Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

From beginning to end The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter is pure fun: MCs dangling underneath bridges, playing fake marriage on a river cruise ship, trying to solve the mystery of who the amnesia-stricken heroine is.

It’s a rom com with the com—so many moments are madcap & funny & the book (and reader) delight in all of it.

The heroine is quirky imaginative sunshine & she shakes our unflappable operative/spy hero Jake Sawyer down to his sexy feet.

Books where the leads are out being badass—making plans to take down baddies, essentially Home Alone for adults, I’m realizing right now —win my adoration & this one is just C U T E while it does it.

Mal @talesofabookbug shared in her review that this is Fade to Black. I’m glad I had that insight & when the moment came I was just happy with how things were moving between them & that they were sated & also ready for more if you know what I mean .

This one is so great & it was perfect for my mood. Check it out!

5⭐️. Out now!

CWs: Attempted murder; murder; previous heart surgeries. Lies.

[ID: Jess’s white hand holds the ebook over a green mountain & blue river view. A blue sky with clouds is overhead.]

Bourne Identity meets Stephanie Plum. Can't wait for more!
I never read the Gallagher Girls series, but now I might need to go back and read those.

Run, don't walk to pick up the newest book by Ally Carter- The Blonde Identity! The mix of spy story and romance was perfect! The main character made me laugh out loud all throughout the book which made it such a fast and fun read.

I have not read one of the author's most well known series, Gallagher Girls, but I'm immediately adding it to my TBR list. I'm sure fans of that series and her other spy series will also love this one! Fingers crossed for anohter book with at least some of these characters!

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

I heard about this book on TikTok, and I was so excited when I got approved for the ARC. This book was everything I hoped it would be and more. It had everything from spies to deception to romance - I was on the edge of my seat and swooning at the same time. Can't wait for more from this author!

I absolutely adore Ally Carter - she's one of my OG favorite authors thanks to the Gallagher Girls series as well as literally everything else she's written since! Her first adult novel promised similar elements to GG and I was sold even before knowing that. As a result, I really expected to totally love this one. Unfortunately, it ended up being just okay for me.

The female main character has amnesia when the book opens so she has no idea who she is or what she's doing in Paris. She's quickly swept up by a spy who she is instantly attracted to. They are running from bad guys throughout the book because our FMC has a twin sister who is also some kind of spy, and they're really looking for her. The FMC was SO annoying - I understand she had amnesia so maybe that's why she sounded so innocent/immature but it was really grating. There were so many times I just wanted her to be quiet. I also really loathe when someone polices other people's swearing. Please grow up!!! The male main character was also annoying with his constant use of "sweetheart" and (worse) "lady." It just made me cringe, along with most of the romance. I was really hoping this would be a good segue into romantic suspense as a genre but it didn't really do it for me.

I liked the overall PLOT quite a bit, but the characters are what prevents me from giving this a higher rating. It was fun in general to watch people get chased around Europe and use some spy skills - there were some fun vibes that honestly made me want to watch an action movie soon. I enjoyed the final 30% of the book too for the most part, so it ended on a high note for me too.

Overall, definitely a bit disappointed by Carter's adult debut but I think the main character reading like a teenager didn't help the cause. I'd be curious to read the next book if this turned into a series (the ending makes me think maybe) but I'd love for it to follow her sister instead.

I actually really enjoyed this book! I was a fan of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series in my youth and thought spy movies/books/content was all the rage growing up. So when it dawned on me that Ally Carter was debuting an ADULT SPY ROMANCE - I grabbed it.
This book has an interesting premise. Told in the point of view where we know the main characters for a while as he/she, and walking along with the MC Zoe as she rediscovers who she is after suffering from amnesia, this book is action-packed, high stakes, totally swoony and overall, such a fun read. This was the romantic suspense book of my dreams and I absolutely loved it.

A fun and clever spy romcom.

This is more romcom than spy thriller, but it’s got enough action and a decently intriguing plot to elevate it above the typical stuff that populates the romcom genre.

This reminds me of chick lit back when chick lit was actually good and not overrun with angsty romance tropes. This is sweet but not too sappy and has a terrific sense of humor that stays consistent throughout the novel, and makes the central romance more palatable for those of us who have no interest in true romance themes in books.

Though not super sophisticated, the spy side of this is actually a pretty well crafted story, which was probably what surprised me the most and also what I liked the most about this book. It’s a good one if you like humor and rapid pacing and demand a bit more out of your women’s fiction books.

Ally Carter does it once again!!! I’ve been reading her books since her Gallagher Girls days and she really doesn’t miss. I loved this book so much!! If you loved the Gallagher Girls you’ll love this one! It gave me so much nostalgia and was the perfect way for Ally to come back to the adult world!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for providing a DRC of this title for review.

Fun concept, but I think it ultimately left me wanting more in terms of characterization, plot, and chemistry. Also reads a little young-- more like YA with a few curses and fade-to-black spicy scenes-- but I would definitely recommend for a reader who is looking to bridge YA and Adult with a light action rom-com. 3/5

It's been a while since I've been painfully obsessed with a book and this one was exactly what I was looking for.

I love love loved these two. They have chemistry and banter and playfulness and seriousness. I loved their flirting disguised as fighting, all of their shouting and all of the sweetness.

Plot wise, it starts with a bang and doesn't let go. There are pockets of slow, but it's mostly fast paced and action packed. I especially loved how they were together for nearly the entire book.

