Codename: Prodigy

by Emilie THEPLANT

Ellen Caldwell , heiress to a media empire and the eldest—by five minutes—of the Caldwell sisters, has always been the steady anchor of her family. Brilliant yet quietly scarred by the wounds of recent years, she finds her balance shaken when her long-term relationship ends abruptly.

Determined to start over, she accepts a strategic position in Sydney to lead the expansion of AtMedias into the Australian market, leaving her hometown of Montreal behind. This professional and personal exile will take an unexpected turn when she meets Roxanne "Roxy" Powell .

Mysterious, direct, and elusive, Roxy turns everything upside down. But who is she really? And more importantly, did she enter Ellen’s life with the purest of intentions? Beneath her composed exterior, Roxy hides her own fractures and a past far more complicated than she lets on.

Roxy isn’t who she claims to be, and Ellen has spent her entire life preparing for everything, except this. One thing is while Ellen’s world is thrown off course, Roxy’s life will never be the same.

Genres: Contemporary

407 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 16, 2026

About the author

From the Eastern Townships in Quebec, Émilie is a queer French-Canadian writer who goes by 'emilie.theplant.'

During daylight hours, she practices law, yet her ADHD-afflicted mind overflows with innovative plot ideas and twists that simply must be released onto the page. Émilie's interests extend beyond law and writing; she's also a photographer, a cyclist, and a devoted aviation enthusiast.

She shares her life in Montreal with her partner..

You can follow Émilie @emilie.theplant.author on IG

Reviews

[Chelsea Pitsos · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

3.25⭐️
Spice: 🔥

This debut novel was such a fun, and intriguing read! Having little idea of what to expect going into it, I was pleasantly surprised to be pulled into the story so quickly. Both main and side characters were well thought out, and created a great balance of action, fun, and tension! Plus a game of Werewolf being mentioned???? I’m in!

This story had all the makings of a great sapphic romance with a twist; full of hidden identities, queer awakenings, and a touch of forbidden love. While the “insta-love/attraction” trope isn’t my favorite, this one had enough of a slow burn that kept me coming back for more. I almost wish there was more focus on their romance together, rather than them navigating being apart for so long!

One of the most impressive things about the writing, is that it wasn’t written in the authors native language — and that’s a massive feat for a debut novel! Looking forward to watching this author grow and create more stories to answer some of the burning questions we are left with at the end of this one! Cheers to release day emilie.theplant !!! 🎉

[Unpopmary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐

I picked this book up because the blurb was so vague that I genuinely had no idea where the story was going. Honestly, that mystery worked in its favor. The more I read, the more I realized this wasn’t just a romance. It was a story tangled in enigmas, hidden identities, repression, betrayal, and high-stakes tension. While some parts worked better for me than others, the story kept me interested enough to keep turning the pages.

The story follows Ellen, the heiress to a massive media empire and the oldest of three sisters. After a painful breakup, she moves to Sydney to oversee AtMedias’s expansion into the Australian market. Then she meets Roxy: secretive, guarded, and immediately impossible for Ellen to ignore. What starts as intrigue slowly turns into something much more dangerous and intense, especially once Roxy realizes Ellen is no longer just part of the mission. She has become someone capable of breaking through the walls Roxy has spent years building around herself.

Roxy was probably the character I struggled with the most, but also the one I found the most fascinating. She is deeply morally gray, and my feelings toward her kept shifting throughout the story. There were moments when I completely understood her actions and sympathized with the life she had been forced into. At other times, I wanted to shake her for how emotionally detached she could be. Watching her hide behind protocol, secrecy, and emotional distance became frustrating, especially when it affected the people who genuinely cared about her. Charles in particular made me sad. He was such a good person, and seeing him unknowingly used as part of Roxy’s cover hurt more than I expected.

At the same time, I really loved Roxy’s internal journey regarding her sexuality. The flashbacks showing how deeply she had buried those feelings because of her conservative upbringing felt painfully realistic. The denial, fear, confusion, and eventual acceptance were written with care, and I appreciated that the story did not rush the process. Her coming-out arc was one of the strongest and most touching parts of the book for me. Still, even by the end, I never felt like Roxy fully let the reader in, which made it difficult for me to connect with her as deeply as I wanted to.

Ellen, on the other hand, was much easier to understand because she wears her heart more openly. I really admired how, despite everything she had gone through with her cheating ex and the painful end of her first love, she still allowed herself to remain vulnerable and hopeful about love. There was something very soft and admirable about that. I also appreciated how honest she was throughout the story. She knew how she felt and was not afraid to express it.

