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.

So much fun! A holiday whodunnit on a remote English estate with a very generous helping of romance DURING CHRISTMAS! This was my cup of tea.
Mystery writers and rivals, Maggie and Ethan, are invited to an English estate for Christmas by their biggest fan. Maggie is not excited about sharing the trip with Ethan. She hates him, thinks of ways to kill him while she's lying in bed at night ("so, you're saying that you think of me in bed?"). Ethan is a quirky guy who couldn't be more thrilled to have this time with Maggie. He loves getting under her skin.
Their biggest fan turns out to be a prolific and famous mystery writer, herself. We're also introduced to a duke, a duchess, a lawyer, a doctor, a butler, a nephew, a long-lost niece, an inspector, and more. The game is afoot when the elderly writer goes missing,

Shots are fired, poison is discovered, and love is kindled. Can Maggie find out who has it our for her idol? Can she trust her arch nemesis? So much fun and intrigue, I couldn't put it down.

If you're looking for a fast-paced and fun holiday read, add this one to your TBR.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I honestly LOVED it!

I’ve trusted Ally Carter since the Gallagher girl series and she didn’t disappoint. I loved everything about this book, the murder mystery aspect, the romance, everything. The romance my god, it’s very obvious from the beginning that Ethan is in love with Maggie and has been for A WHILE. Maggie, girl open your eyes, that man loves you. The characters were great, I loved going along the ride to find out what happened. It was such a good quick read, I want to pick it up again in the fall and read it with the fall vibes in the air. Thank you NetGalley and Avon or Harper Voyager for the arc.

A little mystery. A little Christmas. A little romance. I plowed through this book and enjoyed every minute of it. Get cozy, settle in, and enjoy!


I voluntarily read an early copy.

Thank you Avon Books for the advanced copy!

While I liked some parts, majority of this is a no for me.

First - the romance was not believable at all. "I love you" after 2 days, and they barely even spoke in the 5 years beforehand??? Major insta-love on the MMC's part also. I just couldn't get into it.

Second - the twist of who the murderer is was so confusing because it came out of NOWHERE! I don't even know how the FMC knew all those details because I swear they were never mentioned to us (someone correct me if I'm wrong)

So overall, an easy and mindless winter read but not one I would recommend. Sad to say that because I've been looking forward to this for a while and I love her books.

There's no way, no universe, no reality in which you aren't the brightest star in the whole damn sky…
~
I know I say it all the time, but I have truly never met an Ally Carter book I didn’t love, and this one was no exception. An ode to Agatha Christie with a Christmas backdrop at a manor in England? What more could one ask for? I couldn’t put it down. Ethan and Maggie were a blast as our main characters. Maggie, aside from being so utterly relatable, was cunning and witty and so much more than she even realizes. Ethan is hilarious, I love his backstory and how he sees Maggie, and how he finally gets her to realize it as they follow their instincts to survive this locked…estate game. And Eleanor Ashley? Don’t even get me started, I adore the woman and we hardly even see her! Our cast of characters was rule of thumb in the best way, and the red herrings thrown in throughout were so plausible at times that they had me second-guessing myself. I absolutely loved the way that some of Ms. Ashley’s 99 novels were sprinkled in as clues for her biggest fan, and it just made my heart happy. This was just so well planned out and executed and it is truly a fun, makes you think kind of book that I cannot recommend enough.

I love a seasonal read and flew through this perfect cozy Christmas mystery set in England when the most famous mystery author Eleanor Ashley goes missing without a trace from her own home. Think Clue and Agatha Christie with a locked room mystery and add a rivals-to-lovers romance.

We meet Maggie the new queen of mystery author who has a heartbreaking traumatic past that has Christmas being her least favorite holiday and her rival Ethan Wyatt the big time thriller author.

Together these two make an entertaining crime solving duo with banter and chemistry that keeps you turning pages. Not only are they following clues to find Eleanor the Duchess of Death but Maggie is led to the truth about Ethan and where her heart is safest.

I loved seeing her growth as well as her finding out the sweet reason why he keeps calling her Marcie. It will melt your heart in the winter cold.

I really hope we get more books with this mystery solving couple!

The reason I didn’t give it 5⭐️ was because of the repeated lines like “do you want to make out?” and I couldn’t understand why Wyatt asked that so often and at the oddest of times as well as Maggie saying how much her and Wyatt hate each other. It interrupted their characterization for me and seemed unnecessary.

Read if you’re a fan of:
✨Rivals to Lovers
✨Forced Proximity
✨He falls first
✨Dual POV

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me my first opportunity to read an arc in exchange for a review.

5 ⭐
0 🌶️
Tropes- rivals to lovers, flashbacks


It’s 2 days before Christmas and all through the house, Eleanor has disappeared and no one can find her, not even the mouse.


When Maggie and Ethan accept a cryptic invitation to the home of reclusive, world famous mystery writer Eleanor Ashley, the last thing they expect to happen is to get caught up trying to solve her disappearance in the middle of a winter storm.


Oh man, this book was SO FREAKING GOOD. I was pulled into this book right away and essentially read it in one sitting. It’s a smart and funny whodunnit that kept me guessing until the very end (I only figured out 1/4th of the twist/ending lol)


The sarcasm and snark between Maggie and Ethan is hilarious, especially how he keeps calling her the wrong name and their chemistry leaps off the pages. Along with that, Ally Carter does an excellent job of balancing the mystery plot with the romance plot- I was so invested in their relationship


This book is funny, but heartfelt and deep. I can’t overstate what a satisfying read this was.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley, Killer Crime Club and Avon and Harper Voyager.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Murder meets romance in this quirky Christmas setting. It is a fun and witty story that combines the best of both genres. You will justr enjoy the lightness of the banner between the two main characters charming read to discover,

I adored this. A locked room mystery/romance with 2 great main characters that are even more fun working together. This was a charming and heartwarming story. The banter was top notch and the chemistry between Ethan and Maggie felt easy and never forced. Not to mention the unforeseen twists the story takes that surprised me many times throughout. This was a great time from the first page all the way to the last paragraph.
Thank you to the publisher for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Ally Carter can truly do no wrong and this book was a joy to read! Thank goodness she has come onto the adult book scene. This had all the suspense and character development that I wanted, while also devoting plenty of time to create a great romance as well!

My first Ally Carter did not disappoint! This was the perfect holiday murder mystery complete with an isolated manor in snowy England, a world famous author disappeared from a locked room, several attempted murders, an eclectic group of suspects, and a swoon worthy romance.

This was super fun & easy and I Ioved following along as Maggie and Ethan tracked down clues and set out to solve the mystery. The rivals to lovers romance was absolutely perfect and the banter was top notch. Ethan “I’m hot while I wield an axe” Wyatt was everything - shoutout to the “he falls first” and “touch her and die” tropes. My heart also really went out to Maggie as she worked through her past trauma. The only thing that would have made this better is a little spice.

I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a cozy, funny, and romantic holiday mystery!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.