Tuesday, January 10, 2017

YA Review: You Don't Know My Name by Kristen Orlando

You Don't Know My Name by Kristen Orlando
Publication Date: January 10, 2017
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Amazon Link: HERE
Received From: Miss Print's ARC Adoption


Summary (from Amazon):
Fighter, Faker, Student, Spy.

Seventeen-year-old Reagan Elizabeth Hillis is used to changing identities overnight, lying to every friend she's ever had, and pushing away anyone who gets too close. Trained in mortal combat and weaponry her entire life, Reagan is expected to follow in her parents' footsteps and join the ranks of the most powerful top-secret agency in the world, the Black Angels. Falling in love with the boy next door was never part of the plan.

Now Reagan has to decide: Will she use her incredible talents and lead the dangerous life she was born into, or throw it all away to follow her heart and embrace the normal life she's always wanted? And does she even have a choice at all?

Find out if you are ready to join the Black Angels in the captivating and emotion page-turner, You Don't Know My Name, from debut novelist Kristen Orlando!

Review:
Reagan has never fit in anywhere. She doesn't have any close friends and the friends she does have, she lies to because she knows she'll have to move at any second. Her parents are spies for a top-secret agency, The Black Angels, and Reagan is expected to someday become one too. She's been trained since she was a child to fulfill her parent's legacy, and even though Reagan's great at combat, she doesn't know if she wants her parent's lifestyle. When they have to move after a dangerous criminal breaks into their house, she meets other students that for once in her life she feels connected to. As a spy's daughter, Reagan's never felt like she could be herself, except around Luke. He's more than Reagan's best friend, but Reagan knows she can't get too close to him or allow herself to fall in love because he might be the one person that could make Reagan wish for something more.

From page one, I was pulled into You Don't Know My Name because of the high action plot and interesting heroine. The whole plot of the novel is that Reagan's training to become a top-secret spy, and in the first chapter you get to see her moves and intelligence when it comes to combat. The novel begins with their house being broken into by a criminal and because their privacy is compromised, they have to move yet again. Moving frequently doesn't bother Reagan, because she's so used to it, but once she becomes close friends with Luke, the boy she secretly has a crush on, she begins to see that life isn't all about combat and the Dark Angels. The romance between Reagan and Luke was definitely my favorite part of the story. Their chemistry was apparent from the first page and it was heartwarming seeing how much they both cared about each other, but neither acting on it. Reagan doesn't want to let herself fall in love with Luke because she knows she'll be moving again and doesn't want to hurt him, and Luke isn't sure about Reagan's feelings for him. But once they figure it out, wow was it hot. When the two of them were together, it felt like they were going to burst into flames. I loved seeing Luke and Reagan's relationship transform and then Reagan's dilemma with becoming a spy. Since You Don't Know My Name is about spies, there's obviously a lot of action and suspense, which I thought the author wrote extremely well. And I'm so happy that there's going to be a sequel because I want to read about Reagan and Luke forever.

Overall, I would definitely recommend You Don't Know My Name to any readers looking for a novel about a teenage spy with a hot and sweet romance.

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