THE SPY AND I

An introverted Washington, D.C., computer hacker joins forces with a handsome CIA operative in Smith’s first adult rom-com.

Dove Barkley is what you might call an honest hacker: All she needs is four minutes (and a Taylor Swift tune) to slither past a company’s security system and reveal how vulnerable their database is. As a self-proclaimed computer nerd, however, dating is the one thing Dove has never been able to hack. Her last date was two years ago, something her older sister, Madison, seldom lets her forget. As a travel photographer, Madison rarely stays in one place, but she’s never too busy to check in on her baby sister and nag her about getting back out there. But when Dove is interviewed by Sam Olsen, a broodingly handsome journalist, she can’t wait to spill the flirty details to her sister over dinner that night. Dove’s evening turns sour, however, when a man sits down at her table in the restaurant, hands her a briefcase containing a fake passport with Madison’s photo on it, and is promptly shot dead in front of her. In a series of Jason Bourne–level capers, she learns that not only is Madison a CIA agent who’s allegedly in cahoots with an arms dealer, but Sam Olsen is actually Mendez, the government agent trying to track her down. (“And your first name?” she asks him. “That’s on a need-to-know basis,” he responds.) Dove can’t believe Madison would switch sides so easily, and she agrees to work with Mendez to clear her sister’s name. Smith packs her tale with action, comedy, and perhaps one too many unnecessary similes. Dove is a relatable underdog thrown into a bizarre scenario: “My idea of a good time was more likely to include a sugar rush than a rush of adrenaline.” And while her relationship with Mendez leaves a little to be desired—his flirtation is often more inappropriate than charming—Dove’s determination to save Madison out of pure sisterly trust is a commendable character trait.

An amusing spies-to-lovers tale that’s more comedy than romance.