Let me start by saying this book had me at 'Evie Porter doesn’t exist.' The concept alone was enough to hook me, but the execution? Absolutely brilliant. I found myself constantly questioning who to trust, just like Evie herself.
The multiple timelines initially threw me off - I won’t lie. Jumping between present day and past operations took some getting used to. But around chapter 7, everything clicked into place. Those flashbacks became my favorite parts, revealing just how meticulously Mr. Smith crafted Evie’s entire existence.
What surprised me most was how much I rooted for a con artist! Lucca/Evie/Mia is so brilliantly written - smart, vulnerable, and dangerous all at once. That scene where she’s planting flowers while planning a con? Pure genius character work.
The romance with Ryan added such delicious tension. Normally I can predict twists miles away, but here I kept second-guessing myself right until the final pages. That moment when all the lies started unraveling? I literally gasped aloud in my living room.
Is it perfect? No. The middle drags slightly, and keeping track of aliases requires concentration. But when it hits its stride - wow. This isn’t just another spy thriller; it’s a masterclass in character-driven suspense with emotional depth that lingers long after the last page.