A Spy Is Born

Starstruck Thrillers #1

by Emily Kimelman

I am naked, bruised, and clutching a blood-stained Oscar statue.

I didn't mean to kill him. The last thing I want is the director of my film—my first big role—dead.

Now the cops are here, and even though it's obviously self-defense, I'm done for...my life is over. I'll never work in this town again even if I manage to avoid jail time. I'll be infamous instead of famous.

Temperance Johnson is straight out of central casting—a spy master with tiger's eyes and unnatural grace—a real killer.

He offers me a solution. He'll sweep all this under the rug and help me reach my goals if I work for him. Well, for the government. There is a long history of spies in Tinseltown; we have the perfect cover, and we're good at lying.

I always wanted to be a star, and I never considered becoming a spy. Now I'm both.

***If you have trouble reading about violence against women, modern political themes, or sex (not graphic but out of wedlock).. then this series probably isn’t your thing. If you love powerful women, gritty thrillers, and vivid storytelling then download A Spy is Born today!***

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Espionage, Fiction, Suspense, Crime, Mystery Thriller

222 pages, ebook

First published June 12, 2024

About the author

I write because I love to read, but I have specific tastes...

If I was offered a job as a professional reader with no strings attached, I would take it. Getting paid to sit around and read while drinking tea all day—I'm there. Since that’s not possible, I became an author.

I write the books I want to read—stories that give me the immersive reading experiences I crave. When a series grabs me, and it's all I can think about, I'm SO happy. When my inner dialogue starts sounding like the protagonist of my current read, I think, Oh yeah, this is IT. This is what I love.

When I finish a book, and I NEED to immediately grab the next one in the series, that’s the intensity I crave. When I binge read an entire series, I want to feel like my own reality changed—as if the stories I read affected the real world just a little. After a great series I'm a little wiser, a little more grateful for my everyday existence, and a little more aware that my personal perspective is not everyone's.

Personally, I like to spend time in fictional worlds where justice is exacted with a vengeance, even though good and bad are not always black and white. Give me raw stories with a main character who occasionally makes me laugh, is flawed like we all are, and feels like a friend by the end of the first few chapters. They don’t have to be a friend I always LIKE, per se, but a part of me has to root for them.

For me, the sentence structure is important. Too much passive voice, and I'm out. I do not mind four-letter words at all though. Sex in books can go either way—fade to black or show me the details, but either way there has to be a reason it’s in the story. I'm also into heroic pets, plots that seem totally unhinged but all come together in the end with a BANG, and long series so I always have more to look forward to.

Those are the types of stories I love reading, so that’s how I write. If you’re into some or all of the above then I think we are going to get along fantastically.

Reviews

[Macjest · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really cheesy book. Angela is an up and coming actress who kills the director of her movie in self defense. She is immediately recruited to become an “asset” aka spy. This sounded interesting in theory, but the execution was, as I said, cheesy. It kind of reminded me of Alias, but the author mixed in too much of contemporary politics. I read for fun, not to have an agenda shoved at me.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being the MASSIVE Emily Kimelman fan I am, I have to say I loved how Uniquely different A Spy Is Norn was compared to everything else Emily has written, it was refreshing and original I love the setting, the plot was fantastic, then ending left me wanting the next book straight away and the characters, omg I just LOVED all of them good, bad they were all awesome and played their individual roles perfectly.
I definitely want much more Angela oh way more Temperance and even some more Julian to…lol
This was a truly delightful read, Hollywood, Corruption, Politics, Spy's and with a side dose of humor and a sprinkling of sarcasm, what's not to love.

[Sharon Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome plot line and characters. I like the fast, punchy way Emily writes. It certainly kept me turning the pages. I'm now a huge fan and getting more of her books.

[Toby Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Kimelman 's new thriller, A Spy Is Born: A Starstruck Thriller (The Starstruck Thrillers Book 1) fairly leaps off your e-reader, as Angela, a curvy starlet with Elizabeth Taylor eyes, gets embroiled with trouble from page one. That trouble takes her on a trajectory to major stardom with access to world leaders...and nefarious, outrageous plans unfold, reminiscent of The Manchurian Candidate and the recent TV show, The Americans.
If violence against women, current politics, and gritty prose aren't your thing, this book isn't for you...but if you want to be drawn into a fast paced thriller with a courageous heroine toting a darling fluffy dog and kicking ass while wearing heels...then Angela's your gal and A Spy is Born is a great read.

