I had the best time reading this book! It was such a fun, festive, and fast paced mystery! I loved the characters and how real they felt! And I loved following clues to make my own guesses!

I enjoyed reading this one, Ally is also a new to me author. Now I usually am a full spice girly but occasionally I read books where romance is the subplot. This would be one of those times.

Plot: We have the FMC Maggie and the MMC Ethan, they are rivals in the book industry. They both receive a mysterious letter and are offered tickets to England. They don't know though that they will both be in attendance. During a party at the mansion the host goes missing and Maggie and Ethan are forced to work together to solve the mystery.

Thoughts: This genre isn't something I seek out often, like I said previously I like romance to be the main plot point lol but this was still a very great read! It moved along at a quick pace and was easy to follow. I also loved how witty it was. If you like a book with mystery, banter and romance as a sub plot this is for you!

Posted to Goodreads: Maggie Chase is having a hard year but it’s starting to turn around. Maggie has been invited to spend Christmas at her biggest fan’s house. Maggie is whisked off to a proper English estate where she is thrown together with her archenemy, Ethan Wyatt. Maggie and Ethan are being recruited for a project with Eleanor Ashley, mystery writer legend and Maggie’s hero. Eleanor mysteriously disappears and Maggie is determined to find her, even if that means teaming up with Ethan and the new feelings that are starting to develop between them.

This book was just fun. The mystery was fast-paced with just the right amount of twists and turns. Maggie was a great main character, and her back story made her feel very real. Maggie and Ethan were perfectly flirty and their chemistry helped drive the story. The book was a great read and I can’t wait for Carter’s next book.

I absolutely loved *The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year*! It hit the perfect balance between mystery and romance, keeping me hooked from start to finish. The chemistry between Ethan and Maggie was undeniable—honestly, they were just so cute together. I loved watching their relationship grow and seeing how much they truly cared about each other amidst all the twists and turns of the plot. The suspense and the sweet moments were perfectly paced, making it hard to put the book down. I’m already thinking about rereading it! If you enjoy a good mystery with a dash of romance, this one's definitely worth picking up.

"Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers romance-mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.

The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room two days before Christmas.

Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt:

She's the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.

He's Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.

She hates his guts.

He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she's told him otherwise.)

But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.

That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.

She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?

As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth - and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.

Assuming they don't kill each other first."

Me, oh I can't wait to add the new Ally Carter to my bookshelf! Me, oh dear lord, that cover is horrible, I think I can just get a digital copy...

Loved this cozy mystery. I love Ally Carter books and I had a great time with this one
Can't wait for more by her
4 Stars

The holidays were never easy for Maggie, as the worst things seem to befall her during this season. When she receives an anonymous invitation to a fan's home for the holidays, she accepts only to find her arch nemesis, Ethan, also on the guest list. When the fan, renown mystery author Eleanor Ashley, goes missing, Ethan and Maggie must join forces to solve the mystery of the missing author.

This book was so much fun! Seriously! I had the best time watching this mystery unravel along side Ethan and Maggie, and I simply adored everything about this book.

Maggie and Ethan were fantastic! I felt very sympathetic towards Maggie and wanted to protect her given all that she had suffered. Losing her loved ones and then betrayed by the two people she held dear had to have been horrible. It's no wonder she was leery of Ethan. As her professional nemesis, Ethan was a popular and well-loved author who was stiff competition for Maggie. Their paths have crossed over the years, and it was thrill to read about those meetings via flashbacks. These episodes really helped me understand their dynamic and gave me so much hope for their budding romance.

I want everyone to pay special attention to Ethan because he was something special. He came off as a bit full of himself, but that swagger was hiding the "real" things about him. As the story wore on, more and more was revealed about Ethan. The man had layers, and he really won my heart via all those small, sweet things he said or did. Loved him!

I am not a huge mystery reader, but I had a great time watching this one unfold. He had twists and turns, and lots of action which kept the story building with the right kind of intensity. A locked-room, a storm, no road out - so many great mystery tropes were employed to make this a good one.

