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You, Me, & the Conspiracy
Not yet published
Expected 10 Nov 26Perfect for fans of Jo Segura, You, Me, & the Conspiracy is an academic adventure romance that finds two history professors trying to unmask a deadly secret society.
After a bruising book rejection, tenure-track history professor Jessica Wilson is scrambling for something new to publish to secure her spot at the top of the academic food chain. While researching in the archives, she discovers a coded message written by one of the founding fathers with the power to change her—and the world’s—understanding of American history forever. But first, she’s got to prove it’s real.
Desperate for answers, Jess searches out Calloway Morgan, a Harvard PhD student turned adjunct professor. Cal was forced to leave graduate school after presenting theories about a shadowy revolutionary organization. Jess heard his conference presentation and thought his findings were absurd, but now, she believes he was on something.
With their fates intertwined by their discoveries, the two begin to work together, but danger lurks around every corner. The clandestine fraternity that they’ve uncovered still exists and is ready to kill. With it hot on their heels, the embers of Jess and Cal’s attraction grow. But unless they can make their findings public, they’ll soon become the conspiracy’s latest victims...
After a bruising book rejection, tenure-track history professor Jessica Wilson is scrambling for something new to publish to secure her spot at the top of the academic food chain. While researching in the archives, she discovers a coded message written by one of the founding fathers with the power to change her—and the world’s—understanding of American history forever. But first, she’s got to prove it’s real.
Desperate for answers, Jess searches out Calloway Morgan, a Harvard PhD student turned adjunct professor. Cal was forced to leave graduate school after presenting theories about a shadowy revolutionary organization. Jess heard his conference presentation and thought his findings were absurd, but now, she believes he was on something.
With their fates intertwined by their discoveries, the two begin to work together, but danger lurks around every corner. The clandestine fraternity that they’ve uncovered still exists and is ready to kill. With it hot on their heels, the embers of Jess and Cal’s attraction grow. But unless they can make their findings public, they’ll soon become the conspiracy’s latest victims...
Kindle Edition
Expected publication November 10, 2026
About the author
Emma Barry
27 books265 followersEmma Barry is a teacher, novelist, recovering academic, and former political staffer. She lives with her high school sweetheart and a menagerie of pets and children in Virginia, and she occasionally finds time to read and write.
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June 8, 2026A romance book similar to National Treasure, Indiana Jones, and Uncharted??? Sign me the frick up! 🙋♀️🤭
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
✰ 2.75 stars ✰
The message as a whole is a valid one of how we should not allow history to dictate our actions and choices but rather learn from it to avoid repeating those same decisions and mistakes. But, as a supposed ode to National Treasure, I failed to find any relevance in that regard when much of Calloway and Jess' time was spent hiding out in the Minnie Winnie rather than actually doing some actual detective work in the line of action. 😟
True, Cal and Jess are history buffs on the road to tenure, not action buffs, so expecting them to suddenly turn cloak-and-dagger was highly unlikely, but rather than divulging in the apparent conspiracy theories surrounding America's forefathers, it was regaled with their obvious and failed to be blatantly aroused and scared and needing comfort and smitten feelings for each other. 🙄
“I’ll face down a revolutionary conspiracy that’s somehow still kicking with you.”
I didn't mind that by working together these two very sadly lonely souls were able to develop a meaningful connection, albeit a rather sudden romance with hungry and eager spicy times. 😏 But, I suppose, being confined for two weeks in an RV would do that; he had a partner. It was . . . nice. It was very much like understanding, like, especially when the hots for each other easily negate any other relevant sense.
That being that their lives were in danger, and they were on the brink of discovering long-buried secrets and coded reveals that sadly never made it beyond the many USBs in which all the information was stored away. I never got to experience the richness of U.S. history—moments were I was spellbound by its grandeur of austere ambience, or as the author put it 'legitimately ancient'. 😔
“Like Humpty Dumpty, no one was going to be able to put him back together again.”
I wasn't all too a fan of those tongue-in-cheek, sardonic quips poking fun at the idealization and idolization of the past. It failed to elicit a satisfaction of bringing the real truth behind the massive historical conspiracy that was the Ortu Solis. 😕 There was no joy or thrill of discovery; it was a flat search when so much felt more passive than aggressive.
I walked away feeling that You, Me was more at the forefront, & the Conspiracy never fleshed out into something of depth, other than inadvertently bringing them together of their shared theories. Not really fleshing out an all-too creative or intriguing premise of a backstory that would've made reading more of an adventure rather than a walk in the park - which, the plot wasn't entirely, but it never made me feel overly engaged or intrigued by what's to come. 😮💨
“Seeing the truth is like being the only sober person at a frat party. How do you handle it?”
The message as a whole is a valid one of how we should not allow history to dictate our actions and choices but rather learn from it to avoid repeating those same decisions and mistakes. But, as a supposed ode to National Treasure, I failed to find any relevance in that regard when much of Calloway and Jess' time was spent hiding out in the Minnie Winnie rather than actually doing some actual detective work in the line of action. 😟
True, Cal and Jess are history buffs on the road to tenure, not action buffs, so expecting them to suddenly turn cloak-and-dagger was highly unlikely, but rather than divulging in the apparent conspiracy theories surrounding America's forefathers, it was regaled with their obvious and failed to be blatantly aroused and scared and needing comfort and smitten feelings for each other. 🙄
“I’ll face down a revolutionary conspiracy that’s somehow still kicking with you.”
I didn't mind that by working together these two very sadly lonely souls were able to develop a meaningful connection, albeit a rather sudden romance with hungry and eager spicy times. 😏 But, I suppose, being confined for two weeks in an RV would do that; he had a partner. It was . . . nice. It was very much like understanding, like, especially when the hots for each other easily negate any other relevant sense.
That being that their lives were in danger, and they were on the brink of discovering long-buried secrets and coded reveals that sadly never made it beyond the many USBs in which all the information was stored away. I never got to experience the richness of U.S. history—moments were I was spellbound by its grandeur of austere ambience, or as the author put it 'legitimately ancient'. 😔
“Like Humpty Dumpty, no one was going to be able to put him back together again.”
I wasn't all too a fan of those tongue-in-cheek, sardonic quips poking fun at the idealization and idolization of the past. It failed to elicit a satisfaction of bringing the real truth behind the massive historical conspiracy that was the Ortu Solis. 😕 There was no joy or thrill of discovery; it was a flat search when so much felt more passive than aggressive.
I walked away feeling that You, Me was more at the forefront, & the Conspiracy never fleshed out into something of depth, other than inadvertently bringing them together of their shared theories. Not really fleshing out an all-too creative or intriguing premise of a backstory that would've made reading more of an adventure rather than a walk in the park - which, the plot wasn't entirely, but it never made me feel overly engaged or intrigued by what's to come. 😮💨
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I won’t lie, the word “conspiracy” makes me sweat thinking someone’s gonna try to convert me to believing something wild, but this was a fun romance that I think people that wished “The DaVinci Code” had more of a romance-froward plot will eat up.
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
▹Format: 📱 eReader
I am providing my honest thoughts on this in exchange for an advanced e-copy from Atria Books and NetGalley. This book comes out November 10, 2026.
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– FMC: Jessica Wilson (aka “baby”). History professor who is on the search for something to write and publish to stay at the top of her field.
– MMC: Calloway “Cal” Morgan. Adjunct history professor who became a laughing stock after sharing some “out of the box” theories on American History and the influence of a revolutionary organization.
– Location: Boston, MA
– POV: Multiple third-person (but mostly the FMC and MMC)
– Spice: 3 open-door spicy scenes
– Tropes: history professors, secret organization, reframing American History (using fictional examples for funsies), workplace romance, forced proximity, complex family dynamics, mystery and intrigue, murder
– Representation: nothing noteworthy
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
This is a genre-bend that I hadn’t expected, but I really enjoyed it! It mixed murder and politics in a way that didn’t feel too direct, but used for the sake of a fictional adventure. I really enjoyed the secret organization and American History aspects (more than I even expected to), but I also really enjoyed the romance.