[Debbi Lund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great kickass hero is born. Emily introduces us to Angela in this book. Angela is at the top of her world. She has a great role in a new movie and her life is looking up. Then she is shown the dark side of Hollywood, which sends her tumbling into a new life of unsavory politics and people. She can have her dream of stardom, but it comes with some heavy strings attached. This is another series that I can’t wait to see what Emily has in store for Angela & her readers!!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the main character, Angela. I like her strength and how she stands up for herself. I really enjoyed the story until politics became the focus instead of the spy aspect of the story. It’s hard to describe in detail without giving spoilers, but if you remember the presidential election of 2016, you have the basic idea.

Writing style, characters = 5
Political themes = 3
Average = 4

[Barbara Cosenza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Play the Trump card

Angela is an actress who gets into trouble after her first movie is a hit and her director tries ti have his way with her. She resists to the point of accidentally killing with his Oscar. Temperance arrives to rescue her from the effects to her career and to recruit her to be a spy. She has many high powered and political fans who are plotting to change the landscape of american governance. Hijinx abounds Until she ends up killing the Russian diplomat trying to recruit the american presidential candidate and presumed winner into Russian influence. Although it is fiction it becomes very trumpian with white supremacists and compromised politicians in the plot. Some of the info and theories are actually true with references to verify

[David Carroll · Rating 1 out of 5]

I write this review so that have to waste the hours that I did on this awful book. The main character is truly unknowing. She spends too much time worrying about how good her ass looks. But that isn't really the worst part of it. The author is obviously a left-wing nut job who can't see the conservative candidate as anything other than a misogynistic, white supremacist supporting evil person. If you're a fan of Rachel Maddow and MSNBC, you might be able to stomach this novel with wooden bad guys. Otherwise, I cannot recommend this novel for any male. Everything is all about how the beautiful Hollywood actress feels about everything and there is never enough action to compensate for her feelings. Ugh. Dreadful. Not recommended. I read to the next to last chapter and could not go on.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wanted to like this book. Had a unique and interesting premise. Main character for the most part was reactive and not proactive and also not much depth to character despite author's overly ambitious attempt to do so. Probably a 3 through most of the book. Ending crashed it at 1 star with its primarily cliched overused political soundbites without substance except for a detailed attack on American policing being predominately an outgrowth of KKK and Nazi antisemitism. Some of my favorite series (Genevieve Lenard and Stephanie Plum to name 2) have strong female characters and are great reads. This character and story line falls flat. Not recommended.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story. A new character added to Emily’s writing skills. Just fantastic. Can’t wait for the next book.

[DianaRaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

A SPY IS BORN is the first installment in Emily Kimelman's new Starstruck Thrillers series. This is a well written and fascinating twist on the typical spy novel with a nod to the current political climate thrown in. A definite page turner that kept me on edge throughout the story.

The scenario doesn't sound too believable, but the irresistible writing style of Ms Kimelman, along with her character development, made this a great story of about an actress becoming an accidental spy.

Get ready for some spys, Hollywood glamour, political corruption and danger all with a little humor, sarcasm, and romance.

Angela, an upcoming actress, is excited with her first leading role. When she has a minor accident during rehearsal, her director tells her she needs to learn control and they should meet at his place for dinner and discuss her acting development. Her instincts say it's not a good idea, but her agent encourages her, saying it's great her director is taking a personal interest in her career. That's the night her career takes on whole different aspect.

This was a fun, fast read! I am looking forward to seeing more of Angela! There should be some interesting episodes in the works for Angela, Temperance Mr Government and boyfriend Julian. Oh, much more of that cute Archie.

I did receive a copy from the author and this is my honest and freely given review.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela Daniels is on a fast track to super stardom. She has landed a leading role in an upcoming film with a famous director. But this director is looking for something more from Angela than a starring role. When he attacks her she fights back for all she is worth. When it is over she is bruised and broken but he is dead. And she fears her career is over. In comes a man called Temperance who offers her a chance to continue with her dream of becoming a superstar— with conditions that she go to work undercover for the government. And so a spy is born. I loved this book! It has everything—murder, suspense, mystery, humor and romance. The characters are great. I loved the dialogue, especially between Angela and herself—so creative, realistic and entertaining. I easily give this book a 5*+ rating. Emily is one of my most favorite authors. Read and enjoy!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela, an up and coming actor, finds herself in a very tight spot. Having just killed her attacker her acting career is about to go up in flames. In steps Temperance who can make it all go away if she joins his organization as a spy. Every choice she makes comes with a price. Angela is conflicted with her choices.

I share Angela's a view, in that politics is not my thing. I'm not American so I follow their's even less. But....., it is hard not to see the parallels to current US politics and the story line. I found that a refreshing change to the usual political undertones in novels.

