Sweet Little Spies

Masters & Mercenaries: New Recruits #3

by Lexi Blake

Since he was a kid, Aidan O’Donnell has known two things about the world. Tristan is his best friend, and Carys is the love of his life. Sharing her with Tristan was oddly easy. They both loved her deeply, and they never cared what anyone else thought. They were a team and everything was wonderful. Until the day it ended.

Carys Taggart has spent the last year and a half of her life living a lie. A lie Tristan forced on them all. She understands that it was meant to protect her and Aidan, but lately when Tristan says he doesn’t love her, it feels more like the truth. The wedding she’s dreamed of has been put off far longer than he promised. When he asks her and Aidan for another delay, she’s ready to move on without him.

Tristan Dean-Miles has a good plan and the best of intentions. Go undercover as a ruthless arms dealer so he can find a deadly bombmaker at the top of the agency’s wanted list. It might be taking longer than expected, but he’s so close he can taste it. Unfortunately, getting this close meant getting in way too deep. He knows he will succeed, but if he can’t convince the love of his life and his best friend that he’s worth the wait, his victory will cost him everything.

Genres: BDSM, Romantic Suspense, Romance, Suspense, Menage, Contemporary Romance, Erotica

344 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 17, 2024

About the author

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

Her first novel, Their Virgin Captive: Masters of Ménage, Book 1, was a collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Shayla Black. There are five more books available in the series: Their Virgin's Secret, Their Virgin Concubine, Their Virgin Princess, Their Virgin Hostage, and Their Virgin Secretary. The next book in the series, Their Virgin Mistress, is releasing this April.

In addition to the Masters of Ménage series, she is the author of the Masters and Mercenaries series. There are eight full-length novels and four novellas available now, with more coming in 2015.

In 2013, Lexi also began releasing her urban fantasy series, Thieves. The first five are available now, with Ripper, a spin-off to the series, coming in 2015.

Sign up for Lexi's newsletter at http://lexiblake.net/contact.html#new....

For more information about her books, her appearances and her wacky life visit her Facebook page (http://goo.gl/q2IHnJ) or her website (http://www.lexiblake.net).

Reviews

[RB · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like crying. Lexi Blake has been an auto-buy favorite author for a long time. But I just have to say this.

This new generation series has hit the ground with a messy splat. I've been a fan since the Earth cooled and I hate leaving negative reviews. But OMFG, what happened to LB? This series feels like a really crappy high school sitcom. These recent books are 2 dimensional at best, very cardboard, and hollow. There's just no heat, no humor, and no heart.

This latest volume is another story whose plot is tired and thin. The same conversations are repeated many, many times. High schoolish miscommunications, ridiculous "protection" fears, dishonesty, and "sorta" cheating? Is that like sorta pregnant? Cheating is cheating. Emotional cheating is still cheating. Having non-sexual BDSM scenes is still cheating. Are we supposed to believe that the younger generation views this differently? If so, they have no true understanding of BDSM.

One last note, and please forgive me if this is just too critical....the covers for this new series are bad. On this one, the female model doesn't look old enough to drive. Seriously. This series has covers that are clearly marketing to some group, but definitely not the same market as LB's previous crowd. It's a huge turnoff to see cover models that don't look even 21. If she's trying for the YA market, I suppose it works.

I can truly understand when an author is done with a series. There's nothing wrong with telling readers you're finished with characters and moving on to another muse. I wish LB would do that. This series is quite simply awful. I can't read another one.

[Kimberly / Love Notes Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. I just love this series and this book was a great addition. Sweet Little spies is Carys, Tristan and Aidan's story. I have highly anticipated their HEA as their romance has played out in the background of previous books. The ongoing series storyline with evil mastermind Emmanuel Huisman is still playing out and probably will continue for the rest of the series. But this book focuses on the the trio working out their issues and getting their long awaited HEA. Carys, Tristan and Aidan met as children and were each other's first everything. There was no question they would end up together, as a (MFM) threesome like Tristan's parents. Tristan entered the military and then intelligence, following in his dads' footsteps, while Carys and Aidan went to medical school. When the time came they were supposed to get married, but the wedding is delayed when Tristan goes undercover. They wait for as long as they can, but finally give up on waiting and decide to go ahead with the wedding without Tristan. He has pulled away and not communicated so they feel abandoned by him. But on the day of the wedding, everything goes wrong and it literally goes up in flames. Tristan, Carys and Aidan are left to pick up the pieces and see if they can salvage the wreckage of their relationship.

This story was so good. This threesome had a lot of underlying baggage they needed to work out that they never communicated with each other. It was emotional at times, but there was no doubt they belonged together and I was happy they worked everything out. I am greedy and I wanted to see them all happy together after the climax. I also would have loved a flashback or two to when they were kids or teens to see them happy before all this drama. Still, I enjoyed seeing their parents all working to help them sort out their issues and being supportive. I am still loving this series and am really looking forward to Kala's and Kenzie's books, along with Devi's. This is such a fun series, definitely one of my very favorites, and I can't wait for whatever Ms. Blake comes up with next!

