The Asset Within: A Romantic Spy Thriller

by Hera McLeod, Manzi Jackson (Illustrator)

CIA Officer Andy Lynam returns home after an intelligence operation goes horribly wrong. When she becomes the target of the insidious international terrorist network Solaris, one with the power to manipulate fractures within her own agency, she realizes her badge alone can't protect her.

To survive, Andy aligns herself with a covert team of global security officers to expose corruption at the highest levels and bring the terrorist organization down.

But when that team includes her ex-boyfriend, GSO Cameron Landry, old flames reignite. This romantic spy thriller is packed with second chances, forced proximity, workplace tension, and soul-deep romance.

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 25, 2025

Reviews

[Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Asset Within drops us straight into danger and never lets up. The story follows Andy, a CIA case officer whose routine debrief spirals into a life-altering nightmare after an Iranian defector hands her intelligence that could shift global power. The opening chapters move fast and hard, packed with fear, chaos, and heart, and they lay the foundation for a novel that blends espionage, romance, and trauma recovery into one intense ride. The plot moves between Andy and Cameron, the special operations officer who once broke her heart, and the book builds both the thriller and the love story with equal weight. It is a spy novel that centers emotion as much as action, giving it a very human core.

I enjoyed how raw the writing felt. The scenes hit with real force, especially the early sequence in the apartment that left Andy stabbed, injected with a mysterious substance, and scrambling to save a terrified family. I could almost feel her panic and her stubborn grit as she tried to keep moving. The prose has a conversational pulse, like someone telling you a story while their adrenaline is still high, and I found that surprisingly effective. It pulled me right into her head, even when her thoughts were messy or jagged. Some moments felt rough around the edges, but that added to the charm. The emotional stakes felt real because the writing never tried to polish them too much.

Cameron’s chapters gave me a different kind of tension. His anger, regret, and determination mixed together in a way that made me want to shake him one moment and root for him the next. His memories of Andy, along with the guilt buried under all that swagger, made him feel layered. The book treats their history with sensitivity, showing how unresolved pain can sit right under the skin and flare the second two people share the same room again. I also liked how the author wove themes of Black patriotism, marginalization, and institutional bias straight into the spycraft. It made the story feel grounded. The romance did not float above the plot. It grew from the pressure, the fear, and the simple fact that these two people were shaped by the same kind of hurt.

By the time I turned the final pages, I felt like I had been through something with these characters. The book mixes high-stakes action with heart, keeping the tension sharp while never forgetting the people at the center of the chaos. I would recommend The Asset Within to readers who love spy thrillers but want them with real emotional depth. It is perfect for fans of character-driven thrillers, readers who appreciate stories about Black excellence in spaces that try to erase it, and anyone who wants a book that hits hard but still leaves you rooting for love.

[London Valen · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED the book. You could feel the figurative, multi-faceted loneliness Andy (the Main Character) faces throughout the book, whether she on an operation, dealing with her colleagues, or her friends. The burden she carries is heavy and Hera does a great job of making me feel the weight of that alongside the MC.

You also feel like this was a book written by somebody who is not just a good romance author, but also a real intelligence professional. There are LOTS of books that use crime/spy tropes to move a romance plot, but you feel like you are getting two books in one here: a legitimate romance novel and a legitimate spy thriller that is grounded and teaches the reader alot about the first rule in the spy business: trust no one.

Additionally, this story really tackles alot of pressing top of line issues many dedicated female government servants of color face quietly. The story also takes you an international whirlwind tour through so many different countries and locales and the romance is balanced well between the intelligence tactics, and the very DC vibe you get.

Really looking forward to the next one!

[Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Asset Within definitely stands out. This is exactly how you want to come out of the gate with a debut novel—make it a showstopper. This novel was necessary, in that there are not a lot of novels with Black leads that give insight to the spy world, the inner mechanisms of The CIA, and the like. The narrative was compelling and so well written that I often forgot I was reading a book and not watching a movie. Not to give anything away, but I loved the storyline. I thought it was unique and it kept me on my toes. Another thing I loved about this book was the author’s ability to make the reader feel what the protagonist was feeling, no matter if it was coming from Andy’s perspective or Cameron’s. It was so clear that those two were made for each other, and I enjoyed their journey of trying to figure that out. I also loved Theo. Would love for him to have a book of his own, and Boss was such a character. I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to the next one! 😁 10/10 would recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Niki Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading her memoir, I was excited to see how Hera would handle fiction. This was a great first book in the series. I could totally relate to the female main character, Andy. The incidents of misogyny in the book are perfectly written in a way that any female will relate to. I loved the way Hera added the characters inner monologue. She was able to completely tell you so much about the characters present but also their history, without making it boring.

A special shout out to Boss, the dog. I totally fell in love with him. I’ve never felt as connected with an animal in the story more than I did with Boss.

The story was well paced and never dragged. I’ll definitely be looking out for book 2. I have to know what happens next.