Ally Carter has always done a great job with spy books and his one doesn’t disappoint. Zoe wakes up in. a snow drift in Paris, France. She is covered in blood, her head in pounding, and she has no idea how she got there. Up walks Mr. Hot-stuff, and he tells her to run, so…she does. Zoe has no idea who she is or why she is running which makes this book enjoyable. With a bit of suspense, spies, and romance, Ally Carter creates a great series that will continue.

I have been a huge fan of Ally Carter's books since I was just a tween and the Gallagher Girl series was just starting to come out. The acknowledgement at the beginning of this book 100% made me cry and was a reminder of how special those books were to me and what a blessing it is when authors that have resonated with me since that time transition to adult fiction so that I can continue to enjoy their work. This was a super fun mystery and it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I hope there are more books in this world, as that door was definitely left open, and can't wait to read whatever Ally Carter comes out with next!

Ally Carter continues her reign as the master of spy novels with her debut adult rom-com, The Blonde Identity!

I flew through this book. It was such a wonderfully fast read and so perfectly paced, with great characterizations of our amnesiac heroine and broody hero. It’s really hard to create well-rounded characters when having gaps in knowledge is part of the plot itself… but Ally executed them wonderfully. Our main duo goes on the most chaotic cross-continental trip, dodging bullets and enemies, leaving our heroine playing a high stakes game with no one to trust. Ally Carter has such a distinct voice she brings to her books, and she adapted it incredibly for an adult audience.

I will say that this book was only a romantic comedy for a certain number of pages… before the plot did an absolute BACKFLIP and turned into a romantic thriller that has me begging for MORE after that last line. I cannot wait until this novel is in print so I can get my hands on it to read over and over… and over.

A thrilling read from an author that brings so much nostalgia — and proof of why books with the most unlikely heroes are some of the best ones out there. Ally Carter has not only made her re-entrance into the adult romance scene… but she’s flipped the genre upside its head and breathed a new fiery life into it.

Release Date: 8.8.2023
Review Date: 3.11.2023

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

t's the middle of the night in the middle of Paris and a woman just woke up with no memory. She only knows three things for certain:
1. She has a splitting headache.
2. The hottest guy she has (probably) ever seen is standing over her, telling her to run.
And oh yeah...
3. People keep trying to kill her.
She doesn't know who. Or why. But when she sees footage of herself fighting off a dozen men there's only one explanation: obviously. . . she's a spy!
Except, according to Mr. Hot Guy, she's not. She's a spy's identical twin sister.
Too bad the only person who knows she's not the woman they're looking for is this very grouchy, very sexy, very secret agent who (reluctantly) agrees to help her disappear.
That's easier said than done when a criminal organization wants you dead and every intelligence service in the world wants you caught. Luckily, no one is looking for a pair of lovesick newlyweds on their honeymoon. And soon they're lying their way across Europe--dodging bullets and faking kisses as they race to unravel a deadly conspiracy and clear her sister's name.
But with every secret they uncover, the truth shifts, until she no longer knows who to trust: the twin she can't remember or the mysterious man she can't let herself forget...

I requested this book because I loved Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series as a teen and this felt just as fun!
I loved the characters, all the tropes she used. I was cracking up at points. This was super fun! 10/10 would recommend!

What everyone else has said - Ms. Carter nailed a rom-com/ rom-suspense beach read. Very entertaining, tons of twists and turns and winks at the reader. Fair warning - a little insta-love-y - people who want "reality" in their romance need not attempt this one. lol

“You killed someone with a negligee!” and “touch her and I’ll kill you” are two of my favorite lines from this fresh, exciting rom com.

Ally Carter’s first adult novel does not disappoint. The writing is wry and funny and I flew through this book. I could not put it down! Zoe and Sawyer’s banter was great and their connection was organic. I loved watching their relationship evolve. The Blonde Identity had a lot of great one-liners that were only *slightly* cheesy.