*arc provided in exchange for an honest review*

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry to say but this wasn’t very good at all

I’ve read all the books in the Masters and Mercenaries universe and this is by far the worst by a country mile. Having read all the books I’m well versed in the backstory of the characters and their families but this book just went on and on about how previous generations and characters met and other mundane stuff. It was as if the author was trying to drum up sales for her previous novels. I would like to say that once the story moved on things improved but sadly they didn’t. After Tristan basically ghosted Carys for over 2 years but keeps in contact with Aidan (the 3rd in the relationship) behind her back she’s angry for a nano second but soon as the chance of club action was available all was great again. I know the story requires for all to end with the trio being back together but seriously some reflection on what happened is not too much to ask for. Overall the suspense side of the story was just dull and poor in comparison with the better books in the series. To sum things up there’s too many side characters and not enough original material to warrant the price tag or the time spent reading this instalment. Sorry but I just can’t recommend this book to either new readers to the Masters and Mercenaries universe or us longtime fans.

[Nadine Bookaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Little Spies? Hot Little Spies is more like it!

WOW, what more can I say?
Carys Taggart, Aidan O'Donnell, and Tristan Miles-Dean have been in a Triad since they were teenagers and were planning on getting married, but Tristan's job with the CIA kept getting in the way. With no end in sight for Tristan to get through his deep undercover assignment, Carys and Aidan decide to proceed with the wedding with or without Tristan. Can this trio work as a duo, or will the universe have something else in store for them?

There are so many surprises in this third book of the Masters & Mercenaries: New Recruits Series, one I had been expecting but was hoping I was wrong about. Well, there is still time, I hope.

𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 ➡ https://bit.ly/NBReviewSLSt



**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books
You can find me here: Nadine Bookaholic's Links

[MaryLovesRomance · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually don’t like romances with more than one partner and I would have skipped this one but I can not get enough of this author and this series. I liked this book okay but it wasn’t great.

Aiden, Carys, and Tristan have known they were meant for each other since they were very young. Now, Tristan has involved himself in dangerous games with the CIA and has separated himself from the other two. They have to decide if they can wait for him or if Tristan will finally allow them in.

Usually my main complaint is that romance with multiple partners is light on the emotion and heavy on the sex. That is definitely not the case for this book. However, I found some of the characters frustrating. Everyone else acknowledged their mistakes in the relationship but Carys acted like she never made any mistakes and everything had to go her way. It was so frustrating. She basically gave up on the relationship multiple times with almost no provocation. She has no past trauma to inform her response in a relationship and she just gives up immediately!

I wanted to like this book so much more. I felt like if anyone could write a multiple partner romance that I would like it would be Lexi Blake but this was just nothing special. It kind of just felt like something to get through so I could get to the next book. It made me want to reread the other books by this author more than I wanted to finish this one.

[Kristy Odom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these characters. I love that we get the whole family together again. We follow Tristan as he put himself in a tough spot, and Aiden followed him. I loved that Carys stood up for herself. She feels left out of their relationship. As the bad guy moves in, the team is in a bad position. Will everyone make it out? Will all the members on the team be loyal??? Read it and see!

[D Potts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explosive

As always excellent story. I have read this series from the beginning. Second generation is just as exciting and good that the previous characters are included may there be many more

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

OMGGG 😭😭😭

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angst, love, common enemy, throuples and family of spies. Kids are just as lethal as their parents. Love it.

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazon / Apple / Nook / Kobo / Google



Aidan and Carys are finally getting married. But without their third, their other heart. And Carys has finally decided that not only are they getting married without him, they're moving on without him, too. Unless Tristan can convince her they can finally be on the same page, IF she can wait until he finishes out his latest undercover mission.



Tristan thought he was doing the right thing for the 2 people he loves most when he pushed them away again by asking them to wait, then asking them to marry without him. But, as he has finally come to realize, perhaps he should have given them the choice, read them into at least some of what he had been doing while undercover. Now he risks them, especially Carys, leaving him permanently behind. If he can do his Dom best, he just may save not just his latest op, but more importantly, his loves too.



Aidan is stuck between his two loves, and he can't stand it. But if he does what Carys wants, he leaves Tristan behind. If he does what Tristan wants, he might push away both of them. There's no winning here...unless something or someone gives. It doesn't have to be their love, does it?