That being said, there were moments when Ellen’s trusting nature made her come across as a little too naïve, especially regarding the people around her. She failed to notice Roxy’s secrets and seemed oblivious to the fact that her ex-turned-best-friend still had unresolved feelings for her. While Ellen played an important role in Roxy’s growth, I do wish her own personal arc had felt more developed by the end.

Now for the romance: I have mixed feelings. This book definitely leans into insta-love territory, which is not usually my favorite trope. By their third meeting, they are already describing their feelings as overwhelming and life-changing. That felt very fast considering how little they actually knew each other. Because of that, parts of the romance felt more intense than emotionally grounded.

Ironically, even though the feelings develop quickly, the relationship itself takes much longer to happen because of all the lies, secrecy, and deception. I also want to mention something important: the book is marketed as having “no third-act breakup,” but it still carries the full weight of one. Even if they are not technically together when the fallout happens, their feelings are already deeply involved, and the separation hits hard. So if you are expecting a low-angst romance because of that tag, just know this story is much angstier than it first appears.

I also struggled with the reconciliation. After such a devastating fallout, I expected the rebuilding process to take more time. Instead, things fell back into place fairly quickly, including the physical intimacy, even though the characters said they wanted to move slowly. I would have loved more conversations, more emotional unpacking, and a stronger focus on rebuilding trust. The emotional payoff ended up feeling slightly weaker than I had hoped.

But one thing I absolutely adored was Ellen’s relationship with her sisters, Taylor and Jessica. Their found-family dynamic brought so much warmth to the story. You could genuinely feel the history, love, and protectiveness between them, especially after everything they endured during Ellen’s previous toxic relationship. Their scenes added real heart and grounding to the novel, and I loved that they felt like fully developed people instead of just side characters. By the end, I was almost as excited for their future stories as I was for the main romance.

Overall, Codename Prodigy may not have been a perfect match for my personal tastes, but I can absolutely recognize its potential. My issues came down more to the pacing and execution of the romance than to the writing itself. Still, if you love gripping storylines, morally gray characters, heartfelt coming-out journeys, found-family dynamics, and dramatic romances full of mysteries and tension, this one could really work for you.

Huge thanks to the author for letting me read this early! All thoughts are my own.

[Andrea (looseleftlesbian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the ARC!

I was really glad that we were told who Roxy was. I could see where it would make it more mysterious if we didn’t, but I think knowing made it better. Because I kept thinking, how is this going to pan out? Anytime Roxy interacted with Ellen, I was thinking of how she is going to be able to explain everything. Because how can you live a life where you basically have to lie to everyone? It made the book so interesting and made me want to keep reading.

I loved the family/found family that Ellen had. What a wonderful bond she had with her sisters, especially her twin. I felt bad for Leah, I don’t want to spoil anything, but I can definitely relate to her feelings while still trying to be in someone’s life and be there for them.

While it is marketed as “no third act break up”, I do think that is a little misleading. Yes, there is no third act break up because they never officially were together, but they definitely “break up” in a way and the angst that stems from that is just like a break up. So if you think there won’t be due to no “third act breakup”, buckle up buttercup, you’re wrong lol .

This wrapped up so well. I was concerned on how the author was going to be able to do so. I thought for sure I would be disappointed because it felt like it would be really hard to make the ending of this book and the resolution to make sense, be realistic and make me happy. But it did so. I loved the epilogue and I loved where and who everyone ended up with (I’m thinking of a certain ex, no spoilers but I was happy with how it turned out). It does leave you with some questions but the author lets you know they will be answered in other books about the Caldwell sisters. I seriously can’t wait to read them!! I loved Codename: Prodigy and can’t wait to see what other readers think of it when it comes out! It’s different from your typical romance story.

[Savvysapphicreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The blurb didn’t give much away but the underlying story was a real page-turner! It is packed with hidden identities, betrayal, tension and enigmas.

I absolutely love both characters. You have Roxy Powell who is morally grey and at times very emotionally detached. I loved her journey regarding her sexuality and how her conservative upbringing felt very real.
The other character, Ellen Caldwell, is much easier to read as she wears her heart on her sleeve and is able to break through Roxy’s walls that she has spent years building.

The side characters definitely have a lot of weight to them and the book leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions about them. Thankfully the author explains that all will be revealed in the next 3 books in the series that focus on the Ellen’s sisters and best friend.

Overall, this is a great 4 star read. What was missing for the full 5, for me and my personal tastes were that the pacing seemed to go from zero to 100 once the reconciliation was made. I would have preferred more conversations and deeper emotional connections with a better focus on rebuilding that trust. Another misconception is that the book is marketed as “no third-act breakup.” Whilst technically true as they were not in an actual relationship it still carried the full weight of one. Their feelings towards each other were deeply involved and the separation hits both of them equally as hard.

