Full Disclosure – I was provided a copy of this book by the author or their representative, however, have voluntarily chosen to write a review. All opinions are my own.
Going Bananas
Mari Sandoval is your typical college student. Making her way through classes and campus, she’s got enough to worry about. But when a stranger comes to her rescue after she has a run-in with some shady individuals, Mari’s world is turned upside down. After she returns to her apartment she learns that her mother has been kidnapped, and Mari is enlisted by the kidnappers to obtain and forward a pivotal piece of her mom’s research if she ever wants to see her alive again. But as she attempts to break into her mother’s lab to retrieve the information, she is confronted by the very person who saved her the night before. What Mari knows cannot be a coincidence is confirmed when Anna and her partner take her back to their posh Atlanta penthouse apartment. Dubbed as the Banana Club, Mari is introduced to a world unlike she has ever known as the self-proclaimed “Banana Girls” vow to help Mari get her mother back. With the girl’s help, Mari goes undercover – way out of her league and way over her head. Will her association with the Banana Girls, help her save her mother, or will it lead to them both being killed?
Spies Never Quit is the first in the Banana Girls series of cozy spy novels by author M. Taylor Christensen. Set in the Metro Atlanta area, Christensen weaves the tale of a covert group of college-age girls who moonlight as spies. When something goes wrong and the “big guns” are called in, the Banana Girls are usually the ones deployed. As smart as they are beautiful, each girl brings to the table a unique specialty that they leverage to the best of their abilities. Taking Mari under their wing, the team transform her from a meek coed to… not quite a seasoned undercover agent. And of course, there are bumps and wrinkles along the way. While some may feel the premise and action are at times unbelievable, I thought it was the perfect blend of “Charlie’s Angels” meets “Nancy Drew”. The action was fast-paced, the gadgets fantastical and the Banana Girls themselves were portrayed with a comfortable camaraderie that the reader cannot help but like them, even the stoic lead Banana Girl, Hannah.
If you are in the mood for a lighthearted cozy novel that is easy to read and will have you giggling out loud, Spies Never Quit would be a great choice. After having been introduced to Mari, Hannah Anna, and the rest of the team I am curious to see what future adventures and missions the team girls are tapped for in future installments.
Jennly Reads 