I was fully prepared to be mad at Tristan when I started his story. He'd been putting off Aidan and Carys for so long, and I couldn't see a good reason for it. Thank God he proved me wrong. Oh, he definitely screwed up, but Carys and Aidan weren't innocent either. They all needed to communicate better, and when they finally figured out how - first in the bedroom (and the club), the results were fire. I loved their scenes, not only were they seriously hot, but their emotional bond finally solidified because they figured out their physical bond, their individual roles and how they complemented each other. And the overarching suspense was intricate, intriguing, and so satisfying in the end. All the ogs were present and giving them support, meddling too, love, and much needed advice. The world Lexi has created here is one of my favorite in all of BDSM and spy fiction, and I'm impatient to read Kala and Cooper's story next. She's been one of the most intriguing characters in M&M New Recruits, so I've been really looking forward to reading her own love story.



ARC provided by Valentine PR for an honest review.

Review / Release Blitz: Live Through Books Blog.

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[Ace · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.35
For two and a half years?? Seriously?
🤦🏻‍♀️

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchased in epub format from Barnes and Noble for my Nook.

[Sandy S · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars--SWEET LITTLE SPIES is the third instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult MASTERS & MERCENARIES: NEW RECRUITS erotic, Dom/sub romantic suspense series-a spin off-next generation series set in the author’s Master & Mercenaries worlds. This is Black Ops Agent Tristan Dean Miles, Dr. Aidan O’Donnell, and Dr. Carys Taggart’s MFM story line. SWEET LITTLE SPIES can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for back stories and cohesion as there is an ongoing premise throughout. Aidan is the son of Liam O’Donnell; Carys is the daughter of Sean Taggard and Grace Hawthorne: Tristan is the son of Jack Dean, Adam Miles and their wife Serena.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, including D/s situations, spankings and violence, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Carys, Tristan and Aidan SWEET LITTLE SPIES follows several intersecting pathways including the struggling relationship between Carys , Tristan and Aidan. Our trio have been best friends most of their lives, and like many of their parents and close family members have chosen to become a threesome but two years earlier Tristan Dean Miles opted to dark, undercover in the world of espionage and arms dealings, leaving a broken hearted Aidan and Carys in his wake. Fast forward to present day, Aidan and Carys have reluctantly chosen to get married without the man that they love, a man who was about to bring chaos and mayhem to the McKay-Taggart families. An invitation to a medical symposium in Montreal finds the team at McKay-Taggart facing down an enemy and a possible betrayal, and in this, the next generation have found themselves struggling in the face of madness and vengeance. What ensues is the rekindling and highly sexual relationship between Trystan, Carys and Aidan, and the potential fall-out as the events in Montreal spiral out of control due to sins of the past.

The world building is detailed, multi-layered and intricate as the large extended Taggart family of spies and mercenaries must face a madman determined to satisfy his need for revenge; and the possibility of a betrayer close to them all. As Trystan,Carys and Aidan’s relationship slowly unravels, Trystan’s two years undercover threaten Carys’ sense of trust and love for a man who broke her heart.

The relationship between Trystan, Carys and Aidan is a life-long friendship that blossomed early into something more. Trystan and Aidan both love Carys equally but Carys has a need to reevaluate the future going forward, struggling with issues of trust, fidelity, and a need to be dominated. The $ex scenes are provocative and fated.

Several couples and characters from the original Masters and Mercenaries series are accorded a heavy presence in the current timeline including Sean and Grace (The Dom Who Loved Me 1), Serena, Adam and Jacob (The Man with the Golden Cuffs 2) Liam (A Dom is Forever 3), Charlotte and Ian aka Big Tag (Love and Let Die 5). We are reintroduced to Captain Zach Reed, CSIS Agent Ben Parker, Big Tag’s twins Kala and Kenzie, their sister Tasha, Cooper, TJ, and Dr. Emmanuel Huisman.


SWEET LITTLE SPIES is a complex, dramatic and intense story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The premise is melodramatic and powerful; the romance is intoxicating; the characters are determined, dynamic and charismatic. SWEET LITTLE SPIES ends on a bit of a cliff hanger-you have been warned

Copy supplied for review

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

I want to imprint myself on you so you never forget you belong to the two of us.”

I feel like I have been waiting forever for this story! Lexi has been teasing us with this threesome and considering Adam, Jacob and Serena were one of my favorite OG couples in The Men with the Golden Cuffs. So obviously I was desperately anticipating the story of their son, Tristan and his own throuple.

Carys has been in love with Adam and Tristan for as long as she's known what those feelings meant. And they have been together since high school. In the midst of planning their wedding, Carys and Adam are preparing for their medical careers, and Tristan is set on a different path. But when that path lands him in danger, his choice suddenly costs him the love of his life and a secret attendee at a wedding of his best friend and love of his life who he is also supposed to have married.

She’d had perfection. A sweet lover who thought about her all the time, and another who looked smooth and normal on the outside and inside was a fucking feral beast.

Now as excited as I was for this book, I was also a bit nervous. These three have been together forever and I was worried that without the excitement of their getting together, it may not feel the same. But this was even more delicious, because the story was like one long grovel. Carys is not an easy woman to sway and when she gets mad, she gets Taggart mad. And as the daughter of Sean Taggart she knows mad. At times, it was almost unreasonably so. But man oh man did I love the way that Tristan worked together with Aiden to get back into her heart, even if he has to Dom his way there.

