Saturday, March 25, 2023

Lexi Carmichael Mystery by Julie Moffett [Books 5-8 Review]

Lexi Carmichael Mystery (Books 5-8) by Julie Moffett
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Lexi Carmichael Mystery
0.5. No Money Down
1. No One Lives Twice
2. No One to Trust
3. No Place Like Rome
4. No Biz Like Showbiz
5. No Test for the Wicked - Kindle
6. No Woman Left Behind - Kindle
7. No Room For Error - Kindle
8. No Strings Attached - Kindle
9. No Living Soul
10. No Regrets
11. No Stone Unturned
12. No Questions Asked
13. No Escape
14. No Vow Broken

Julie Moffett
Website | Amazon |

No Test for the Wicked (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #5)

Date read: November 8, 2014
*Originally posted at On a Book Bender*
Synopsis (Goodreads):
Returning to high school is not something I ever wanted to do over—it was awful the first time around. So why do I have to go back as part of a new undercover assignment? Because the universe loves playing jokes on me, obviously.

I've been ordered to go all 21 Jump Street and track down the students who are breaking into the computer system, changing grades, and causing all kinds of havoc. Although I'm not thrilled about my new gig, at least it gives me something to do other than worry over the fact that I now have a boyfriend. And no freaking idea what to get him for Christmas.

Or it did give me something else to worry about, until I stumbled across a more sinister threat. I was shocked to find distinct traces of a group of international hackers inside the network. Why would dangerous cyber mercenaries be interested in a high school in the middle of Washington, D.C.? What exactly have I gotten myself into?
Thoughts on No Test for the Wicked: Sooooo. I've only read book 1 in this series. That would be the one where the bevy of potential love interests for our geeky girl were introduced. There was plenty of hot man-flesh to go around in that book, but clueless Lexi wasn't quite ready to dive into the uncharted (for her) waters of indiscriminate dating. Between books 1 and 5, Lexi has found her groove. Sort of. One of her dudes is now her boyfriend. This is a good thing and I LIKE the guy, but... I kinda might feel like there's a little something between her and one of the other guys that REALLY needs to be explored. (and I hope hope hope it is because he sort of stole my heart.)

Anyway. Lexi, resident geek girl, goes back to high school to find the hacking masterminds who are mucking up the computer system at a posh private school. Figuring out who did it isn't all that difficult (for her or us), but convincing them it would be in their best interests to stop before they cross a line they can't come back from is another story. And of course, there's that pesky problem of international terrorism to deal with. That problem is a little more physically dangerous than finding some genius high schoolers and talking them down from ruining their future.

Meanwhile, there's the relationship issue. I really do like her dude, but he seems almost too worldly for her. Lexi's kinda relationship-clueless and someone a little less...umm, experienced seems more her speed. On the other hand, Lexi's smart and quick-thinking. If she wants it to work, I'm sure she'll find a way. (but I'm still rooting for her and the other guy to explore what's between them. Just so we're clear.)

Fun, quirky (because Lexi's friends are a crack up!), and nicely entertaining, I just might have to go back and catch up on everything I missed. You know why? GIRL POWER!


No Woman Left Behind (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #6)

Date read: April 3, 2015
*Originally posted at On a Book Bender*
Synopsis (Goodreads):
My mother's life goal has been to see me, geek extraordinaire Lexi Carmichael, happily married. So bringing my first boyfriend, Slash, home for dinner has me hyperventilating. Things get a lot worse when bullets start flying over our corn chowder.

Now the entire alphabet soup of government agencies want my help finding the man behind the attack—Johannes Broodryk, a cyber mercenary I foiled on my last case. He wants revenge and he’s taken something of mine to ensure I’ll play, so it’s game on. But the government has its own agenda, and Slash is not on board with the plan. Things are a bit bumpy in paradise.

Although I'm more comfortable with computer code than commandos, I've been assigned a team of navy SEALs to help bring Broodryk down. The question is, will they survive me long enough to solve his cryptic puzzles and save the day?
Thoughts on No Woman Left Behind: I kinda dig these Lexi books. She's smart and totally socially clueless, but she still manages to navigate the rough waters of dating while battling international terrorism. AS WE ALL DO. Well, at least the dating part.

Lexi being Lexi, she freaks out over bringing her hunk of a man to meet her parents. I'm not going to lie, her having to admit that she knows very little about him (such as his real name or where he lives, etc) to her parents made me crack up. Hearing that, it makes him sound fishy, but knowing he's a government asset adds a little more context to Lexi's lack of knowledge. But her parents aren't quite in the context loop and I can only laugh at how awful it must have sounded to them.

And of course, Lexi being Lexi THINGS HAPPEN to toss her feet first into danger. And her friends and family into danger. But mostly Lexi. Because that's how she rolls.

