The Love Code

by Connie Kitson

Jenna, a talented web developer by day and a cyber vigilante by night, wages a covert cyberwar against Belmayer, a giant oil company she believes was responsible for her father's death while at work on a rig eight years ago.

But unbeknown to her, Kieran, her childhood friend and long-time secret crush, now heads up Belmayer's cybersecurity team.

When their paths collide at a family wedding, their old feelings are rekindled. However, Jenna's double life and relentless pursuit of justice put their relationship to the test, and she must face the fact that bringing down Belmayer makes her the secret enemy of the man she loves...

Fans of Ali Hazelwood and Helen Hoang will adore this spicy STEM romance, featuring the ultimate forbidden access love story.

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary

384 pages, Paperback

Expected publication November 17, 2026

About the author

Connie Kitson has worked alongside developers and within app teams as a digital marketing manager for over ten years, which has honed her ability to translate technical jargon into compelling narratives and provided the inspiration for The Love Code. Connie’s love for romance novels and films – the meet-cutes, the raw exploration of relationships, and that unmistakable fuzzy feeling – has inspired her to bring her own ideas to life, diving into the complexities of love with the same passion and excitement.

Reviews

[Darcy Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advanced copy received from NetGalley

⭐️ 4

okay so i wasn’t sold in the first half but the second half entirely made up for it. as an avid hater of a miscommunication trope, i actually love that this is about a late-twenties couple that communicates strangely well for the romance genre and im SO thankful for it.

while a lot of this was light-hearted, watching two people fall in love, there was a really heavy thread of grief throughout it that really resonated with me. jenna’s unexpected and unconventional experience with grief was so relatable (despite the absurdity of her situation) and was really well done in my opinion.

i love the politics behind this book, except i feel like it never quite addressed that the mmc was in the military. it fits with his initial character, but it seems like the kind of thing he’d reflect on by the end of the book and he didn’t, which was a bit disappointing bc i don’t love anything military related personally!

overall though, i devoured this book in two days and looked forward to picking it up every single time. it tackled some genuinely important issues that i am particularly invested in and i have a lot of respect for the author for doing that. i would definitely read more from this author in the future!

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Canelo and NetGalley for this arc!
As a software engineer, I will always pick up a book for the women in STEM. I had such a fun time reading this book. The balance between the drama and the romance was perfect for me. I am the first to say I absolutely HATE a miscommunication trope, but for some reason this didn’t piss me off as much as it normally would so I took that as a win. Overall a very cute book with some fun technical writing in there for the nerds!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

After losing her dad, Jenna found comfort in coding. During the day, she’s a regular office worker, but at night, she’s The Shadow, a hacker. When she reconnects with her teenage crush at her brother’s wedding and they start going on dates, she finds out he works in cybersecurity for the very company she’s been hacking for years. Suddenly, they’re rivals, and that doesn’t exactly feel great to her.

Jenna’s past was a little bittersweet. Her teenage years with her brother and Kieran were so sweet and funny, but finding out why she changed was just heartbreaking. I really liked how her grief was handled throughout the book and how she slowly learned to move forward and finally let herself be free from it.

Kieran was such a supportive love interest, and the chemistry between him and Jenna was so good. I really liked his character and how genuinely he cared about her.

I usually prefer when the couple takes a while to get together in a romance, but in this case, I actually think it worked better without a slow burn. The pacing of their relationship felt right for the story, and I really liked how everything unfolded. The investigation toward the end also made me much more invested in the story.

Overall, this was such a cute romance! It dragged a little in some parts, but I really enjoyed the friends to lovers romance mixed with the secret rivals dynamic. The hacking, the investigation, and the romance all came together really well, and I had a good time reading it!

[Pía · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, thank you, Canelo, for letting me get an e-ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

3.5/5 — stars
2/5 — spice

I really found all the cybersecurity super interesting. The book had such an interesting topic, and it is set in London. I loved all the references, and like Callum, sadly, I don’t live anywhere near a Nando’s, but if I did, I would probably go once a week. Probably twice.

Sadly, I didn’t feel really connected to the MMC and FMC. They were fine, but I didn’t feel that invested in them. It could be because it was written in third person. I prefer books written in first person, although sometimes I connect with characters really well regardless of which person they are written in. Or maybe it was because they got together pretty quickly. I really like a slow burn.

Regardless, I did enjoy it. It was a fun read, and I really like books that teach me things I don’t know about. Also, it is set in London. Did I forget to mention that I love London? And the romance was cute.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes friends-to-lovers and is interested in cybersecurity and programming. I also found the chapter titles so fun.

