She's just a coffee barista low on grocery money... does she have what it takes to go undercover?
When Brent asks Emily to be his date, she knows it doesn't mean anything. He has a mission requiring him to go undercover at a charity gala. After getting a makeover at his spy agency headquarters, she's ready to assume the role of an opinionated book reviewer from New York.
The Gremlin is planning to steal and sell top-secret blueprints from the aerospace company for which he works. When Emily literally bumps into him at the gala, she is able to plant an ICS tracking chip on his glasses. But the Gremlin is smarter than they thought, and ICS finds themselves in the dark about his buyer. With time running out, and the sale imminent, Emily must rely on instinct and quick thinking to save the day.
"The Accidental Cases of Emily Abbott" is a series of clean spy-comedy novellas set in Phoenix, Arizona.
Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick lives in an undisclosed location outside of Phoenix where she and her husband chase their four little boys and an escape-artist dog. They don't chase their cats, however, because cats hate that. She is the author of "The Kitten Files" mysteries, "The Accidental Cases of Emily Abbott" spy series, and multiple short stories.
In addition to her writing, Perry enjoys graphic design, playing a number of musical instruments, and watching movies that make her laugh.
2025 Reread This book made me smile several times. I just love Emily and Brent and the things Emily gets involved in, accidentally.
2024 reread I am upping my rating to 4.5 stars because this is just so much fun to read and reread.
2023 reread Just as enjoyable. Loving the fun and excitement.
Reread 2021 This story is just fun. It took me away from the stress of real life and had me smiling over Brent and his code names, the car, the excitement, everything. And yes, I plan to read the next book very soon.
2019 Since I just got this in paperback it deserved a reread. And oh the delight!
Another delightful story about Emily and Brent and I read it all in one day! I was once again laughing, and getting nervous and then chuckling. Brent and his code names are something else! And I really liked that Emily acted like a real person. She worried about her finances, yet didn't whine and complain about them. That car! Oh, dear, I had to laugh at the image it painted.
The ending was a perfect wrap up of this book, but a startling situation to lead into the next book. I'm glad it's coming out soon!
“She's just a coffee barista low on grocery money... does she have what it takes to go undercover? When Brent asks Emily to be his date, she knows it doesn't mean anything. He has a mission requiring him to go undercover at a charity gala. After getting a makeover at his spy agency headquarters, she's ready to assume the role of an opinionated book reviewer from New York. The Gremlin is planning to steal and sell top-secret blueprints from the aerospace company for which he works. When Emily literally bumps into him at the gala, she is able to plant an ICS tracking chip on his glasses. But the Gremlin is smarter than they thought, and ICS finds themselves in the dark about his buyer. With time running out, and the sale imminent, Emily must rely on instinct and quick thinking to save the day.”
Series: Book #2 in “The Accidental Cases of Emily Abbott”. Review of Book #1 Here!
Spiritual Content- A Prayer (that also references Scripture); A talk about being a Christian and a spy; A few mentions of God, Jesus, Christians, & loving others; A couple mentions of church going & a Bible study; A mention of a blessing over food; A mention of Noah’s Ark; *Note: A mention of someone saying that “everything evolves” (“life, societies, even the very clothes people wear”).
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blah’, a ‘dumb’, a ‘kicking backside’, and a ‘kick the rear end (of a bad guy)’; Eye rolling; A light mention that Emily feels second to her father compared to his job; Mentions of treason; Mentions of injuries & blood/bleeding; A handful of mentions of weapons & guns being aimed at a bad guy; A few mentions of a car chase; A couple mentions of a car being wrecked (Book #1); A mention of not wanting to lie; *Note: A few mentions of car brands; A couple mentions of a children’s book (Charlotte’s Web); A mention of a social media site (Instagram).
Sexual Content- Emily & Brent act like a couple at the gala; A few mentions of dates & dating; *Note: A couple mentions of strapless dresses (& how it’s a “tactically unsound style” for undercover agents/spies).
-Emily Abbott, age 19 P.O.V. of Emily 87 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Pre Teens- One Star New Teens- Two Stars Early High School Teens- Three Stars Older High School Teens- Four Stars My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
There’s something just so charming—and fun—about this series! It might not be the most realistic at times, but it’s fun to image being an ordinary girl and then being roped into a spy mission—or two or more missions.