Cal and Jessica’s camaraderie made this feel like such a unique spin on workplace/forced proximity. It wasn’t academic rivals, per se, but it did feel like it started a little like that and ended with such a mesh of their characters.
While the author explicitly tells us that the theories presented in this book are entirely fictional, weaving in real American history—like the 1990 Boston museum heist—made it easy to get swept up in the intrigue without ever feeling like the book was pushing any particular ideas. The story also gets surprisingly dark at times, but the way the author handles those moments, paired with her prose, made them feel like a natural and compelling addition to the story rather than darkness added purely for shock value.
Would I Recommend?: This book won’t be for everyone considering the subject matter, but I enjoyed it a lot!
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven—————✧——————Plot Driven
Fast Burn——————✧—————Slow Burn
Sweet———✧————————Spicy
Light/Fluffy————————✧———Heavy/Emotional
•♥Consider following me on Instagram @kelseyreviewsbooks for more visual content and bookish discussions.♥•
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
▹Format: 📱 eReader
I am providing my honest thoughts on this in exchange for an advanced e-copy from Atria Books and NetGalley. This book comes out November 10, 2026.
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– FMC: Jessica Wilson (aka “baby”). History professor who is on the search for something to write and publish to stay at the top of her field.
– MMC: Calloway “Cal” Morgan. Adjunct history professor who became a laughing stock after sharing some “out of the box” theories on American History and the influence of a revolutionary organization.
– Location: Boston, MA
– POV: Multiple third-person (but mostly the FMC and MMC)
– Spice: 3 open-door spicy scenes
– Tropes: history professors, secret organization, reframing American History (using fictional examples for funsies), workplace romance, forced proximity, complex family dynamics, mystery and intrigue, murder
– Representation: nothing noteworthy
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
This is a genre-bend that I hadn’t expected, but I really enjoyed it! It mixed murder and politics in a way that didn’t feel too direct, but used for the sake of a fictional adventure. I really enjoyed the secret organization and American History aspects (more than I even expected to), but I also really enjoyed the romance.
Cal and Jessica’s camaraderie made this feel like such a unique spin on workplace/forced proximity. It wasn’t academic rivals, per se, but it did feel like it started a little like that and ended with such a mesh of their characters.
While the author explicitly tells us that the theories presented in this book are entirely fictional, weaving in real American history—like the 1990 Boston museum heist—made it easy to get swept up in the intrigue without ever feeling like the book was pushing any particular ideas. The story also gets surprisingly dark at times, but the way the author handles those moments, paired with her prose, made them feel like a natural and compelling addition to the story rather than darkness added purely for shock value.
Would I Recommend?: This book won’t be for everyone considering the subject matter, but I enjoyed it a lot!
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven—————✧——————Plot Driven
Fast Burn——————✧—————Slow Burn
Sweet———✧————————Spicy
Light/Fluffy————————✧———Heavy/Emotional
•♥Consider following me on Instagram @kelseyreviewsbooks for more visual content and bookish discussions.♥•
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received a free copy of, You, Me, & the Conspiracy, by Emma Barry, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Jessica Wilson has to publish something good, to get her on top. I thought this was going to be a really interesting read, and it was not it was boring, and not very believable.
June 22, 2026
Smart and ambitious, albeit a little uneven. 📚✨
I went back and forth on this one a lot. There were moments where I was completely pulled in and needed to know what was going to happen next, and others where I found myself struggling to stay engaged.
I loved the academic setting, the conversations around privilege and access, and the secret-society, behind-the-scenes power structures. It has that dark, institutional, conspiracy-driven energy that leans very Da Vinci Code, and I can absolutely see this working well as a TV series or movie. 🎓
The biggest sticking point for me was the amount of history woven into the plot. It often felt dense and assumed a level of knowledge I just didn’t have anymore, which slowed the pace down for me. I kept wanting to spend more time with the characters and less time trying to keep track of historical details.
Overall, this is a really interesting, idea-driven story that didn’t fully land for me, but I can absolutely see it working for readers who enjoy history-heavy conspiracies and academic settings.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I went back and forth on this one a lot. There were moments where I was completely pulled in and needed to know what was going to happen next, and others where I found myself struggling to stay engaged.
I loved the academic setting, the conversations around privilege and access, and the secret-society, behind-the-scenes power structures. It has that dark, institutional, conspiracy-driven energy that leans very Da Vinci Code, and I can absolutely see this working well as a TV series or movie. 🎓
The biggest sticking point for me was the amount of history woven into the plot. It often felt dense and assumed a level of knowledge I just didn’t have anymore, which slowed the pace down for me. I kept wanting to spend more time with the characters and less time trying to keep track of historical details.
Overall, this is a really interesting, idea-driven story that didn’t fully land for me, but I can absolutely see it working for readers who enjoy history-heavy conspiracies and academic settings.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I DNFed this book at 46%. There will be spoilers for the book up to that point below. The star rating is for the section I did read—technically a 1.5 but rounded up since it’s a DNF.
First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for sending me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. I’m sorry to be DNFing this, especially because it was one of the most requested books on NetGalley for awhile, but it’s just not written well and not a compelling story.
It starts off when the FMC Jessica finds something in an archive that reminds her of this conspiracy presentation this guy Calloway gave a few years ago. She goes to talk to him about it but he warns her off because it ruined his career and it’s “dangerous.” There’s no explanation (or any hints from previous sections from his POV) as to why it’s dangerous. Jessica decides she doesn’t believe him anyway, and later mentions the thing to her advisor over the phone. A week later, she’s told her advisor is dead. She goes to teach her class and comes back to her office to find it trashed. Despite there being no reason to think otherwise, she immediately runs to Cal and tells him people from the conspiracy are after her, which is a HUGE leap to make. I will say, they do find an AirTag in her jacket, but they don’t find it until after she and Cal have met up and are on the run. So again—to automatically assume your office being trashed=a secret group is out to get you does not make sense in the context of the story. Cal gave Jessica a USB drive with some info on it and she hasn’t even looked at it yet to determine if the conspiracy has merit.
So they go check out Cal’s apartment. It’s also trashed. They don’t even mention her apartment, like it’s a non-option.
But not once have either of them felt like they’re being watched, no hints as to their phones being tapped, nothing! But Cal knows how to cover his tracks because he’s been super paranoid since his presentation—several years ago!—that he’s being watched. Again, no details as to how he knows that.
They go to a house of a friend of his and it’s literally that guy Murray from Stranger Things 😂 old dude conspiracy theorist, a million locks on his front door, a stash of guns in his living room.
He lets them sleep in his RV while they’re in hiding. No word to either of their families, their jobs, nothing. They’ve decided in a moment’s notice to just hide out undercover and then start tailing people who they think belong to the conspiracy group that’s after them because Cal, for some reason, doesn’t just have a list of people from the 1700s who were involved in this George Washington conspiracy. He also followed ALL of their family trees to the point that he has a list of people in the local area who he thinks are still in this mysterious group. And this is presented as normal. 🧐
The RV they’re sleeping in is in the friend’s garage. But there’s no description of any high tech security for the garage (which is a separate building in the backyard but is big enough to hold both an RV and a giant yellow corvette.) This doesn’t even go into the fact that if you want to run an RV off a generator, you have to have ventilation so you don’t get carbon monoxide poisoning. (I had to look that up cuz the whole scene just reads like you can flip a switch in the car and the power just comes on). So a ton of locks on the front door but no security anywhere else. Also, they decide to tail their first suspect in the giant yellow corvette. Because that’s not suspicious at all.
