i had so much fun reading this book! the meta-ness of mystery authors solving a mystery was excellent, i'm not normally a mystery fan, but throw a romance in it, and i'm all in. the knives out with kissing marketing is absolutely spot on. i'd recommend this to any contemporary romance fan!

Ally Carter is an auto-buy for me and this book is no exception. What a fun Christmas mystery set in the UK with some romance mixed in! Highly recommend!

This mystery from Ally Carter was Clue meets Agatha Christie and they fall in love and have a romance baby. I ADORE this book. Maggie and Ethan are authors with the same publishing house - Ethan is the golden boy, while he never seems to remember Maggie's name and she trucks along to reassemble her life around her. After a missing invitation to a Christmas party (hello, Clue!) they need to set aside their differences to solve the disappearance of a legendary author.

I am in love with Ethan Wyatt. The end.

That could honestly be my review. He is a boy obsessed and I'm here for it.

But seriously - a 5 star read that's going to be perfect for the 'bers. The social commentary on gaslighting, believeing in oneself, and surviving his incredible. What seems like a low-stakes locked door mystery is a charming and poignant exploration into gaslighting and how you can write your own story and be supported through every step of the way. I'm still just in giggles over how much fun this was to read and I can't wait to get my hands on the physical copy.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the chance to read this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've never read Ally Carter before, but now I am a Fan. I can't wait to read more. I wish I could give this book 10 Stars. It's absolutely perfect. I will be recommending it to everyone this year.

Maggie is done with Christmas. She doesn't want to do anything but stay home and sulk until her Publisher hands her a Christmas Invitation. The Invitation ends up being from her favorite Author, the woman she aspires to be. The downfall is that she is traveling with someone she hates. Cue the Enemies to Lovers Trope. Done Beautifully.

Until her idol disappears from a locked room, everyone is now a suspect. Let the Mystery and Romance begin.

Thank You to Net Galley, Ally Carter, and Avon Publishin

I loved this book so much! If I could give it more than five stars, I would. It has everything I love but didn’t know I needed jam-packed into one delightfully fun story. There's a locked room mystery set in an English manor that's full of intriguing characters, hilarious situations that had me literally laughing out loud, and a swoony rivals-to-lovers romance. Yep, I was sold. What's not to love? I’ve been a big fan of Ally Carter since her Gallagher Girl books, and, I’ve gotta say, this is my new favorite.

Maggie and Ethan were so fun together. Their banter was hilarious. There was a definite spark between them, which had me rooting so hard for them. Maggie had a bit of a hard edge about her, but the more I learned about her and the more I discovered about her past, I understood her and was cheering her on. Ethan was a bit of a mystery himself. Very little was known about him, but I loved the slow reveal of getting to know him. I don't want to say too much, but, wow, what a swoony guy!

This story wasn't all laughs, though. I appreciated the fact that important and sometimes heavy topics were addressed.

I thought the mystery was excellent. I never knew who or what to trust. The ending was such a brilliant twist!

I need more books like this. I need more funny, mysterious, and suspenseful rom-coms. This was absolutely delightful, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

NOTE: There was a little bit of language, and while there was heavily implied intimacy, it remained behind a closed door.

I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

I received an arc copy of my first Ally Carter book and I am absolutely planning to read more of her books now. This book had great banter and was well written that I didn’t want to put it down. I was hooked on this story of Maggie and Ethan and the mystery they needed to solve.

I really enjoyed reading this so thank you for this arc copy!

I loved this. A Christmas mystery/romance is something I didn’t know I needed. The story with the mystery was great and i loved getting to watch an enemies to lovers romance blossom.

Accidentally stayed up way too late completely bingeing this book, and I loved it!! It very much has Agatha Christie// Clue type vibes, and I ate it up. Ethan and Maggie were so much fun and I loved their banter! For some reason, Maggie has hated Ethan. Can’t stand him. When they both end up invited to the same mysterious Christmas celebration, they’re forced to spend time together and we start to learn why Maggie has hated him. Ethan himself turned out to be such a big surprise, and I absolutely love that man. I really don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just leave it at the fact that there is so much more to him than most people realize, and between his backstory and everything between him and Maggie…my heart. But that’s just the two of them! The mystery itself was SO GOOD! Twists I didn’t expect, so many hidden clues, secret passages, the laughs and banter, someone trying to take out Maggie…*chef’s kiss* I loved it. It was everything I was hoping for after I read the description! Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a holiday rom-com/ mystery!