I had so much fun reading this little story! The humor and the one-liners, the crisp descriptions, and the winning characters all combined for an excellent half-hour's diversion (one hour plus for regular-speed readers) that left me eager to get the entire series. A squeaky-clean, humorous spy story? How could I resist? It's very well written and it's just precious!
Note: It would be better to read the first book first, but I couldn't afford it this week and just dove in and managed to figure most of it out.
Content caveat: There is a bit of lying without consequences and not batting an eye at it, so caution with younger ages.
5+ stars (8/10 hearts). First off, I LOVE the cover. It’s blue, and the silhouettes are epic. B) Second, the story starts off with a bang, diving right into the adventure that began in book 1. Next, I loved seeing Emily in the posh surroundings of the charity gala, and I admit I have a feminine delight in her clothes, haha!
The new characters were awesome—the ICS team is hilarious and Mrs. Malachi + Mr. Malachi make such an amazing couple, lol. “Amanda the Klutz” and “Brandon Orange” were pretty fun personalities too. ;) And N. is terrifying!
The plot was just as fun as book one—I loved seeing Emily’s “prepping” and the excitement of the takedown and seeing Brent go serious with Emily… those two have such a sweet friendship. Book 3 can’t arrive soon enough because tHAT CLIFFHANGER THOUGH!!!! Ugh. Such a great series and we’re just started...
Content: Emily’s praying is a little less reverent than I would consider appropriate; Emily + Brent still spend a lot of time alone together; some (nonromantic) undetailed touching.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: Looking up, she found everyone had just taken their first drinks of their coffees. Nadia studied her cup with a perplexed look, the Gremlin appeared resigned and maybe a little grumpy, and Mrs. Malachi looked thoughtful. Emily groaned inwardly. Brent! Why couldn’t someone else have been the barista? Someone who knows the difference between espresso and chai.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*
These really need to be longer. One, so I don’t have to buy them so often, and two, so I don’t get the nasty feeling that I’m becoming addicted. How can I become addicted to such wacky little spy comedies? Because they’re funny. I love the codenames and the “movie stuff” and the rental car and Emily’s wide-eyed wonder at the impossible situation of being called on to go undercover with absolutely no prior training. Still some proofreading flaws, but the laughs make up for it. I love how this starts exactly where the last one left off and ends exactly where the next one should start, but still resolves within itself and avoids any manipulative cliffhangers. I also love the lowkey not-even-there romance that’s on its way to developing. Now, let’s see how long I can hold out before I have to buy the next one…
This was a fun book! Emily's cover in this one was so funny! I loved it!
Characters: Again, Emily is a dear, and I really enjoyed this book! Brent...ack! He's still super cool and slightly mysterious, which I love! I really enjoyed reading about him, and his humor is always so good!
Themes: Again, I'm not picking up on too many...the books are super short and more for fun than anything, I believe.
Language: N/A
Romance: Again, no... but I want it so bad between to charries!
Overall: I enjoyed this read! It was fun and just a nice little book to read!
Re-read I am sooo glad I decided (more like accidentally found it happening :P) to reread this series. It's been really fun to experience it again, and I'm soaking up the humor and the themes. :D Also, I'd forgotten that much had happened in this book. O.o. It may be small, but it's jampacked! XD
Original Review FTC DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of this book. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
Soooo… how often do we get books this good coming out this close together?! Summer of 2019 will not be forgotten. ;) :P
This picked up right where the last one left off, and I gobbled it right up. :D There were some very hilarious moments in this one, and Brent and Emily’s “date” was the right mixture of awkward and cute without being too cringey. I found Emily's klutziness (even if it was just part of the mission), accidental forgetfulness, and tight budgeting to be quite relatable. XD She was really brilliant in this one, and I half-hope her cases eventually stop being accidental. (I mean, what would they do without her? The answer is, of course, have bad coffee.) Even Brent surprised me a few times in this one, and I’m excited about their next adventure. (Also, I loved their conversation about having to lie to people while undercover. That was interesting.)
Best quotes: “What do I have to do to get a new codename?” He looked pensive for a moment. “The prompting of a new codename for you is a dark and mysterious mystery. Nobody knows what triggers it.”
“I like how you call it ‘training,’” she said with a small smile. He shrugged and grinned. “It’s what makes sense to me.”
Altogether, this was the perfect read to spend part of a Saturday on. ;)
And I need Emily’s entire wardrobe from this book. (Words I have never said about another book. Ever.)