Honestly, this book is just incredibly frustrating. Jessica even mentions that her advisor dies and says, but that’s not connected to the rest of this stuff. Except 1) that means you think someone breaking into your office automatically means a secret cabal is out to get you and 2) we already know the advisor was killed because of the conspiracy because we get that scene from the killer’s pov!!! What??? Also, this author likes to randomly switch povs mid-section, when this book should just be dual 1st person pov. Her editor should have caught that and it’s already happened several times in the part of the book I did read. If I’m reading a section from Cal’s POV, for example, I shouldn’t be getting two sentences of Jessica’s POV before switching back to Cal. Jessica has her own sections for that.
Jessica herself was also a frustrating character. Her advisor, a close friend of hers, dies, and then later that day she makes out with Cal (her reason being people don’t like to look at couples kissing so if we kiss, the people following us won’t see us 🤨🙃) and she barely spares a thought later for either of those events. It just felt odd and not realistic at all. (She does spend quite some time thinking about how hot Cal is, but it was like the kiss was a sort of non-issue. I don’t know,
It was odd.)
We also get some backstory on Cal’s family and how his biological father is from some rich family that wants nothing to do with him but it’s ok because Cal considers his stepfather his dad. Which is fine as far as backgrounds go—I’m assuming it’s all to set up the rich family also somehow being involved in this conspiracy—but I think it would’ve served the story’s purpose better to get more info on the conspiracy itself and the proof Cal had from his presentation. The only proof we get in the book comes in the form of three portraits of George Washington, which don’t actually prove anything, and a USB drive that Jessica STILL hasn’t looked at by the time they go into hiding. So she goes from not believing to believing all because her office got trashed. Riiiight.
This book could’ve been so much better.
First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for sending me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. I’m sorry to be DNFing this, especially because it was one of the most requested books on NetGalley for awhile, but it’s just not written well and not a compelling story.
It starts off when the FMC Jessica finds something in an archive that reminds her of this conspiracy presentation this guy Calloway gave a few years ago. She goes to talk to him about it but he warns her off because it ruined his career and it’s “dangerous.” There’s no explanation (or any hints from previous sections from his POV) as to why it’s dangerous. Jessica decides she doesn’t believe him anyway, and later mentions the thing to her advisor over the phone. A week later, she’s told her advisor is dead. She goes to teach her class and comes back to her office to find it trashed. Despite there being no reason to think otherwise, she immediately runs to Cal and tells him people from the conspiracy are after her, which is a HUGE leap to make. I will say, they do find an AirTag in her jacket, but they don’t find it until after she and Cal have met up and are on the run. So again—to automatically assume your office being trashed=a secret group is out to get you does not make sense in the context of the story. Cal gave Jessica a USB drive with some info on it and she hasn’t even looked at it yet to determine if the conspiracy has merit.
So they go check out Cal’s apartment. It’s also trashed. They don’t even mention her apartment, like it’s a non-option.
But not once have either of them felt like they’re being watched, no hints as to their phones being tapped, nothing! But Cal knows how to cover his tracks because he’s been super paranoid since his presentation—several years ago!—that he’s being watched. Again, no details as to how he knows that.
They go to a house of a friend of his and it’s literally that guy Murray from Stranger Things 😂 old dude conspiracy theorist, a million locks on his front door, a stash of guns in his living room.
He lets them sleep in his RV while they’re in hiding. No word to either of their families, their jobs, nothing. They’ve decided in a moment’s notice to just hide out undercover and then start tailing people who they think belong to the conspiracy group that’s after them because Cal, for some reason, doesn’t just have a list of people from the 1700s who were involved in this George Washington conspiracy. He also followed ALL of their family trees to the point that he has a list of people in the local area who he thinks are still in this mysterious group. And this is presented as normal. 🧐
The RV they’re sleeping in is in the friend’s garage. But there’s no description of any high tech security for the garage (which is a separate building in the backyard but is big enough to hold both an RV and a giant yellow corvette.) This doesn’t even go into the fact that if you want to run an RV off a generator, you have to have ventilation so you don’t get carbon monoxide poisoning. (I had to look that up cuz the whole scene just reads like you can flip a switch in the car and the power just comes on). So a ton of locks on the front door but no security anywhere else. Also, they decide to tail their first suspect in the giant yellow corvette. Because that’s not suspicious at all.
Honestly, this book is just incredibly frustrating. Jessica even mentions that her advisor dies and says, but that’s not connected to the rest of this stuff. Except 1) that means you think someone breaking into your office automatically means a secret cabal is out to get you and 2) we already know the advisor was killed because of the conspiracy because we get that scene from the killer’s pov!!! What??? Also, this author likes to randomly switch povs mid-section, when this book should just be dual 1st person pov. Her editor should have caught that and it’s already happened several times in the part of the book I did read. If I’m reading a section from Cal’s POV, for example, I shouldn’t be getting two sentences of Jessica’s POV before switching back to Cal. Jessica has her own sections for that.
Jessica herself was also a frustrating character. Her advisor, a close friend of hers, dies, and then later that day she makes out with Cal (her reason being people don’t like to look at couples kissing so if we kiss, the people following us won’t see us 🤨🙃) and she barely spares a thought later for either of those events. It just felt odd and not realistic at all. (She does spend quite some time thinking about how hot Cal is, but it was like the kiss was a sort of non-issue. I don’t know,
It was odd.)
We also get some backstory on Cal’s family and how his biological father is from some rich family that wants nothing to do with him but it’s ok because Cal considers his stepfather his dad. Which is fine as far as backgrounds go—I’m assuming it’s all to set up the rich family also somehow being involved in this conspiracy—but I think it would’ve served the story’s purpose better to get more info on the conspiracy itself and the proof Cal had from his presentation. The only proof we get in the book comes in the form of three portraits of George Washington, which don’t actually prove anything, and a USB drive that Jessica STILL hasn’t looked at by the time they go into hiding. So she goes from not believing to believing all because her office got trashed. Riiiight.
This book could’ve been so much better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 to 4 Stars!
As a huge fan of not only conspiracy theories but Indiana Jones meets Da Vinci Code, this was a no-brainer for me. Being a huge fan of mysteries and romance as well, pretty much made this a must-read for me.
And while this book did have all those elements, I would say it definitely leans more towards romance than anything else, which wasn't a bad thing but was a bit of a disappointment for someone who was expecting more mystery, more adventure, and more of a thrill.
Overall, this was a fun and engaging read that was a nice for a little bit of a weekend get away so to speak.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
As a huge fan of not only conspiracy theories but Indiana Jones meets Da Vinci Code, this was a no-brainer for me. Being a huge fan of mysteries and romance as well, pretty much made this a must-read for me.
And while this book did have all those elements, I would say it definitely leans more towards romance than anything else, which wasn't a bad thing but was a bit of a disappointment for someone who was expecting more mystery, more adventure, and more of a thrill.
Overall, this was a fun and engaging read that was a nice for a little bit of a weekend get away so to speak.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Want to Read
July 4, 2026📜🔍 You, Me, & the Conspiracy 🔍📜
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• Academic Romance
• Rivals to Partners
• Secret Society
• Historical Mystery
• Treasure Hunt Vibes
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: November 10, 2026
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• Academic Romance
• Rivals to Partners
• Secret Society
• Historical Mystery
• Treasure Hunt Vibes
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: November 10, 2026
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There really wasn’t a single thing I liked about this. Apologies in advance. I rarely DNF a rom com because there’s usually something that can redeem it even if it’s not a 5 star book. But alas I just couldn’t do it anymore with this book. I made it to 71% with high regrets that I won’t get those hours back.
If honest negative reviews are not for you, I’ll be as professional as possible but there won’t be any sugar coating. The writing is at the most basic it can be. This happened and then we went here and then I was shocked! There was no building, no showing, no nothing really. None of the characters have any personality. This line stuck out to me the most because I could t stop laughing at how pointless it was “i was going 8 miles an hour faster than I usually do” and she was like hoping not to get caught. First of all, oddly specific eh? And also wow what a bad ass? 8 milessss? Lol
I couldn’t really tell you much about the conspiracy because it sounded pretty fun at the beginning and then there was just multiple plot holes that were over shadowed by playing grab ass instead of figuring out the conspiracy…
The romance is non existent. 2 attractive people in each other’s orbit decide to bone. That’s all. No tension, no banter, barely any dialogue?? This was just I’m bored and you’re hot. Spice should be a plot device where 2 people are burning so bad for each other that it literally spills over into something physical. This was just shoved into the middle. She was more concerned about how many condoms were available than MAJOR PLOT SPOILER that she should have been more concerned/upset about?? Girl get it together.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Sorry this wasn’t for me.