- Brothers best friend
- Friends to lovers
- Two POVs
- Third person

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This brother’s best friend to lovers (secret enemies to lovers) was tightly plotted, with genuine emotion playing into the suspense.

Jenna’s dad died while working for Belmayer. She is sure that they are hiding something about his death, and has been hacking them methodically for years to find evidence. What she doesn’t know is that her childhood crush/brother’s best friend Kieran is their Head of Cybersecurity.

The suspense of the hacking and the secret between them is balanced with a genuine look into the trauma and anxiety Jenna has experienced since her father’s death. I also really enjoyed the description of Jenna’s (legal) research activities, because I have done corporate research in the past.

I highly recommend this book.

I received an Advanced Copy of this book and my opinion is offered freely.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this free ARC!

3.75 rounded up! I love reading authors debut books because I am always amazed how good they are! I also really liked the acknowledgements page (which I don’t usually read but it felt real and heartwarming.

I originally read this book because it was advertised like STEM Ali Hazelwood romances but I don’t really think that is correct! I think this book is more about dealing with grief and finding your way back to someone when the timing has never been right!

Childhood friends reconnect later in life only to find out FMC is a hacker vigilante for the company the MMC works for.

I enjoyed the mystery of this book and it was a short read but did give a comprehensive story!

I do think the romance could have been developed a bit more but enjoyed the read and read it one day.

[Briana J. Newstead · Rating 5 out of 5]

An expertly written STEM romance that will take you well beyond the love story and into a world of corporate conspiracy and high-stakes moral dilemmas. The secret hacker and the head of cybersecurity unknowingly hunting her down made for a brilliant premise that had me gripped, but what truly elevated this for me was how well the conflict was handled throughout. Jenna's vendetta was rooted in a grief that felt real and devastating, and I believed every one of her (sometimes poor) decisions, which only made me root for her more. I also loved how the characters had some differing views, and it wasn't a simple case of one character realising the other was right all along. Highly recommend!

[TheNevraEndingStory · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Love Code revolves around Jenna, who works at a marketing company as a web designer and programmer. But her real skills come out at night, when she becomes a vigilante hacker targeting Belmayer, the oil company she believes was responsible for her father’s death while he was working on one of its rigs.

Then there is Kieran, her brother’s best friend and the childhood crush she never quite got over. He also happens to head the cybersecurity team at Belmayer.

Jenna has spent years breaking through Belmayer’s systems, while Kieran is tasked with finding and stopping her. At first, neither knows who is on the other side of the computer screen. When they reconnect at a family wedding and quickly grow close again, Jenna discovers that the man she has loved for most of her life is also responsible for protecting the systems she has been hacking. Now she has a major secret to keep from him but cannot decide if there will ever be a right time to tell him.

The Love Code takes place in England, and since it is one of my favorite places to visit, I loved all the familiar references, including Nando’s and Tesco. If you know, you know. As Kitson is based in London, these small touches give the setting an authentic feel and really helped place me inside the story.

The dynamic between Jenna and Kieran was one of my favorite parts. Even after spending years apart, they reconnect seamlessly, and their shared history makes the chemistry between them feel natural. Kieran is confident and self-assured, while Jenna may be a master hacker online but is much more vulnerable when it comes to him.

When Kieran finally tells Jenna exactly what he does for a living, every alarm bell in her mind starts blaring. Watching her thoughts spiral into a full-blown freak out was laugh-out-loud funny, especially after she had spent so much time obsessing over him.

There is more here than a fluffy romance. The writing includes plenty of detail about hacking, cybersecurity, and the corporate world, much of which I found useful and entertaining. In some places, however, the explanations went into a little more detail than I needed and slowed the story down. I still really enjoyed the hacker-versus-cybersecurity-expert element because it was a completely new romantic setup for me.

The spice level is low to moderate, with a few open-door intimate scenes. The ending was cute and mostly went in the direction I expected, which worked for this story.

Overall, The Love Code was an enjoyable read with a fresh premise. Although some of the technical explanations slowed the pacing, the hacker angle kept me interested and made the romance stand out.

The Love Code releases in the U.S. on November 17, 2026, and in the UK on November 19, 2026.

Thank you to the author, Canelo, and NetGalley for providing an advance copy for review consideration. All opinions in this review are my own.

