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The Throwaways #5

Suddenly a Spy

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On her wedding day, Veronica Sinclair thinks she has it all: the loving family, the Vera Wang dress, the hunky husband. But then a mysterious and beautiful woman shows up at the reception, suggesting Veronica's new hubby isn't exactly who he says he is. As if that weren't enough, Veronica and Richard must flee gunmen in the middle of their honeymoon, convincing Veronica she got more than she bargained for when she said, "I do."

Thrown into a world of espionage, seduction, and human trafficking, Veronica must fight for the life and husband she thought she had - and she must discover whether they are the life and husband she truly wants.

Don't miss Heather Huffman's other books: Throwaway, Jailbird, Ring of Fire, Ties That Bind, Tumbleweed, and the newly-released Devil in Disguise!

216 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 9, 2011

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554 people want to read

About the author

Heather Huffman

32 books569 followers
Heather Huffman is a multi-genre author with publications in contemporary romance, romantic suspense, women's fiction, and even a new cozy mystery line launching summer 2021. Quirky, optimistic, and a bit of a wanderer, Huffman cares deeply about causes pertaining to social justice and women's issues and has spent the past decade working with various charities that fight poverty, empower women, and fight human trafficking. At the center of her world are her three grown sons, her Australian Shepherd, and a spoiled puppy she shares entirely too many pictures of. Learn more at heatherhuffman.com.

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5 stars
206 (22%)
4 stars
324 (35%)
3 stars
277 (30%)
2 stars
75 (8%)
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33 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
Profile Image for Zoe and the Edge.
674 reviews68 followers
September 30, 2014
Banter!

“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. I don’t know what got into me; I was seeing the boogey man in every shadow.”
“You know, that actually kind of relieves me. I was starting to worry that you were the tougher one of the couple. I’m not entirely sure I’m secure enough in my masculinity for that.”


“You don’t still have feelings for him, do you?”
“No, but…”
“Then it shouldn’t be a problem that he’s waving.”
“Damn it, Dick. You waved first.”
“I did no such thing.”
“I’m standing right here. I saw you do it.”


“He won’t let her?” Veronica arched an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, what century is this?”
“Oh boy.”
“What? If she wants to go with him, she’s a grown woman; she should be allowed to make that decision for herself.”
“Wombat.”
“What?”
“Wombat,” he tried again.
“No, you don’t get to wombat me,” she threw her napkin at him.
“It was worth a shot,” he shrugged.


Rick and I did not start off well.
During the first half, I found him to be such an insensitive douchebag. He really takes Veronica's love and trust for granted.
I didn't like the way that he brushed aside his wife's concerns with a mere chuckle. Um hello? She could very well dump you on your pretentious ass you big oaf. I didn't find his antics or his carelessness for his wife's feelings funny at all.
The second half of the book improves vastly.
Certain situations that might be awkward on another author flowed seamlessly. And while Veronica may be pretty stupid she can really act when her life depends on it.
I also liked Veronica's relationship with her father.

“Congrats, big brother! Please tell me you plan to have lots of babies.”
“It’s always about you, isn’t it?” Jeff’s good-natured tone of voice belied his words.
“Yes, sorry. I blame him,” she pointed to her father. “He spoiled me.”


This book is very silly. There are some levels of absurdity that are just unacceptable. Illogical inconsistencies can be so annoying.Just one example.

Sexual Content: There's no graphic sex scenes but the couple frequently get it on in half-closed door scenes with no anatomical mentions.


526 reviews58 followers
January 28, 2013
This review was originally posted on Library Cat book blog.

After reading “Jailbird”by Heather Huffman, when I saw “Suddenly a Spy” I immediately downloaded it. It was a perfect read for a summer beach vacation.

It all started on her wedding day. Veronica had a perfect wedding, and one uninvited guest. A woman who reminded her of a black widow. Suddenly Ronnie realized that her groom had a secret. Hurt from a previous relationship, she takes nothing less than truth. But can she handle the truth?

Ronnie and Rick’s honeymoon was destroyed. Instead of lying on the beach and making love, Ronnie and her husband were suddenly thrown in the middle of the whirlpool of espionage and human trafficking. From daddy’s little girl, she becomes a spy. But, can she trust the man she loves?

This book was a real page turner. Veronica is a really lovely character. She is not naïve at all. I adored her. I loved her connection with her brother and her father. Her brother is adorable. An FBI agent with an attitude of a child. Ronnie and Rick’s romance was vividly described. Their love is above everything else.