If honest negative reviews are not for you, I’ll be as professional as possible but there won’t be any sugar coating. The writing is at the most basic it can be. This happened and then we went here and then I was shocked! There was no building, no showing, no nothing really. None of the characters have any personality. This line stuck out to me the most because I could t stop laughing at how pointless it was “i was going 8 miles an hour faster than I usually do” and she was like hoping not to get caught. First of all, oddly specific eh? And also wow what a bad ass? 8 milessss? Lol
I couldn’t really tell you much about the conspiracy because it sounded pretty fun at the beginning and then there was just multiple plot holes that were over shadowed by playing grab ass instead of figuring out the conspiracy…
The romance is non existent. 2 attractive people in each other’s orbit decide to bone. That’s all. No tension, no banter, barely any dialogue?? This was just I’m bored and you’re hot. Spice should be a plot device where 2 people are burning so bad for each other that it literally spills over into something physical. This was just shoved into the middle. She was more concerned about how many condoms were available than MAJOR PLOT SPOILER that she should have been more concerned/upset about?? Girl get it together.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Sorry this wasn’t for me.
Did Not Finish
September 5, 2026DNF @ 33%
I had high hopes for this one and it just didn’t work for me. I checked reviews when I was struggling with it and saw people having similar issues (lots of mixed early reviews) and knew it just wouldn’t be getting better for me.
This is heavy on the academic setting, specifically history and looking back at a conspiracy in American history. It has a mystery blended in there, a secret society, people being murdered and threatened along the way, and a romance. Jess is a history professor who finds a coded message from a founding father (Alexander Hamilton actually), which leads her to track down Cal. Calloway is an adjunct professor who was forced to leave graduate school after having theories about a shadowy revolutionary organization/society. Jess takes the coded message to Cal who is able to decipher and finally has some proof for his overlooked theories. They start working together and end up in danger along the way too.
The writing just wasn’t for me, it was filled with so much info and descriptive language that made you forget how the sentence even began/what the message even was by the time you get to the end. The elements promised and the National Treasure vibes just weren’t there like I hoped either. All in all, not for me.
I had high hopes for this one and it just didn’t work for me. I checked reviews when I was struggling with it and saw people having similar issues (lots of mixed early reviews) and knew it just wouldn’t be getting better for me.
This is heavy on the academic setting, specifically history and looking back at a conspiracy in American history. It has a mystery blended in there, a secret society, people being murdered and threatened along the way, and a romance. Jess is a history professor who finds a coded message from a founding father (Alexander Hamilton actually), which leads her to track down Cal. Calloway is an adjunct professor who was forced to leave graduate school after having theories about a shadowy revolutionary organization/society. Jess takes the coded message to Cal who is able to decipher and finally has some proof for his overlooked theories. They start working together and end up in danger along the way too.
The writing just wasn’t for me, it was filled with so much info and descriptive language that made you forget how the sentence even began/what the message even was by the time you get to the end. The elements promised and the National Treasure vibes just weren’t there like I hoped either. All in all, not for me.
Want to Read
July 15, 2026--- pre-read ---
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the eArc in exchange for an honest review!
I love academia romance, so I hope this will really hit the spot
P.s : Don't mind me quickly working through all my approved ARCs lol, I am on a roll rn lol
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the eArc in exchange for an honest review!
I love academia romance, so I hope this will really hit the spot
P.s : Don't mind me quickly working through all my approved ARCs lol, I am on a roll rn lol
September 19, 2026
Well, they had me at “for fans of Jo Segura,” so obviously I was all over this. 😂 And conspiracy is in the title?! ADD TO CART. Immediately.
Jessica is doing her best to find her place in a male-dominated world, but after a rejection she’s not sure she can bounce back from, she’s scrambling to find something that will help her land a more permanent position at work.
Then she makes a groundbreaking discovery and finds herself seeking help from Calloway, a Harvard PhD student turned adjunct professor after the academic world shuns some of his research. Together, these two have to uncover a shady revolutionary organization that has been lurking in the depths of history.
As they find themselves on the run and searching for answers, they also somehow manage to fall head over heels for each other. Because apparently solving centuries-old conspiracies while being chased isn’t enough, you also need to add romance to the chaos. 😂
These two history nerds basically put on their National Treasure adventure pants and set off to uncover the truth behind something that could change their lives forever. 🗺️🔎
I’ll be honest… I really wanted to be fully attached to Cal and Jess, but I just wasn’t. I tried. I really did. 😂 I’m also not a huge history person, BUT I am absolutely a weirdo for a good conspiracy, so that part definitely kept me going.
And the fact that the conspiracy was actually real, and that some of the people tied to it were literally right in front of their faces?! INSANE. There were definitely moments where I did NOT see things coming.
The ending was A LOT, but I was here for the chaos, even though some of it had me a little sad. 🥲
Overall, not a terrible read at all! It just had some parts that weren’t completely for me, and I think I went in wanting to love it more than I ultimately did.
But hey, give me a good conspiracy and two nerds falling in love, and apparently I’ll still show up. 😂
Jessica is doing her best to find her place in a male-dominated world, but after a rejection she’s not sure she can bounce back from, she’s scrambling to find something that will help her land a more permanent position at work.
Then she makes a groundbreaking discovery and finds herself seeking help from Calloway, a Harvard PhD student turned adjunct professor after the academic world shuns some of his research. Together, these two have to uncover a shady revolutionary organization that has been lurking in the depths of history.
As they find themselves on the run and searching for answers, they also somehow manage to fall head over heels for each other. Because apparently solving centuries-old conspiracies while being chased isn’t enough, you also need to add romance to the chaos. 😂
These two history nerds basically put on their National Treasure adventure pants and set off to uncover the truth behind something that could change their lives forever. 🗺️🔎
I’ll be honest… I really wanted to be fully attached to Cal and Jess, but I just wasn’t. I tried. I really did. 😂 I’m also not a huge history person, BUT I am absolutely a weirdo for a good conspiracy, so that part definitely kept me going.
And the fact that the conspiracy was actually real, and that some of the people tied to it were literally right in front of their faces?! INSANE. There were definitely moments where I did NOT see things coming.
The ending was A LOT, but I was here for the chaos, even though some of it had me a little sad. 🥲
Overall, not a terrible read at all! It just had some parts that weren’t completely for me, and I think I went in wanting to love it more than I ultimately did.
But hey, give me a good conspiracy and two nerds falling in love, and apparently I’ll still show up. 😂
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I want to begin by saying that I really wanted to love this book! It was billed as being like National Treasure, which I absolutely loved, so I was super excited to read this. However, this book did not meet my expectations at all.
I felt that this book really jumped all over the place with little to no transition at times, and there was a complete lack of true explanation as to what the "conspiracy" was that our MCs were involved in exposing. We don't really even attempt understanding as to what the "conspiracy" really involved until around 92% + of the way through the novel. We are supposed to believe that there are life and death stakes at play here, but why? Throughout the majority of the text, we are just told that George Washington was a "bad guy", and that now the MCs lives are in danger because they have evidence to expose this supposed fact to the masses. (Um, alright. Why would that be life changing information for anyone 250 years later?) When you actually find out what has been going on with this shadowy cabal, it's difficult to understand why that would come as a shock to anyone. In all honesty, who doesn't believe that there's more going on with the government that we as citizens are told??