A spy thriller - who can you trust, where can you go, are you really safe? There is lots of this uncertainty that keeps you tuning the page and wanting more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the next installment.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet Angela an actress who had her first starting ro!e in a movie and ends up involuntarily becoming a spy. She now has to act and train to be able to handle the jobs the mysterious head secret agent will bestow upon her. She got herself into this and it helps to talk to her self during all the stress and pain she endures. Love her attitude and stamina, and to watch her develop into a badass spy. There is action, some romance, and some political references in this book. It seems so real at times and thrilling to see her develop her skills. I was able to read this book as an ARC reader and to give my review. This book was so easy to read and hard to put down, and it ended way too quickly . Can't wait to see what she is up against in the next book. Love that this takes place in Hollywood with many powerful players.

[Susan de Gracia · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, OMG, OMG!

"Oh, I'll just read a few chapters before going to bed. After all, I have to get up early tomorrow." That's what I told myself when I decided to start Emily's new book tonight (well, last night now). My alarm is set to ring in about an hour and I just finished the book! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! If I could write, this is the book I would write. I've read all of the Sydney Rye books and love that series. And I love the first book in this new series, too, and can't wait for book #2 to come out. Emily Kimelman is a talented author who writes strong, intelligent, badass women characters, much like I imagine her to be. If you've read any of her other books, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, buy this one, read it, and you'll see what I mean. You will NOT be disappointed!

[Picky_Book_B1tch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really really like the premise. It's a bit OTT and that's a huge part of it's charm. It's a great book for working out some rage over somewhat recent, political events. It was fun but requires an ability to set aside disbelief and truly let fiction take over.

Having said this, I haven't been won over by the MC. She comes off as flippant, immature and a bit shallow. I was hoping for deeper, more meaningful character growth to contrast the OTT story line.

I read the first half and listened to the second half and it may have effected my overall enjoyment, as I was NOT a fan of the narrator or the audio production. It was put together poorly and the narrator's voice didn't match the character being developed on paper. I wanted bad ass spy and got an irritatingly cute teenager instead.

I will try the other series by this author, because I really want to be won over!

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angela felt blessed; she had a leading role in an action movie with a four-time Oscar-winning director at the helm. That was yesterday; today she's facing a murder charge for fending him off during a sexual assault. But there's hope - a government official from a hush-hush department can make it all go away. Is the price of becoming a spy worth it?

Naively, I expected a frilly little cosy akin to a sitcom. I got so much more. This thriller had me reading through the night and deeply hooked into the plot. It was not an easy read, but it was nevertheless enjoyable.

Content warning: the assault is graphic, there's profanity, and premarital sex. Additionally, there's a sudden end to the story which may lead to eye-twitches for those of us who like the main plot to wrap within a novel.

[Sheree · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like strong female characters that don’t like being taken advantage of by society and powerful men, then Emily Kimelman’s A Spy is Born might be right up your reading alley.

Aspiring actor Angela comes from a country background and has big Hollywood dreams she is willing to work to achieve. While filming an action movie, her physicality, looks and acting ability get her noticed in ways she didn’t anticipate, setting her on a divergent career path – and a spy is born! Angela grapples with her new role - is she acting or is she really beginning to enjoy this dual life?

With themes of power and its abuse, twisted politics and intrigue, Kimelman has written a character that has strength, determination, and drive to succeed, even when things look bleak.

[Cheryl Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome book! Started it and couldn't put it down. The characters are so realistic and love the story line. Kept me on edge throughout the book. The story grabbed hold of me from the start and was quite the roller coaster ride! Loved the main character (and her puppy) and look forward to reading more in the series and seeing what kind of problems and troubles the main character runs into next time! Love that this story is so real to life, including political items that reminded me so much of what is going on in the real world. Makes you sit back and wonder if what happened to the main character in this book, could happen or has happened to someone in real life! Thanks Emily for an awesome new book and character!

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angela wants to be.a star, her agent Mary believes in her. Her director, tells her to learn control, after looking at her from head to toe. Dinner my place tonight, instinct says no, she says yes. Her agent says great he taking a personal interest in your career. He drugged her, he dragging her. This was not a movie being filmed, it was real and happening to her.
The words flow they catch you from the beginning, of what is being said resonate, and you want more of Angela She is full of action, women need new tools in this world. A power punch story to the end, and this is just the beginning of a new series. A must read for fans of the author.
Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

[Rolando Davila · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was not terrible but of course u have to go with the flow of author’s literary license to exploit common sense. My main complaint is not enough background is given to the protagonist. All I know is she has dark hair and violet eyes. I at least want to know he description. Is she buxom, tall, or whatever? I try to involve myself with the character but hard to do if she is amorphous. I want to know details. Are her nipples pink, large or whatever. I cannot align myself to a mystery character. I want be able to bond with her and her feelings. Temperance character is too JAMES BOND always at the right place and time without regard to real time. I wii keep reading for now. Hopefully it improves!

