If I could give this book more stars, I absolutely would. Maggie and Ethan had me kicking my feet up and cheering for them every step of the way.

Maggie and Ethan are both writers who have been invited to Eleanor Ashley's (Maggie's idol) UK mansion for Christmas. Joining a fellow writer, Eleanor's family, and a detective, the group not only has to worry about finding Eleanor, who's gone missing but also figure out which person in the group is involved in her disappearance.

I DEVOURED this book, it has mystery, murder (possibly), Christmas, and books within a book! Ally's writing style was lighthearted mixed with comedy which was easy to read and enjoy.

This book is so much fun. I adore the idea of a romance mystery or a mystery romance with locked room and missing person tropes alongside enemies to lovers and only one bed tropes. Add in Ally Carter’s witty banter and knack for making everything connect in clever ways, and this book brings a fresh take to the classic romance and mystery genres.

In addition, this book utilizes character backstory really well, giving Maggie and Ethan a history that makes the short timeframe of the story work for their romance. I love the use of flashbacks and even the jumps into the “aftermath” interrogation scenes to help frame what happened. All of it was super cute.

My only hang up is that it felt a bit repetitive in some places and it seems a little bit over-the-top cheesy. But I had way too much fun to care if it was unrealistic or if Ethan’s initial personality was a little too much. I also don’t know if I could have figured out who was trying to kill Eleanor Ashley since everybody trapped in the mansion had good motives, but I enjoyed following Maggie and Ethan on their adventure around the mansion and the grounds as they tried to figure out what was really going on. The short chapters make it so easy to just keep reading.

Overall, this book is a fun, holiday-themed story wrapped up with a little bit of romance and a little bit of mystery. If you like Ally Carter or stories with all of the tropes, this one's for you.

4 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for my ARC

This is an incredibly fun Christmas mystery. It’s a romance mixed with Knives Out, set in an old British manor. The main couple (they hate each other, we love it!) are both authors and invited on a mysterious trip. Turns out their host is the most prolific mystery author of their generation, and the other guests are a smattering of relatives and acquaintances— and then their hostess disappears.

I don’t feel like this necessarily had to be a Christmas book but it was a fun setting. The mystery was a bit complex at times with a lot of components and players, but I certainly didn’t guess the ending (and honestly, not sure anyone could).

Definitely an enjoyable, cozy mystery!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Maggie is not a fan of Christmas. Her marriage hs ended and she is at a crossroads in her life. She goes to England, and learns that the owner has gone missing. This book kept me guessing.

This endearing locked room murder mystery, set in a UK house during the Christmas season, is a delight to read and solve. I have to admit that this is one of the best mysteries I've read in a very long time. It was a fascinating story that felt very Agatha Christie but in the modern settings!

Though lighthearted and entertaining, this novel will make you feel things. The writing was well-done, and the atmosphere was slightly eerie. Both mystery and romance fans will find everything they're looking for in this book.

The romantic touch here is the chef's kiss! In the process of unraveling this mystery, rivals Maggie and Ethan turn into unusual allies and develop a relationship that is so well developed that it seems so natural. I cherished their back-and-forth banter and I really enjoyed reading about their feelings for one another.

And Ally Carter writes fictitious men in a way that makes you want to fall in love with them. Ethan is such a fantastic guy! I admired how he could assist Maggie in discovering her true self.

It was the perfect holiday mystery, and I could not get enough of it! Though it was my first book by Carter, it won't be my last.

I was honored to be selected as an e-ARC reader for The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. I am a sucker for a holiday rom-com, so the minute I read the description and read it was about rivals locked in a mystery, I knew I had to read it. Ally Carter does NOT disappoint. I read this book in one day (only stopping when I had to since I am on vacation). The writing and banter was smart, the flashbacks gave us perfect backstories where needed, the police interviews mixed throughout brought humor to the story, and the dual POV was done right - we only started getting the male POV at Chapter 35 at a pivotal scene from the past. The mystery was twisty and turny and kept me on the edge of my seat and seeing it through the eyes of a mystery writer added to the intrigue. The romance was behind closed doors, but the burn was still there. I think this will be on the favorite holidays books for 2024 and cannot wait to re-read it and make my friends experience it!

A fun little fever dream.

Maggie and her writing nemesis, Ethan, are both asked to spend the holidays at a secret location by an anonymous person. They’re both mystery/thriller writers for the same publisher. All they know is their biggest fan has asked them to spend the holidays at a mansion.

It’s third person, predominantly single POV, with then/now timelines and a few chapters in his perspective. Short chapters, and quick writing.

