Carlie Walker | Code Work Romance

The Book: 

Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker
Published: March 18, 2025 by Berkley
Date read: December 6, 2024

Find more March 2025 releases here.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Characters: 

Max and Flynn

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The Plot (from Goodreads):

Two exes. One mission. A trip she’ll never forget…

Max is just your average girl. She works odd jobs, has a soul-crushing amount of debt and just happens to have an uncanny resemblance to Europe’s youngest female prime minister, Sofia Christensen . . .

So when the prime minister receives a credible death threat, the CIA approaches Max with a a life-changing amount of money if she pretends to be Sofia on the prime minister’s annual Italian trip.

It would be a dream if it weren’t for those pesky assassins and Flynn, Max’s ridiculously hot handler – the man who broke her heart years and years ago.

With her life now on the line, Max knows she has no choice but to lose herself in the role. But losing her heart to Flynn again? Now that’s a risk that she isn’t willing to take . . .

My Review:

Carlie Walker is back with another fun, action-y rom-com! THE TAKEDOWN was one of my favorite Christmas books in 2023, and my five-star review held up on my re-read this year. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her next release!

If you read THE STAND-IN by Lily Chu, the concept of CODE WORD ROMANCE is similar. A totally normal girl has been approached to act as a body double for someone famous. The twist here, though, is that Max’s handler is her hot ex, Flynn. This book is hot, steamy, hilarious, and action-packed. Flynn is the most protective bodyguard, despite Max routinely disobeying him.

I loved that Max wasn’t content to just be a bystander when things went wrong. She, perhaps inadvisably, did what she could for the leader of the made-up country she was standing in for. It made for a great read!

This sophomore novel has cemented my love for Carlie Walker. I’ll certainly be following her closely in the future!

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