Aside from how much this book jumps around (which also makes it extremely difficult for me to form a more linear response as to how I felt about this book in a way that makes sense), everything just seemed to work out too smoothly for the MCs. If these villains had really been holding onto things like the missing Watergate tape, stolen multimillion dollar paintings, and documents proving that George Washington was bought and paid for by this group, you would assume that they would have far more security than they actually did, and that actually retrieving these items would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Yet, our two college professor MCs have no issues breaking into one of their leader's homes, cracking his hidden safe, and strolling out of there with all kinds of USB drives containing information on their wrongdoings. Not to mention how easy it was for our MMC to scale a wall, break into their compound, use the combination he found on a Post-It note in the previous villain's home to open the door to their lair, and steal even more information. But wait, we aren't done yet!! They are also able to stroll right into a hidden bunker in which all of these priceless artifacts and damning documents are, and had they not taken 15 minutes instead of 5 inside, they'd have strolled out of there scott free. No alarms. No cameras. No real guards. Nothing. The believability was lost for me.
Now, for the thing that bothered me the most. I did not enjoy the current day political opinions that were constantly shoved down our throats. I have very low tolerance for hearing about how awful capitalism is, how privileged white people are, and for viewing an internal monologue that included our FMC wanting the MMC to rear end the vehicle in front of them for having a bumper sticker she viewed as supporting Republicans. To me, this felt disgusting and unnecessary, and it was done to death in this book. And yet, our MMCs had no issue accepting the 10-million-dollar reward for recovering a stolen painting for a museum. It seemed hypocritical. Every time something like this occurred on page, it made me want to put the book down and not pick it back up.
1.5⭐️ rounded up
1.25 cringe worthy 🌶️
I want to begin by saying that I really wanted to love this book! It was billed as being like National Treasure, which I absolutely loved, so I was super excited to read this. However, this book did not meet my expectations at all.
I felt that this book really jumped all over the place with little to no transition at times, and there was a complete lack of true explanation as to what the "conspiracy" was that our MCs were involved in exposing. We don't really even attempt understanding as to what the "conspiracy" really involved until around 92% + of the way through the novel. We are supposed to believe that there are life and death stakes at play here, but why? Throughout the majority of the text, we are just told that George Washington was a "bad guy", and that now the MCs lives are in danger because they have evidence to expose this supposed fact to the masses. (Um, alright. Why would that be life changing information for anyone 250 years later?) When you actually find out what has been going on with this shadowy cabal, it's difficult to understand why that would come as a shock to anyone. In all honesty, who doesn't believe that there's more going on with the government that we as citizens are told??
Aside from how much this book jumps around (which also makes it extremely difficult for me to form a more linear response as to how I felt about this book in a way that makes sense), everything just seemed to work out too smoothly for the MCs. If these villains had really been holding onto things like the missing Watergate tape, stolen multimillion dollar paintings, and documents proving that George Washington was bought and paid for by this group, you would assume that they would have far more security than they actually did, and that actually retrieving these items would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Yet, our two college professor MCs have no issues breaking into one of their leader's homes, cracking his hidden safe, and strolling out of there with all kinds of USB drives containing information on their wrongdoings. Not to mention how easy it was for our MMC to scale a wall, break into their compound, use the combination he found on a Post-It note in the previous villain's home to open the door to their lair, and steal even more information. But wait, we aren't done yet!! They are also able to stroll right into a hidden bunker in which all of these priceless artifacts and damning documents are, and had they not taken 15 minutes instead of 5 inside, they'd have strolled out of there scott free. No alarms. No cameras. No real guards. Nothing. The believability was lost for me.
Now, for the thing that bothered me the most. I did not enjoy the current day political opinions that were constantly shoved down our throats. I have very low tolerance for hearing about how awful capitalism is, how privileged white people are, and for viewing an internal monologue that included our FMC wanting the MMC to rear end the vehicle in front of them for having a bumper sticker she viewed as supporting Republicans. To me, this felt disgusting and unnecessary, and it was done to death in this book. And yet, our MMCs had no issue accepting the 10-million-dollar reward for recovering a stolen painting for a museum. It seemed hypocritical. Every time something like this occurred on page, it made me want to put the book down and not pick it back up.
1.5⭐️ rounded up
1.25 cringe worthy 🌶️
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
You, Me, and the Conspiracy follows history professor Jessica Wilson, who discovers a coded message that could change everything we know about American history. Desperate to prove her discovery is real, she teams up with Cal Morgan, an adjunct professor whose theories about a secret revolutionary organization were once dismissed. As they dig deeper, they uncover a dangerous conspiracy that still exists, putting their lives at risk while their attraction to each other grows. I enjoyed this book, and it reminded me a little of National Treasure, which I absolutely love! I loved how the author combined history and romance into one story! I loved all the characters and their quirkiness! I did expect a little more history and conspirac and the pacing felt a bit off at times. Even so, this was a fun read for a light hearted history rom-com!
Thank you to Atria books and Simon Audio for the gifted copy!
Thank you to Atria books and Simon Audio for the gifted copy!
October 6, 2026
I wouldn't say this was my favorite Emma Barry book but fans of National Treasure will love this book. There is a lot of history in this book - it's a pretty big part of the plot and so, if you're not into that, then this book might not be for you. Luckily, I AM into history and I was into the whole revisiting the founding of this nation and thought the whole secret society using George Washington as a puppet was an interesting premise. However, that stuff takes over a lot of the book so the actual romance between Jessica and Cal do get overshadowed somewhat. yes, there's an only one winnebago scenario but for much of the book, Jessica's actions inadvertently put others in danger and even lead to someone dying. The action was well paced but I did think the final scene with Patrick and Robert was abruptly cut off too soon. Regardless, this was a mostly fun read.
ARC from publisher, review is all mine.
ARC from publisher, review is all mine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free eARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, I am going to be very honest in my review I am so sorry Emma Barry.
TL;DR: I do not think anyone on earth should read this book. SPARE YOURSELF.
I'm going to start with the positives. The prose is very competent and enjoyable, and I would gladly read another book by Barry again if it... well we'll get into the rest. I also really enjoyed Jess's character for the first 30% of the book, and for parts of the rest of the book. I think the character had a lot of promise and would have flourished in a better book. I also, surprisingly, liked the military veteran prepper character. I thought his parts of the book were actually handled well, and his characterization was handled in a more well-rounded way than I expected.
Now for...the rest of the book. First of all, if you're going to write a book with "conspiracy" in the title you have got to at some point spell the conspiracy out to the readers in a comprehensible way. Not only does Barry never do this throughout the entire book, every time she attempts to explain the conspiracy I got more confused. At multiple points Ortu Solis (Latin for Rising Sun, and the shadow org of the conspiracy) seems to have entirely conflicting goals! There are historical events that actually happened with competing aims and ideas named next to each other with no attempt to distinguish for the reader who is probably not thoroughly versed in relatively niche American Revolutionary War history that there were any differences between them. This is not only bad writing but bad practice as a supposed post-grad level historian!! But we have only BEGUN to scratch the surface of the nightmare. The aims and idea of Ortu Solis are so confused that at one point, among a paragraph of other things they're said to be responsible for, the book says "and Nixon." Just...Nixon. Just his name. No specifying if they were responsible for his election, had a hand in Watergate, had a hand in exposing Watergate...no! Just...Nixon. Am I supposed to believe that they are responsible for his existence? That cannot be the intention. And yet, I am left to wonder! And I could GO ON! Everything about this part of the book, the actual main point of the book, is completely muddy, under-explained, and nonsensical.