Overall, this was a delightful locked-room mystery that was filled with witty banter, a wonderful romance, and a great reveal. Since this is a holiday book, I will consider that epilogue to be my gift because it was the icing on the cake for me. Miles of smiles.The holidays were never easy for Maggie, as only bad things seem to befall her during this season. When she receives an anonymous invitation to a fan's home for the holidays, she accepts only to find her arch nemesis, Ethan, is also on the guest list. When the fan, renown mystery author Eleanor Ashley, goes missing, Ethan and Maggie must join forces to solve the mystery of the missing author.

This book was so much fun! Seriously! I had the best time watching this mystery unravel along side Ethan and Maggie, and I simply adored everything about this tale.

Maggie and Ethan were fantastic! I felt very sympathetic towards Maggie and wanted to protect her given all that she had suffered. Losing her loved ones and then betrayed by the two people she held dear had to have been horrible. It was no wonder she was leery of Ethan. As her professional nemesis, Ethan was a popular and well-loved author who was stiff competition for Maggie. Their paths had crossed over the years, and it was thrill to read about those meetings via flashbacks. These episodes really helped me understand their dynamic and gave me so much hope for their budding romance.

I want everyone to pay special attention to Ethan because he was something special. He came off a bit full of himself, but that swagger was hiding the "real" things about him. As the story wore on, more and more was revealed about Ethan. The man had layers, and he really won my heart via all those small, sweet things he said or did. Loved him!

I am not a huge mystery reader, but I had a great time watching this one unfold. The story had twists and turns, and lots of action which kept the it building with the right kind of intensity. A locked-room, a storm, no road out - so many great mystery tropes were employed to make this a good one.

Overall, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year was a delightful mystery that was filled with witty banter, a wonderful romance, and a great reveal. Since this was a holiday book, I will consider that epilogue to be my gift because it was the icing on the cake for me. All I can say is I was left with miles of smiles.

“Well of course I have his blood on my hands. ”
Here are reasons to read the Holiday Mystery book:

2 Mystery Writers - Maggie and Ethan are 2 mystery writers
Anonymous Invitation - who get an invitation from an anonymous source
Christmas Manor - to spend Christmas in a beautiful country manor
Missing Host - But the next morning, they find their host missing and need to solve the mystery

I went into this book thinking it would be a cheesy festive mystery. But I have to say, I was presently surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! Not only was the mystery so much fun to solve, but the backstory of these 2 authors and how they related to each other was very satisfying. If you are looking for a mystery to read in December by the holiday tree, this is a perfect one to add.

Maggie Chase, a cozy-mystery writer, and Ethan Wyatt, a popular thriller author, are both invited to the home of a mystery fan who they find out is none other than Eleanor Ashley, "The Duchess of Death," for a Christmas party. The night of the party, Eleanor disappears without a trace. Maggie & Ethan need to become allies (or more) to figure out what happened.

The banter in this book, as you'd expect from two writers, I suppose was witty, playful and so good. This is my first (I think) romance-including-mystery and I thought the author really made it work with the eerie at

Thank you to @Avonbooks @HarperVoyagerUS and @NetGalley for the advanced e-copy!
#TheMostWonderfulCrimeoftheYear #NetGalley #AllyCarter #holidayreads #bookstagram #advancedreads

What a wonderful Christmas time mystery with a little romance added in! If you're a fan of "Clue" and/or "Knives Out," you'd probably really enjoy this book. It's a "whodunit" centered around an eighty-one-year-old crime author's disappearance after she invites what seems to be a random group of friends, family, and other authors to her English country side estate around Christmas time.

The main MC's are Maggie (FMC) and Ethan (MMC) who have a love/hate relationship. Maggie is recovering from some crappy personal situations and gets the thrill of a lifetime when invited to the Estate of one of her favorite authors. Imagine her shock to see that Ethan was invited as well. What follows is a possible murder case during a blizzard where everyone is trapped together, but it seems only Maggie and Ethan are concerned about their missing host. Can Maggie and Ethan put their issues aside to follow the clues and possibly solve the case? Why does the house have so many tunnels? When is a decoration not just a decoration? And how DID Ethan receive that scar on his back?

I was sucked in from page one and couldn't put this book down until I finished. I believe this was my first time reading this author but I'll be back for more! If you're looking for something a little different to read this holiday season, be sure to give this book a look!