This story has everything. Romance, action, humor, espionage, smuggling, everything. Easy to read. I love Heather Huffman’s writing. Fun, romantic, exciting.

I have only one critic. The names of the bad guys, specially one of them. I come from the Balkan and Petrov Kulenovic doesn’t work. Petrov is a last name, not first. If it ends with –ov, ic, or –ski, it is a last name. Marko Kulenovic, that name was fine.
Profile Image for Tabitha Ormiston-Smith.
Author 53 books59 followers
December 26, 2011
I enjoyed this book, it was fun and well written. Unlike most of the books I have downloaded free, there were no spelling and grammar faults - I shouldn't even have to mention this possibility but it is all too often the case. Although I gather Ms Huffman wrote this book on purpose to offer it free to put her political words out there, she doesn't seem to have taken any less care with it than if it were offered for sale through normal publishing channels and this is most good to see. The political words themselves, of course, ought to go without saying and I cannot imagine that anyone would not be in sympathy with Ms Huffman's message, which I will leave it to the reader to discover.

I specially liked that the heroine had balls. I found this book most enjoyable and would definitely buy more from this author, and pay for them too.
Profile Image for Debbie.
1,264 reviews
May 31, 2012
Maybe 1.5 stars because I actually didn't stop reading it.

Free download e-book that I read on the plane because it was the #1 rated of a list of 100 from Amazon that day. Several editing errors that were distracting, which I have noticed is common in e-books.

Unbelievable story line, poorly developed characters - except of course that they were wealthy, extremely attractive, physically buff, and intelligent.

Waste of time - even for free.
Profile Image for Jessyka Russell.
59 reviews2 followers
February 2, 2022
Veronica, a crime writer for the FBI, finds out during her honeymoon that her new husband was a spy and worked undercover to help bring down a human trafficking ring. Her training ensues, and they go undercover on the same mission.

This was a free book from Amazon on Kindle. Book 5 in a series, but it works as a standalone. This is not anything I would normally read based on the cover, but the human trafficking stuff kept me reading.

I hated their relationship. It was really disrespectful and not based on trust or mutual respect. There was a lot of sex referenced, but none of it was explicit (thank goodness). I have no desire to read anything else by this author.

2.5 stars.
Profile Image for Eri.
36 reviews
July 19, 2017
I'm all for suspending disbelief, but this was too farfetched and had no connection to some reality. This woman goes from a desk job to the perfect spy overnight and not even as a job but because her husband trains her to be one. Not to mention how is that everyone she knows is in some kind of spy job and are rich to boot? Too fluffy even for an easy summer read.
Profile Image for LANell.
24 reviews
May 15, 2017
Surprisingly Exciting

I was surprised with this book. It was very good and kept me reading longer than I should. I liked the moral message and the heroine s problem with the villain. The humor throughout and the bickering of the newlyweds kept the story more realistic. Loved it!
Profile Image for Dawn Gaskin.
145 reviews2 followers
August 11, 2020
Sophomoric dialogue. Plot that strains the imagination. Characters who have no substance whatsoever, except to act ridiculous. I wanted a lighthearted read, and instead got an annoying one. I did not finish this book. Life is too short.
Profile Image for Rae Sontheyon.
263 reviews18 followers
June 14, 2015
Suddenly This Book Became Extremely Worth My Time. . .

Looking for a clean suspenseful very fast paced spy romance with lots of action plus a call to attention in human trafficking? The grab this book. It's focused around a female heroine who goes from working a desk job to an active spy out of necessity to stay alive and to see if the man she married is worth the risk.

The day that should have been Veronica Sinclair's happiest became one of her worst. On her wedding day, an alluring mystery woman crashes her reception, suggesting Veronica’s new husband, Richard, isn’t who he claims to be. After confronting Richard about the accusation, Veronica finds that she must go on the run with the man she thought she knew, or his secret past may be the death of them. Now her life is full of questions number one being who is her husband really? Then there's other big questions like who is after them? Can she become strong enough to take apart an evil organization and the man behind it? And then other huge question of who can Veronica and Richard trust, including questioning their trust in each other?

As a side note I must mention and give HUGE props to this author for writing about the issue of human trafficking. Not many authors do and it's a shame. I can recall less than 5 authors who have done a service in bringing attention to the growing issue, and commend this author for involving her characters in this terrible social justice issue.