Now also admittedly, I was also desperate for more glimpses of my favorite secondary character, Ben, and this book did not disappoint on that end.

This book delivered on all fronts; the suspense, the spice, the Taggart humor, and of course cameos from my forever favorite Ian and the rest of the gang.

Can't wait for Cooper's book next!

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

Find me on:

[Ruby Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

Originally published at Bookishly Ruby

The wait is finally over, everyone! We can finally have answers to what happened with the inseparable trio made up by Aidan, Carys, and Tristan. I was very excited when Sweet Little Spies was announced, and let me tell you that the wait was worth it!

Ever since they were first mentioned in the series Aidan, Carys, and Tristan were like their own separate little family. They grew up together, and while they got along with all the Masters & Mercenaries kids, you could tell that there was a special bond between them. So it was kind of a shock when all of a sudden it was Aidan and Carys only, with Tristan being that one name that everyone would get sad or angry if mentioned.

Tristan has all the good intentions when it comes to the two people he loves best, but I feel like his execution was bad. I understand his need for secrecy and his desire to protect Aidan and Carys, but with the way they were all raised I feel like he could have at least tried to have an open conversation with Carys to explain how things were. I understood his fear that she would have tried to go in and save the day or try to help, but I felt like the entire situation was a bit unfair to Carys.

Aidan was such a cinnamon roll. I feel like he tried so hard to keep the peace but in the end he was just caught in the middle, and not in a fun way. He really was trying his best to keep the trio united and Carys calm and making sure she believed Tristan was coming back to them, but I feel like sometimes his approach was just a smidge bad. He really was caught in the middle a lot of times, even though he acknowledged he wasn't in the right most of the times, so I appreciated that.

Carys was a great heroine. I loved seeing her perspective on things, but I do loved that ultimately she was self aware enough to realize that she probably would have gone into a situation she wouldn't have been prepared for had Tristan confided in her fully. I also loved that no matter what she was able to trust Tristan with her well being, but I also loved that she knew her worth enough to not accept the same situation to happen again between the three of them.

I really enjoyed this book. It had everything I needed, Ian cameo included. There were some very shocking revelations and I cannot wait to see what will happen next, because I was left shocked. You'd think by now I'd be ready to be surprised by this series after so many installments, but I can never anticipate what will happen next. I'm excited for the future.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars 🌟

I am not sure how many times I can say this....but I absolutely LOVE THIS SERIES. Well, this is a spin off of a spin off...but you know what I mean..... I LOVE the world and the characters that have been built.

We are now well over 30 books into the world of the Taggarts and M&M and we are now diving into the second generation. This storyline has been teased to faithful readers for a while now and I was eager to discover what the heck had happened between these three. So, yes, this story focuses on Tristan, Aidan and Carys.

I cannot stress how wonderful it is to keep coming come back to this world that has been so brilliantly and lovingly built over years and years. I was thinking in my head how I would explain the series to my husband and I just started laughing in my head. We have Big Tag (Ian Taggart) - an ex-CIA guy who owns and runs a "club" and who also runs one of the most successful security companies in the world - who's kids and the kids of all of their extended friends and "family" are now involved in the spy game too. The kids have also started their own "club" so they would have a place to "play" without the possibility of running into their parents.....and they are also involved in missions to save the world. SEE, that sounds bonkers...but it just, well, it just works. Don't ask me how. I absolutely LOVE these characters and their zaniness and the humor and hilarity and the relationships and the found family. I could go on and on.

And add to that that there is always an actual plot to each and every book.....and it is just pure genius. This plot has us finally discovering what Tristan has gotten involved in that made him pull away from Carys and Aidan in a very silly attempt at trying to protect them. And, as usually happens when one hand is not talking to the other hand - things have gotten out of hand. There is a evil psychopath who has ulterior motives (other than burning down the world) that we (and the team) eventually discover. And to say that his reasons and motivations end up shocking everyone....yep....pure gold.

Also, let me quickly mention that Ryan West has pretty much been the voice of this series for as long as I can remember and he did another brilliant job with the narration on this one as well.

I have no idea how each book in this series always feels like it flies by in a flash. I was so involved in just BEING back in this world, and add to that, that there were some really tense moments, that before I knew it....it was over. *sigh*

So, now we wait for the next book. Kala and Cooper are up next.

I. Can't. Wait.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's very little I hate more than being underwhelmed by a hotly anticipated book from an all-time favourite author.

(Before you begin, warning that you should not bother to read this review if you aren't at least passingly familiar with this series, because we're 29 books in and explaining all the characters would take forever...)

I haven't reviewed for a disgracefully long time (work got busy, and then I was moving back to London from Hong Kong) so this will be a short one, but a painful one because I LOVE Lexi Blake. I've loved her books for about a decade now, and I've consistently enjoyed the humour and romance she brings, even though the suspense element of the plots has long been lacklustre.