I really enjoyed this murder mystery romantic comedy (that’s a line I never thought I’d write) 😅. This is very inspired by Knives Out but it had the romcom element to it. This book has enemies/rivals to lovers which was done SUPER well, Christmas setting, whitty banter, comedic relief, excellent character development, and a great plot. I do wish we got some spice instead of a fade to black scene, but this book is certainly a mystery book first and romcom second.

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the pre-published digital copy of this book

oh Ethan LOVES HER loves her.
Eleanor Ashley is so freakin cool. I want to be her when I grow up.
please give me more Ethan and Maggie.
I know the not knowing how Eleanor escaped from her office is part of the book’s lesson, but I really need to know.

Give me ALLLLL the holiday books, I’m ready!! This book was the yummiest little holiday romance but with Knives Out vibes and I ate it UP! I can’t wait to recommend this one to my followers and customers!

What an amazing and refreshing read! Loved the grumpy sunshine dynamic of Maggie and Ethan. I would love to see a sequel.

4.5 stars

Well I loved every bit of that. A mix of murder mystery, whodunnit, romance and a Christmas story with an eccentric cast of characters. Loved both our leads so much as individuals and as the clue finding, mystery solving duo that I never knew I needed in my life . Maggie, was just wonderful. She was dealt a really terrible hand, and recovering from the kind of betrayal that makes it hard to trust yourself. I loved how she found her way back to who she was in this and that she was smart, brave, resourceful and relatable. Ethan was a swoon worthy male lead, gorgeous, smart and dealing with ghosts of his own. He was supportive, caring and encouraging to Maggie without question and gave her room to rebuild her trust in herself. The two of them were layered, had amazing chemistry and just played off each other so well. A cracking read 5 🌟

I was so excited when Ally Carter entered the adult fiction scene with Blonde Identity! I loved her books growing up and it was so fun to read a story she had tailored to an older audience. This book is perfect for fans of Knives Out. I loved Maggie and Ethan's adventure trying to get to the bottom of a mysterious house party. My favorite part was the chapters that dove into their shared history. I am a sucker for a flashback! This was a fun and easy read. It was nice to read a holiday mystery romance! Loved its uniqueness compared to other holiday romances.

One mystery writer named Maggie, and one thriller writer named Ethan are invited to Eleanor, the Queen of Mystery books house for Christmas. The only problem is, Eleanor disappears and Maggie and Ethan need to find out what happened to her before one of them gets killed…

I liked this closed door mystery. I never read from this author before but I would again. I really liked the chemistry between Ethan and Maggie, Ethan was a funny character. This book felt like the movie Clue with a little romance and I liked that. It was interesting how half way through Maggie became the target and someone was trying to kill her, I wasn’t expecting that. There were some clues about Eleanor’s disappearance, but I kind of wished there were more. I wanted to solve the mystery along with Ethan and Maggie, but I felt a bit disconnected to the mystery.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book gives lots of Knives Out vibes. It is master with a touch of romance that will have you on the edge of your seat. Maggie is the queen of cozy mysteries and Ethan is the king of thrillers. They are invited to a Christmas house party by the queen of mystery books. All they get from this Christmas party is a snowstorm, locked-room mystery, and Eleanor’s unexplained disappearance. This was the perfect display of forced proximity allowing the characters to discover that they are in fact not enemies. This book is full of intrigue, romance, and the right amount of Christmas magic.

4 stars!

I really enjoyed this! I have not read Ally Carter's other book, so it was very fun to be introduced to her writing and characters. I thought this was a very fun locked room mystery, and the added Christmas element was even better to read even though it's only September. The atmosphere of the cozy UK countryside was so fun to read about, and made me want to be there as well!

Maggie and Ethan were great characters both individually and together, and I did really feel their chemistry. I always love reading books about authors. My only cons were that I did think it was a little cheesy, and all of the background characters felt a little irrelevant (besides being potential suspects).

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have always been a fan of Ally Carter and this novel is a quintessential “Ally Carter” novel. I’m not the biggest fan of holiday themed novels (it always brings “hallmark” to mind, honestly), but this novel made a liar of me. The way Carter writes is witty and clever. The twists throughout the novel kept me on my toes for the entirety of the story; it’s not very often that I have no inclination as to how the novel will end. I didn’t think the knowledge of poisonous plants would be one of my favorite traits of a written character, but again Ally Carter proved me wrong! This story will stand out wonderfully against all the holiday books.