Kassiah

4-1/2 stars but I'm rounding up because of the ring pop.

Check out my full review with quotes and a giveaway on the Fictionators. You can also see the Swoony Boy File for Jesse on Swoony Boys Podcast.

I. Loved. This. Book.

It came along at the right time, when I needed something fun and romantic and awesome, and this is exactly what I needed.

Maggie's grew up jet-setting around the world with her parents, who are spies. At sixteen years old, Maggie is an expert safe-cracker, but she's always been on the sidelines in any of their missions. Her parents have always been the ones "on assignment". When they arrive in New York on their new assignment, Maggie finds out that she is the one carrying this mission, and it centers around a boy: Jesse Oliver.

The Collective (the organization they work for) has determined that Jesse Oliver's media tycoon father has information on several key agents, including her parents. The threat of exposure of their identities could mean life and death for the spies as well as impeding their assignments. So, Maggie is tasked with getting to know Jesse Oliver so she can get information on his father. She's excited about her first assignment and doesn't count on sparks flying between the two of them, right from the beginning.

Oh, Jesse Oliver. Sweet, swoony Jesse Oliver. I love him so much. You know what's going to happen. Jesse is more than just an assignment to Maggie, but she can't give up on her assignment to protect her family and the lives of the other agents.

Why did he have to be funny? And smart? This would have been so much easier if he was some himbo with the personality of a dirt clod.

There are other things going on here, and I enjoyed watching the mystery unravel. I loved Maggie. She had a lot to deal with, and even when she thought she had it all together, I love that she didn't. I also really appreciated the relationship that she had with her parents, and how all of them had to grow and reach a new understanding of each other. I love Maggie because she was snarky and kick-ass and real.

"Look at this!" I said, shaking [the uniform] in front of them. I've waited my whole life to go to high school and now I have to wear this?"

I loved so many things about this book, from the location (NYC, baby) to the characters to epic adventures. I also really loved her friend, Roux.

Though I wouldn't have made some of the decisions that Maggie made, I liked her personality. I liked how the whole story played out. If you're looking for a quick fun read with lots of swoons and some action-packed thrills thrown in, this Also Known As is the book for you.