Second, the pacing and plot of the book. At first, I was willing to go along with some pretty rough moments in the pacing of the book because well, it is a book trying to go after the cachet of conspiracy thrillers, maybe Barry is trying a little too hard to emulate them in what should perhaps be a slightly tamer romance book about two academics. And then it became unforgivable when our main characters have a conversation about a plot hole. Right in front of us they have a back and forth about how lucky it is that the antagonist didn't find the important Thing when he was planting something else in the exact spot the important Thing was. And my jaw dropped. Instead of oh, I don't know, fixing the plot hole, Barry just has the most forced, inane conversation happen in front of our eyes like we won't notice?? And the worst thing is, if they hadn't had the conversation, maybe I wouldn't have! But she POINTED OUT the plot hole to me and then TRIED to explain it away so poorly I felt like perhaps Barry thinks her readers are stupid. And the pacing... every time something needs to happen in the book, every time it seems Barry can't figure out how to get her character(s)--it's mostly Jess, because she has a head on her shoulders--into the place in the plot she wants them in, she drops something absolutely wild on the book and forces stakes escalation. It's maddening. This book needed developmental editing so badly I almost wonder if it isn't a second draft lightly edited for typos. And I hate to be so scathing but it's BAD, and once you notice it you can't stop seeing it. And Barry doesn't give you much time to not notice it because she immediately feels she has to up the stakes within the first 20% of the book!
Overall, this reads like a book written during an event like NaNoWriMo, where the first answer that pops into your head for "how to resolve this problem" is always the correct one because the goal is to have 50k written words, not 50k deftly plotted and coherently paced words. But books aren't supposed to get published in that state! I also highly suspect, from the author's note, that the issues with the under-explanation come from a sort of xkcd comic "and quartz of course" style overfamiliarity with the idea; Barry talks about having made up this conspiracy years ago in college as a tongue in cheek way to cope with learning grim truths about American history. I suspect, having thought about it for so long, it has become difficult for her to extract from her brain and explain clearly to other people, because it just makes sense to her. Ah well!
I will say, I do think Barry has plenty of skill as an author, she simply is at perhaps her worst with this book. I'm planning to try out her chess based book Bold Moves and see if I'm able to enjoy that one more, because I really want to give her another chance! But I do not think anyone on earth should read Me, You, & the Conspiracy.
TL;DR: I do not think anyone on earth should read this book. SPARE YOURSELF.
I'm going to start with the positives. The prose is very competent and enjoyable, and I would gladly read another book by Barry again if it... well we'll get into the rest. I also really enjoyed Jess's character for the first 30% of the book, and for parts of the rest of the book. I think the character had a lot of promise and would have flourished in a better book. I also, surprisingly, liked the military veteran prepper character. I thought his parts of the book were actually handled well, and his characterization was handled in a more well-rounded way than I expected.
Now for...the rest of the book. First of all, if you're going to write a book with "conspiracy" in the title you have got to at some point spell the conspiracy out to the readers in a comprehensible way. Not only does Barry never do this throughout the entire book, every time she attempts to explain the conspiracy I got more confused. At multiple points Ortu Solis (Latin for Rising Sun, and the shadow org of the conspiracy) seems to have entirely conflicting goals! There are historical events that actually happened with competing aims and ideas named next to each other with no attempt to distinguish for the reader who is probably not thoroughly versed in relatively niche American Revolutionary War history that there were any differences between them. This is not only bad writing but bad practice as a supposed post-grad level historian!! But we have only BEGUN to scratch the surface of the nightmare. The aims and idea of Ortu Solis are so confused that at one point, among a paragraph of other things they're said to be responsible for, the book says "and Nixon." Just...Nixon. Just his name. No specifying if they were responsible for his election, had a hand in Watergate, had a hand in exposing Watergate...no! Just...Nixon. Am I supposed to believe that they are responsible for his existence? That cannot be the intention. And yet, I am left to wonder! And I could GO ON! Everything about this part of the book, the actual main point of the book, is completely muddy, under-explained, and nonsensical.
Second, the pacing and plot of the book. At first, I was willing to go along with some pretty rough moments in the pacing of the book because well, it is a book trying to go after the cachet of conspiracy thrillers, maybe Barry is trying a little too hard to emulate them in what should perhaps be a slightly tamer romance book about two academics. And then it became unforgivable when our main characters have a conversation about a plot hole. Right in front of us they have a back and forth about how lucky it is that the antagonist didn't find the important Thing when he was planting something else in the exact spot the important Thing was. And my jaw dropped. Instead of oh, I don't know, fixing the plot hole, Barry just has the most forced, inane conversation happen in front of our eyes like we won't notice?? And the worst thing is, if they hadn't had the conversation, maybe I wouldn't have! But she POINTED OUT the plot hole to me and then TRIED to explain it away so poorly I felt like perhaps Barry thinks her readers are stupid. And the pacing... every time something needs to happen in the book, every time it seems Barry can't figure out how to get her character(s)--it's mostly Jess, because she has a head on her shoulders--into the place in the plot she wants them in, she drops something absolutely wild on the book and forces stakes escalation. It's maddening. This book needed developmental editing so badly I almost wonder if it isn't a second draft lightly edited for typos. And I hate to be so scathing but it's BAD, and once you notice it you can't stop seeing it. And Barry doesn't give you much time to not notice it because she immediately feels she has to up the stakes within the first 20% of the book!
Overall, this reads like a book written during an event like NaNoWriMo, where the first answer that pops into your head for "how to resolve this problem" is always the correct one because the goal is to have 50k written words, not 50k deftly plotted and coherently paced words. But books aren't supposed to get published in that state! I also highly suspect, from the author's note, that the issues with the under-explanation come from a sort of xkcd comic "and quartz of course" style overfamiliarity with the idea; Barry talks about having made up this conspiracy years ago in college as a tongue in cheek way to cope with learning grim truths about American history. I suspect, having thought about it for so long, it has become difficult for her to extract from her brain and explain clearly to other people, because it just makes sense to her. Ah well!
I will say, I do think Barry has plenty of skill as an author, she simply is at perhaps her worst with this book. I'm planning to try out her chess based book Bold Moves and see if I'm able to enjoy that one more, because I really want to give her another chance! But I do not think anyone on earth should read Me, You, & the Conspiracy.
Did Not Finish
October 14, 2026dnf'ed at 20%
I really tried to keep going but was so bored! so felt very confused while reading. It was feeling like a chore to keep going so I had to stop. also why was it so dangerous that they talked about this conspiracy???
I really tried to keep going but was so bored! so felt very confused while reading. It was feeling like a chore to keep going so I had to stop. also why was it so dangerous that they talked about this conspiracy???
September 20, 2026
This book sounded great. National treasure vibes. I was a history major in college so I was like I was going to love this. The story felt very rushed. I felt like the romance was forced. I really wanted to like this one. But it just missed the mark for me.
reading-next-arc-approvals
June 25, 2026PUBLISH DATE: Nov 10, 2026
PUBLISH DATE: Nov 10, 2026
BOOK TITLE: You, Me & the Consipiracy
AUTHOR: Emma Barry
PUBLISHER: Atria Books
FORMAT: ebook
PAGES: 352
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
PUBLISH DATE: Nov 10, 2026
BOOK TITLE: You, Me & the Consipiracy
AUTHOR: Emma Barry
PUBLISHER: Atria Books
FORMAT: ebook
PAGES: 352
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
September 27, 2026
You, Me & the Conspiracy by Emma Barry was such a fun, quirky read! I loved the mix of romance, mystery, and conspiracy theories, which made the story feel fresh and entertaining. The chemistry between the characters kept me invested, and I really enjoyed the banter and the way their relationship developed throughout the book. Emma Barry did a great job balancing the humor with the more heartfelt moments, making this an easy book to get swept up in. Like a lot of readers, I really enjoyed the aspects of the book that really reminded me of the Da Vinci Code and National Treasure.
While a few parts felt a little predictable, and I would have loved a bit more depth in certain moments, I still had a great time reading this one. It’s charming, engaging, and perfect for anyone looking for a romance with a unique twist. Definitely a fun addition to my reading list!
While a few parts felt a little predictable, and I would have loved a bit more depth in certain moments, I still had a great time reading this one. It’s charming, engaging, and perfect for anyone looking for a romance with a unique twist. Definitely a fun addition to my reading list!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This reminded me of Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon conspiracy stories. There are hidden codes, historical mysteries, secret societies, and romance! This is an academic adventure romance about two history professors at different colleges who uncover a conspiracy! Jessica (Jess) is searching for a new research topic so she can get published and earn tenure. When she discovers a coded message written by Alexander Hamilton, she takes it to Calloway (Cal) to see if he can decode it.