Unfortunately, in this book, even the romance and humour were lacklustre. I've been dying to read it because Carys, Aidan and Tristan are the only other MFM in this series, PLUS we've seen them grow up and be together since they were literally babies. But it fell really short. A quick rundown of why:

❌ No chemistry between the characters. I was soooo ready to read about this trio who have been in love their entire lives, and it just didn't deliver. The physical aspect came across as astoundingly bland for a BDSM ménage romance.

❌ No flashbacks. In a book like this, where the characters are essentially already together, you need a significant amount of history-building. This was my most anticipated part of the book, and it just didn't exist.

❌ An intensely confusing (and frankly a bit boring) suspense plot which completely overshadowed the main romance. The trio were meant to be grappling with some big emotional issues, and some really big things were glossed over, like Aidan lying to Carys, Tristan sort-of-cheating on Carys, Tristan feeling like Aidan and Carys were leaving him behind, potential chemistry between Aidan and Tristan... There was soooo much that needed to be addressed, and the book was way too short and focused on other things to do that.

❌ God, the sort-of-cheating!! How could I almost forget to include this? Essentially, after having left Aidan and Carys, Tristan still engages in BDSM play with subs (though he doesn't have sex with them) which he doesn't even seem to consider to be any type of cheating, though Carys rightly does, but then Aidan actually tries to downplay it to her and it just gets glossed over and never addressed because the suspense plot terminates it. I'm astounded this storyline was included, because LB is such a safe author normally.

By the end of the book, it just felt like LB was tired and wanted to get to the end, because the epilogue isn't even directly about the trio and after ALL THAT we don't even see them get married. Kala and Cooper completely stole the show in their small handful of scenes. I'm so hoping their book isn't a letdown either.

[Kay Daniels (Kay Daniels Romance) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you've had the best parents, a love-or two loves-you've known your entire life, and felt safe and secure, what happens when one of those loves burns your trust to the ground? Sweet Little Spies is fast paced, full of family, and all kinds of spicy perfection.

I love Lexi Blake. She is one of my favorite authors. The characters are family, their children have grown up before my eyes and now have their own stories and just like their parents before them, I love each and everyone so, so much. Sometimes even more...sshhh don't tell the OG's...than their folks. This book contained everything I loved!!!

Sweet Little Spies, is like taking a walk back in time. Carys Taggart, Aidan O'Donnell, and Tristan Miles-Dean are children to some of the original characters of the first books of the series. They are also the only other menage trio in the M&M series aside from Tristan's parents. Yes, these characters love to visit Bliss, CO where throuples are the norm, but within this world the Miles-Dean family has the niche on the menage relationships.

One of my favorite things about reading Lexi's books is revisiting my favorite characters. It's because we now have the new recruit series that we continue to get updates from Ian, Adam, Grace, Sean, Liam, and so many others. Their children remind me of my own, obviously not being spies, but with how they tease, love, and care for one another. I can't get enough. 

Honestly, I adore these books so much because there is so much family involved. Parents openly supporting their children, laying down their own mistakes for guidance, with arms wide open at any moment because you know mistakes are coming...probably in the next chapter you're reading. I love the sarcasm, the circle of friendship, and the open trust they all have for each other. Lexi has built a world where it's okay to be yourself. I love knowing that Ian will most likely make fun of you, but that also means he loves you. That's my love language too, so I understand the big guy. Carys, Aidan and Tristan have grown up in the best support system ever and it's just the spy stuff that begins to tear them apart.

Don't miss this book as so much happens, but no spoilers from me 😉

[Janine - The World Was Hers for the Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tristan, Aiden and Carys have been in love since they were toddlers. But when Aiden and Carys pursued their dreams of medical school, Tristan joined the army . . . and then the agency. When he got too deep into an extremely dangerous mission, he publicly backed away from his partners, and asked them to postpone the wedding for a few months . . .

More than two years later, the mission is more deadly than ever, and Aiden and Carys are getting married, without their third, when their world comes crashing down around them. What follows is chaos - which is what the big bad intends, but who is the real target and why? And, how can Tris fix the mess he’s in as well as his relationship with Aiden and Carys?

Angst! Action! Twists and Turns! I loved that the original generation of McKay Taggart had to step in to fix what has gotten beyond their children. I also adored the realizations for the kids that their parents were not perfect . . . and that Serena’s books were more fact than fiction! Ian and Adam working together again was also a true gift to readers from Lexi!

As for our trio, Tristan had to grovel, and so did Aiden . . . both having to figure out what is really important. Carys has amends to make as well as everyone has struggled with communications and feelings. And, ohhhh the scene at The Hideout!!!!!

With kidnapping and psychos exploding helicopters, and bullets flying everywhere along with some intense emotional scenes and some very not safe for work moments, Sweet Little Spies has everything a reader could want, including a glimpse at what's coming our way with Kala and Cooper as well as Kenzie and Ben Parker!