[ARC fromNetGalley//Avon and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review]

This !!!! That prologue wow. This is such a great book, funny , entertaining and definitely different. I like both characters they are hilarious together. The whole set was really good and well the mystery so good . Definitely recommending

This was a lot of fun! I feel like that’s going to be the most said thing about this book, but it’s true. Maggie is a writer that’s been more or less a recluse for the past year. So when her publisher insists she goes to England for Christmas, she reluctantly accepts. She when the flight takes off, her archenemy, Ethan, appears. He’s also a writer and is going to the same house party. Starts off with great banter between, and the whole enemies to lovers vibe was spot on. Throw in some unsavory characters, a missing beloved writer, some killing attempts, and a little mistletoe……you have yourself a fun Christmas romp.

I love a good murder mystery. This reminded just of CLUE, and I love CLUE. I really enjoyed the romance thrown at me and the fact that it was during Christmas makes it even better. I love how the couple talked about their traumas and opened up before just jumping into a relationship, their past and how they got to the place they are in.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter is an absolute holiday gem! Picture Knives Out with a dash of festive cheer, and you’ve got this perfectly blended rom-com mystery. Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt’s rivals-to-lovers banter is razor-sharp and hilarious, making every page crackle with tension and wit. The locked-room mystery involving the world’s most famous mystery author adds an irresistible twist, keeping you guessing until the very end. The snowbound mansion, quirky characters, and holiday vibes create the perfect setting for romance and intrigue. It’s clever, charming, and a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries and holiday romances.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

This was such an incredible, fast paced holiday read with twist after twist. While it has yet to be said whether this book will have a sequel, Ally Carter has the opportunity to pull a J.D. Robb with her romantic mystery series. I would absolutely love for Maggie and Ethan’s mystery-solving adventures to continue. I adored this book and can’t think of a better read to usher in the holidays.

J.D. Robb was my Eleanor Ashley growing up, but I consider Ally Carter my next as she continues the spark from her YA reads into the adult fiction space.

This was possibly the most fun read this year!
Huge thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for this
ARC.
This book is like ifScooby Doo, Clue, Agatha Christie, and Knives out had a baby. Throw in a dash of romance and a pinch of a "who did this to you" MMC and baby you got a stew goin. So fun, so so cute. I was gasping. I was giggling.
It was all too good.

This was such a good time!
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I’m so glad I applied for it.
Maggie Chase writes cozy mysteries and Ethan Wyatt writes thrillers, (I love books about books) they’re invited to a fan’s home for Christmas and the mystery begins.
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is a cozy little whodunnit with one of the best pining MMCs I’ve read in a long time. I think I fell in love with Ethan while reading this.
If you’re wanting a mystery but nothing too deep and serious around Christmas this is the book for you!

NO one absolutely NO ONE does banter like Ally Carter and I love every dang second of it!!! Fast pace and beautifully written this book will have you sucked in and enjoying the ride from beginning to end!! The character development and plot was written beautifully!!

I squealed when I got approved for an early copy. Blonde Identity was one of my favorite books last year, and The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year did not disappoint. I love Ally Carter's voice, and no one does banter quite like her. The story was fun, and kept me turning pages late into the night. Ally had several twists up her sleeves, and I was surprised several times!

What makes this book really shine though was the emotional depth. Ethan and Maggie were fully developed characters with complicated back stories. While a Romance, the book did not shy away from serious topics. The depictions of gaslight and verbal/psychological abuse in a marriage were so well done. My main disappointment was we didn't find out that Colin met a unfortunate demise.

Besides Colin not having an accident, the only other things I didn't love was the repetitive lines from Ethan about how he had to save Maggie, protect her, kill for her etc. I love a capable MMC, but it did make me cringe a bit. It was at least balanced out by him helping her find that she can trust herself. And call me greedy, but I also would have loved a little more detail on what their life looked like in the real world.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the eARC.

