If I Told You, I'd Have to Kiss You
A Novel
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4.4 • 8 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
One of NYPL's Best New Romances of the year
Mr. and Mrs. Smith meets The Pairing in this heart-racing romance of secrets, spies, and steam.
A few rules for the international superspy:
(1) Never blow your cover.
(2) Never accept the first plan.
(3) Never fall for anyone at the agency. Especially if she’s your ex-girlfriend.
Yardley Whitmer, code name “the Unicorn,” can do no wrong. She’s honed her spycraft and become an instant legend in the field. If only breaking up with her girlfriend were as easy as rappelling off the Eiffel Tower. Living a full-time cover story has slowly eroded her relationship until there’s nothing left but lies.
KC “Tabasco” Nolan, hacker extraordinaire, can crack any code—except the one that would tell her the right moment to confess her secret job to Yardley. Now it’s too late, and she’s in danger of losing the best chance at love she’s ever had.
When an undercover shakedown goes wrong, Yardley and KC discover the unbelievable truth—that they’ve both been working at the agency for years. To salvage the mission, they partner up and fly across oceans, race through winding European streets, and give in to inconvenient passion while hiding in an ambassador’s linen closet. But can they throw away their rules and fight through their secrets to fall in love with each other’s true selves?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Marvel, the pen name for authors Annie Mare and Ruthie Knox (who previously collaborated on Everyone I Kissed Since You Got Famous), delivers an enthralling combination of thrilling action and sweet, sexy romance. It was love at first sight when Yardley and KC met three years ago, but now their relationship is foundering, burdened with the weight of lies on both sides. What neither woman realizes is that they're keeping the same secret: they're both spies working for the same agency under whimsical code names ("the Unicorn" and "Tabasco," respectively). When a mission goes sideways and the truth comes out, KC and Yardley try to put their drama aside and work toward the greater good—but there's no denying the complicated feelings they still have for one another. The authors do a good job balancing internal and external conflict as the unabashedly queer Mr. and Mrs. Smith-esque plot picks up. The international intrigue and well-plotted action sequences evoke James Bond, but the story keeps a sense of cozy sweetness at its core and wears its politics on its sleeve, extolling the virtues of diversity, public service, and queer love. It's a delightful diversion. Agents: (for Mare) Tara Gelsomino, One Track Literary; (for Knox) Pamela Harty, Knight Agency.
Customer Reviews
Loved it
To be loved is to be known. Great book.
Fun Concept
I’m all for the concept, even large parts of the execution. Lesbian spies is an excellent hook. I like the characters, very especially Yardley who speaks to my own southern girl soul. The romance is also really good, the authors have a talent and flair for flirtatious dialogue.
I just don’t think the spy story got enough time in the oven. My ereader clocked in at 300 pages, which is normal for a romance novel but awfully short for a spy thriller. It wasn’t bad, really, but felt like it was missing big chunks.
Finally, if I’m being blunt, 2026 is a difficult year to enjoy reading a book filled with queer characters who have an unwavering loyalty to this country, no matter how fictional.