Stars and Smoke

By Marie Lu

Book Overview

An Instant New York Times bestseller

*This paperback edition features a bonus scene and a full-color tip-in with swoony Winter and Sydney art *

He's a secret.
She's an agent.
This mission might just be impossible.

A smoldering enemies-to-lovers novel about a global superstar and a hotshot young spy on a collision course with danger―and romance. This electric new series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu is perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Ally Carter.

Meet Winter Young--A global pop sensation, with a voice like velvet and looks that could kill.

Meet Sydney Cossette--An agent in an elite covert ops group, and an ice queen whose moves are as dangerous as her comebacks.

When a major crime boss gifts his daughter a private Winter Young concert for her birthday, Sydney's and Winter's lives suddenly collide. To stop an international disaster, the two must infiltrate the organization's inner
circle, with Sydney posing as Winter's bodyguard and Winter tapped to join her as a new spy recruit. Sydney may be the only person impervious to Winter's charms, but as their mission brings them closer, she's forced to admit that there's more to Winter Young than just a handsome face . . .

Romance and danger abound in Stars and Smoke, a "brilliant, breathtaking ride that will leave you clamoring for the sequel." -- Tahereh Mafi, #1 internationally bestselling author of Shatter Me.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250293057
• ISBN13: 9781250293053
• Release Date: April 2024
• Publisher: Square Fish
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.3" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 14 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 9 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Completely Fantastical

As long as I pictured this as an alternative earth, then I could mostly get into the story. Otherwise it was a bit too much to believe. I mean, come on, a major pop star getting dragooned into being a super spy going after an ultra bad guy with only a week of training? Winter is super cute though and is a genuinely good guy, despite being ultra famous. Sydney was a bit harder to like and if you are part of a super secret spy group, sent on dangerous missions, you would think that the spies would be required to have physical checkups fairly regularly to make sure you are in top condition and less likely to botch a mission. So that was another thing I had to suspend my disbelief on. Their relationship was a bit rocky but not bad by the end. With all the talents of both of them, they are good working together and I am glad that is possible. Still it was a pretty good book with a cool cover and a completely fantastical storyline.

Fun NA/YA Spy Thriller

Winter is an international pop megastar. Sydney works for a covert operative group called Panacea. When ruthless criminal tycoon Eli Morrison hires Winter for a private concert for his daughter's birthday party, Panacea recruits Winter to work alongside Sydney to gather evidence against Eli. The story is fast-paced with plenty of action, glamor, and an antagonism to attraction romance. Both Winter and Sydney must confront their respective trauma in order to relate to each other and fulfill their mission. A certain amount of suspension of disbelief is required, as it is unlikely that an operative as accomplished as Sydney would be so young, and that an agency like Panacea would recruit a popstar. The characters are both 19 years old, but the book has a YA vibe. Stars and Smoke is a fun teen thriller with some good plot twists toward the end.