[Nathalie DeSousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5/5

This is my first book by this author and it I loved it!
I am so glad I got an early copy from NetGalley..
This was a super adictive read. A love story that took years in the make and then add the STEM and suspense twist to it and you have a great romance. Jenna & Keiran have known each other since they were in their teens, their link is her brother Callum. There was an infatuation that slowly built into feelings that they kept quiet, until he left for the army and she suffered the loss of her father.
They reunite at her brother's wedding. and there is a recognition of feelings years in the making, but though they are still the young kids from the past, now they each hold secrets that could destroy what they have not built yet

Jenna was always smart.. she loved puzzles and patterns,math was something that came easily to her, so after a tragedy that broke her family and left her with severe anxiety, she decided to use her strengths to learn about coding and systems becoming a wiz, a hacker. And she has used her skills to find secrets, but her main reason is trying to find the truth behind her dad's death, I loved this character, she was a genius in disguised, and a very relatable one, she has low self esteem, she has crippling anxiety, she is quiet, she wears a mask, and comes alive behind a screen, she is loyal, she is painfully in need of peace the kind she had when her dad was alive and Keiran was around,.
Keiran is a man who left to fiind himself, he always had feelings for Jenna, but her brother was a sort of deal breaker/off limits situationship, He goes onto cyber security because he loves the details.. He sees his profession as a way to protect and keep his employers protected while punishing the hackers.
Together they are just perfect, he is the care to her absentmind, she is the color to his structured life, their love is sweet , passionate, caring, there is a hint of innocence from the past and memories, but also a tension about the secrets she holds and the part of her she keeps to herself. He is so sweet with her when she breaks down, but you also feel for him when he feels the sting of deceit.

I am not going to give much of the plot away (and trust me I could talk about this book with great extent), but there is a secret that can decimate not just their reunion, their relationship, but an entire reality that is built on a conspiracy and a lie.

A super entertaining read!!

[Kristen Abernathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Love Code follows Jenna and Kieran as they finally act on feelings that have been quietly lingering since childhood. When they reconnect years later at Jenna’s brother’s wedding, their relationship seems like it might finally have a chance, until they discover that their careers put them on opposite sides of a very personal conflict.

Jenna is a “cyber vigilante” determined to take down the corporation she believes was responsible for her father’s untimely death, while Kieran leads the cybersecurity team for that very same corporation. As someone who will always have a soft spot for a STEM heroine, I really enjoyed the coding and cybersecurity elements of the story. In fact, I almost wish we could have gotten a little nerdier with it! Give me more of the coding, please. 😂

I did struggle a little with the early part of Jenna and Kieran’s relationship because I knew the conflict was coming. I almost wish that information had been revealed later, because I think I would have been able to settle into and enjoy their courtship more if I hadn't been waiting for the other shoe to drop.

That said, I absolutely loved Jenna as a character. I felt her pain so viscerally, and there were so many moments when I found myself getting emotional on her behalf. I especially enjoyed uncovering the truth about what happened to her dad alongside her. Watching her work through everything she had believed and experienced made her emotional journey one of my favorite parts of the story.

By the end, I was completely sold on Jenna and Kieran. Their journey took a little while to win me over, but ultimately I was rooting for them and satisfied with where they landed.

If you enjoy STEM romances, cybersecurity, childhood crushes that turn into something more, and a heroine with plenty of determination and heart, The Love Code is worth checking out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Katy · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

By day, Jenna works as a web developer at a small company in London. She’s quiet, reserved, and socially awkward. At night, she’s an infamous hacker known as The Shadow, and her efforts are focused on leaking information from an oil company she’s convinced had something to do with her father’s death nearly a decade ago.

At her older brother’s wedding, she reconnects with her childhood crush and brother’s best friend, Kieran. Kieran served in the Army and lives by the rule book. He’s secretly pinned over Jenna for as long as he can remember. As Jenna and Kieran begin to explore their feelings for each other, things get complicated when Jenna realizes that Kieran leads Belmayer’s cybersecurity department.

I was overall a big fan of the premise and the characters in this book. I enjoyed the ethical dilemma that served as an added pressure for Jenna and Kieran. I related to Jenna’s loyalty for her family and Kieran’s black-and-white outlook on life. At the end of the book, I was satisfied with both Jenna’s and Kieran’s character development and how their story concluded.

However, I did struggle with the pacing and this is connected to how long it took me to read this book. There would be chapter after chapter where it felt like absolutely nothing would happen. And this seemed to span dozens of pages. With that being said, when things progressed, they really progressed. From around 60 percent of the book, I was completely hooked and finished the book within hours.