I LOVED the dynamic with the SEAL team. Lexi isn't a soldier and she asks questions when she shouldn't, gets in trouble when she should be hunkering down, and has a very hands-on run in with the SEAL team leader. Which, OUCH. Watching them come around and begin to appreciate Lexi and what she can do sort of made my day. Geek girl takes on the SEALs and charms them with her awkward social banter (and her level head in a tense situation). YESSSSS!

All in all, I felt for her friends (OMG!ELVIS!), am finding her relationship with her man growing on me, and like seeing Lexi in her element. Which seems to be anywhere. As long as there aren't spiders.


No Room for Error (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #7)

Date read: October 22, 2015
*Originally posted at On a Book Bender*
Synopsis (Goodreads):
Trouble follows me, Lexi Carmichael, like a little black cloud. At least according to my boyfriend, Slash: brilliant hacker, national treasure and vault of secrets. Even I have to admit he could be right.

After a series of high-profile cases at my cyberintelligence firm, I was looking forward to a simple job. All I had to do was personally deliver a revolutionary microchip to a manufacturing plant in Indonesia. Easy, right?

Wrong.

Someone else wants the design and is willing to kill to get it. A failed hijacking attempt lands me, my best friend Basia and our boss, Finn, in the middle of the jungle. Our mission is clear: protect the microchip design from the hijackers on our tail...and survive. But how can a geek girl like me survive without access to my beloved technology? I'm about to find out. And this time, there's no room for error.
Thoughts on No Room for Error: OH MY GAWD, LEXI! Given the situations you stumble into with alarming regularity, someone (Slash) needs to lock you in a room no one knows about for your own protection. Oh, hey. Doesn't he have one of those conveniently stashed away somewhere? Good times, man. Good times.

But seriously, Lexi is in the middle of another dangerous situation and this time she doesn't have any of her high tech gadgets to help her out. Which means she and her friends are struggling to survive with only their wits and some well-times allies they meet on the way. Did I mention they have some pretty gnarly injuries while going head to head with the people hunting them down? Because they do. Really, no trek through the jungle is complete without a life-threatening injury or two.

Basically, I'm trying to say that everything Lexi learned from dealing with cyber terrorists and lending a helping hand during a SEAL mission comes in handy this time around. She not only has to save her own life, but those of her best friend and boss as well. And with nothing to rely on but their wits and good looks (questionable good looks, actually, given the extent of their injuries), things get mighty hairy.

I get a major kick out of Lexi and her lack of social skills. She's smart and quick on her feet, but she's not so great at reading people and she tends to stumble into awkward social situations about as often as she stumbles into danger. Which is awesome to read.


No Strings Attached (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #8)

Date read: June 5, 2016
*Originally posted at On a Book Bender*
Synopsis (Goodreads):
Oops, I did it again…

Leave it to me, Lexi Carmichael, to become a target for an elite organization of cyber criminals simply by being in the wrong place at the right time. As if I weren't already freaking out about planning my best friend's bachelorette party, I now have to keep my eyes peeled for people trying to kill me.

After accidentally intercepting a dangerous hack into the NSA and discovering the involvement of a foreign country in said hack, things begin to get seriously complicated. Diplomats, danger and spies, oh, my!

With Slash and my loyal friends by my side, I'm in a race against time to stop a team of sophisticated hackers on a deadly mission. My team of geeks is brilliant…but derailing an international plot for revenge will take everything we've got.
Thoughts on No Strings Attached: Lexi always finds a way to make me smile. Whether it's with her endearing social awkwardness or the way she unwittingly stumbles into THE WORST situations, I get a kick out of this lady. She's smart and determined and it doesn't matter if she sometimes says the wrong things at the wrong times, she eventually figures things out.

I LIKE THAT!

Smart heroines, man. They do it for me. It doesn't hurt in the slightest that her man is crazy about her and has the training to help her out when things go south. It also doesn't hurt that she has a group of friends who are willing to bend time and space itself (if they could) to help her. She's this goofy, awkward, super smart trouble magnet and it WORKS. I love that she's intelligent enough to see her own limitations and ask for help when she needs it.

*slow nod*

So. This time around, Lexi ends up hip deep in some seriously nasty stuff. Well, wait. That's not uncommon. She ends up in a rough spot, but she has her genius friends and her boo to help her. Between all of them, they're well equipped to handle anything thrown their way. Sure, it's touch and go for a while--especially with that bachelorette party--but THEY HAVE THINGS UNDER CONTROL. Mostly.

Fast-paced and fun, Lexi is going places. Probably dangerous places, but who am I to judge? Besides, she entertains me. So bring on the danger!

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