I love a great whirlwind romance, thriller, with humor and action at every turn. This book did not disappoint and I was given all of that and more. I found myself poolside with this book devouring the story of the Blonde with amnesia and her reluctant "savior" Sawyer as they try to figure out the best course of action with every secret world agency chasing them. There's a little bit of Jason Bourne-like thrill, and of course, you will probably need to suspend your general belief of certain levels of people walking away fairly unscathed from death-defying feats. Nevertheless, this book was so incredibly fun and I could not put it down. There are some great twists and turns and a couple of heart wrenching moments so be prepared for all the double and triple crossing your heart can take. I hope you will give this book a read ASAP, I know I am so thankful to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy to provide an honest review. I had a great time reading it and will be doing a podcast episode on the podcast Books Are Magical with my cohosts very soon to talk more in depth about it.

SO MUCH ACTION! Reads like an actual movie and I COULD NOT put it down!

I grew up on the Gallagher Girls and the nostalgia factor was real here, this was like a grown-up version! A great blend of spy-action with a dash of romance (even if it learned a little heavily on insta-love) and a fun french setting. Had all the best spy tropes - amnesia, secret siblings and double agents!

This was a really fast and fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Ms. Carter for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I've never heard of Gallagher girls - I had to Google it - so I can't say that it's an apt comparison although I see it in a lot of reviews. And I don't think "Bourne Identity" is quite it either. Sure, a young woman awakens in the streets in Paris, bruised and injured and amnesiac, with little in her pockets but a few Euro and a key card, and with what appears to be any number of people after her. She is quickly found by Mr. Hot Guy, who seems to be some sort of operative, and who helps her escape from her pursuers.

Mr. Hot Guy is eventually revealed to be Sawyer, and Unknown Woman is revealed to be Zoe, the (mostly) identical twin sister of Sawyer's partner. Sawyer and Zoe manage to evade detection in spite of? or because of? (the jury is out) Zoe's efforts to "help." This is a total popcorn book: entertaining as all-get-out, and I could totally envision it as a movie. Is it realistic? LOL. No way. Is it a fun, action-packed ride? Heck yes, and I would jump on a sequel (or another adult title by this author) in a second. Recommended for those who want a fun, adrenaline-packed, hilarious, high-octane joyride with a little romance on the side.

This book was everything I needed to get myself out of my reading slump!

Action packed, heart throbbing, espionage adventures meets enemies to lovers in a grumpy/sunshine duo. What more can one ask for?

This was my first Ally Carter read and I am so very hoping that this book becomes a series because I MUST know what comes next for Zoe, Sawyer, and Alex. There is so much going on in this book, and it just pulls you in straight away from the first page and has you guessing all the way to the end.

The plot twists are twisting, the romance is romancing, and the action is action-ing.. (is that a word? Who knows, I don't care). It was perfection from the first sentence all the way to the last.

Zoe and Sawyer are great MCs. Their banter is funny, the sexual tension between them is spicy, and their partnership is so well written. Can she trust him? Can he trust her? Will they find a their happy ending in a the world of spies and criminals? Guess you're going to have to read the book to find out.

Highly recommend this laugh-out-loud, fact-paced ride.

“They were inching closer and closer because they always did—they always would.”

I loved everything about this book! I was a huge fan of the Gallagher Girls series growing up so this book was so nostalgic to read but don’t let that fool you! It is so fresh & fun & exciting!

This played out like the perfect movie in my head! I could see every action scene, every tip of Sawyer’s smile & every time Zoe’s big doe eyes widened in my head! I think that this book was paced excellently. The chemistry, banter & humor were thrown in at the perfect times! Her personality was amazing & I loved that even when she found out about her past she didn’t let that stop her from undercovering! (which is definitely a word!) Zoe is so resilient, quick in the face of danger & kept things unpredictable which I really enjoyed! I also love that before we find out what she did for a living there are tiny hints there that point to what Zoe has a passion for! I’ll be honest I did not pick up on them, but in hindsight they were sprinkled in so well!