Series stats so far... Codenames: six Car crashes: still one Awesomeness level: 102%
Goodness, these are so fun and interesting! I love how Plan To Fail picked up right where Red Rover, Red Rover left off without being a cliffhanger. The date that's not a date but still a date for the case, spy mission whatever was hilarious and I love how Brent and Emily interact and their joofy jabbing teasing toward each other. And the ending was just mystery enough that I am going to leave this a short review and drive had first into reading the next book.
I enjoyed this immensely! In fact, I liked this one even more than the book 1, Red Rover, Red Rover.
There's something so satisfying about this series. It has the spy/thriller elements but it's done in such a laid back and casual way that makes the story both fun and exciting. Any violence is mild. There's no blood or gore or language. Mostly there's undercover work, tailing suspects, planting bugs and listening devices- that sort of thing.
I was very pleased to see more Christian themes than in the previous book. Praying for God's provision, openly declaring their faith and interesting insight on one of the downfalls for a Chrisitan being undercover and having to deceive others for the greater good of the mission.
Brent and Emily are so adorable together! I love seeing them work together. And the code names this time were sweet (lol). I did feel bad for Mrs. Malachi by the end. I didn't care for Beth and was glad to see her go. I found her pushy and annoying. The villains were a little disappointing since they didn't pose much of a threat aside from some glares and grumbles.
All in all, another fun adventure! Rating this a 4.5. Yes, it's corny and nerdy but so enjoyable. This is something to read to destress and unwind after a difficult day. I highly recommend this to any and all fans of spy novels and Christian fiction. I already purchased book 3 and can't wait to start it!
Plan to Fail was the perfect second addition to this witty and adventurous series. I love how Emily keeps getting involved, despite Brent's constant worry. A great little read!
So good!!! I absolutely loved it! Emily's reactions to all the spy stuff are great, and I love how protective and worried Brent gets when Emily takes on a bigger role than he was prepared for. <3 I also loved their conversation about why the job can be so hard, especially for a Christian. Their chemistry is absolutely awesome, even though there's nothing "official" between them--yet... *eyes author hopefully* Other favorite things: Emily's conversation with her "sister"; calling Brent for something suspicious that turns out to be nothing...again; using a selfie as a spy tool; more funny codenames; Brent's undercover persona; some intriguing ribbing by his coworkers. Also, my heart just about stopped when Brent was left alone in charge of the coffee--and I don't even drink coffee! Seriously, Emily, you're rubbing off on me too much! XD And I absolutely loved the way the next adventure is set up; I've been wondering how long these cases could continue to be "accidental" without stretching believability, but so far it's working rather well. I'm glad the next book is coming soon, because I'm wondering what Brent's gotten himself (and Emily) into this time...
I received a free copy of this book from the author. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.
I was so excited to read this after the first book and it did not disappoint. I ended up liking it a little better than the first because of the plot. It was just so classicly awesome spy stuff. I really appreciate that while these books are realistic, they aren't suspenseful. I love spy stuff, but suspense is not my cup of tea, so these books are perfect. I also loved the very realistic parts about Emily's budget. As someone who grew up on not to much, I really appreciated how that was handled. Emily is such a delightful character, and Brent is adorable. I really loved this book, and look forward to the next!
2020>> I'm in a rotten reading slump and reading this helped tug me out a bit. =)
After reading the first book in the series, I was excited to read this one as well. Just like the other, it was a relatively light read (until I got to the end, more on that later). I think I read it in two sittings, so it was definitely an entertaining story. In total, this book had a deeper meaning and message than the last. I appreciated that it is a fun book, but that it also makes the reader think.
Book two was just as cute and corny as book one. ;) I do like Emily and Brent (there’s something half brewing between them, but it’s calm) and learning more about The Headquarters (aka North Pole).
I failed to mention any Christian content in my first review. There isn’t much space for in depth Christian content, but Perry manages to have a blip of it in each book.
Am I going to have to rethink which book in this series is my favorite?? Quite possibly, because I loved this sequel even more during my reread!
There are so many exciting things in this story! Unexpected spy missions, fancy disguise makeovers, galas with literary critiques... And codenames... Ah, the codenames... The main characters' banter over Brent trying to pick new spy names for Emily always makes me laugh. (Also, the smart car scenes are so funny!)
There's just a bit more faith content in this book compared to the first, which I liked, but overall it's still very light.
Also, no extra content note for this review because the suspense/action scenes are also very light, which is fitting for such a short comedy book! I'd recommend this for both teens and adults!