The Love Code reminds readers that grief never truly disappears—we merely learn how to carry it. Jenna’s story showed me how powerful of a force love is and to stay true to yourself always—even when everyone else doubts you.

Thank you to Canelo for the opportunity to read this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Alice Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an attempt to get justice after her father's death, Jenna plunges into the dark underbelly of the web and hacks into a major corporation where her father once worked. Kieran works at that same company and is head of cybersecurity. Behind their screens, they are enemies, but in the real world, they've known each other nearly their entire lives, and the romantic tension between them has been simmering for years.

This is a wonderfully sweet story, but with a solid detective undercurrent that keeps the pacing tight. Jenna is an incredibly sharp, fiercely determined young woman, the kind of heroine you can't help but root for. The author does a remarkable job of describing the technical side of hacking; it's genuinely helps you sink into Jenna's mindset and feel the stakes of what she's doing.

What I also really appreciated was the character development. Both Jenna and Kieran grow throughout the story, they challenge each other's perspectives, evolve in subtle but meaningful ways, and yet neither loses the core of who they are. Their dynamic - enemies in the digital space, lovers in the private one - creates a compelling push-and-pull that keeps you invested.

A great debut, I wish the author every success.

Thanks Netgalley, DK and Connie Kitson for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Jen Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an arc of The Love Code in exchange for an honest review.

Jenna is a wizard at coding. She uses her skills for good, but to seek information and revenge for her father's death, she has been hacking and disturbing the deep dark web and the company who is responsible. At her brother's wedding, she is reunited with her brother's best friend and longtime crush, Kieran. Kieran has always been attracted and interested in Jenna, but after he left for the Army and her father's death, years have gone with no contact. Reconnecting, they fall for each other all over again, but when Jenna's secret late night activities surface, will their relationship survive?

I was really intrigued with the coding/hacking dialog. It was interesting and added a lot of depth to both Jenna's family relationships as well as her new relationship with Kieran. The mental health representation was handled with care and also how grief can alter our outlook and the time needed to heal. The ethical line of gathering information and realization of how it effects others was also handled extremely well. Serious matters weren't swept under the rug for love, but with time and care, they could come to a compromise and hold boundaries but also seek justice.

This is definitely a compelling story that keeps you invested!

[Caitlyn Herbst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun combination of STEM romance, childhood friends-to-lovers, and secret enemies. Jenna and Kieran have a great foundation because there’s already so much history and unresolved feelings between them, but the fact that they’re unknowingly working against each other adds a really interesting layer to their relationship.

I liked Jenna’s character because she’s not just waiting around for things to happen. She’s smart, driven, and willing to take some pretty extreme risks because of what happened to her father. Her double life creates a lot of tension, especially when the person she’s falling for is literally the person standing in the way of everything she’s trying to accomplish.

Kieran was also really easy to like. The childhood connection and secret crush make their romance feel more personal, while his position at Belmayer puts him in a genuinely complicated situation. There’s something especially entertaining about knowing they’re falling for each other while their professional lives are heading toward a collision.

Overall, this was spicy, suspenseful, and surprisingly emotional. I really liked the tech/cybersecurity angle because it gave the romance something different, and the whole “I’m secretly fighting the company you’re trying to protect” situation kept the story moving.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun! I love when authors write about what they uniquely know. For me, that's been Samantha Quinn with art curation, Jodi McAlister with university academics, Keshe Chow with veterinary medicine, etc. It’s like peeking into a whole other real universe, replete with detail, and I find the minutiae endlessly fascinating.

Written in third person narration from both leads, it's a well-paced book with the characters introduced and the premise set early on. Even if you can imagine how the story goes, the fun for me was in the writing: the small details revealing Jenna's core traits are perfect, I loved the on theme tie-ins to tech and coding, and I was curious to see how Jenna's secret would be revealed. I appreciated how Jenna realized the full impact of her actions. Family tends to be forgotten or haphazardly chucked in at the happily ever after, but here, they're an integral part of the story. The main part that felt off to me was how some characters are more appalled about Jenna's hacking, rather than that Belmayer has been straight up murdering people. Shouldn't the more flagrantly unethical things capture your horror first?

Overall, a great read and I'm excited to see what Connie Kitson writes next!

