Love, Lies and Spies

Children's Book and Media Review Volume 38 | Issue 3 Article 31 2017 Love, Lies and Spies Lisi Hong Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cbmr BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Hong, Lisi (2017) "Love, Lies and Spies," Children's Book and Media Review: Vol. 38 : Iss. 3 , Article 31. Available at: http://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cbmr/vol38/iss3/31 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the All Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Children's Book and Media Review by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact . Hong: Love, Lies and Spies Book Review Title: Love, Lies and Spies Author: Cindy Anstey Reviewer: Lisi Hong Publisher: Swoon Reads Publication Year: 2016 ISBN: 9781250084033 Number of Pages: 368 Interest Level: Young Adult Rating: Dependable Review Traveling to London for the Season, a time dedicated to finding love, seems like a great way for Juliana to publish her and her father’s research on ladybugs, and she is determined to remain single and very much not in love. But when a handsome, blue-eyed gentleman rescues her from falling off a cliff, her plans begin to change. Spencer, the mysterious man on the cliff, also plans to not fall in love and focus only on his latest spy assignment. When the two team up to help Spencer’s friend win over the heart of Juliana’s traveling companion by pretending to be in love, they agree to just be friends, as neither is particularly interested in marriage. As the two face the challenges of London during the Season, they find success in their goals and the love they never thought they wanted. Love, Lies and Spies is an innocent love story with a hint of a “you-can-do-anything-you-put-your-mindto” message. The story rotates between Juliana’s and Spencer’s perspective and shows how both of them struggle with accomplishing their goals while unintentionally falling in love. Their love story shows girls that they don’t have to fit the societal norms to find happiness. Juliana never hides that she is smart, motivated, and proud of her research, while other female characters in the book fit the mold of a traditional nineteenth-century woman. More importantly Juliana never loses sight of her goals. She is an example of a hard-working, confident woman who doesn’t change her goals when she falls in love with a boy. In fact, Juliana’s “quirks” are what Spencer falls in love with, proving that girls don’t need to change who they are in order to impress a boy. *Contains mild violence and sexual content. Published by BYU ScholarsArchive, 2017 1  (...truncated)