This family, and I mean extended friends and family, may give each other hell, but they are all in when any of them need them to be and it was amazing to watch everything unfold. I truly love the mixing of the generations! 5 stars!

[Sassy Southern Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that I haven't read or listened to the other books within this series by Lexi Blake,But I was able to follow this story quite easily.
Sweet Little Spies is a trouple romance between Aiden,Carys and Tristan...They have known one another for a long time and were always together.
That is until they take different paths in life Aiden and Carys going one way and Tristan an entirely different direction.
Tristan's work is dangerous and he is in deep on a mission and in the meantime Aiden and Carys are finally getting married.
They don't want to wait any longer for Tristan but how can they marry without him..?..Tristan has a lot to figure out.
The wedding doesn't go as planned and things fall apart causing a domino effect...Honestly there is alot going on in this book and it becomes action packed and there is plenty of steam,and danger at every turn...and a few twists too.
Narration is solely done by Ryan West and he is brilliant at portraying all of the characters in this story.I enjoyed listening to him and I liked his voice,he did some great accents.
Aiden,Carys and Tristan love eachother that is evident.but I did feel a bit bad for Tristan as he seperated himself from his family to keep them safe.They weren't very understanding at times especially towards his job and the wedding. He does his best to try to make amends to Aiden and Carys for being away with no communication for 2 years.
But despite this they are much stronger all 3 of them together than apart,and their story is full of drama,thrilling action,steam and romance...it is also a very family orientated story as their families get involved in trying to find who wants to hurt them.
Lexi Blake is so good at writing about Throuples and getting the balance right between them all,I really enjoyed her writing and this book is full of things to enjoy.
A Fantastic listen.
4 1/2 Stars.- Cat W.

[D. L. Foley | My Last Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️.5

Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to the author and Valentine PR.

Reading Order Lexi Blake's Masters & Mercenaries series is not new. It's been around for awhile. The New Recruits part of this series follows the children of the characters in the original book series. So there are a lot of cameos of older characters. But you could jump in with this portion of the series. They are all interconnected standalone, so you can jump in a lot of places.

General Impressions: Lexi Blake is quickly becoming an auto-read author for me. She's written so many good gems. I don't think I've rated one of her books less than 4 stars. This book has the misfortune of being the book in the main series that follows my favorite book Lexi has ever written, so this one had a lot to live up to. It mostly did. I've been wanting to read this one for a really long time. This throuple's story is one I've been wanting to read for a long time. It's about the hard parts of relationships--regaining trust, being brave enough to trust and fight, and growing together rather than apart. This book touched on the hard part of relationships. The work. The action and plot was great; I loved the side characters and side plot, too. Lexi has once again built such a fantastic world and story. I can't wait to see what comes next. I'm full in on this series.

Think James Bond but make it romance and sexy and not like the same guy just having a bunch of flings.

Spice Meter: ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 It was definitely spicy and k1nky.

Romantic Tropes
-dual POV
-spies
-action/adventure romance
-menage MFM
-last chance more than second chance
-winning her back
-BD SM

You can also find me on Insta @mylastromancenovel.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things are coming to head in Sweet Little Spies, not only for the underlying story arcing through the series but for the Dean-Miles/Taggart/O’Donnell triad as doctors Aiden and Carys are ready to call time on their absent third member Tristan, fed up waiting on the sidelines, their life together on hold as he plays spy. But even after all his attempts to protect the people he loves, keeping his distance he hadn’t been careful enough. There was so much history between Aiden, Carys, and Tristan. They’d openly been together since they were teenagers with Carys facing down anyone who objected to their threesome, but it seemed as if Tristan had to prove that he was just as good as his fathers in the spy game not realising the cost. He had always been the dominant one in the relationship which both Carys and Aiden had missed and would have to rebuild their trust if they were to find their way back to each other.


