All the fun and cozy Christmas murder mystery vibes!! I had so much fun reading this book 🙌 Two rival authors sent to a surprise location for Christmas then having to solve a mystery together while attempting to stifle their growing feelings for each other?! Yes please!!! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon or Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for an honest review 💚

This was a really fun enemies to lovers, he falls first, dual POV, forced proximity, holiday romcom murder mystery that has two rival mystery authors accepting a trip to England where they find themselves stuck trying to figure out who killed one of their favorite authors. I loved that the book is dedicated to all the women who have been gaslighted in their lives as the main female character, Maggie, has recently divorced her toxic ex who constantly belittled her. Not feeling in the holiday spirits at all, her editor convinces her to take this trip where she discovers the man she thinks hates her actually has been secretly pining after her from their very first meeting. Amazing on audio narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, this is a standout holiday read for the 2024 season! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

A RomCom mystery that forgot the Com part.

I’ll preface this review by saying that if you like tropey Romance, you’ll probably like this book a lot better than I did. I enjoyed Ally Carter’s last RomCom/Mystery hybrid The Blonde Identity, but it’s a much funnier, more clever story.

The mystery here is fine if predictable, and the premise was a good one, just not one that was executed with a lot of success. Carter’s last novel felt like campy, action-driven fun, and had some uniqueness to it. This was mostly a slow slog through two unappealing people fumbling toward a romance with a mystery going on in the background. And no, none of it actually has anything to do with Christmas.

There’s probably an audience for this, but it’s not for the mystery audience, and also probably not for the RomCom audience if you care about the comedy part of that, as I don’t think I laughed at all.

Was it weird to read a Christmas book in September? Yes. But did I love this book? Yes.

It kept me on my feet the entire time and I was trying to figure out who did it until the very end. I loved how it was equal parts romance & mystery and Ethan is my new book boyfriend.

This is an absolutely delightful, locked room mystery! The publisher for Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt has received an invitation for both authors to fly, all expenses paid to the home of mysterious fan in England at Christmas. They are soon airborne and arrive to find the "fan" is the famous mystery author, Eleanor Ashley, now 81! Maggie and Ethan are not fond of each other but thrilled to meet Eleanor. Eleanor's family arrives, and everything seems to be going well until a blizzard descends and Eleanor disappears from her own study! Ally Carter has written an amazing, twisty mystery with marvelous characters, danger, romance, and a most surprising ending! It is quite a perfect Christmas mystery! I look forward to reading more books by Ally Carter. Thank you to the author, publisher, Scene of the Crime, and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of this review are my own.

I REALLY enjoyed this book. I don't like time jumps (which this had), some of the misunderstandings were a bit much, and Ethan was a bit TOO much (but only a bit.) However, I stayed up late to finish this book and fell asleep with a smile. Quite lovely.
Maggie Chase has had her confidence destroyed and is happier to stay home. But then an invitation comes and her publisher tells her it's one she doesn't want to turn down. So, she boards a plane to a mysterious location where there is to be a party hosted by she doesn't know who. Unfortunately, also on the plane is Ethan Wyatt, her nemesis in their publishing house. He can never remember her name and always seems to be laughing at her. So that's a great start to the vacation.
They finally land and discover that they've been plonked right into a locked room mystery, complete with characters who disappear and characters who die. It even happens that Maggie has some close calls herself. Can she really trust the man she is getting to know?

Four and a half stars
This book comes out September 24, 2024
ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Okay, 100% agree that this is an amazing mix of murder mystery and holiday romance. Literally two of my favorite things. We love a mysterious dinner invite leading to a murder, who could it have been?! A little enemies to lovers as well.

Thank you Avon Books for the eARC of Most Wonderful Crime of the Year.

4.75 stars rounded to 5

This book is so freaking fun! It’s Beach Read meets Knives Out with a Christmas twist and it is perfection. The mystery is clever and kept me guessing without being too scary. The romance is sweet and includes BOTH a “who did this to you” moment and an “it’s always been you” conversation (swoon!). The setting is atmospheric and somehow both cozy and mysterious at the same time.

I adored every page of this book and really hope we get a follow up from Ally because I NEED more of Maggie and Ethan! Make sure to add this to your holiday TBR this year!