Overall, I grew to really like this book. At first I was a bit put off by how Veronica so easily seemed to flow into the whole spy world, but as I read on I got absorbed into her character and loved how strong she grew. Veronica is a tenacious female heroine who when faced with a crappy situations decides she won't have it and plunges into the mayhem head first. There were only a few issues I had with the story that caused a 4 star mark instead of 5. Richard as a character didn't connect well enough for me and the author continued to slip in every once and a while that he had an accent, it threw off the moments for me and just wasn't needed. Also the secondary characters could have been flushed out a bit more, but I don't believe the author plans to make this a series, so that may be why they lack more character depth. In the end Veronica and Richard are a couple that have a lot against them and it's an fast paced read to see how they'll get free and take down the bad guys. All the while Veronica learns how to become a super spy, readers see her biggest challenge will be to keep her head and heart on the same page by not allowing personal feelings to interfere when she's operating in the world of crime bosses, seduction, human trafficking, and espionage or it just all might lead to the end of all she loves.

------Read more of my reviews at: http://heyitwasfree.blogspot.com/------
Profile Image for Susan Mericle.
1 review
March 2, 2017
Very good read

The author keeps the reader interested in the story line and to me that is important. I loved the story it keeps one interested, I don't want to spoil anything so I am trying not to give any part of this mystery away. I recommend it, it is fun and very enjoyable.
Profile Image for Sandra .
1,982 reviews348 followers
March 5, 2015
Heather Huffman delivers a thrilling tale of suspense, interspersed with humorous dialogue and a very lovely romance, yet manages to point a spotlight at the atrocities committed against young women. Human trafficking and forced slavery are real problems and Ms. Huffman discusses these issues responsibly and with her heart in the right place.

This is the story of Veronica and Richard (Rick). We meet them on their wedding day at their reception which is interrupted by an unwelcome visitor from Richard's past - a past he has failed to mention to his new wife. It takes off from there and takes the reader on a whirlwind ride, spanning many countries and locations and ending with a fireworks finale.

It's the story of two people who have to figure out how to make their new marriage work in light of these new revelations, finding common ground and learning to trust each other (again). Their characters are well fleshed out, believable and realistic. It's the story of a crime boss who falls in love without meaning to and ultimately pays for it. Marko is an interesting character - he's one of the traffickers, a criminal, a killer. The expectation is to hate him for what he is, for what he does. The author however gave him a redeeming quality - he falls in love and is torn between saving his own hide and his operation and saving the woman he loves. I found that in the end I almost felt sorry for him, having to remind myself (like Veronica did multiple times) that he has led a life of crime and has committed horrific acts against women.

It is a compliment to the author that she manages to make me feel that way with her words.

What impresses me the most about this author is that this is a free book, as all of Ms. Huffman's books are. Yes, you read that right - she writes for free. She doesn't make any money off her books. Instead, she supports organizations that fight against slavery and human trafficking.

Anyone who downloads her books should seriously consider making a donation to the charity she mentions in this book, World Vision. Information can be found at www.heatherhuffman.blogspot.com.

Kudos to you, ma'am.



Profile Image for Stephanie.
46 reviews22 followers
March 12, 2012
**Disclaimer** ARR review. I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This novel starts at Victoria's wedding to the handsome Rick; the perfect wedding, the perfect dress, the perfect groom, the exgirlfriend who shows up and pisses off the bride at her own reception!!! Turns out that Victoria doesn't know as much about her new husband as she previously thought she did.

'Suddenly a Spy' has lots of twist and turns keeping the reader engaged as you follow Victoria and her spy husband. This novel comes after the one I previously reviewed of Heather's; it was nice to see a 'familiar face' even if only for a few pages when you meet up with Devon from 'Ring of Fire' on his plantation in Ecuador for what Victoria discovers is not only a month of training but putting her young marriage to a test. Like the last novel, this one tackles a growing problem, this time Heather addresses human trafficking; she doesn't go into a lot of detail with it, you do see the seedy side of it, but nothing that would make my stomach turn which was/is a relief.

As 'Suddenly a Spy' progresses you watch how a new marriage can be put to the test as Rick and Victoria battle again Marco and his evil cartel. You travel all over the world with Victoria and rick from the Carabean, to Europe to Central America and back to the US.

I found myself feeling for Victoria and wanting her to succeed as she was thown into a world where danger literally lurks all around her and she doesn't know who to trust and if her new marriage is where she wants to be.


241 reviews4 followers
January 31, 2013
Suddenly a Spy starts off with a bit of a bang, and continues with a rather fast pace throughout the entire novel. It’s all pretty action packed and won’t leave you disappointed when looking for thrills and bad guys!