This romance hits lots of tropes: one bed, fake marriage, touch her and I’ll kill you, just to name a few. It also features quite an adventure and some spy—I mean, operative—action. Really well done!

It gets 4/5 from me and I’ll be recommending it to many patrons.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First up, I grew up with Ally Carter and I have loved her Gallagher girls series since high school. That with her heist society and all fall down series, she's just been a relatively safe bet when it comes to what will I read next.

Summary:
It’s the middle of the night in the middle of Paris and a woman just woke up with no memory.

She only knows three things for certain:

1. She has a splitting headache.

2. The hottest guy she has (probably) ever seen is standing over her, telling her to run.

And oh yeah…

3. People keep trying to kill her.

She doesn’t know who. Or why. But when she sees footage of herself fighting off a dozen men there’s only one explanation: obviously. . . she’s a spy!

Except, according to Mr. Hot Guy, she’s not. She’s a spy’s identical twin sister.

Too bad the only person who knows she’s not the woman they’re looking for is this very grouchy, very sexy, very secret agent who (reluctantly) agrees to help her disappear.

That’s easier said than done when a criminal organization wants you dead and every intelligence service in the world wants you caught. Luckily, no one is looking for a pair of lovesick newlyweds on their honeymoon. And soon they’re lying their way across Europe—dodging bullets and faking kisses as they race to unravel a deadly conspiracy and clear her sister’s name.

But with every secret they uncover, the truth shifts, until she no longer knows who to trust: the twin she can’t remember or the mysterious man she can’t let herself forget…

Review:
It was honestly so great. I loved the protagonist and attempts to stay positive throughout this traumatic experience. I love Mr. Hot guy and how he tries to reign her in unsuccessfully. I love the mystery on if she actually is this twin or not! The plot reminds me of Long Kiss Goodnight film from the 90s which was one of my favorites growing up. I love the dialogue and banter and the wrap up and answers we get at the end was perfect. It was exciting and fun an absolutely pitch perfect! I'm kind of hoping for a sequel or even a trilogy featuring this cast of characters. Another home run for Ms. Carter!

Ally Carter's The Blonde Identity takes readers on a fun and exciting (and Top Secret) romp across Europe. Our protagonist wakes up in Paris with no memory of who she is or how she got there. The only thing she knows for sure? Someone's trying to kill her. This entertaining premise reaches back to Carter's roots: espionage and extraordinary females. (I mean, please tell me you've read The Gallagher Girls series. Please--or get thee to the nearest bookstore asap!)

The Blonde Identity is an ideal pick for readers looking for a likable protagonist (and her sexy co-protagonist) to star in an escapade-adventure romance. It's not "spicy", so this novel is suitable for people who are sick of overly-descriptive or long sex scenes. It also means that younger readers could also pick up this book, no problem. Fans of Carter's Gallagher Girls will definitely enjoy and reminisce :)

For those who choose to embark on this adventure, I encourage you to remember one thing: genre! This is a romance, so adjust your expectations accordingly.

For my part, I sincerely hope Carter decides to write a companion novel. IYKYK.

The Blonde Identity is a novel chock-full of every romance trope you could ever want, in the best way—it’s the ideal buffet! Ally Carter’s chosen protagonist allows us to go on the journey with her, with each twist and turn having your heart race. Putting it down when there’s a perfect balance of action and dialogue just isn’t possible, keeping you gripped with every turn of the page. It’s the breath of fresh air I was hoping for, and I can’t wait for it to come out officially so I can recommend it to everyone I know.