[Brandy Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily has a way with writing a very dangerous woman. This book was not a disappointment. The story unfolds with Angela,a new actress, with something to prove. To herself and to the world. She wants to make it big but with everything there is a cost you have to pay. Angela has to decide how much is it going to cost her.

Whit all Emily books it seems that it is happening in real life. That what is going on in the world has a new story with it. It surly makes me want to look at facts more and find the answers to questions I usually ignore on government issues.

We learn Angela is a kick ass girl that can take care of what needs to be done. She is a newbie to her new world but she seems to fit in nicely. She has some scary stuff to over come. Lets not forget the new HOT boyfriend. I am not sure how I feel about him. I want her to keep him but I am not so sure he is strong enough for her.

By the end of this story you are not going to know who to trust. There are so many different ways for this to go. The one thing I do know is Angela is going to fight for what she feels is right and take care of business no matter who tries to get in her way. I RECIVED THIS BOOK AS A ARC FOR A HONEST REVIEW

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being the MASSIVE Emily Kimelman fan I am, I have to say I loved how Uniquely different A Spy Is Norn was compared to everything else Emily has written, it was refreshing and original I love the setting, the plot was fantastic, then ending left me wanting the next book straight away and the characters, omg I just LOVED all of them good, bad they were all awesome and played their individual roles perfectly.
I definitely want much more Angela oh way more Temperance and even some more Julian to…lol
This was a truly delightful read, Hollywood, Corruption, Politics, Spy's and with a side dose of humor and a sprinkling of sarcasm, what's not to love.

[Anima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baptism by fire for Angela, the first chapter gets right into the action and never lets up. One day she's an actress in her first leading role and the next she's meeting with a secret agent guy with a new role for her. She is powerful, brave, instinctual, smart and all woman. This series has so much potential set in the world of Hollywood and politics. Can't wait to see what's in store for Angela. If you've read the Sydney Rye series you know to expect a woman with dangerous skills, witty intellect and a passion for dogs. I was fortunate to receive an early copy, my review was voluntarily written.

[Cathy P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished and need to process before I add my full review.
I was blown away. This book grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. Strong, likable female lead has you rooting for her to come out on top every time. She is the right amount of strong versus vulnerable, sexy versus sweet. I did not like the portrayal of the current political climate in the book. I read to escape reality, that is my only criticism. The book is well written, gripping and a fascinating twist on the typical spy novel. I read this in one sitting, definitely a page turner.
Received this ARC for a honest review.

[BJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the author. Here are my thoughts:
She's just a ‘country bumpkin’ from ‘Podunk Kansas’ but has landed a starring role in a film. She's trained, hard, for this kickass female role. Good thing! When her (very famous) director invites her to have dinner at his house, drugs her and proceeds to have his way with her, that training kicks in. As in DEADLY! That's just the first chapter in this new series from Emily Kimelman. What follows is a page turner, full of intrigue, etc. One quote stood out: I’ve found my citadel. I am a queen. I am a girl. And I’m going to run this world. Strong, kicka** female, to be expected from Kimelman. Looking forward to the next one!

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book and I loved it. It is the beginning of a series of an up and comming Hollywood actress who is coerced into becoming a spy/asset for a secret organization for the better good. Well let me tell you, this first book really hits close to home. I was hoping for a happy ending so that I could get that nagging pit out of my stomach but I guess I'll just have to wait until #2 of the series comes out. You can't make this stuff up (well, I guess you can) ....... until next time .....

[#ByFelicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela is just a girl trying to live out her dreams in Hollywood with a side hustle of secret operative. Her mission, to protect the American people. That’s what she keeps telling herself anyway. I love that Angela isn’t a complete cold stone killer. She realizes the gravity and severity of her actions as she tries to keep those she cares about clear of the crossfire.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Kimelman continues to offer us badass women who know how to handle themselves. I look forward to next book!

[Amber Anderson Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fight for right

"Angela" begins with a certain level of awareness of injustices towards women. She fights against rape and wins. She was lucky to be so fit at the time and lucky at the outcome considering she was drugged. Politics comes into play and it's easy to see the politician's resemblance to Trump. Temperance refers to taking him down in the long game. I could not be that patient. Waiting for the next book. Loved the messages in this book. Doing nothing is acceptance of things the way they are and how they are developing.

[Errol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new offering by Emily Kimmelman should be titled "A New Kickass Female is Born." What a fun book to read. if you can get beyond the obvious political implications.
Rising starlet suddenly finds herself beholden to that "secret government agency" after a deadly encounter with a slime ball Hollywood director. She has unique skills, but has to battle her deep moral beliefs until she realizes how good she really is.
As the author describes the battles within herself, the reader has to chuckle realizing the truths behind her inner battles. A highly recommended book.