Overall ratings
Exact star rating: 4.75
5-pt star rating: 5

Attribute ratings
Characters: 4
Atmosphere/Setting: 5
Writing Style: 5
Plot/Pacing: 5
Intrigue: 5
Logic: 4
Enjoyment: 5

Knives out meets holiday murder mystery romance... need I say more? Maggie Chase is a writer who is known as the Queen of Cozy Mystery meanwhile her nemesis is Ethan Wyatt, the king of Thriller Books. Maggie and Ethan have famously not gotten along, he's actually never gotten her name write in all the years he's known her and no matter how many times she's told him. Yet when they both accept a mysterious invitation to attend an exclusive Christmas party at the English estate of a reclusive fan.... neither of them expected that said fan was none other than the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley herself. However as the party goes on their host disappears... and then murder is afoot. Now Ethan and Maggie have to solve the mystery and that also means finding a way to work together... and confronting their feelings for one another. Maggie might be the queen of cozy mystery but she's about to realize the greatest mystery of all is her relationship with Ethan and what she thought was a bad relationship was completely wrong. Can they solve the mystery before it's too late and they end up dead too? This was such a cute holiday mystery romance read and I had so much fun with it. Ethan and Maggie were really cute, Ethan was especially adorable as a love interest. I loved that we do get his POV and get to see his meetcute with Maggie. It's a cute romance and the mystery was fun. It definitely is an adorable holiday read that I'd recommend!

Release Date: September 24,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest reviewe*

I discovered Ally Carter (and her back catalog of books) last year and thank goodness I did, because her writing is so FUN. I will forever be a gallagher girl at heart <3 Anyways...I was completely sold on this from the get-go - romance meets Knives Out mystery? Did I mention FUN??? I saw a lot of myself in Maggie and I loved the way the story played out (no spoilers!). The mystery had me sitting on the edge of my seat the whole book, and I was pleasantly surprised by the reveal, but I think I need to go back and re-read it again to pick up on all the clues :) Treat yourself and a friend to this stunner!!

As a lover of Christmas mysteries, how could I resist the chance to read The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year? Still, I feared that while the title might signal the most delicious cozy, it may also turn out to be just cutesy rom-com banter disguised as a mystery.

Not to worry. New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter gives readers full-fledged holiday whodunit suspense with twists, turns, and - no matter how superficial some may appear - characters with real depth.

When rival cozy fiction rising star Maggie Chase and the too-handsome thriller author Ethan Wyatt are whisked away by private jet to spend the holidays with their biggest fan and her family at an English country estate and it snows, it can only mean one thing - a locked room mystery to solve - when their host, the most powerful author in the world and Maggie’s idol, goes missing.

Maggie and Ethan team up to not only find the missing mystery maven but solve the attempted murder of another author at the holiday gathering. With suspects, motives and literary clues aplenty, not to mention watching the duo get to know and trust each other made for the coziest of romantic mysteries.

I highly recommend The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year to fans of cozy mysteries and romantic comedies. I received this advanced reader copy from Avon, courtesy of NetGalley.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year was so fun!!! I loved the locked room, knives-out vibes of this mystery. And the added romance was perfection.

Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt are both big time authors of mystery and thrillers, respectively. These rival authors both get invited to a mysterious Christmas house party at a English Estate, invited by none other than the mystery legend herself, Eleanor Ashley, a beloved author who has written 99 novels.

Both Maggie and Ethan are unsure why they have been invited to this particular house party filled with a random assortment of Eleanor’s family until a large storm blows through, the power goes out and Eleanor disappears. Then a true mystery begins to unfold.

I loved following along as Maggie and Ethan start to uncover family secrets as well as battle their growing feelings for one another!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this advanced reader copy! 5 stars!!!

Locked room mystery
Rivals to lovers
Cozy

What a fun and clever holiday book! It wasn't like most Christmas books I read, but I loved it. It covered so many different genres!

4.5⭐️
This was bloody brilliant. There was no dull moment from start to finish. I loved everything about this from the drama to the romance to the mystery.

It was entertaining and engaging. There is something for everyone- romance and mystery lovers will certainly enjoy this.

It follows the story of ‘arch enemies’ Maggie and Ethan, who were invited to visit a mysterious writer for Christmas. What follows are series of whodunnit incidents guaranteed to keep you vested in the plot.

The setting was superb and gave off eerie vibes even though it is a Christmas story. I enjoyed how the author balanced the romance and mystery aspects and how they coexisted without one outweighing the other.

I wanted Colin and Emily to feel exactly what they made Maddie go through and I didn’t like that there was nothing about them at the end.

This is perfect for mystery fans, romance and he fell first lovers.