Overall, I loved this one so much, I was sneaking chapters at work and I'll already thinking about when I can read it again. Definitely one of my top 10 of the year.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

This book starts off with a bang and never stops entertaining from start to finish. We start with the Heron, not knowing who she is and finding out that she’s being chased by people in Paris. She runs into Mr. Hot Guy who is the only person who seems to be able to help her. It’s a case of mistaken identity, and that everyone chasing her thinks she is her identical, twin sister, who Mr. Hot Guy happens to know. This book has a madcap energy and keeps you intrigued from the very beginning to the very end. I love the chemistry between the characters, as well as the mystery of why is she being chased and what exactly did her sister do. If you are looking for a book that has high energy, chases and romance, this is the book for you.

I devoured the Gallagher Girls series as a teen and so when I saw that Ally Carter wrote an adult spy book, I was thrilled.

This boon brought back so much nostalgia for me! I loved the insane, cliché, over-the-top, grumpy sunshine, crazy adventure it took me on. (I did wish for some detailed spice but it was all very closed door)

I think this was exactly the kind of romance I was craving: high stakes, this would never happen in real life, fun romance lol

The start of this book hooks you instantly and the fast-paced plot keeps you reading until you realize it’s way past your bedtime and you need to pick it up again tomorrow.

This book was absolutely bananas and I loved every second of it! Plot? It was there...kind of? Vibes? IMMACULATE! I LOVED the main characters and their chemistry and dynamic! I was giggling and kicking my feet and swooning through the whole thing! Ally Carter is the QUEEN of spy books and I loved this adult debut and I hope so much that there's more where this came from!

The Blonde Identity is an explosively funny and captivating novel brimming with chemistry! This enthralling story seamlessly blends humor, action, romance, and heartfelt emotions that tug at the very core of your being. The story took me on a thrilling journey, where laughter and excitement intertwine with a touch of romance. The protagonist's blonde identity adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, keeping me on the edge of my seat, eager to uncover the secrets that lie within. With a perfect balance of wit and suspense, I was drawn into a world where unexpected twists and turns await at every corner. The seamless integration of humor and action creates a dynamic reading experience that left me breathless, eagerly turning the pages to see what happens next.

A FANTASTIC and FUNNY high octane romantic suspense adventure with spies, twin sisters, deceptions, misdirection, amnesia and a sizzling romance. This honestly needs to be made into a movie ASAP!! The thrills were non-stop and the love story was so swoony. I can't wait for the sequel! Great on audio too. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

Steam level: fade to black

I'm not sure what I expected when I picked up this book, but I'm happy I did.

A young woman is lying on the snowy ground of Paris, with a bump on her head, and no memory of who she is or how she got there. But one thing is certain: people are trying to kill her. When a young man mistakes her for her twin sister, they go on the run together, running--he says--from the Russian mob, the CIA, and Mossad.

Filled with plenty of spy thriller hijinks, and threaded with charm and humor, The Blonde Identity is destined for the bestseller lists. High recommended. #TheBlondeIdentity #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthorSeries

When she wakes up under the Eiffel Tower with no idea of how she got there, our main character is wondering who the hunk standing over her is, and why he is telling her to run. Little does she know she is his partner in crimes identical twin sister, and she isn’t the badass sister that is a spy. The criminal chasing her don’t know this though, so now apparently she is on the run with Mr. Hottie.

This book was just so fun! That’s really the best way to describe it. As our main character has to think fast and act like a spy, she and Mr. Hottie end up in some insane situations that are both thrilling, funny, and sometimes a bit sexy all at once! It was full of action and heart, and kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page!

I love Ally Carter's books for the close-knit found family and well-developed romantic ship. Those qualities are sadly absent from THE BLONDE IDENTITY. The spy/action premise isn't fun without the accompanying worldbuilding (see: Gallagher Girls and Heist Society). One gets the impression that AC had certain scenes in mind (the only-one-bed convo, negligee flirting, etc) and wrote the book around those vibes, rather than allowing the ship evolve naturally. By the end, I didn't really have a fundamental grasp on what made either protagonist tick or why they were a good fit.

Honestly, it might be the dual POV causing the problems. AC is excellent at heroine-only single POV and I don't think the switch did any favors. It was still a fine-enough read because of the banter and narrator talent, but I'm not going to remember this book after tomorrow. All that being said, I'll read the sequel (Alex?) because maybe the amnesia trope was the problem here. Still very much into lighthearted action rom-com vibes — I just wish that I enjoyed myself more.

Read via audio (narrated by Emily Ellet and Andrew Eiden).

I've been reading Ally Carter's books since I was in grade school and if you had told me that I'd be punching in an Adult spy Romance from her in my 2023 bingo card, I would have never expected it, but here were are and what an absolute joy this book was. The Blonde Identity was a non-stop thrill ride with tons of hilarious banter between the two leads, Sawyer and not-Alex-but-Alex's-twin (don't want to spoil her identity), surprisingly soft and sweet moments, and a whole lot of badass action sequences. It's exactly the kind of Adult book you'd expect Ally Carter to write but also completely new and fresh in wholly unexpected ways. If you're looking for a fun, easy read with minimal heat with a whole lot of adventure and excitement, then The Blonde Identity is definitely for you.

A woman finds herself in Paris with no memory of who she is or why men with guns a chasing her. A spy tale with a twist. ARC from NetGalley?