Ally Carter never misses! The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is about Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt, two rival writers who both accept a cryptic invitation to a Christmas party at the home of a reclusive fan. Little do they know, the world's most famous mystery writer Eleanor Ashley is the party's host. When Eleanor goes missing, Maggie and Ethan must team up to see if they can find the famous writer and make it back to the States in one piece. And, of course, it wouldn't be an Ally Carter novel without some romance sprinkled in there.

If you're looking for a feel good, fast-paced novel that will you leave you laughing at every turn and falling for a couple that feels real on the page in front of you, this is the book for you! I couldn't have loved it more!

I might be biased here because Ally has been one of my favorite authors since I was a kid, but she really, truly never misses. She's absolutely hilarious and knows how to immediately draw you into her stories. Ally introduces and teases things at the perfect moments, reeling you further and further in until you're about the teeter off a cliff, but before you do, she pulls you back just in time to reveal the answers you've been craving.

She also knows how to write banter better than any other author I've read. Her characters' dialogue never feels forced or awkward; it's very real and very funny. You can't help but love her characters and fall deeper and deeper in love with the enemies-to-lovers trope the more you read.

Her characters are dynamic and 3D on the page; Maggie and Ethan both are realistic characters with very real pasts that haunt them and eventually bring them closer and closer together. Maggie's experience with her ex-husband has crafted her into the woman we see in the novel; she is a woman who has been gaslighted over and over, morphing her into someone who questions herself at every turn. Meanwhile, Ethan's past with his family and his accident have shaped him; he is headstrong and caring, willing to do anything he can to protect the people he loves.

Throughout the novel, we see these two collide and begin to grow together, transforming Maggie into someone who can see and embrace confidence in herself and Ethan into someone who is able to grow with someone else and support someone else, helping him grow in turn. They both compliment each other so well, and together, they're able to speak their minds and create a future together that would be unthinkable with anyone but each other. (Plus, Ethan is the definition of a golden retriever boyfriend and I couldn't have loved him more for it).

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the Advance Reader's e-proof of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year! I can't wait to get a hard copy of the novel once it's released!

I had no idea what to expect. Ally Carter is a new author to me. Wow! I was blown away by this book! What a fun story. I loved Maggie and Ethan and loved solving this mystery with them. Do yourself a favor and read it. This is definitely one of my favorite books this year.

*The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year* by Ally Carter is a delightful blend of cozy mystery and romantic comedy that will keep readers entertained from start to finish. The story centers around two rival authors, Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt, who are as different as night and day. Maggie is the reigning queen of cozy mysteries, while Ethan is a big-shot thriller writer. Their mutual dislike is palpable, and the sparks between them fly as fast as their sharp banter.

The plot takes off when both Maggie and Ethan receive an enigmatic invitation to a Christmas house party at an English estate. The twist? The host is none other than Eleanor Ashley, the world's most powerful and famous mystery writer, known as the Duchess of Death. However, the holiday festivities take a dark turn when Eleanor disappears from a locked room, leaving behind a mansion full of snowbound guests and unanswered questions.

Carter excels in creating a fast-paced, atmospheric mystery that nods to classic whodunits while adding her own modern, humorous twist. The tension between Maggie and Ethan is electric, and their reluctant partnership evolves into a charming and believable alliance as they navigate the treacherous waters of the case—and their own feelings.

The snowy English estate setting is perfect for a holiday mystery, adding a layer of isolation and urgency to the plot as the weather worsens and the stakes rise. Each clue brings new twists, and the interplay between the leads adds a layer of romantic tension that fans of both mysteries and rom-coms will enjoy.

Carter's writing is witty and engaging, with a cast of quirky secondary characters that add to the charm of the novel. The mystery itself is well-crafted, with enough red herrings and surprises to keep readers guessing until the end.

In *The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year*, Ally Carter delivers a festive and fun mystery that combines the best elements of a locked-room puzzle with the warmth and humor of a holiday romance. It’s a perfect read for those who enjoy a clever mystery wrapped in a love-hate romance, all set against the backdrop of a wintry, snowbound mansion.