[Sandrine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️
So I have mixed feeling about this story. Jenna is hacking into Belmayer to find proof that her dad’s death wasn’t an accident. Years later, she hasn’t found anything concrete yet, but this corporation is rotten and she gets a big thrill of exposing them anonymously and by passing their cybersecurity. At her brother’s wedding, she sees again Kieran, her brother best friend. As they are rekindling their connection, Jenna learns that Kieran is the head of cybersecurity at Belmayer. Their loyalties are then tested.
My big issue with this story is the conflict between Jenna and Kieran. Maybe it’s just my values and morals that are different but I don’t think I would’ve reacted that way ? And I wouldn’t have shut down knowing the reasons behind a person might want to hack a corporation? The guilt tripping really bothered me. Anyways, it was still an entertaining story that had a few plot twists, but yeah the conflict between the FMC and MMC was not handled the way I thought it would. This is a great book for people who like women in STEM and a big quest for justice.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book, opinions are my own.

[honeymoon13avenue · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ !! I adored this book, I'm happy crying about it. Thank you NetGalley for this copy.
Jenna is such a badass character. She felt like a real life super hero to me with her hacking skills. Kieran annoyed me at some bits, I must admit. But overall he did give down bad vibes for our girl, and the spice was perfect.
I liked that the second half of the book was more plot focused. It was satisfying seeing everything tying together, seeing Jenna find a healthy way to finally conclude everything she has worked for to get justice and peace. Seeing her finally relying on her loved ones after so long is making me so emotional.
The romance was constantly being put to a test and it honestly kept me hooked, even if I felt mad about certain reactions of a certain someone haha. I'm just glad everything worked out not just with the romance but with Jenna finding a healthy rhythm to life. I felt so hopeful by the end, I love when books give me that 'epiphany' sort of feeling that everything will be okay, everything will work itself out somehow no matter how grey it felt for a while.
Also, Chile mention in the book! And empanadas!🤌🏻

[Entisar Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenna's double life completely consumed me, sweet web designer by day, relentless cyber vigilante by night, tearing into Belmayer's systems because she's convinced they killed her father on that oil rig eight years ago. And then Kieran walks back into her life at a family wedding, her childhood crush, now grown into the very man running Belmayer's cybersecurity team, hunting the hacker she's become without either of them realizing it's her he's chasing. Watching their old chemistry reignite while Jenna sat on this massive secret had me completely hooked. The moment Kieran finally told her what he does for a living and her internal alarm bells started blaring was genuinely laugh out loud funny given everything she'd been hiding. The hacker versus cybersecurity dynamic felt so fresh, and the English setting gave it real warmth and authenticity. A few technical explanations ran a touch long, but I loved every second of watching Jenna choose between justice and the man she loved.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Emilie]

The Love Code was a decent read. I really enjoyed the plot surrounding Belmayer and Jenna's goal to uncover their cover-up. I also liked the coding aspect of the story and how determined Jenna was to find answers. Jenna was an okay FMC. There were some things she did that annoyed me; however, I didn't think she was a bad character. It was nice having dual POVs. Kieran's POV helped deepen his and Jenna's relationship while also giving us more insight into their childhood. I thought Jenna and Kieran were alright. I wished their chemistry stood out more. One thing that bothered me was how long it took for us to learn how Jenna's father died. She kept mentioning that she believed the company was responsible for his death, but we didn't get a clear answer until about 30% into the story. It would have been helpful to know that information a little sooner. Although there were some parts where I found myself skimming, I would give this author another chance. Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC. 

[Brittany Steminist Booknerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

STEM FMC: hacker; STEM MMC: cybersecurity analyst
This was a really good debut! I enjoyed the romance and the storyline, but I will warn that the book is far more plot focused than romance focused. As I was reading, I kept thinking that the pacing of the romance felt a little rushed, but once I finished the book, it made sense because the plot takes over for a while. That means that some of the love story part of the book is front loaded. Because of that though, I felt a bit disconnected to the romance part of the story and that made this feel more like fiction with a side of spicy love story.
The nice part about this being a romance is that there is as complete of an HEA as you can get, the plot is well written, the character arcs were really nice for both MCs, and there's some good spice.

[Nikola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this ARC.

Personally, I liked the description of this book and the book itself did not disappoint. There was a fair amount of romance between the two characters but my favorite part was undercovering the truth of what happened to Jenna's dad. I liked how she never gave up on learning the truth even if it made her go against her boyfriend since he works at the company her dad previously did. I also liked how Jenna is very resourceful and thinks outside the box to discovery the truth. The cybersecurity and hacking elements made me picture a high speed race against time and I liked the element of urgency trying to learn the truth. Overall, I liked this book and would definitely recommend if you are looking for a romance book with an interesting plot.

