Description

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"I can’t remember the last time I smiled so much while reading a book.”—Annabel Monaghan, author of Nora Goes Off Script and Same Time Next Summer

An undercover CIA agent is sent home for Christmas to investigate her sister's criminal fiancé but the last thing she expects is to fall in love with his bodyguard along the way.

It’s been a long time since Sydney Swift has gone home. An unrelentingly successful CIA field officer, she has spent the last three years pretending to be someone — anyone — other than herself.

But this year, the festive season is coming with some added surprises. Sydney’s beloved little sister has just announced that she’s engaged to Johnny Jones, the heir of an organized crime dynasty. With her built-in cover and her best-in-class reputation, Sydney is approached by the FBI as their way to infiltrate the Jones family at last.

Sydney has until Christmas to gather enough evidence on Johnny to take him down before he pulls off his most dangerous heist yet, all without losing her sister forever. But she hasn’t counted on the challenge of pulling this off right under her family’s nose or the complications of a romantic entanglement with Johnny’s handsome friend and bodyguard, Nick. Sydney always gets her man — but this time love is a target she can’t afford to miss.

About the Author

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Carlie Walker attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she first majored in Peace, War and Defense, a feeder program for intelligence services—before realizing that she is way too anxious to be a spy. Having gone on to study at Oxford University and at City, University of London, she worked briefly in publishing before becoming the bestselling author of seven books for children and young adults. She has a registered 250-pound dead lift, volunteers in a cat shelter, and used to spend her Saturdays practicing Krav Maga. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and their American dingo.

Praise For…

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“I absolutely loved this super-fun, believably romantic, and emotionally thoughtful novel. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I smiled so much while reading a book. Carlie Walker will be an auto-buy author for me.”—Annabel Monaghan, author of Nora Goes Off Script and Same Time Next Summer

"Steamy, swoony and laugh-out-loud funny, The Takedown is part-Finlay-Donovan mystery, part-Emily-Henry-rom-com—and 100 percent perfect. The clever dialogue! The hot bodyguard! The twists I didn't see coming! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, and can't wait to see what Carlie Walker writes next."—Colleen Oakley, USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise

"Carlie Walker's debut novel is an absolute knockout! Her sparkling wit and keep-em-guessing plot had me totally smitten and also dreaming of a new career as a spy. One minute I was laughing, the next I was swooning, the next I was gasping in shock at the brilliant plot twists. This book is for everyone who (correctly) insists that Speed is a romance!"—Falon Ballard, author of Just My Type

“Riotously fun and perfectly swoony, The Takedown is the spy romcom you didn’t know you needed. I loved every page.” —Allison Winn Scotch, bestselling author of The Rewind

“The Takedown by Carlie Walker is hands down a masterclass in Romantic Comedy writing. The plot is original and thrilling and the heat between Sydney and Nick is a literal inferno right off the bat. Carlie has taken the genre to a new level with her razor sharp prose, quick wit and genuinely hilarious dialogue. I love everything about this book. I’m a Carlie Walker fan for life. The easiest five stars ever.”—Lizzy Dent, author of The Summer Job

"Sizzling with romantic tension, The Takedown effortlessly blends romance, action, and shifting sibling dynamics into one firecracker of a story—you won’t want to put this one down!" —Kayla Olson, author of The Reunion

"Walker makes her adult debut with this might-be-mob caper that is both a romantic comedy and a holiday mystery, complete with snow, carols, and gorgeous bodyguards wrapped in a bow."—Library Journal (STARRED)