Sawyer is the perfect companion for Zoe. He is rough when she is soft, he is logic where she is emotion, & he is considerate when she is uncertain. In my head I pictured him as Ed Speelers, but also as Freddy from Scooby Doo 😂🙈 He is definitely the grumpy one in this relationship but he certainly had his funny moments too which is why when he’s busy being an operative with a captial O he had a jovial attitude some of the time. For example: “‘I’m down a gun.’ He leaned over and picked up the weapon that he’d knocked out of the first man’s hand. ‘And now I’m not!’” Was it bc of Zoe or bc “there is no happy ending” so he has to create some type of happiness? I’m not sure, but I loved that quality in him.

The author did a great job of making these characters jump off the pages. I really liked that the chapter headings were Him & Her esp in the beginning bc no one knows what’s going on… even our FMC! I typically don’t read a lot of spy stuff but I enjoy watching them & I feel like this one was so good! I loved the intrigue & there are a few twists and turns that I genuinely did not expect so I was pleased to be kept on my toes! The portion of the story on the yacht I think is my favorite bc so much happens between lines for Zoe & Sawyer there & it’s where their awakening begins, things start to change for them, ironically as they’re pretending to be the newly wedded Michaelsons!

Overall I think this is an amazing story. I hope we definitely get to see Alex’s enemies to lovers situation sometime in the near future! I’m a lifelong fan of Ally Carter so I have nothing else to say other than 10/10. Would read again. Highly recommend! 😉

I had such a blast with this book. From the moment you jump on this rollercoaster ride, be prepared for anything. I felt like I was watching the best romantic suspense comedy you could wish for. With a heroine who embodies the word plucky, to a hero that will make you forget who James Bond even is, you'll be laughing out loud at the antics and the banter of this dynamic duo. I'm so glad I got an advance readers copy of this book because I didn't have to wait for the official release date. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait for the next gem from this author's pen, but at least I have her back library to indulge in while I wait. This book more than earns its 5 stars.

This book totally healed my inner Gallagher Girl. I was a big fan of the series growing up and it’s what made me love spies in media, so when I saw Ally Carter posting about this book, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. It’s a fantastic grumpy + sunshine romance with great pacing and exciting action scenes. Thank you so much for sending me a copy.

Ally Carter’s voice and writing style is so distinct, it completely sent me back in time. She’s so good at writing out banter and action sequences.

Sunshine characters can be hit or miss for me, but I liked how Zoe was upbeat but still had depth. The angle of her experiencing amnesia throughout the story allowed us to slowly get to know her as she got to know herself. The dual POV worked really well for this, and made me equally invested in both Zoe and Sawyer. The pacing of the book also worked well, slowly dropping in things that would lead to what happened next without it feeling too predictable – despite the use of iconic romance tropes, like fake dating, hurt/comfort, and only one bed. I just felt like Carter knew me and what I wanted from this story.

If I had any complaints, the amnesia trope can become repetitive, and Sawyer’s POV near the end became kind of confusing in order to preserve some of the surprise for the reader. I also felt like the characters fell for each other extremely fast, especially when they had life and death to be concerned with.

The book takes place over a short period of time and Sawyer and Zoe’s interactions are pretty bottled between each other but I LOVED Alex. She was a great side character and the moments we had with her really had me hoping for the sequel or companion novel that was hinted at in that epilogue.

Overall this was a fun book that I had trouble putting down, especially in the second half. Such a page turner and a really fun romance.

When I say I haven't had this much fun reading a book in years I mean it, seriously this book is just fun and will have you laughing out loud as often as it has you holding your breath wondering what trouble Zoe is going to get into next.

Waking up on a Paris sidewalk in the snow with a gorgeous man looking at you might be some girl's dream, but it's the beginning of what might be called a nightmare for Zoe, not remembering who she is, why she's there, or who anyone is... well that's just the beginning of her troubles.

With a Russian mafia boss along with every intelligence agency with an acronym hunting her she has to choose who to trust and in the end that will be so much harder than it seems.

Between finding the flash drive, finding her sister, finding out who she is, and that Sawyers's dad is just as hot as he is Zoe also learns to trust herself, trust her instincts, and trust that her heart is broken as it may be won't lead her astray.