This is a wonderful debut novel from the author with the perfect starting point from what is yet to come in the series. Want to absolutely give all credit where it is due to the author being able to write a book that is not in their native language. Well done!

Massive thank you to Emilie for the arc of this book.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ 2🌶
This debut novel hits all the big tropes and then some. I give kudos to the author for writing a book in their second language.

Ellen is unlucky in love. The talented heiress to a media empire she's trying to stake her own claim. Her twin sister Taylor is the leader of a popular band Snarl. While in Australia to expand the family network, she meets Scottish expat Roxy. This meeting leads both FMC'S down a twisted and fraught path. Their budding attraction playing havoc on them both. Roxy is no slouch herself, she is actually a member of MI6.
I really loved the side characters in here. Taylor, Jessie, Blake and even Charles all helped to ground and round out the story. The author spent a lot of time crafting them, with good reason, as future books they become the main characters. The twin relationship between Ellen and Taylor, plays heavily but is so very sweet.
There is a bit of flashbacks for both of the main fmcs so the story isn't quite linear. Also, there is a bunch of miscommunication which is natural in the context of the espionage aspect.
Ellen is a much better person than I would be. She's patient and able to forgive a lot to give second and third chances. Roxy while being a spy and having background in intelligence at points comes across as immature. I understand the coming out story is part of her redemption arc, at times I was shaking my head.
I will definitely read the future installments so the author can explore the other great characters. I want to see their backstory and arc, especially Taylor and Jessie.

Tropes and triggers: cheating, coming out, group of misfits, found family, hurt/ comfort, miscommunication, slow burn, political intrigue, toaster oven, forbidden romance, second chance

[Samantha Jo Anderton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of ARC received from author

What an interesting journey Emilie took us down with Roxy and Ellen. This story is more than your typical girl meets girl, happily ever after romance. This is a story about accepting one’s true self, learning to trust, being strong enough to fight for yourself, and finding the courage to be worthy of the life you want.

From the beginning, any potential relationship between Roxy and Ellen seemed unlikely, not because a lack of attraction, but due to outside factors. The way they meet, their individual circumstances, their past experiences, all scream of impending doom. However, the writer creates the perfect space for something between them to build. Their path isn’t the most obvious, and definitely not the easiest, but held perfect amount of emotions to keep me engaged and rooting for them.

Aside from the main characters, Emilie did a great job creating a complex world of characters and careers that set up future works beautifully. The family (and found family) aspect is exactly what you would hope for and the love and respect they hold for each other is enviable.

As a debut novel, especially being the first in a series, I thought this was so very well thought out and the perfect starting point for what is to come! I also thought the writer did a pretty great job with this not being their native language. I am excited for the answers to those questions we still have!

Thank you to the author for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Kasley.K · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw the premise of Codename: Prodigy, it made me curious to read more. I was intrigued by the characters and how the story would unfold.

Roxy is mysterious. Not only because of her job, but also because of her internal conflict. We don’t really know who she is exactly, and it reaches a point where I’m not sure she knows either. She was in a hard position, and it was great to see how she dealt with it.

Ellen is the type of character in whom you can recognize yourself, but whom you also want to shake vigorously so she would wake the hell up. She was unfair at times, and, for someone with her past, she was very forward in her involvement with Roxy. One thing is for sure, when she sets her mind on something, she goes all in, and so despite how hurt she had been in the past. That’s very admirable.

This might be the first time I say this after reading a sapphic book: I feel bad for the man in the story. Poor Charles. He took it as a champ.
I’m not a big fan of fast burn, especially when it’s paired with Ellen and Roxy’s circumstances, but it wasn’t a deal breaker.
One of the highlights is the bond between the Caldwells’ sisters and their little family as a whole. They were so protective and supportive. I look forward to reading their stories.

[Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the advanced digital copy for me to read and review.

Rounded down from 3.25 stars.

The premise intrigued me with Ellen an heiress starting a project in Sydney and Roxy, the mysterious woman she meets and falls for.

There is a wonderful aspect in the book of Ellen's family, her sister who is a legit rock star, and her ex who even though it didn't work out for them romantically, she still shows up for her. To me this was the highlight of the book Ellen' relationship with her family and her chosen family.

Roxy was a difficult character for me because of the decisions she made that put other people in danger. She hides behind protocol when it works for her, but breaks it indiscriminately. She is supposed to be a top agent, but makes mistakes and decisions that would have her fired. This aspect didn't work for me.

I found Ellen's character was on and off for me. She has a ton of confidence when it comes to flirting, but that confidence doesn't follow through on the relationship or in her business dealings.

I know this is the first book in a series, but there were a few things that weren't really explained in this book - but maybe they will come together in the subsequent books in the series.