I picked up this second book right after I read the first one. One of the things that I’m coming to really like about this series is that each story is connected with the next. Not just with the characters, but there is a flow. Don’t read them out of order, or you’ll be confused about some things.
This book was a lot of fun, from the makeover to a poor girl finding herself in the midst of a bunch of reach people, and (of course) more code names. Fun is just the best way to describe this series. I sit through these books grinning like an idiot and laughing out loud.
Emily is very down to earth character. I think a lot of us can relate to her. She’s pretty normal and gets nervous and makes mistakes, like any of us would if we were thrown into things like she has. Her money issues are also a welcome and refreshing change for all the books where I’ve been like: “Well, that’s nice that you always have money to do things like that. In the real world…”
This picks up right where the last one left off and pulls us into a new case and a fun setting. The bad guy (code name Gremlin) is trying to sell secrets to foreign agents. There was enough suspense and guesswork that I wanted to find out the end, but not so much to give me bad feelings or nightmares. Have I mentioned how perfect I think these stories are?
If you enjoy comedy, light suspense, realistic characters, and all-around fun reads, you need this series.
The second book in the series picks up right where the first one left off, with Brett asking our heroine out on a date... that's actually an undercover mission. Which is one of my favorite spy tropes of all time.
I love Brett's newest nickname for Emily as much as she hates it. And I love Emily's new cover (that Brett apologizes for her having to be awkward while using. She should be so lucky that klutziness is something she can just turn on and off!). Emily's cleverness, Brett's skillset, and their mutual banter continue to keep this series fresh and fun.
This book is jam-packed with brilliant stuff! I loved every minute of it! :D Perry does so well writing these characters and the story line is so amusing and interesting to read!
I love how she makes the reader want to read the next book in the series right away! I'm looking forward to reading the 3rd book, it'll be great!
Perhaps a bit cheesy, but this book was fun, clean, and kinda cute. :) It was easy to follow, but not boring, and I wasn't at all lost even though I've as of yet not read book 1. The main character was relatable... in the clouds, but down to earth. Like so many trying to figure out adulthood she had amazing dreams, but still struggled with grocery bills and family problems and planning for college. I loved that part of it. I also enjoyed the banter between her and Brent. And I wonder if I'd have liked it more if I'd have read book 1 first... I suspect some of the things that I found cheesy or "forced" would have flowed smoothly had I read book 1.
Anyway. Nice, short read for a pain-filled day. It took my mind off of things while not requiring a ton of focus.
Another very exciting adventure! I personally didn’t enjoy it quite as much as Red Rover, Red Rover, but that was completely my personal preference – both were equally as clever. I was disappointed, though, that unlike the first book, there was quite a bit of lying by the characters to get themselves out of awkward situations. But that would be my only serious complaint. And wow! What a cliff-hanger at the end! It worked: I can’t wait to read the next book!
The adorableness of Brent continues and Emily keeps up with the humor and spy references. I also love the ever changing code names and how resigned literally every one else in the agency is to Brent's shenanigans.
Perry Kirkpatrick took all those cliched tropes that we know and are familiar with and she sent them spinning across the stage of her novels. Because you know the tropes, you know what’s coming—and you don’t. You know what should be there, so when it doesn’t quite happen, it has a lot of punch without the need for explanation.
In fact, I’d say that’s the brilliance of her concept. Perry Kirkpatrick is able to write this series with probably half the words she would have needed if she didn’t stick to tropes, stereotypes, and cliches.
The best part… she made them work for her instead of against her.
How did she make cliched tropes work like magic?
Taking the known and using them in a new, fresh way makes Plan to Fail (and the whole series so far), one to love. I hate that they’re so short, though—both because I want more, more, more, and because of the brilliance she used to ensure they only need to be as long as they are. It’s something to envy, folks. Trust me.
I laughed hysterically when one of the main characters got one of those fun upset/plot twists. And I could have cried when I found out a beloved character was the victim of money laundering.
I recommend Plan to Fail for all “spy movie/book/show” lovers who like to laugh, imagine a world of what-ifs, and all with characters you can’t wait to get to know. #becauseSanta (and that’ll only make sense if you read one. Just sayin’.)
If that's not enough... how about #becauseKindleUnlimited... I mean, really? :D
Absolutely loving the Emily Abbott series! It's like Nancy Drew meets secret agents. The conversation and clever banter between the characters makes it a fast and enjoyable read!