This book is the perfect example of what a romantic comedy mixed with action can be, it's engaging, all-encompassing, and will have you wondering if every pregnant woman you see is pregnant or someone running from something.

I truly hope we get a book from Alex's point of view or the story of her "romantic" entanglement, I also hope that at some point we see Zoe and Sawyer with a little spy baby with an adorable English accent.

If it isn't obvious by now I love this book, I love this book so much, I can't remember the last time I had this much fun reading a book.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for this ARC of The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter in exchange for an honest review! Where could I possibly begin? Ally Carter has never disappointed me. She singlehandedly made so much of my personality in my formative years with her YA Gallagher Girls series that it comes as no surprise that she blew me out of the water with her adult debut as well.

Ally Carter just has a way of writing love and tenderness that drives me CRAZY in the best possible way. Her short chapters are always. poignant and action-packed, and I enjoy every single second. Her characters are GUSHING with chemistry, which in turn causes ME to gush uncontrollably. This book was incredible. I loved every single moment and well, the ending was definitely hinting at another book in this universe... In short, I will read ANYTHING Ally Carter writes. Absolutely anything.

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED!!! I was so rooting for Zoe and Sawyer. I loved the banter, I loved the way the plot unfolded. And I absolutely loved that Zoe didn't know she couldn't do something!! This was also a pretty clean story despite guns, explosions, and language (LOL). I want more!

The concept is fun and hooky, giving that same sense of travel and intrigue and danger as the well known Bourne franchise, but with quippy humor and classic romantic tropes. However, the main character wakes up with amnesia on a Paris street and spends the majority of the book trying to find herself rather than pursue a more layered character arc and ultimately the story fell flat for me. Would recommend as a beach or airplane read, perhaps.

If you ever read the Gallagher Girls series when you were younger and were absolutely obsessed, then this one is definitely a MUST. It was basically adult Gallagher Girls, and the wave of nostalgia I felt over the writing and humor hit me with such a force, and I just felt so much joy.
She wakes up in the snow in Paris and doesn’t remember anything, not even her own name. Next thing she knows, there’s a hot guy standing over her and telling her to run. People are shooting after her and it’s basically the scene of an action film. Turns out Mr. Hot Guy is a spy. And so is she. Or rather, her twin sister is, but since they are identical, and everyone is after her twin, now they’re after her. In what unfolds to be a quick pace, witty rom-com, about a grump spy who learns to feel again and a bright and optimistic amnesiac who is just trying to remember as she runs from the bad guys, their misadventures will have you feeling serious one moment and laughing the next sentence. Tropes this book (brilliantly) uses are mistaken identity, enemies to lovers (to enemies to lovers?), fake dating (or actually..marriage), and the good classic one bed trope. Buckle up for this charming adventure across Europe, as they run from the bad guys, find the coveted flash drive, and save the spy sister.
Of course… there’s a plot twist. ;) or two… or three.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books, Harper Voyager, and of course Ally Carter for an eARC of this book, I absolutely loved it💕

This book was a ton of fun! A great read for anyone who missed the Gallagher Girls and wished they were a spy, but with some adult fun. I found the twists to be a little predictable but I enjoyed the James Bond/ Bourne Identity elements. I’m curious to see if this ends up being a series.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc!

As someone who loved the Gallagher Girls and Heist Society series, I was so excited when I found out Ally Carter was coming out with a new book, this time for adults!

I’m so happy to say that The Blonde Identity was fun, thrilling, and always kept me guessing, just like 12 year old me was while I was reading Gallagher Girls.

The mystery starts at the very first scene, when a woman with amnesia wakes up in Paris in the snow with no recollection of who she is or what she’s doing there. She very quickly discovers that many people are chasing after her, but she has no clue who they are or why they want her…until she meets Sawyer, who mistakes her for her spy twin sister, Alex.

Sawyer and our mystery woman then embark on a fast-paced journey with very high stakes, trying to avoid getting killed while tracking down Alex and something very valuable in her possession-something many people would kill to have.