Cal is dealing with trauma after being ridiculed and blackballed for his theory about a secret society called Ortu Solis. He now works as an adjunct professor at several schools and struggles to make ends meet. He believes Ortu Solis is a society that influenced the founding fathers of our country and they’ll do anything to protect their secrets.
As Jess and Cal follow clues in a borrowed Winnebago, they become targets of the society and fear for their lives. It’s a slow burn romance as Cal tries to keep from getting too close to Jess (to protect her). They both have family issues and there is a twist towards the end that I suspected early on.
The author created a fictional Ortu Solis conspiracy and wove in some real historical events, including the Newburgh Conspiracy. I’m not a history buff so many of the historic details were over my head but I enjoyed the romance and suspense. I gave it 3.5 stars and rounded up to 4. Thank you to the author, Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. My full review will be at https://spoonerreads.com/ 11/10.
Cal is dealing with trauma after being ridiculed and blackballed for his theory about a secret society called Ortu Solis. He now works as an adjunct professor at several schools and struggles to make ends meet. He believes Ortu Solis is a society that influenced the founding fathers of our country and they’ll do anything to protect their secrets.
As Jess and Cal follow clues in a borrowed Winnebago, they become targets of the society and fear for their lives. It’s a slow burn romance as Cal tries to keep from getting too close to Jess (to protect her). They both have family issues and there is a twist towards the end that I suspected early on.
The author created a fictional Ortu Solis conspiracy and wove in some real historical events, including the Newburgh Conspiracy. I’m not a history buff so many of the historic details were over my head but I enjoyed the romance and suspense. I gave it 3.5 stars and rounded up to 4. Thank you to the author, Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. My full review will be at https://spoonerreads.com/ 11/10.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sadly this one didn’t really work for me. It read a bit clunky. There wasn’t great flow, and there seemed to be too many gaps of information that were needed in order for the whole conspiracy plot to make sense. Maybe it was just me, but I couldn’t seem to follow along very well. Despite wanting to DNF after each chapter, I endured, and yet after finishing it I still can't say what exactly the conspiracy was about. But, I do know that USB drives and files were plentiful. Parts like that read like a YA treasure hunt book.
The romance didn’t click for me either. Comments about “lizard brains” to explain their attraction for each other doesn’t really hit that romance chord. Dizziness and tasting like coffee also don't sound like pleasant lusty experiences. Neither does the ambiance of “forced proximity” by being stuck in a winnebago with underwear dangling over the sink.
Honestly I didn't enjoy one thing about this book. The writing, the plot, the characters, and the pace all fell flat for me, and I'm sorry to say that. But I'm not going to rate below three stars because I think that there's probably a right market for this book that just happens to not be me.
Perhaps it will work better for those with an interest in history told through new lenses, academia and those who can connect better to that feeling of running from bad people and towards a mission with that special person.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for inviting me to read and review this eARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book kept popping up in various places, so when I was sent a widget for the eARC from Atria Books, I grabbed it because it looked like a fun read. Well, there were things I enjoyed and things I didn’t, so this one really is a toss-up!
My biggest issue was all the plot holes! Personally, I couldn’t get past them, but I can see how other readers who are happy to coast on vibes might be able to accept things as they come, move on, and enjoy this a lot more than I did.
On a positive note, this is a fast read, and despite my issues, I had no trouble flipping the pages and staying engaged. The combination of history, adventure, and romance gives it a little something for different types of readers. I even chuckled a few times, and if you know me IRL, you know that isn’t exactly a common occurrence!
So, once again, this one lands right down the middle for me. I think some readers will really enjoy it, while others may struggle with the confusing conspiracies, plot holes, and lack of background in certain instances where we’re simply expected to accept things without much explanation. The chemistry also wasn’t there for me. The relationship felt forced, which made it difficult to buy into the romance. I want to experience those connections and see them develop on the page, not just be told they’re there, and this book leaned a little too heavily on the latter. Ultimately, there’s fun to be had here, but too many things kept me from fully getting on board.
My biggest issue was all the plot holes! Personally, I couldn’t get past them, but I can see how other readers who are happy to coast on vibes might be able to accept things as they come, move on, and enjoy this a lot more than I did.
On a positive note, this is a fast read, and despite my issues, I had no trouble flipping the pages and staying engaged. The combination of history, adventure, and romance gives it a little something for different types of readers. I even chuckled a few times, and if you know me IRL, you know that isn’t exactly a common occurrence!
So, once again, this one lands right down the middle for me. I think some readers will really enjoy it, while others may struggle with the confusing conspiracies, plot holes, and lack of background in certain instances where we’re simply expected to accept things without much explanation. The chemistry also wasn’t there for me. The relationship felt forced, which made it difficult to buy into the romance. I want to experience those connections and see them develop on the page, not just be told they’re there, and this book leaned a little too heavily on the latter. Ultimately, there’s fun to be had here, but too many things kept me from fully getting on board.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A cute steamy romance set amidst history and politics - a nice change from the usual contemporary romance setting - and, perhaps, a new romance subgenre: an academic adventure romance.
Two history professors, Jess Wilson and Cal Morgan, are intrepid adventurers. Jess’s book has been rejected by a prospective publisher saying it’s “too familiar.” Desperate to obtain tenure, she needs to find a “new” topic when she discovers a Revolutionary War coded message in the library archives but she needs someone to decode it. Enter Cal Morgan, forced out of Harvard for presenting a conspiracy theory about a similar coded message. He agrees to help her. But Cal is slightly paranoid about the message because he thinks it harbors something sinister. It would seem his paranoia is confirmed when both their apartments are trashed and other things happen. Along the way to uncovering a secret that might change history the sparks start and Jess and Cal might be on to another adventure - love.
The story reads pretty fast. Jess and Cal are a really cute couple - be prepared for some heavy steamy scenes (which if you want to pick up the pace you can skip) - and because the story itself is well plotted you might want to finish. Don’t forget though to read the Author’s Note where she points the fiction from the facts.
Romance readers should like one. Its provides a great couple, a bit of steam and a readable and interesting adventure.
My thanks to NetGalley and Atria for granting me access to this ARC.
Two history professors, Jess Wilson and Cal Morgan, are intrepid adventurers. Jess’s book has been rejected by a prospective publisher saying it’s “too familiar.” Desperate to obtain tenure, she needs to find a “new” topic when she discovers a Revolutionary War coded message in the library archives but she needs someone to decode it. Enter Cal Morgan, forced out of Harvard for presenting a conspiracy theory about a similar coded message. He agrees to help her. But Cal is slightly paranoid about the message because he thinks it harbors something sinister. It would seem his paranoia is confirmed when both their apartments are trashed and other things happen. Along the way to uncovering a secret that might change history the sparks start and Jess and Cal might be on to another adventure - love.
The story reads pretty fast. Jess and Cal are a really cute couple - be prepared for some heavy steamy scenes (which if you want to pick up the pace you can skip) - and because the story itself is well plotted you might want to finish. Don’t forget though to read the Author’s Note where she points the fiction from the facts.
Romance readers should like one. Its provides a great couple, a bit of steam and a readable and interesting adventure.
My thanks to NetGalley and Atria for granting me access to this ARC.
July 6, 2026
When it comes to books, a huge thing I have and always will adore is when the plot really makes me think. My historian heart loves stories that centre around history but also really anything that I don’t have a comprehensive knowledge of.
As soon as I started You, Me and the Conspiracy- I immediately had questions that had me running to my old history text books. I will admit as a Canadian who did her degree in European history and antiquity, I know little about American History. But this story encouraged me to learn more and god do I miss learning.
I think the plot was well flushed out and the pacing was well done. I was engaged the whole way through and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I adore Indiana Jones and National Treasure and this story really pays homage to them. While completely unrelated it still felt nostalgic.