The pair have to navigate this chaotic house. They’re snowed in, there’s a missing person and attacks on the writers. It’s a whodunnit that kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

This was an adorably fun cozy mystery. I'm a sucker for a book involving authors and this one takes you on a journey.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Ally Carter for an ARC of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. I am obsessed with this book! It was the perfect mystery, rom-com, holiday book that needs to touch all mystery lovers eyes this season. I loved the Knives Out aspect and the enemies to lovers. I felt the “wanna make out” was a little overdone, but otherwise I loved the enemies to lovers aspect and the journey that Marcie/Maggie and Ethan went on (and also would love to see this turned into a movie to see who would play Ethan). I loved how Maggie grew in her character and Ethan’s many new expressions lol! It was definitely the most wonderful crime of the year.

Maggie and Ethan are on a plane to England for Christmas and their host, Eleanor Ashley, at her exclusive twenty thousand acre English estate. But wait - Maggie and Ethan hate each other. Maggie is a cozy mystery writer and Ethan is a big shot thriller writer. Ethan can’t get her name right and Maggie doesn’t leave her house much, especially for cryptic invitations but she made an exception this time. Once they arrive and meet their host, the weather takes a quick turn - the bridge goes out and they lost cell reception. Oh and also, Eleanor Ashley is also missing. She’s completely vanished from a locked room. Maggie wonders if this is a test or if Eleanor is actually in danger. Maggie doesn’t know who she can trust especially in this situation. Odd stuff starts going on and Maggie and Ethan start finding clues and they must work together to solve what happened to Eleanor Ashley without killing each other first.

So stinking cute!! I absolutely adore this book! Such a cute cozy romcom/ mystery. I fell in love with Maggie when she mentioned her purse book and napkin cheese! Ethan was also prefect easygoing golden retriever MMC, but with layers. I throughly enjoyed all the characters throughout this story. The plot was nice and engaging and not too obvious of a crime that you solve it right off the bat.

Thank you to Netgally for providing this ARC.

I received an ARC and flew through this book once I started it. It was so fun and such an easy read.
I loved the mystery aspect and that the main characters both were writers in the mystery/thriller genre. The romance was cute and added to the fun of the story. Overall just a great read. Definitely add this one to your want to read shelf if you haven’t already!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC. This was one of my most anticipated reads for the year. This book was everything I wanted it to be. The rival to lovers, the banter, the mystery. I read this in one sitting. Once I started, I couldn’t stop until it was over and I’m so happy that I did.

Ally Carter does it again! I loved the Blonde Identity so I had to pick this one up. It made me laugh out loud in so many places from the first chapter. Definitely read this book you’ll love the romance and adventure.

Will this review have spoilers? Perhaps!!




“You know, if mankind has one universal superpower, it’s gaslighting women into thinking they’re the problem”


This book has everything to take me right out of a book slump: major twists and suspense, well developed characters, a bit of humor, and romance!! Need I say more?

Ugh, this book was so great. I loved Ethan and Maggie together. I highlighted many of Ethan’s lines, like…

“I could always pick you out of a lineup”

“There’s no way no universe no reality in which you aren’t the brightest star in the whole damn sky”


“This is the moment where you trust yourself”

And also the whole backstory to him calling her Marcie absolutely slayed me. The chapter from his point of view when he described it as their first inside joke. Ugh, my poor little heart.

But beyond the romance (which I loved obviously!) the true triumph of this book for me was how details were woven throughout. We are following the disappearance of Eleanor Ashley, so I was trying to note every detail, but even doing so, I was in awe of the way the details were woven together in this book.

For example, the callback to the story of the missing girl coming later on at the end of the book was a total surprise. I didn’t find Dobson being the criminal to be too surprising, but how details came back into focus just at the right time was unexpected and really exciting for me as a reader.

Honestly though, if you enjoy romance and a thriller/ suspense novel, you should give this a read! The writing is so well done and the story keeps you interested, waiting to see how each piece will fall into place.


Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

I received an E-ARC for reviewing.

Ethan and Maggie are both writers and have a complicated relationship. Still, they get invited on a secret getaway to England. They must deal with each other during the holidays and solve the mystery of what happened to mystery author Eleanor Ashley.
I enjoyed Maggie and Ethan's banter and loved the idea of mystery and thriller authors trying to solve a real-life mystery. The way they both looked at the clues and bounced back and forth between ideas was amusing and allowed us readers to understand how mystery writers think.
The side characters were also interesting, and they kept you on your toes. You try to figure out their motives for being there throughout the book.
The one thing I would critique is that one character was initially called Freddy Banes but, in later chapters, was referred to as Teddy. I may have missed something along the way, where the name change was purposeful.