The overall action-filled plot is intricate with all the books in the series seem to overlap slightly so I would recommend reading the New Recruits series in release order or you might find yourself a bit lost. With the suspense building a megalomaniac Bondesque super villain intent on world domination - all he needs is the white cat and the elder generation showing the next gen that they’ve still got a lot to learn in the spy business, I was gripped from the start with this book. I loved the strong vein of humour running through the writing. From their parents embarrassing their offspring with their amorous antics, to tooled up bridesmaids and Kala’s idea of organic fireworks and as for the spice…. well talk about sizzling especially when submissive Carys was reminded who her Doms were, and just saying, who would have thought Aiden could be just as masterful as Tristan. Definitely my favourite book of the series so far.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that I haven't read or listened to the other books within this series by Lexi Blake,But I was able to follow this story quite easily.
Sweet Little Spies is a trouple romance between Aiden,Carys and Tristan...They have known one another for a long time and were always together.
That is until they take different paths in life Aiden and Carys going one way and Tristan an entirely different direction.
Tristan's work is dangerous and he is in deep on a mission and in the meantime Aiden and Carys are finally getting married.
They don't want to wait any longer for Tristan but how can they marry without him..?..Tristan has a lot to figure out.
The wedding doesn't go as planned and things fall apart causing a domino effect...Honestly there is alot going on in this book and it becomes action packed and there is plenty of steam,and danger at every turn...and a few twists too.
Narration is solely done by Ryan West and he is brilliant at portraying all of the characters in this story.I enjoyed listening to him and I liked his voice,he did some great accents.
Aiden,Carys and Tristan love eachother that is evident.but I did feel a bit bad for Tristan as he seperated himself from his family to keep them safe.They weren't very understanding at times especially towards his job and the wedding. He does his best to try to make amends to Aiden and Carys for being away with no communication for 2 years.
But despite this they are much stronger all 3 of them together than apart,and their story is full of drama,thrilling action,steam and romance...it is also a very family orientated story as their families get involved in trying to find who wants to hurt them.
Lexi Blake is so good at writing about Throuples and getting the balance right between them all,I really enjoyed her writing and this book is full of things to enjoy.
A Fantastic listen.
41/2 Stars.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the new recruits series and my second book by this author and I have fallen in love with this authors characters and I am excited to go back and read the rest of this series and see some of these characters in a different light. The McKay-Taggert group definitely does not disappoint. Every character has their own place within the team and while I loved the previous book I knew that this one would either be more dangerous or have more twists and turns and it had both of those and kept me wanting more and up most the night turning pages as fast as I could read.

Tristan has been undercover for the last few years leaving his relationship on hold. While he was gone Aiden and Carys carried on as best as they could, but their relationship wasn't the same without him. Carys and Aiden understand the dangers of their families business and that he can't always talk about his work, but she wants her life with Aiden and Tristan. I can understand where Carys is coming from and the strong successful independent woman that she is makes just accepting his apology difficult.

Sweet Little Spies is danger filled, with family banter, and a sweet but complicated love story. Each of these characters finds a place in your heart that makes you want them to find some happiness in their life. I am rooting for Zach, I hope we get to see him find his happiness. I feel like he is starting to go down a dark path and we only know a small part of the story. I am also looking forward to the next book after seeing some of the things happen to the characters, I am hoping Kala finally opens up.

Received ARC in exchange for voluntary honest review from Lexi Blake and Valentine PR.

[Lisa Spofford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Valentine PR and Lexi Blake for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sweet Little Spies is Book 3 in the Masters and Mercenaries: New Recruits series by Lexi Blake. This series includes stories about the now adult children of the characters in the Masters and Mercenaries series. Aiden O’Donnell, Carys Taggert, and Tristan Dean Miles had been in love with each other for as long as they could remember. They were supposed to get married, but Tristan had postponed the wedding due to work and then asked that they go forward with the wedding without him. He was working on a top secret op with the CIA and was worried that it would bring danger to their door. He had stayed away for two years. On the day of the wedding, they were attacked, and it was impossible to keep them out of it anymore. Next thing they knew, Aiden and Carys were being included in an operation, and Tristan was afraid that they might not emerge from it alive. Once again, the author wrote an action packed, super steamy, romantic suspense novel that I adored. Her writing is witty, suspenseful, and entertaining with plenty of amusing banter and the book pulled me in from the very beginning. I felt for all three characters, all making decisions based on their own knowledge and emotions, with the guys making decisions for Carys instead of with her. They all grew a great deal during the book, learning more about how to be a strong threesome even when facing adversity. The chemistry between these three was combustible. Lexi Blake really knows how to write the spice! I recommend this novel for readers who enjoy romantic suspense spy stories with BDSM and ménage. It is a really fun read!

[Linda Whitacre · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids are grown and kicking butt!
Sweet Little Spies is full of action and the kids of the Masters & Mercenaries heroes are up for the challenges. I think every character from the original Masters & Mercenaries series had several kids and most of them are now spies. Of course, Ian and Charlotte’s kids are superstar spies.
This story is about best friends and lovers, Tristan Dean-Miles, Aidan O’Donnell, and Carys Taggart. They’ve been besties since they were children and now as a throuple expected they’d marry soon. Except…Tristan chose to join the military and then included the CIA where he took on a secret incredibly dangerous mission that took him from his family and lovers for over two years. Needing help from McKay-Taggart, Tristan is back and trying to mend his relationship with Aidan and Carys, who felt abandoned. Carys especially was filled with anger towards Tristan and his two years of no communication. There’s lots of angst while they try to regroup as a family and throuple.
Aidan and Carys are the oddballs out in this family of spies because they are both in medicine. Aidan as a trauma surgeon and Carys as an Obstetrics Physician.
The relationships between this wonderful group of friends and family are awesome. They work and play together, cover each other's backs, and they fall in love. The kids all keep up with action, smart mouths, and sexual innuendos. The story is filled with virtually every character from the Masters & Mercenaries series. I was confused many times as to who was who, there were so many characters, and some even had two names. I love Ian and his clan. He has been the star of this series since book one. Linda