What a cute little holiday romantic mystery! I have loved Aly’s writing since The Gallagher Girls and enjoyed The Blonde Identity. I loved the enemies to lovers, but were they ever really enemies? Also throw in a locked room mystery and it’s a recipe for success. I will definitely be recommending this to anyone who wants to read a quick holiday story.

Maggie and Ethan were both such strong characters and I enjoyed getting to reading in both their POVs. Maggie is a mystery writer who is a bit self conscious and a bit down on herself. Ethan on the other hand is very much self confident and extroverted. Their personalities instinctively clashed and they were actually pretty similar.

I loved the little flashbacks to when they first met and how their acquaintanceship developed. Also their bickering was on point. I really enjoyed how their relationship developed because it was pretty cute! I also enjoyed the whole is this a contest or is it real life. And the fact that Maggie and Ethan could work together despite their differences was perfect.

The mystery itself kept my attention and I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. Eleanor was such a funky character and I loved how her story turns out. I loved how the clues were in each of her books that held special meanings to both Maggie and Ethan. I totally didn’t guess how it turned out. I did predict who but not their motive.

What a delight! A little bit cozy ensemble mystery a la Clue or Knives Out where everyone is a little guilty, a little bit witty banter-broken people-rivals to lovers romance where they are meant to be, a little bit English countryside at Christmas - what’s not to love?

Eleanor Ashley, the most famous mystery writer in the world is gone. Disappeared? Kidnapped? Murdered? Nobody knows.

Yet.

But just before the fated event occurs, a group of relatives she’s invited to her mansion in England, along with rival writers and sworn enemies Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt, arrive ready to celebrate. Instead of eggnog and presents, they find poisonous plants and trapdoors.

When a storm takes out the bridge and power lines, everybody…acts like it’s no big deal? So Maggie and Ethan grudgingly join forces to figure out what’s happened to their favorite author.

What’s great about this book is that it’s surprising - and I don’t mean the mystery.

In fact the mystery at time feels a bit secondary. What feels front and center is the slow unraveling of the story of a woman who was gaslit by the only two people she had left in her life as she learns to trust herself again, along with an unexpected story about a seemingly charismatic, self confident man with scars both literal and figurative. Together they help the other find ways to embrace life again. And the romance is sweet to boot!

It’s full of banter, clues, and a wide cast of characters set against a holiday backdrop. And I found I couldn’t put it down!

It’s the last Wednesday of September, so it’s time for our regularly scheduled book review! I don’t know why, but September seems to be when a crap ton of Christmas themed books come out, so I gave in and decided to go festive. It’s still a cozy mystery, though. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter came out yesterday (the 24th) from Avon Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do it!

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year follows Maggie and Ethan, mystery writers at the same publishing house who can’t seem to get along. Maggie despises Ethan and Ethan is seemingly too cool to care. When they both end up invited on a mystery Christmas trip to an estate in England, they’re thrust together to solve a locked door mystery. Is it a murder? A test? A little of both? No one seems to know. But the situation forces both of them to face feelings and inner truths they’d rather avoid.

The plot. The mystery part of the plot was pretty straightforward. Locked room mystery turns into someone actively trying to murder people. The red herrings are other popular murder mystery tropes (someone embezzling from a little old lady, fake relative trying to get in the will, the butler who turns out to be much more, etc.). This book is basically every expected mystery storyline jammed into one story, but somehow it still works. It’s weird, but I liked it. I do see how some people could miss the clues to the actual baddie, though. A lot is happening, so if you’re a skimmer or a speed reader, you’re going to miss things. This is a book you really need to read word-for-word. The same can be said for the romance subplot. A lot is happening there too. It’s adorable, but also super creepy (I’ll get into that after I talk about the characters). Just plan to pay attention if you read this book.

The characters. I liked Maggie. Her growth and how she reconnects to herself is actually the best part of this book. She comes from a screwed up past and emotionally abusive relationship that has recently ended. She’s meek and unsure of herself, but by the end she is learning what kind of person she really is and she’s taking control of her life. Or trying to. The book doesn’t portray the process as easy and done within a few days. But it shows her working on it. Ethan has his own revelations, but he doesn’t really grow much from them. The other characters are fairly stereotypical with a few quirks thrown in. Some of them change, but they don’t get enough time on the page to become proper characters. They’re entertaining enough though, so that’s fine.