I was admittedly struggling with this one for awhile. I can suspend my disbelief fine when I know a novel is going to have some fantastical elements, but when something is set in our world, I generally expect it to be plausible. As a character, Veronica evolves at such a pace, and accepts her life, in a way that I found to be really unrealistic. This aspect was grating on me quite a bit until I made myself take a step back and enjoy it for what it was – a light summery type of read. As long as I didn’t think too deeply about what was happening, I was entertained and enjoyed it.

To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
Profile Image for Sarah.
1,085 reviews101 followers
April 22, 2014
Sometimes you just need a fluff read. This book fits that bill. It’s a classic romance action story with a lot of entertaining humour.

The humour was the highlight of the story for me. There was witty banter, silly jokes, and Jeff’s antics were very amusing. I spent most of the book with a grin on my face because it was down right amusing.

The actual story was a bit too over-the-top unrealistic for me. Ronnie went from an average office worker to super spy in just a few glossed over months. Her reasonable reaction of anger at learning her new husband had a huge secret past only last for the length of time it took for him to get her into bed. It was a little too easy and typical-romance.

That being said, this was an entertaining story. There is a serious theme about human trafficking, but it’s partially hidden within the humourous romance. Great as a weekend read, this was an enjoyable classic-style romance.
Profile Image for Vickie.
493 reviews
February 9, 2014
At first I didn't like this book and almost didn't finish it. The sarcastic exchanges seemed endless. Some parts early on may have been humorous if it weren't for the sarcasm. (Like Rick using Veronica's mother as an excuse to leave, stating she had psychological issues). I also think it was a bit much that Veronica didn't know about Ricks Irish background. The sudden onset of the Irish accent was odd. I think Veronica was wishy washy too much but tried to put myself in her shoes about how suddenly her life changed. The story picked up and the action grew quickly. It was more suspenseful and action packed than expected, and I didn't find it predictable at all. The humor came in the very end, so I suppose the author saved it for comic relief. I liked the book more when I read the "About The Author." She is very passionate for this particular cause and used this book as a way to make you realize how much happens and that there are ways to help.
Profile Image for Gracia.
50 reviews1 follower
August 16, 2011
I am in love with this book. All the characters had depth from Veronica's dog-sitter to her baby obsessed mother! You have got to love this book. Amazingly written. It has the romance and the twist and turns. All through this book is action! From the opening scene you get some drama! If you love a good romance pick this up! If you love action packed books pick this up! It really is a fantastic book! I can not stop raving about it to everyone I see. I finished it a few days ago and have yet to shut up about it! This book was so well written and you can really connect to the characters and although you may not be able to say you've ever been in their position you will be able to say you feel for them and can imagine their pain and how hard things might be on them! Pick this up RIGHT NOW!
Profile Image for Casey.
210 reviews
January 23, 2013
This book was not my favorite of Heather Huffman's books but it was still a great one to read. I have enjoyed the storyline with the linking characters from her other books and have really had a blast trying to sort everyone's stories out. It's been a thrilling read and I loved how the author just jumped right into the spy life. There was no normal life for Ronnie and her husband. It was a shell shocker to her and to the reader I believe. It was a fast read and one that I would highly recommend if you have the time. The title of the book makes it sound like it's going to be some 007 type book but it really isn't. It has a passionate message on a topic that many people don't want to acknowledge. Don't let the title fool you. It didn't me and I really am glad I read and purchased this book.
Profile Image for Katy Beth Mckee.
4,671 reviews65 followers
April 12, 2012
This is another one of those books I picked up free a while ago. It isn't so much a romance as a mystery/crime story with some romance thrown in. Veronica is enjoying her wedding reception with everything changes the instant a mysterious woman shows up and starts talking to her new husband Rick. Now all she wants to know is what is going on. From that moment on her life takes on a new direction that she seems to not only embrace but enjoy. I don't think I would react as well to such a sudden change in my life. Maybe it just shows she wasn't really cut out for the ordinary life she was about to embark on.
2 reviews
July 8, 2012
I don't know what to say. I guess it would be a good beach read type book and maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I liked beach read type books, but I like a solid plot, good character development and plausibility (even if it's not realistic, sell me)!