I could not stop turning pages, eager to know more about our main character and her twin sister. I also was always wondering who was actually on which side, never knowing who to trust. It was delightful following the main character as she learned more about herself and tested her limits, proving anyone who may think of her as weak or frail to be wrong.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Ally Carter’s other books, of course, but also to anyone who is a fan of fun yet thrilling mysteries. If a sweet, lovable, badass female main character being chased across Europe alongside a hot, brooding and mysterious spy man intrigues you, then you definitely should pick this one up.

Fast paced Fun! Thoroughly enjoyable. It's like so many different movies, books and story lines but never in a repetitive way. Amazing that it could still be surprising! Just a really fun book. I've read one of her Gallagher Girls books, ya spy books, and liked it so I was hopeful. Already making a mental list of who to personally recommend it to.

Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. The opinions are my own.

FIVE STARS!!!

Where are all the fun spy romance novels like this one? I am a mood reader and haven't been feeling anything, but this book grabbed me and had me completely sucked in by the third chapter. I couldn't put this book down and read it by the pool in one day, I was laughing throughout and loved the banter. The banter and chemistry between Zoe and Sawyer just draw you in and keep the story moving. I loved the ending also and can not wait to read Alex's book. We need more fun spy romance novels that move at this pace with amazing banter as in this book.

The Blonde identity starts with a bang, a young women, who has no idea who she is wakes up in the snowy street of Paris being told to run by a very hot guy.

Ally Carter definitely knows how to pull you in with just a few words, she did the same thing with Gallagher Girls and she repeated again with Blonde Identity and as a die hard fan of GG I couldn’t be more trilled.

This book has everything that you could possibly want, spies, twins, mistaken identity, amnesia, fun bantering, is like Ally read my mind and created the perfect story for me.
I couldn’t stop smiling while reading it, I truly enjoyed the relationship between the main characters, Zoe and Sawyer balanced each other out so well and I got so invested in their relationship I didn’t want the book to end.

I can’t wait to see what Ally has in store for the next book, especially because I think is going to follow Alex and I can’t wait to learn more about her.

Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

this was SO MUCH FUN. i grew up reading ally carter's gallgher girls and heist society books, so opening this to the dedication "for the GGs" made me so happy and nostalgic. this is a very similar vibe to the gallagher girls series (spies! romance! mystery! kicking ass!) but ally ups the ante for her first adult novel. i was pleasantly surprised by how well the dual pov with the male lead worked - it adds a lot of tension for readers in a good way. the twists kept things moving strong throughout the story, and this is definitely a romantic comedy - which i had to keep reminding myself of when i was confused about how much romance there was. only downsides were that the writing was repetitive at times, sawyer's angsting was a bit too much. it was so awesome to be back in the world of ally carter. i'm excited to see how this one does upon release and what's next for her (very intrigued by that last paragraph, ally)

Rating- 3.5 stars

Big thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an early copy of "The Blonde Identity" by Ally Carter. What a thrilling ride it was, packed with non-stop action! The story kicks off with our main character waking up in Paris, concussed and bewildered, while someone urgently yells, "Run, Alex. Run!" From that moment on, we are taken on a roller-coaster journey where numerous mobsters are hot on her trail, and a mysterious man, who might just be a spy.

The revelation that she is the identical twin sister of the spy, Alex, adds an exciting twist to the plot. It was incredibly enjoyable to witness a main character who always manages to miraculously escape from perilous situations. What's even more fun is her consistent comparisons to the clichés found in stories, especially when the hero remains completely clueless about them. The moments when he has to remind her that he was dangerous, like killing someone with a negligee, had me in fits of laughter.

I can easily picture "The Blonde Identity" being turned into an exciting movie. If you're in the mood for a hilarious spy thriller, I wholeheartedly recommend picking this book up. Ally Carter's storytelling will keep you entertained from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

this is the spy romance i’ve been NEEDING!! ally carter i knew i could count on you!! this book was the perfect balance of mystery, plot twists, humor and romance (a little cheesy but I LOVED IT)

reading this adult spy book in my 20s is such a full circle to when i read the gallagher girls in high school

i love how this serious grumpy spy would keep smiling and laughing when he’s with her (not saying names bc spoilers) ALSO THEIR BANTER.