The creepiness. This was my only issue with the book. Ethan is fecking creepy. I know his intense love is supposed to be sweet and charming and endearing, but it’s really possessive and stalker-ish and covered in red flags. Especially when we start seeing things from his point of view. He’d die for her. He’d kill for her. Like, calm yourself, bro. You haven’t even kissed her yet. This poor woman has finally escaped a gaslighting, cheating, thieving narcissist and now she’s ending up with a possessive stalker? It doesn’t help that he gives off those vibes of “if I can’t have her, no one can,” so when she leaves him, there’s a 99% chance of a murder-suicide happening. So, yeah. I would say I’m just jaded, but I read enough creepy stuff to know the signs. I really enjoy the creepy stuff. But I prefer my creepy stuff to acknowledge that it’s gross, not to wrap it up in a thin veneer of “hey, this is what healthy relationships look like!” It’s really not. Remember kids… we want a Morticia and Gomez romance, not a Harley and Joker one.

The writing was good. It made for a quick and easy read despite the jam-packed plot. I didn’t have trouble putting the book down, but I also wanted to pick it back up again when I was supposed to be reading.

Ultimately, I enjoyed The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. It’s one of the better books I’ve read this year. Maybe even in the last couple of years. I’ll keep an eye out for more books by Ally Carter.

Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. If it weren’t for the creepy relationship stuff, I probably would’ve gone for 5 stars because I had fun with it. I still definitely recommend checking it out if you’re looking for a cute, Christmas-y cozy.

Mini Review

Just Three Words “Ethan Freaking Wyatt’. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter is a standalone. If you're looking for a mix between mystery, romance, and comedy this is the perfect book for you. Ethan might be one of my favorite MMC ever. I absolutely loved Ethan and Maggie's interactions. Once I started reading I didn’t want to stop and I was constantly laughing out loud. I haven’t seen knives out but the book description says if you like the movie you will love this book. I really loved the old movie Clue and this book gives me all those vibes but with a romance. I really couldn’t figure out who the culprit was & I had a lot of fun trying to figure it out along with the main characters. Some things I loved with this one Ethan Freaking Wyatt, the mystery, the butler, the unexpected plot twists, the perfect crime & the touch her and die scene!!! Some tropes included in this one are rivals to lovers, he falls first, an England setting, a holiday read, protective MMC, and a feisty MMF. Ally has written a lot of books but this one is written for adults. This book is what some might call closed-door. Some might call it low spice or fade-to-black.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year proved to be The Most Wonderful Gem of the Year for me!

This cozy mystery was everything I needed to break my reading slump so far! I mean, the blend of suspense and enemies-to-lovers romance could never go wrong, in my opinion. After reading this, I henceforth declare a new and possibly my favorite trope, "wanna make out?"

When writers Maggie & Ethan Freaking Wyatt are invited to England by Eleanor Ashley, the most powerful author of all times, all hell begins to get loose.

God, the romance here was everything. It was quirky, playful, sarcastic, romantic, swoony, protective, caring... and well, you get the point. Maggie & Ethan's backstories were drastic & traumatic in their own ways, and I loved they found each other when they needed each other the most. The flashbacks of their past encounters were very short-lived but so so so crucial to shape their lives in the present. Ethan was a huge green flag & everything he did or said made me fall for him even more. The romance felt giddy & safe & celebratory.

Not only the romance but the whodunit aspect was clever & entertaining as hell. As those twists & and turns, especially the ending... hello? I hope we get more of Maggie & Ethan cause I'm so not over them & won't be anytime soon.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When mystery writers Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt find themselves trapped in a house over Christmas with a missing woman and too many suspects, they don't expect to find love as well.

This is hands down my favorite read of the year!
Here's what I loved:

The romance with the mystery: Anything that combines these two things for me is a winner! Carter does this so well. You can tell there is a backstory with Maggie and Ethan from the get go and you really want to find out more about them. Their chemistry just works here.

The mystery: This is very Agatha Christie/Knives Out. You get a whole cast of characters who all seem to have some kind of motive. But at the same time, they are a bit over the top which leads to some good comedy moments. I loved locked door thrillers and this one is perfect. It's a mansion in the secluded English countryside with lots of secrets all snowed in.

Maggie: I adore her. She has such a tragic backstory that I wanted to cry for her a lot of the time. I also wanted to go after her ex and her ex-best friend. They are garbage.

Ethan: He cracked me up the entire time. I genuinely enjoyed his banter and silly one lines. Even when I knew they were coming.

All in all, this was a really great romcom mystery!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!