Overall, I thought the book was excellent and recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery!

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I was so happy when Ally Carter came out with her debut adult The Blonde Identity so I was even more thrilled to see her come out with a locked room-esque holiday novel as her second book. This was romantic, funny and fast-paced with a great mystery. I loved her play on classic mysteries while also keeping it fun and fresh. The romance that blooms was absolutely swoony, but also very real. I appreciated that the characters had flaws, but communicated about them together. This was the perfect mix of cozy mystery and romantic comedy for me. Keep 'em coming Ally! Definitely recommend reading during any season!

I had so much fun reading this mystery, which had everything, from a locked door mystery, poisoning, motives, laughs, romance and much more. Maggie Chase really loathes Ethan Wyatt; they are both mystery writers but in different genres. They constantly bump into each other at events because they are part of the same publishing house. Maggie and Ethan were given a mysterious invite to spend Christmas at an unknown destination. Maggie’s agent Deborah feels that this trip could change Maggie's career. Maggie then finds out that Ethan has also been invited and then is when the adventure starts. The first surprise is that Maggie and Evan have been invited by Eleanor Ashley, a famous mystery writer call the Duchess of Death to her home for Christmas. The next morning Eleanor goes missing last heard from the night before in her study. Maggie is Eleanor’s number one fan and realizes that this might be a game for them to solve and that Eleanor has left clues for them to find but then it becomes deadly when someone is poisoned, and Maggie gets shot at. We have a little romance, suspense but no dead bodies. Have a few laughs, enjoy a light mystery with some great twists. I highly recommend adding this to your reading list.

What a fun whodunnit!!! What drew me to this was the marketing as a Knives Out rom com but it was even better than I anticipated.

"You know, if mankind has one universal superpower, it's gaslighting women into thinking they're the problem."

The characters: Maggie feels so real and relatable. My sister and I call each other "Murph" (like Murphy's law) because anything that can go wrong will go wrong and Maggie is absolutely a Murph. Being a Murph as a woman also comes with the territory of making yourself as small as possible, apologizing for things you have no business apologizing for, thinking you're never "____" enough, and that you're destined for disappointment. Seeing Maggie become so much more than her self-reflections and develop into a much more comfortable and confident FMC was all consuming. It's hard not to root for her every step of the way or be frustrated by her self doubts. I think we've all been there at some point. Now, Ethan! Helloooooo dream man. The perfect complimentary companion to Maggie. They bring out the best in each other. The reveal of when he caught feelings and why he called her Marcie had me clutching my chest over his pining. His backstory, his mask of survival, his instincts, I adored him. Then there's Eleanor - all I could picture while reading her was a mix between Angela Lansbury's Jessica Fletcher and Julia McKenzie's Miss Marple. And of course the cast of suspect characters fit the bill perfectly.

The story: Spot on with the Knives Out marketing but the real fun is that this played out like a game of Clue! Every step of the way I'd have moments where I'd say "It's Cece in the greenhouse with the candlestick!" - or something of that nature. The writing is light and fun, the pacing is fast, the banter is good and witty, and the plot/story are entertaining.

Thank you so much Avon (Avon and Harper Voyager) for the eARC - every time you guys approve me for a request I know it's going to be a good one! Thank you Ally Carter. for letting me read your words, you have a new fan!

(Will update with social posts shortly)

Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be real honest. The cover and title got me here. I am not normally a cozy mystery fan. This book, however, may have changed my mind.
It was such a fast-paced, fun, silly, goofy time.
The romance was adorable, but it didn't overshadow the mystery. I also love books about authors, and we got so many characters in this book that were.
This is such a great holiday read, I highly recommend you check it out!

Do you love Christmas cozies? Enemies to lovers? The movie Clue? If you answered yes, you’re going to enjoy this book. Support your local library by placing a hold today or pre-order from your favorite bookstore!

Rival authors Maggie and Ethan are in for the surprise of a lifetime when they accept an invite to spend Christmas with their biggest fan. Upon arrival, they discover that their host is none other than The Duchess of Death, best-selling author Eleanor Ashley. During a snow storm, Eleanor goes missing leaving Maggie & Ethan to find her while her family searches for her will. Did Eleanor go missing as part of a game it is something more sinister afoot? You’ll have fun following the clues to find out!

Thank you NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for an arc of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year; all opinions are my own.