I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school teaches advanced martial arts in PE, chemistry always consists of the latest in chemical warfare, and everyone breaks CIA codes for extra credit in computer class. So in truth, while the Gallagher Academy might say it's a school for geniuses what they really mean is spies. But what happens when a Gallagher Girl falls for a boy who doesn't have a code name?

Cammie Morgan may be fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (three of which involve a piece of uncooked spaghetti), but the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through a mall without him ever being the wiser, but can she have a regular relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her? Cammie may be an elite spy in training, but in her sophomore year, she's doing something riskier than ever—she's falling in love.

The Gallagher Girls book number 1 was a seriously fun and witty read. The main character Cammie was a great narrator, I loved reading her comical thoughts. The constant use of nicknames throughout the book made me feel like I had gotten to know the characters in less than 300 pages, although some aspects of the characters felt stereotypical and two dimensional. For example, the bookworm Liz, the clever one Bex and the hateful girl who turned out to be a pretty good friend Macey. These didn't distract from the enjoyment of the book but their actions were cringe worthy at times.

I expected some really cheesy stuff judging by the blurb but it wasn't too bad. Cammie meets this guy Josh, in the middle of a covert operations mission and falls in a new-to-her situation - harder than any mission. Hilarity follows as she keeps a recount of what she does to find out more about him which includes digging through his rubbish (and over-analysing) and obtain the emails he sends using the skills she has learnt at Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women!

The highlight of the book was how at many points it made me laugh out loud while towards the end, there were some heart wrenching moments. Even with a complete change in the mood, it fit perfectly to lead onto the next book in the series Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy.

★★★★.5