The details were unrealistic and not well researched. For instance, in Ecuador the rose plantations are not in the same vicinity as the jungle. I know I'm splitting hairs, but I prefer that an author actually know what they're talking about before throwing it into their book. Also, any person in Veronica's situation would be better trained, not nearly so impulsive and hopefully a bit more mature.
Profile Image for Christy.
596 reviews
January 14, 2013
I enjoyed this book way more than I expected to. The story was interesting and the characters more complex than I expected. I really liked Veronica by the end of the book. My biggest complaint came at the beginning of the book. We're supposed to believe that Veronica works in intelligence and comes from a CIA family and has a past fiance that was a liar and destroyed her trust but neither she nor her family investigates her new fiance; she only finds out that he's an ex-agent/spy after she marries him. I just had trouble buying it. If you take that element out, the rest of the book was really good.
Profile Image for Sue.
333 reviews
July 23, 2011
Basically a very good story, if you're able to suspend belief some. The characters and dialogue are fantastic. Some of the events are somewhat hard to believe, such as, how could a relative novice become an expert marksman, a desk jockey become a skilled fighting marshal arts warrior, both in just a few short weeks? How do people with seemingly little savings and no apparent backing, hop on planes, live out of hotels and rent cars all over the world? I really did enjoy reading even though I sighed or commented "oh, riiiiight...". It was a fun read!!
Profile Image for Jane.
Author 6 books89 followers
April 30, 2015
After reading some of the other reviews, especially the lower star ratings of Suddenly a Spy, the main problem they have with the story are that it is not unrealistic. This is a work of fiction, not a factual account of real people, as fiction realism is not required. Hats off to Heather Huffman for writing a fiction about a very real problem in this world and contributing some of the proceeds from this book to organizations to help people caught in the world slave trade. The story was interesting, the characters humorous at times and I enjoyed it so I recommend it.
Profile Image for Rosemary Smith.
Author 8 books11 followers
May 28, 2012
I read this book for pure entertainment.I didn't expect to be wowed...but it was a fun book and I tried to imagine myself in those situations. I always wanted to be a spy....or a cat burglar...LOL so it appealed to me. I was sorry to see Marko's fate...not sure what else she could have done with him..he was a bad guy.but he had a sweet streak too and it was a shame to see him end up that way.

It is a great book that doesn't make you think too much...sometimes I need that kind of a read...
Profile Image for Kimberly.
148 reviews
September 9, 2012
This was a great story. Heather Huffman created some very well developed characters, and she drops the reader right into the thick of the plot. The story moves quickly and is hard to put down. it is so great to see an excellent author proving that you can write n exciting story and do it without d language and graphic sex scenes. Way to go Heather Huffman. i would love to read more from these characters.
Profile Image for Teresa.
42 reviews15 followers
March 11, 2013
Enjoy reading Suddenly a Spy by Heather Huffman. We would all be upset on our wedding day if we find out that the one we truly love, did not tell us the truth about who he is really is. That how Veronia was, when she found out about Rick. Suddenly a Spy has so many turns & twists in it you will not want to put it down, till you are finish. So go get you a copy to read, I promise you will like reading Suddenly a Spy.
Profile Image for Christina Esdon.
Author 2 books16 followers
June 24, 2014
This book kept me on the edge of me seat with anticipation. I loved the interplay between the two main characters. They had such great chemistry and I also enjoyed seeing their relationship develop and change over time. Along with the romantic suspense, this is a book about real heart. The suspense plot centers around human trafficking. Huffman weaves in the real life issues while staying in the story.
Overall a great book and I look forward to reading more books from Ms. Huffman!
Profile Image for Sheila.
671 reviews33 followers
July 6, 2015
Possible trigger warning

I struggled with this book because it had, like, two goals: semi-fluffy romcom (successful) and spy caper. I WANTED MORE CAPER. There's so much stuff that's just skipped over and I wanted to shake the (e)book until those chapters fell out!

Also, every once in a while the semi-fluffiness jarred with the content note above. But overall, it was handled pretty skillfully.
Profile Image for P.A..
Author 2 books15 followers
August 13, 2011
Wonderfully written on a subject not mentioned very often. Heather's wish is to open peoples eyes to what's going on around them and through her writing she is doing just that. Unfortunately the people that need to read this book and have their eyes open are usually the reading type. But from those of us not involved in the dark side, that you for writing a truly enjoyable story.
Profile Image for Dannica.
13 reviews
May 25, 2012
I honestly didn't expect a lot from this book but once I started reading it, I just can't stop. It's a good mixture of everything - action,romance,thriller & it was funny too. This is a really good light book to read. *SPOILER ALERT* One thing only I was disappointed about the book is Marko's fate, I wish he wasn't killed off. But entirely, I love the book :)
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