion being in stories I read, but it is always frustrating when there are pages and pages of often repetitive commentary arguing for only one side of politics or religion (in this case TONS of dialogue about Islamic reform) and all of the arguments are weak. At least present me with details or arguments that haven't already been refuted a thousand times (I feel this way regardless of whether or not I agree, it's equally frustrating to read people I agree with using arguments that I could argue against because they are too weak). It makes the latter half of the book tedious to finish, with an ending that is not at all believable or satisfying.

Spy thriller set in the near future. Basic premise is what would the world order look like if we actually ran out of oil. With that as a backdrop enter two women spies (or maybe special ops soldiers), one from the West and one from East. It is a great landscape for follow on books.

Every modern thriller I have read in the last decade seems to rely on some entirely new government agency that does not currently exist. This one is no different. It seems like this weakens the believability of the plot lines. It affected this plot as well. Still the action moves right along, even if some of the scenarios seem a tad far fetched.

Recommended for readers of the modern thriller genre and for people who like to see women kick but.½

Great writing and solid, factual information.
Very interesting to read about the battles from women soldiers. So much like "Seal Team", but again, with women, not men doing the fighting.
A little slow at the beginning - for me - reading about combat and politics. But the relationship aspects were appealing.

In the near future, times not very different from our own. I struggled to feel invested in the story. There was a lot going on.½

I did enjoy this. I used to have a lot of time to read; as an adult I now measure a book’s success by its ability to keep my interest and keep me turning the page. This one certainly did! I found that fascinating since I don’t tend to enjoy violent or gory television or movies. The only part I found too “unrealistic” was the main character expressing opposing opinions to the agency, which in my uneducated mind (on this topic at least) makes her inner conflict to external to be acceptable to the org she reports to. Perhaps that is explored in the future? I don’t want to give any spoilers, but some people being assumed dead and popping up happened more then once. I think once is all a skeptical reader could accept in a story. Overall, I enjoyed it and would read further books in the series.

When looking at the description for this book on Amazon, I am struck by the fact that though this book is being advertised as a futuristic book, "In the near future, Earth’s oil reserves are depleted. " it was set (according to the very first page) in 1938. Unless this is a significant typo, it sure put a different spin on this book for me. So which is it? A book set in the past with all sorts of modern tech, or a futuristic book with old-fashioned tech?

In the very first paragraph, I found a distracting mistake on the author's part. COPPER DOES NOT RUST, NOR DOES IT SMELL OF RUST. Yes, this may be nit-picking, but it still made me question how good this book would be. Mistakes such as this tend to pull me out of the story and question what I had been reading.

As I kept reading, I realized that this author has an interesting command of the language. For instance, Juliet's eyes can speak to her partner Mariam. Ohhkay. "Juliet took a SHARP swig of water" ??? "A silo of light poured into the compound."

This is most likely a very good book. I do so love futuristic novels, and having two kick-butt heroines would have been just perfect. However, too many things distract me from what could have been the perfect story.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.

"The Syndicate Spy" by Brittany Butler started off interestingly enough. However, over time is lost some of its luster. I found the plot to be too unrealistic. Yes, I know that it's fiction, but I am a reader that still likes some realism when it comes to spy fictional novels. The dialogue and actions of the main characters, just didn't ring true in my opinion. I found myself being distracted from the plot due to the characters.

A near-future terrorist hunt with a female main character, the book is not badly written, but I didn't enjoy it. I've read too many 'thrillers' with unrealistic combat and shooters who think too much.

3.5 Stars
An action-packed spy thriller with lots of twists and turns. I like the strong female characters and the diverse backgrounds. Good job on culture descriptions and the detail. Some parts dragged on, but overall, a good choice if you're a fan of this type of novel and want something a little different.

Net Galley Feedback½

Thank you to Greenleaf publishers.

Spy thrillers aren't for me I guess. Too complicated, especially this one.

I try to read different things once in a while and some don't pan out and this book was one that I dnf.

-- Want to know if the whole series is worth reading? Read my overall review of the whole series at seriesousbookreviews.com! Spoiler Free!

**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**

What drew me to this title was the promise of a romance gone bad. While I love a happy ending as much as the next girl, I want to see more romances that explore the potentially unhealthy aspects of romance. Especially in the New Adult genre where it always seems like the heroine can change the unchangeable hero just by "loving" him (or vice versa).

Hazed starts like any other NA romance but it quickly takes a darker turn; and I really liked that. It's not darker in the sense that this romance is taboo but in the sense that it seems normal until you uncover the layers underneath.

It's hard to read at times because, as the reader, you can see what is coming for Taylor a mile away. You just want her to get the hell out of there but you watch her succumb again and again to the unhealthiness of her romance. It's tough and I think if you didn't know that that is the purpose of the story, you would scratch your head and walk away. But that is the point of the story, no matter how hard it is to read.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next!

Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!

Full Review: http://wp.me/p7hLUw-1KZ
Actual Rating: 3.5/5

-- Want to know if the whole series is worth reading? Read my overall review of the whole series at seriesousbookreviews.com! Spoiler Free!

**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**

Going into this book, I really wasn't sure what to expect. Hazed ends abruptly (in a good way) and so I didn't know what was going to happen next to these two characters.

But instead of these two trying to navigate their rather unhealthy relationship, they navigate the outside drama that finds a way into their lives. And while this drama adds some flare to the story, it wasn't what I wanted to read about. I wanted to explore this relationship more.

This novel also started really slow for me. While I appreciated getting Hayze's POV for the first time in this series and learning more about his past and motivation; I felt like it slowed things down a bit. Everything was just going through the motions.

And as a result, the ending seemed rushed. That's when the relationship gets tested and things get teased out. I wanted that to happen earlier; I picked up this book to see how this relationship would work.

So, overall, I was slightly disappointed that I didn't get the story I wanted. But nevertheless, it was still a nice way to pass the time and I'm glad to get some closure with these two.

Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!

Full Review: http://wp.me/p7hLUw-1KZ
Actual Rating: 3/5