Publication Date: March 18, 2025
One fake prime minister, one ridiculously hot handler, and one Italian summer collide in this thrilling adventure rom-com.
Max is just your average girl. She works odd jobs, has a soul-crushing amount of debt, and happens to bear an uncanny resemblance to Europe’s youngest female prime minister, Sofia Christensen. Sofia is powerful, beautiful—and unfortunately, someone is trying quite hard to assassinate her.
When the CIA approaches Max with a deal, a life-changing amount of money if she pretends to be Sofia on the prime minister’s annual Italian vacation, Max packs her bags for the Amalfi Coast. The delicious food, the breathtaking views—this trip would be a dream if it weren’t for those pesky assassins and Flynn, the handler assigned to Max’s case. Flynn, who has an unexpected history with Max, from another sun-drenched summer years and years ago. Now he’s instructed to stay in Max’s suite to protect her, as old passions and assassins collide.
Losing herself in the role of a prime minister is one thing. But losing her heart to Flynn again? Now that’s a risk she isn’t willing to take . . .
Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker is a fun rom-com with an unexpected second-chance romance.
We’re taken on several adventures as we race through parts of Rome and try to stay one step ahead of the assassins. The prologue drew me in immediately, and the epilogue gave me excellent closure.
Max and Flynn are the leads, with a cast of secondary characters, and it is often hard to decide who to trust. Max was a restaurant owner in Maine, and she had to give up her dream during the pandemic. She has a boatload of debt and owes family and friends but can’t get a job in her field. She lives with a roommate who is a character of himself but definitely comes through in a clutch.
Flynn is CIA and becomes her handler when she becomes a body double of the prime minister of a small country who plans to holiday in Italy. Max and Flynn had a summer romance in their teens, but they lost touch when he returned home to Texas.
The story has several layers, marked with twists and turns and red herrings. The CIA often fails to protect Max while playing Sophia, so it’s good that she’s so resourceful. The story has closure with a happily ever after back in Maine, but I wish there were a few more details regarding Sophia after the big reveal.
Code Word Romance takes readers through Italy with laughter, secrets, and surprises. Max and Flynn are likable characters, and I enjoyed the plot and adventure.
Carlie Walker attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she first majored in Peace, War and Defense, a feeder program for intelligence services—before realizing that she is way too anxious to be a spy. Having gone on to study at Oxford University and at City, University of London, she worked briefly in publishing before becoming the bestselling author of seven books for children and young adults. She has a registered 250-pound dead lift, volunteers in a cat shelter, and used to spend her Saturdays practicing Krav Maga. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and their American dingo.