Zoe woke up in a snow bank with an angry man standing over her who looks like he cannot decide whether to kill her or help her. Zoe didn't know who the man was, but then she didn't know who she was, either. Or why she was lying in the snowbank. She couldn't even remember how she got there. This opening scene opens a rom-com action book, worthy of a movie in the same trope. As the story moves along, Zoe is chased by those who kill her because it turns out she is not her twin sister, rescued time and again by Sawyer, but also does her share of rescuing him, and continues to decode clues to find out what her twin had been hiding,

I enjoyed Ally Carter's step into adult fiction. Much like her teen fiction, she is masterful at telling stories full of action, with lots of humor and romance. I would recommend this book (which hopefully becomes a series) to those who like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.

ally carter never disappoints. the tension and twists were nerve-wracking, the chemistry between the protagonists was delicious, and the way she wove and poked at tropes throughout the book was so playful and charming. a wonderful read.

So much PLAID!!!! I loved this book! And I know Zoe’s sister when Gallagher’s Girl Academy. Don’t try to convince me otherwise! Now give me more.

Originally reviewed publically on Goodreads:
I was privileged enough to receive an ARC of this book, so I typed this knowing that I wanted to avoid as many spoilers as possible. I apologize if it’s a bit vague in that regard.


Ally Carter always manages to pinpoint exactly what her audience needs, and this book was no exception. From the dedication alone (which had me close to tears), I knew that I could trust the direction this would be going in. The female main character’s dialogue was always so witty and self aware about the genre—a fact that ended up tying in perfectly to the unraveling of her identity. Over the course of the book, it felt like we were working with both of our main characters to solve a mystery. They also managed to find ways to surprise us if we weren’t able to read between the lines. Everything about the book ended up feeling so right! I truly enjoyed Ally’s more adult romance, and I think it’s going to open up plenty of exciting opportunities for future reads. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know (and evidently strangers on the internet as well—I hope you enjoy as much as I did)!!!

Having loved the Gallagher Girls series, I was extremely excited to learn Carter was coming out with an adult romance this summer. To be perfectly clear, this is NOT an adult GG romance novel, but it is SO good. Zoe, Sawyer, and Alex are all fantastically twisty characters to learn about. I was hooked from the first page, and I am so hoping that with that ending there's a sequel coming soon because I cannot wait to read more adult books from my one of my favorite authors!!

As a Gallagher Girls stan I was ALL in for this book!

It was a fun read with lots of adventure and enjoyable tropes. I think Ally's writing is still more suited to YA -- in some places, the voice felt kind of juvenile. That aside, there was plenty of swoon and humor and mystery. An overall fun read!

A big thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

I have been reading Ally Carter’s books for years, so when I heard that she was releasing an adult spy romance novel, I was so excited! The Blonde Identity surpassed my already very high expectations! Readers- familiar with and new to Carter- will love the characters, their banter, and this amazing adventure. Carter knows how to write a love interest, so prepare to fall in love! I loved getting to experience one of Carter’s books for the first time again and I cannot wait to reread The Blonde Identity over and over!

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter is a flirty and fun breeze of a story with secret agent escapades mixed in. It was a super fun adult story from Carter, an author I’ve never read before. Over the course of a few days we follow two main characters trying to stay safe and get away from the bad guys.

The writing was very witty and interesting, which made the pages go by quickly. The language and suggestions are probably PG or PG13 but the actual “action” was rated G.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Growing up I loved Ally Carter’s young adult series so I was excited to get an arc of her first novel for adults. The story is about a young woman who wakes up on the streets of Paris with no memory of anything. She is immediately whisked into the world of spies when she is misidentified as her spy twin sister Alex. Overall the plot felt juvenile and not like it was written for adults. I was disappointed in the “twists” thrown in throughout the book. They seemed too obvious.

I'm a huge fan of Ally Carter's but I think this one lacks a lot of character development for both main characters.

Ally Carter is no stranger to romance with a heart of intrigue. In the newest installment of her adult novels, she gets our blood running with a case of amnesia, a beautiful blond who wakes up in the snowy streets of a Paris night. We know who the fallen mysterious woman is...or do we?

I would have like this better with more implied romance, but Ally Carter is anything but subtle. Overall, an enjoyable romp for anyone looking for a floofy spy romance.