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.

Spies, a twin, amnesia, and some romance create the perfect combo for this fast paced summer read. Loved every minute and this would make an amazing movie!

Highly recommend to fans of Finley Donovan

This was such a fast-paced fun read so different from my regular romances. I felt like I was on a movie set just as much as I felt like I was reading a book. The premise is this: a young lady wakes up in Paris with a concussed head in the snow and no memory of how she’s gotten there or who she is. All she knows is that someone has told her to, “Get up, Alex! Run!” And thus begins the story of our mystery woman attempting to uncover her identity and the identities of those around her. Throw in a growly attractive spy who can’t decide if he wants to help her or hurt her, and you have the makings of a thrill seeking romance.
I loved how short the chapters were and the alternating Him and Her POVs that kept me on my toes. I never felt like the story slowed down and it kept me guessing how it would end. I won’t give any spoilers, but you should read this book if you like the following:

-Grumpy / sunshine
-Spies!
-an engaging fast-paced plot line that drives the narrative
-amnesia trope
-lots of chemistry but closed door romance
-mistaken identity
-he falls hard

This is the perfect read when you want something that will engage you from page 1 that you might read in one sitting. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this advanced copy. I can’t wait to read the next book, which I’m sure is about Alex.

As a huge fan of all things spy genre, especially spy romance this has been a much anticipated title! It’s total grump/sunshine and thrusts you straight into the action. We’ve got amnesia, we’ve got twins (one of whom is a spy) and of course, hot grumpy spy guy.

This is technically an adult romance (the sex scenes are closed door) but it often read much younger (which I know the author also writes YA). I found some of the language to really take me out of the story at times, for example, she calls him jerkface and as a character trait doesn’t like swearing so is constantly correcting his language. But once I was able to sink into the voice it was a zany spy romp with cinematic scenes and a great ending that felt satisfying.

As a big fan of the Gallagher Girl books, I was so excited to read this adult debut by the author. This book features everything I love about the GG series: a funny heroine, a cute hero with a tortured past, a secret twin, lots of foiling of bad guys, and lots and lots of action. Seriously, this book throws you right into the action with a heroine with amnesia who wakes up under the Eiffel Tower where someone immediately tries to kill her. And it never slows down from there. This reminded me a lot of the pace of the Bourne Identity movies, with lots of exciting fight scenes as we take a tour through Europe.

I am a big fan of the grump/sunshine trope, and the two main characters were a great embodiment of this. This was a pretty clean read, with a small amount of bedroom action in fade to black.

Overall, I read this book very quickly because it was hard to put down and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next!

I loved this book! I would love to see this turned into a movie. The bumbling Zoe always managing to have a lucky stumble into safety and the stoic agent Sawyer’s walls coming down and seeing that there is good in the world! I’m hopefully optimistic that there were be Alex’s story.

THE GALLAGHER GIRLS OBSESSED 8 YEAR OLD ME HAS RETURNED. i’m so glad ally carter is returning to the world of spies because she does it flawlessly

When my sister was in middle school, she started reading the Gallagher Girls series, and the books took over her life. She used to carry around her favorite, “Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy,” with her every day and seriously considered whether a life of spyhood was for her (I’m sorry to say, it’s not). When I was in middle school, I decided it was time that I read these life-changing books. My sister refused to let me look at her copies, much less read them, for fear that I would somehow ruin them. I had to borrow all the books from the library even though we had the entire series in our house, just two doors down from my bedroom. I still haven’t touched her copies, even though we have both spent many years now discussing these books, looking to the characters for inspiration and even making a playlist (which we’re very proud of, by the way) that encompasses the series.

My sister bought two separate copies of the series finale, “United We Spy”; she bought one when it first came out and then couldn’t help but get a signed copy from the International Spy Museum. Despite having purchased these copies years ago, she didn’t actually read the final book until last year, more than a decade after starting the series. If you were to ask her why she waited so long to conclude the series, she would say it was because she just couldn’t say goodbye to her favorite series or her favorite characters (In case you were wondering, she cried when she finally finished it).

Well, luckily for my sister, Ally Carter released a book just in time to fill the void in her life that the Gallagher Girls left. In her latest book, “The Blonde Identity,” Carter proves yet again that no one writes a spy rom-com like her. Though technically unrelated to her original series, “The Blonde Identity” is very much in the same vein as the Gallagher Girls series, in the best ways possible.


The book follows an unnamed protagonist who wakes up in the middle of Paris with no memory (yes, it’s a play on “The Bourne Identity”). After seeing a video of herself fighting a number of thugs, she comes to the only logical conclusion: She’s a spy. Unfortunately, she isn’t quite right — she’s actually the twin sister of a spy, as we come to realize very soon. Over the course of the book, she and her sister’s spy partner Sawyer traipse around Europe trying to find her twin, Alex, and figure out why Alex disappeared with no trace, with some very important intelligence regarding a Russian spy network in hand.

The book unfolds in three parts. The first is very action-heavy, with the protagonist and Sawyer running from gunfire and learning to trust one another. The second part brings in the tropey, rom-com elements, with the two characters going undercover and posing as a married couple — a storyline that never fails to entertain and increase the tension between the romantic leads. And finally, the most fun third combines these two elements. In this last third of the book, we get to know our characters’ pasts and watch them become closer, while they also undertake spy missions a la Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner, “13 Going on 30”). There’s one scene in particular that was so reminiscent of “Alias” that it actually had me humming the theme song as I read.