I liked the characters as well, especially Ellis. The narration style was unique, it kinda jumps around to all the characters in the book- which I’ll admit I didn’t like at first, but it really grew on me. By the mid way point of the story I understood the authors choice with it and agreed wholeheartedly!
If you are looking for a fun adventure with delicious romance and high stakes, I would highly recommend!
As soon as I started You, Me and the Conspiracy- I immediately had questions that had me running to my old history text books. I will admit as a Canadian who did her degree in European history and antiquity, I know little about American History. But this story encouraged me to learn more and god do I miss learning.
I think the plot was well flushed out and the pacing was well done. I was engaged the whole way through and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I adore Indiana Jones and National Treasure and this story really pays homage to them. While completely unrelated it still felt nostalgic.
I liked the characters as well, especially Ellis. The narration style was unique, it kinda jumps around to all the characters in the book- which I’ll admit I didn’t like at first, but it really grew on me. By the mid way point of the story I understood the authors choice with it and agreed wholeheartedly!
If you are looking for a fun adventure with delicious romance and high stakes, I would highly recommend!
August 21, 2026
I really wanted to like this one, but it just wasn’t for me. You, Me, & the Conspiracy follows history professors Jessica Wilson and Calloway Morgan as they team up to investigate a coded message that could expose a secret society and completely change the way American history is understood. What starts as an academic mystery turns dangerous as they uncover a conspiracy that wants them silenced, all while their attraction to each other grows.
Unfortunately, I almost DNF’d this book multiple times. It didn’t really start to get interesting for me until around 40%, and even then, I still wasn’t enjoying it much. I didn’t find the characters particularly likable, and I never really felt the chemistry between Jess and Cal. Their attraction just didn’t feel convincing to me.
The academic/history/conspiracy aspect also just wasn’t a subject matter that grabbed my attention. There was definitely a lot happening, but I never found myself invested enough to care about where everything was going. I kept hoping it would finally click for me, but unfortunately it never did.
Unfortunately, I almost DNF’d this book multiple times. It didn’t really start to get interesting for me until around 40%, and even then, I still wasn’t enjoying it much. I didn’t find the characters particularly likable, and I never really felt the chemistry between Jess and Cal. Their attraction just didn’t feel convincing to me.
The academic/history/conspiracy aspect also just wasn’t a subject matter that grabbed my attention. There was definitely a lot happening, but I never found myself invested enough to care about where everything was going. I kept hoping it would finally click for me, but unfortunately it never did.
August 13, 2026
Historical Conspiracy / Danger and Suspense / Twists
If you are a history buff, this books for you. If you love conspiracy theories, this books for you. If you like a high stakes and slow burn romance, this book is for you. This book itched that history major part of my brain for me. It brought into question how history is told, how power and influence affects the world, and how people can challenge it. I loved the way this book had this slow burn intensity of suspense and danger. The book was closed door, but it did a fantastic job at giving us just enough to add dimension to the story. I love the quirkiness of the main characters and side characters. It felt like you were reading someone’s life story in the pacing, the moments of emotion, and the storyline. If you are looking for a history focused, conspiracy driven, and just the perfect amount of romance that doesn’t take away from the overall story.
If you are a history buff, this books for you. If you love conspiracy theories, this books for you. If you like a high stakes and slow burn romance, this book is for you. This book itched that history major part of my brain for me. It brought into question how history is told, how power and influence affects the world, and how people can challenge it. I loved the way this book had this slow burn intensity of suspense and danger. The book was closed door, but it did a fantastic job at giving us just enough to add dimension to the story. I love the quirkiness of the main characters and side characters. It felt like you were reading someone’s life story in the pacing, the moments of emotion, and the storyline. If you are looking for a history focused, conspiracy driven, and just the perfect amount of romance that doesn’t take away from the overall story.
June 19, 2026
Overall rating: 4 ⭐️
Thank you to the author/publisher for providing an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.
You, Me, & the Conspiracy by Emma Barry was a fun, engaging read that perfectly blended mystery, adventure, and romance. Also a great read for any American history buffs!
One of my favorite things about this book was how much it reminded me of the National Treasure movies. The story is filled with clues, secrets, and conspiracy theories that kept me curious and eager to see what would happen next. If you enjoy treasure hunts, hidden histories, and unraveling mysteries alongside the characters, this book delivers that same sense of adventure.
The romance was also incredibly cute. It complemented the mystery plot well without taking away from the action and intrigue. I enjoyed watching the relationship develop as the characters worked together, and their chemistry added a lot of charm to the story.
If you're looking for a lighthearted romantic adventure with National Treasure vibes, clever mysteries, and a sweet romance, You, Me, & the Conspiracy is definitely worth picking up. Publishing in November 2026!
Thank you to the author/publisher for providing an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.
You, Me, & the Conspiracy by Emma Barry was a fun, engaging read that perfectly blended mystery, adventure, and romance. Also a great read for any American history buffs!
One of my favorite things about this book was how much it reminded me of the National Treasure movies. The story is filled with clues, secrets, and conspiracy theories that kept me curious and eager to see what would happen next. If you enjoy treasure hunts, hidden histories, and unraveling mysteries alongside the characters, this book delivers that same sense of adventure.
The romance was also incredibly cute. It complemented the mystery plot well without taking away from the action and intrigue. I enjoyed watching the relationship develop as the characters worked together, and their chemistry added a lot of charm to the story.
If you're looking for a lighthearted romantic adventure with National Treasure vibes, clever mysteries, and a sweet romance, You, Me, & the Conspiracy is definitely worth picking up. Publishing in November 2026!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of an advanced copy from NetGalley!
To my core, I am a lover of Indiana Jones and National Treasure. I may not be a history buff, but I love both franchises and was instantly intrigued by a romance novel that was compared to these two universes.
On the romance - I didn’t believe it. I felt that it was more of a case of being stuck physically close to someone during high-stress and high-adrenaline times. If I were to guess whether these two would survive a few months after the book, I would probably say they broke up pretty quickly.
The concept of this book was really cool! A deep conspiracy around the revolutionary war, embedded throughout higher education. It was a really interesting idea. I wasn’t always following (again, not a history buff), but I enjoyed that part of the world building.
Best part of this book? Ellis!
To my core, I am a lover of Indiana Jones and National Treasure. I may not be a history buff, but I love both franchises and was instantly intrigued by a romance novel that was compared to these two universes.
On the romance - I didn’t believe it. I felt that it was more of a case of being stuck physically close to someone during high-stress and high-adrenaline times. If I were to guess whether these two would survive a few months after the book, I would probably say they broke up pretty quickly.
The concept of this book was really cool! A deep conspiracy around the revolutionary war, embedded throughout higher education. It was a really interesting idea. I wasn’t always following (again, not a history buff), but I enjoyed that part of the world building.
Best part of this book? Ellis!
July 4, 2026
3.5/4 🌟 - a heavy like, not quite a love
Frankly, I had such a good time reading this. I won’t lie, I was a little nervous it was going to be overtly cheese or too instalusty but it was so much fun. It felt extremely national treasure coded and I loved the history conspiracy and secret organization stuff. I also loved that the romance WAS a little insta lust but it was also more than that. We got to see them actually be together and learn about eachother on top of thinking eachother was hot and that just felt pretty real
It was a good time and I think if you like national treasure you’ll like this!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria and the author for the privilege of an ARC copy for my honest review 💛
Frankly, I had such a good time reading this. I won’t lie, I was a little nervous it was going to be overtly cheese or too instalusty but it was so much fun. It felt extremely national treasure coded and I loved the history conspiracy and secret organization stuff. I also loved that the romance WAS a little insta lust but it was also more than that. We got to see them actually be together and learn about eachother on top of thinking eachother was hot and that just felt pretty real
It was a good time and I think if you like national treasure you’ll like this!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria and the author for the privilege of an ARC copy for my honest review 💛
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