International travel means international danger.Lacey Devaine is a four-year veteran of a spy ring which fronts as an exclusive escort service, Miss Belle’s Travel Guides. Maintaining her cover is Lacey’s number one priority to protect the integrity of the operation she works for.While on assignment in Tokyo, a nosy newspaper reporter threatens to blow the lid off a scandal that will put dozens … that will put dozens of innocent lives at risk. To protect her cover, Miss Belle is called in to act on intelligence Lacey has uncovered.
Can these beautiful, intelligent, and deadly women complete this assignment in time and emerge unscathed? Or will this mission be their last?
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It took me a bit to get into this story as I found it very heavy with lots of extra details. Once things got moving a bit, the story became more intriguing. The concept was very interesting – call girls who were actually working to improve the world somewhat. These women were strong, independent, kind and knew how to kick butt. It turned into a fun but hold-your-breath story. This should be an interesting series.
I received a copy of this story through Goddess Fish Promotions, and this was my unsolicited review.
4.25 stars
“Lacey Goes to Tokyo” by C.H. Lyn features a unique escort service that is run by two determined women, Miss Belle and Marissa, who use their staff to pull off unexpected and lifechanging tasks. Assigning their seasoned operative, Lacey, to an assignment that forces her to confront painful aspects of her past may prove fatal to not only her, but to the whole organization.
This suspense thriller is part of the ‘Miss Belle’s Travel Guides” series and has surprising twists and turns even as it provides a roller-coaster ride of tension and excitement. Told in alternating points of view, the action shifts from country to country as the stakes get higher and higher. Those who are squeamish or have triggers should be advised that there is a fair amount of violence as well as allusions to sexual abuse and exploitation.
Although I frequently winced at the horrific situations some of these folks endured, I was enthralled by the kick-ass heroines and their ability to accomplish seemingly impossible feats. There are a lot of dangling threads that make me think there must be other stories in this series (to come?). I love the little tips that comprise the “travel guide” (e.g. having your house sitter find your ammo cache probably won’t end well) and the elements that evoke James Bond and his gadgets and I look forward to reading more stories about these frighteningly capable women.
A copy of this title was provided for review
I received and advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. In a world where women are judged by dress, occupation, and looks, this particular novel goes without. A detective agency posing as a reserve escort service. Lacey is a four year veteran of this group “Miss Belles Girls” when she’s asked to go on a mission close to home. As a former prostitute she must investigate a former client with a knack for violence. But if she backs out a whole village could be slain, can she handle this risk? Read and find out.
Lacey Goes to Tokyo wasn’t what I expected—in a good way. It’s is low on sex and high on action and page-turning suspense, exactly the type of novel I enjoy. It took me to Tokyo and the Laos-Thailand border, colorful locations I’ve never seen. As readers, the author shows us crime, poverty, and corruption that tourists typically don’t see.
Readers will keep turning pages to see what happens next to Belle and her ladies, but it’s not all action. The story digs into relationships and the rough pasts these badass women have to overcome and the challenges they face post-assignment. Readers experience each tense, tender, or painful moment right along with the main characters since the story is told in first person, my favorite. The author tells the story from two points of view—Belle, the madam and co-lead badass, and Lacey—a complex young woman still trying to find herself. Multi-POV typically isn’t my favorite, but she does a great job of creating two unique characters and bridging the change in perspective so it’s clear who’s speaking. Miss Belle’s colorful travel tips are my favorite. I have to confess, I’m a little envious of Belle’s ladies’ wardrobes. I recommend Lacey Goes to Tokyo to anyone ready for a thrilling escape from daily life. I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Miss Belle’s Travel Guides are the only ones you’ll need when you travel.
This book was wonderfully paced, with no scene or moment without its purpose. The author didn’t feel the need to fall back onto silly cliches or have Miss Belle or any of her girls be a damsel in distress. There were plenty of ways things could have gone very wrong for our heroes, and those situations were handled excellently. The characters developed beautifully inside a time-sensitive plot, and due to the number of girls Miss Belle takes care of, I’m sure there are plenty more travel guides to come. Don’t miss a single one.
I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
I honestly wish I could write action scenes half as well as C.H. Lyn does.
The cover is perfect for this book. You see a shapely woman from behind in a slinky red dress looking out over Tokyo, holding a very hefty gun behind her back. (It reminds me of the old television show, Alias, about a female CIA agent, or rather double agent.)
In this book, Lacey Devaine is a four-year veteran of a spy ring which fronts as an exclusive escort service, Miss Belle’s Travel Guides. Lacey was once a prostitute but now she works for Miss Belle, saving other women and people in general from human trafficking when possible.
The Tokyo assignment is particularly tough because the man who requested her was once one of her clients. She feels a certain obligation, though she won’t admit it, because she believes he is the one who called Miss Belle and got her out of her deadly situation. It’s also a very important assignment as the powerful men she is pitted against hold the fate of a whole village in their hands.
Because it is such a difficult story to tell, the author was careful not to go over the edge. C.H. Lyn said in an interview that because there are women getting paid for sex, there are no sex scenes. There is no direct abuse shown, but there are the aftereffects that the women have to deal with.
In a lot of ways, it’s a sad story, but it’s hopeful too because the oppressed are given power to take control of the situation.
The story goes back and forth between Lacey and Miss Belle as they deal with the situations they are in. it’s so hard to write a review for an action based story like this because I don’t want to give too much away.
I was very impressed with the cultural and setting details in Tokyo. I was equally impressed with the relationships and characters that were built. I felt immersed in a story about real people. The action scenes are tightly plotted with good tension and great details as well.
Bravo! Definitely a 5 star book.
What a great start to a new series! Told in alternating fist person POVs (Miss Belle and Lacey), this is an exciting introduction to Miss Belle’s Travel Guides and their undercover missions.
The premise of the story is intriguing. Miss Belle and her partner own an exclusive escort service (as a cover for her girls traveling, she writes travel guides), and the escort service serves as a front for their real job.
In this first book we learn some things about Lacey and Belle’s backgrounds and the way the business works. There are other women that I hope will be featured in future books. The characters are all three dimensional, and I love the fact that the book also deals with serious subjects in addition to being fun.
The descriptions are wonderful… I felt like I was actually there (and I would love to have Lacey’s wardrobe.. just saying). There is non-stop, page turning action that had me stay up way too late finishing the book. I could absolutely see this as a TV series!
This series is definitely going on my auto-buy list.