[Alphas Do It Better Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

Relationships are hard…

When there are two people involved it takes work to be together, when there are three, it can sometimes seem impossible! For Carys Aidan and Tristan what has always been an easy triad relationship has become more difficult than they ever imagined. Carys has the strength and stubbornness that comes with the Taggart name and throughout this book she will need it. Aidan is used to being the peacemaker, the one to make the world easier and calm his partners when they need it most, though he will need to fulfill this role, he will also need to find the part of himself that he may not have realized was there before, but with the love of Carys and Tristan he can be the man he is meant to be. Tristan has lost parts of himself for too long, they are there, he is a Dean-Miles without a doubt, with all the best traits of his parents and some of the not so great ones also. He must find the balance that has been missing from his life the past few years and he will forced to find it or not only may he lose the two people he loves most, but the world may not exist in the way it always has before. Lexi Blake has yet again brought readers into the world we have loved for years. Reminding us of the parents this next generation came from, with glimpses of those parents now. But don’t be fooled, she doesn’t just rewrite the same character traits and storylines for the next generation, these kids are all their own!

Cara - Alphas Do It Better Book Blog

[Wildflower Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have adored this book and it came just at the right time for me. Lexi Blake is my go-to author. Her books make me smile, make me swoon. make me laugh, make me cry and always make me feel better. She has an undeniable gift and while I've said it before she truly is a master of her craft.

This entire series is incredible and I feel that when I'm writing a review for one individual book I need to mention the series. While it is possible to read each book as a stand alone I feel like you would be missing out on so much if you didn't delve into the McKay-Taggart world. It's FRIGGIN immemse; its love and angst, its forgiveness and worthiness , its spice and sarcasm but for me when I read them I always read acceptance.

'Sweet Little Spies' tells Tris, Aidan and Carys' story. They have all grown up with an incredibly supportive family dynamic and are no stranger to ménage. There love is evident, it's the spy stuff that begins to tear them apart. Their story is spicy, funny, dramatic and has some incredible Ian Taggart advice! I also think Daisy O Donnell needs a mention (I bloody loved her funny one liners!)

You will never regret a Lexi Blake book! While this series has a number don't ever be intimidated about catching up.. Each story will add more to your happiness than you could ever imagine.

Thank you so much for the ARC@ @authorlexiblake and @valentine_pr_

#lexiblake #Menage #mastersandmercenaries #romance #romancereads #wildflowerreads #valentinepr

[Kimberly V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in the New Recruits series!
I love the mix of the OGs along with the younger generation. Ian as always makes me smile!
Sweet Little Spies is Carys’, Aidan and Tristen’s story. Also thrown in are cousins, siblings, Parents, aunts, and uncles. Never a dull moment.
Tristen has gone in deep on a mission, leaving the loves of his life behind because he thinks it will protect them. In the end, they all ended up in danger. It all started at the wedding that should have included Tristen.
As usual there is all the angst, and fun spicy times at the hideout, Add the spies and the lies that go with it and you have a book you don’t want to put down.
Both Aidan and Tristen know where they went wrong with Carys, and were working to fix things with her. What was great is when Aidan’s dad pointed out that Carys is at fault for their issues as well, but he refuses to hand him all the answers. They let the younger generation to figure out some of it for themselves. Now that doesn’t stop the family from using spy glasses to watch Carys, Aidan, and Tristen fight it out, with as always a running commentary and input.
Lexi Blake brings humor, intrigue, love, family and all the spice and I am always here for it!
I am ready for Kala and Cooper’s story! I am sure it will be a roller coaster of emotions!

[Melissa * bookedwithmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been waiting impatiently for Carys, Aidan and Tristan’s story for a long time. The one throuple in the next generation of Taggarts.

Lexi’s books are always a cathartic experience for me. They may be romantic suspense, but they’re also largely built around BDSM and D/s relationships. I always know I’m going to run the gamut of emotions reading them. I had tears in my eyes by the end of chapter 1 and by chapter 5 they were streaming down my cheeks. They hurt my heart and make me feel the intense love she brings to life on the page.
There’s always some laugh out loud moments, and some violent ones.

Carys, Aidan and Tristan spend the book attempting to find their way back to the happiness they had prior to Tristan going undercover with the Agency. From when they were very young they knew they would be together, but it wouldn’t be a McKay-Taggart story without some angst and trouble.

Lexi’s been writing about this crew for 13 years, and I’ve been with her for 7. Every book is a return to the McKay-Taggart world. Seeing our old faithful characters (Ian Taggart would probably have a creative way to off me for calling him old 😜) and their children find their happily ever afters makes my heart happy every time.

Thank you so much to Lexi Blake and Valentine PR for my ARC of this book.