[YasminLeighh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advanced copy received from NetGalley

I gave this 4 stars because I actually really enjoyed The Love Code from the characters to the plot. Loved Misha and Jenna's friendship Misha putting Jenna in her place when needed, i feel like that's needed in books. I think the book was really well written and felt it was very fast paced (which i love). I felt myself wanting to read this over the other books i'm currently in the middle of reading. I did feel connected to the characters and feel they were well written.

However, i did feel it was a slight repetitive at times especially like the work place scandal like we were reminded where he worked constantly. Overall I enjoyed the book and would probably recommend it to a friend.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read an ARC from Netgalley

What to say about the love code … other than I was hooked from the start!

Our FMC - Jenna, is a computer programmer and awkward when it comes to social interactions. I feel you babe.

Our MMC is Kieran - also a computer programmer and someone with a limited social bandwidth.

Whoever things consent convos in romance novels or really just in general are cringe or unnecessary… I totally disagree - the question was not only so sweet and pure but also hot as hell - just saying.

As a woman in STEM, I love reading romances involving other women in STEM and this book did it well. Intertwining science, grief, love and learning into a sweet little package of a novel.

[Em · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the ARC. This was super fast paced and fun romance. It’s friends to lovers and their chemistry is amazing. However, their relationship is based on a lie - she’s a hacker trying to take down the company responsible for her father’s death and he is on the cyber security team of that company.

I think I struggled with her telling people who and what she does, and opening Pandora’s box to take down the company and no one putting together that the daughter of the guy, is also starting a company that puts together public information (basically public hacking) like yes that’s reasonable.

Ugh it just seems too happily ever after for a very very illegal action. That being said Jenna is a badass and deserves happily ever after.

[Lara Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Connie Kitson’s knowledge of cybersecurity really shines through in The Love Code, offering a fascinating glimpse into the world of hacking and digital security. It’s a refreshing STEM romance where the technical elements feel every bit as compelling as the love story.

The characters are relatable and the chemistry between them simmers from the very beginning. I especially enjoyed the mix of the brother’s-best-friend trope with a secret enemies-to-lovers romance.

Filled with escalating tension and emotional moments, this is an engaging debut that held my attention. If you enjoy romance with authentic STEM elements and plenty of swoon and suspense, this is well worth picking up.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a programmer who adores the childhood-friends-to-lovers trope, this book had everything I wanted in a romance (and then some)! Smart FMC who's a super genius with computers/bad-ass hacker. i also liked that she wasn't labelled as a geek or a nerd (an overdone stereotype), and there was plenty of computer action detailing her hacking without it being too techy or boring. Lots of 90s nostalgia vibes with the flashbacks between Jenna and Kieran which were really cute. So much yearning! I died.

[Emma Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel. It was such a cute and easy to follow read. I loved the main characters chemistry and I wanted them to have their happy ending. I was hooked from the very first page and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. I loved the author's writing style and the pacing was just right. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💖 Thank you to the author Connie Kitson, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Danielle M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for ARC for an honest review

I love a book about women in STEM and I haven't read one about women in cyber hacking recently. Jenna's dad died at Belmayer. 8 years ago and she is hacking because she believes they are hiding something. She reconnected with Kieran at a recent weddding. He was her teenage crush a brother's best friend and plays into that trope.

I liked how this book was not a slow burn and he was really supportive of Jenna. It really dealt with her grief of losing her dad well.

I would give this book 3.5 stars

[MariRaeReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

From childhood crushes to secret rivals. Jenna is determined to get proof of corruption that led to her father's death. Even if it means getting that proof not so legally. Kieran, head of Belmayers cyber security team, is always a step behind the hacker known as The Shadow. When it turns out The Shadow is his best friend's sister and childhood crush, he doesn't know what to do.

This was an emotional rollercoaster. The yearning! My goodness, just kiss! 😭

[Lauren Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Connie brilliantly pairs secret enemies-to-lovers with brothers’ best-friend childhood crush trope in her fantastic STEM debut.

The yearning between Jenna and Kieran leaps off the page, as does the tension building with Jenna’s alter cyberhacking identity.

The Love Code is for readers who love secret crushes, You’ve Got Mail-esque hidden identities, and stories grounded in the heartache of characters working through grief and loss.