“The Blonde Identity” is flawless in so many ways. We get an action, romance thriller with an incredible female protagonist who is both feminine and strong. So many authors seem to forget that their female protagonists can retain their femininity while also kicking down doors and pushing people off cliffs. Furthermore, Sawyer is exactly what you want in a romantic lead — he wants to protect our protagonist but also lets her be her own person. He actually learns from her just as much as she does from him. Their relationship is remarkably equal, especially when you consider that the protagonist is an amnesiac and is facing guns, spies and bad guys for the first time in her life, leaving her to rely on him for much of the beginning of the book.

Ally Carter continues her legacy of writing sneaky, complex and fun characters with “The Blonde Identity.” All you Gallagher Girls who, like me and my sister, have grown up and said goodbye to Gallagher Academy, don’t worry — Ally Carter’s got you covered with her newest adult spy rom-com book. I guess now it’s time to call my sister up and work on a new playlist ….

Daily Arts Writer Sabriya Imami can be reached at simami@umich.edu.

For fans of Citadel, Ghosted, and Chuck, this book gets right to the heart of the spy genre. Rooted in a perfect blend of romance, comedy, and action/adventure, The Blonde Identity delivers the sort of quick-witted, cutting lines that will leave you clutching your pearls.

Ally Carter knows—and has always known—that the key to a good spy story is not the cover legend, but rather, the person who inhabits it. The Blonde Identity is no different. An intimate cast drives the narrative and leaves readers feeling every ounce of danger, tension, and excitement woven throughout the pages. Fans of Carter's Gallagher Girl series will welcome the familiar feel of the world, while new fans will fall in love with the masterful execution of beloved tropes. A delight from beginning to end, with endless re-read potential.

The Blonde Identity is a book that is simply joyful to read. I had fun and was laughing out loud while reading and that isn’t something that always happens, even with books I love.

This book feels like a perfect spy movie in literature form. So don’t expect to take it too seriously. It is full of my favorite romance tropes, and plot points that spy movies have. Nothing surprised me because I’m an avid consumer of both genres, yet I still loved the experience.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you're a fan of the Gallagher Girls, you are going to LOVE this.

As it is, I AM a fan of the author's Gallagher Girls series and THE BLONDE IDENTITY takes that nostalgia and makes it adult. Which is so appropriate and I imagine plenty of us Gallagher Girls fans are now of an age where we will appreciate this. But worry not if you've never read the Gallagher Girls series--THE BLONDE IDENTITY stands on it's own.

If you love pop culture references to audacious scenes, you'll especially love the Her character. Because yes, I too if put into Her situation would use movie references to cope. Then there's the (age-appropriate) dynamic between Him and Her. I wouldn't call it slow burn in any way, but it wasn't instant either. It was the perfect pacing for them both, and the ending????? My heart.

(I am using Him and Her as they are referred to for the first couple of chapters.)

I loved every single moment I spent in this world and I cannnot wait for book 2, which is starring a character that I imagine has the competency of Ilsa from the Mission Impossible series.

In "The Blonde Identity" by Ally Carter, we follow the story of Zoe, a girl suffering from memory loss. She makes a startling discovery that her twin sister is actually a spy. Unfortunately, due to a case of mistaken identity, dangerous individuals start pursuing Zoe, believing her to be the spy twin. Throughout the book, Zoe develops a romantic connection with Sawyer, the man tasked with protecting her.

Despite having enjoyed Ally Carter's "Gallagher Girls" series, my high expectations for this book were not entirely met. I found the main character over-sexualized and treated too childishly. The constant use of the pet name "Lady" became quite frustrating for me, ultimately leading to my disappointment with the story. The romance in this book just fell so short for me and I barely could get through it at points.

I would recommend this book to diehard fans of spy thrillers who love an exciting plot. To any readers who really love a strong female lead, I would read one of Ally Carter's other books. Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. This was such a refreshing break from some of the heavy romance books I’ve been reading. If you’re looking for a good book with great plot and characters that aren’t annoying, read this.

Oh I hope there’s a sequel like the epilogue was hinting!! It was so fun to read an adult book by her. It’s a fun, clean, entertaining read that kept my soul happy. This is just what I was hoping for!

I loved every fast-paced minute of this. THE BOURNE IDENTITY was one of my favorite movies when it came out, and I think this is such a wonderful spin with its own unique flair.

This rom com meets spy thriller meets cozy mystery was exactly what my summer needed! I couldn't go to sleep until I had finished it and was done with the twisty ride. Filled with tropes from all of the genres it intersects (Russian baddies, only one bed, amateur forced to sleuth), it makes for an unputdownable read.

Loved this book and have already started recommending! My kids love Carter's YA titles and now I get to join in the fun. Fast paced and engaging it held my attention from start to finish.

DNF @ about 30$
It felt like being thrown into the middle of a story. Everything feels like it's moving too fast and the main character doesn't really worry about her memory loss enough.