Mystery involving authors who write mysteries. Low spice romance. (Kind of) one bed and forced proximity tropes. Rivals to lovers.

Ok fine, I loved it. Branched out a bit from my normal romcom, and really started to question myself when the book had flashbacks (not usually a fan) and a cheating ex-husband (never a fan). But dang it… I ended up loving it!!! Great storyline and loved the main characters together.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year to come out September 24, 2024.

This is how you do a Christmas romance! If you are expecting spicy Hallmark that is not what this book is. While this book is closed door which is not my preferred for romance, there is so much else going on that it is not missed. The Christmas aspect has enough going on that you know what time of year it is but not so much that it feels cheesy. The love story is so lovely and very well done! Our FMC Maggie has been through so much and the MMC would die for her. Even though it the book is set over only a couple of days they have known each other for five years so there is a lot of history. My favorite part of this book is the mystery which has an Agatha Christie feel with lots of twists and turns throughout. Highly recommend!

I am obsessed with Ally Carter and everything she writes so I couldn't wait to start reading this book even if it meant reading a Christmas-centered story in June. It was everything I love in an Ally Carter book and more! The characters were compelling and loveable, the romance was tension-filled, the mystery was extremely tension-filled, the prose was comedy gold, and the setting was perfection! The whole story was so fun and yet still kept the stakes of a murder mystery! It was the perfect holiday mystery and I couldn't get enough of it! I am obsessed with this book and hope Ally Carter writes more murder mysteries!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Maggie and Ethan are rival authors who are come together for a huge author's Christmas party, which turns into a mystery when that author suddenly disappears. Maggie and Ethan are forced to team up to solve the whodunnit and along the way, explore their own feelings/relationship with each other.

Tropes:
Rivals to lovers
Reverse grumpy/sunshine
yearning/angst!!

Maggie and Ethan had a lot of depth to their characters. Especially with Ethan, I really liked getting to know what was underneath all his charm and sunny disposition, and I found myself liking his character more as I learned more about him. Maggie is also dealing with the effects of her past relationship. It was interesting to get Ethan's POV especially in the flashbacks where we see Maggie and her ex-husband's interactions - it really provided more context to Maggie's character. I love a good romance mystery and this was a perfect combination of both. Maggie and Ethan had good chemistry and there was a lot of yearning (I live for this!). Yes, he calls her Marcie, but once you find out why, it's cute.

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

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, except this reader giggling over Ethan & Maggie’s adorable banter in this “Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist, rivals-to-lovers romance-mystery”

If you like:
Christmas
Rick O’Connell & Evelyn Carnahan’s banter from The Mummy
Romantic Comedies
Knives Out
Agatha Christie
Rivals to lovers
Closed door romance
Fast paced books
Solving mysteries

You’ll love:
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

Maggie Chase likes Christmas about as much as Scrooge, but when her publisher all but forces her to accept a mysterious invitation to spend Christmas in England (all expenses paid) she thinks maybe this won’t be such a bad Christmas after all. Until she sees who her traveling companion is...Ethan freaking Wyatt. They are rival authors, and Maggie can’t believe she is going to be stuck on this vacation with him of all people.

When they arrive in England the pair discover they will be staying at the home of a prolific writer, Eleanor Ashley the Duchess of Death. Maggie is fangirling hard over Eleanor, she is her favorite author! When their host goes missing 2 days before Christmas and other dangerous events occur, the rivals must trust each other and discover the truth before they are the next victims.

During their investigation they realize that they might not actually hate each other as much as they thought. Which is scarier, big feelings or a murderer? Probably the big feelings.

This book was so much fun to read, the banter between Ethan and Maggie honestly had me giggling throughout. This was a fast paced mystery and full of twists. It was such a thrill to be kept guessing who was the real culprit?

The romance was a closed door romance, which I thought was a nice touch to this story. Stolen kisses, sweet sentiments, and professions of love was the cherry on top of this mystery romance.

I highly recommend this, especially if you are in a book slump. These characters will pull you right out of it!

Thank you NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager Publishers for the advanced Digital Copy. Thank you as well to Ally Carter for writing such a fun mystery. I truly enjoyed it. Publication date: 09/23/2024.

This book had a quick pace that made it easy to read and fun enough. There were some twists and turns throughout the story that kept my interest but overall the book wasn’t anything too special. I found it hard to connect with the characters but they were entertaining all the same. This is one of those books I would recommend as a vacation read as it doesn’t require too much focus but keeps your interest through the end.

Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt, two mystery writers who couldn't be more different. Despite their rivalry and constant bickering, they find themselves drawn into a dangerous game when the world-famous mystery writer Eleanor Ashley disappears on Christmas Eve. The story takes place at a secluded manor in the English countryside, where Eleanor has invited a group of mystery writers for a holiday party. Maggie and Ethan are among the guests, along with a cast of quirky and suspicious characters. As the weather takes a turn and the snow begins to fall, the group becomes isolated, and the tension mounts. When Eleanor vanishes from her locked room, Maggie and Ethan find themselves thrust into a real-life mystery. They must put aside their differences and work together to uncover the truth behind Eleanor's disappearance. Along the way, they encounter a series of clues and red herrings, each one leading them closer to the truth—and closer to each other. One of the highlights of the novel is the dynamic between Maggie and Ethan.
Maggie is the practical and intuitive cozy mystery writer, while Ethan is the action-packed thriller guy. Their contrasting styles and personalities create a lot of sparks and humorous moments. Despite their initial animosity, they gradually develop a grudging respect for each other and find themselves reluctantly drawn together. The isolated setting and the locked-room mystery create a claustrophobic atmosphere that adds to the tension. Carter does a great job of balancing the mystery with the romance, keeping readers on the edge of their seats while also providing plenty of heartwarming moments. Overall, this is a delightful holiday mystery with a touch of romance. It's a perfect read for fans of cozy mysteries, and crime thrillers. With its charming characters, engaging plot, and festive setting, this book is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. I highly recommend!

This book was adorable I love a good enemies to lovers with a side of locked door mystery. Also im obsessed with christmas so theres that. This cover was also really cute. I wish there were more christmas mystery books like this and I know I will be re-reading this around the holidays to get in the spirit.

Ally Carter delivers again! A cryptic invitation from your biggest fan, to spend Christmas in England, is to tempting to pass up for mystery authors. Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt are not expecting to meet one of the most popular and prolific authors of their lifetime, Eleanor Ashley, in this Christmas Locked Room mystery.
The snow keeps falling, creating the perfect setting for these mystery writers to figure out what happened to Eleanor and why they were invited to spend Christmas with strangers.
This rom-com is filled with snark and sarcasm and I loved every minute of it.

My favorite holiday book I’ve read. Ally Carter rom-com meets cozy mystery. I LOVED the characters in this. There were so many times I laughed out loud, but I also loved their growth throughout the book. You got great depth mixed in with some CLUE vibes that always kept you guessing. Definitely add this to your Christmas TBR. Thank you so much to NetGalley & the publishers for this ARC. I can’t wait to read it again.

I read this in two days. The only reason it wasn't one is because I started late and I read until I couldn't see anymore. I couldn't put it down. It's fabulous. It's fun. It's thrilling. It's funny. It's romantic. It's everything. Ally Carter has a way of writing fictional men that makes you fall in love with them and she has the audacity to write "Ethan Wyatt was...real. Imagine that." When, really, all we can do is imagine. Because he's not real. Maybe I should wait to write this review when it's not 2am...but I just finished and if I don't write it now I'll forget to write it. I know I'm at least a little biased, because Ally Carter is my favorite author, but there's a reason for that. And clearly she knocks it out of the park with every book I read. This book has everything you could want in a mystery, and everything you could want in a rom-com. I will also say I had my suspects picked, and in true who-done-it fashion I was both wrong, and correct, but oh so pleased. This book hits all the marks. I love it. 5 stars. I'm so grateful for NetGalley and arcs and Ally Carters.

Christmas and mystery? Be still my heart. This was so fun and simple but I loved it so much. It read like a romantic Agatha Christie but modern.

This was a delightful modern story that felt very Agatha Christie. I loved it so much! A country manor and a cast of characters that included the peerage, a Dr, lawyer, and mystery writers. Yes, please.

3.5 stars ✨⭐️.

I thought this book was a cute read, and I liked reading the development of Maggie. The story overall was fast-paced and a pretty simple read. I would recommend this book for those who are interested in stories from Agatha Christie and other cozy mysteries. 

Personally, Ethan's past didn't make sense to me, and his backstory could've used some more work, along with his relationship with his family. Also, the ending (no spoilers) was fine at parts, but I felt like it could've used some more elaboration. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC e-book.

Christmas came early for this reviewer of Ally Carter’s new book, “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year!” This charming rom-com murder mystery set in a mansion in the UK during Christmas is a delight of a book and a fun locked room mystery to try and solve.

When rivals Ethan Wyatt and Maggie (not Marcie) Chase, best selling mystery authors, are invited to the home of their biggest fan, they have no idea what they have gotten themselves into. All Maggie knows is that Christmas hates Maggie and she has survived a lot of awful Christmas seasons. This Christmas is shaping up to me another lonely holiday after having discovered her now ex-husband cheating with her best (and only) friend last Christmas, so it’s no surprise when Maggie agrees to spend Christmas in England with strangers on an English estate in a lovely old manor house (that is closer to a castle than a house). Unfortunately for Maggie, her biggest rival at her publishing house has also been invited on this trip of a lifetime. Worse than that, he’s like a walking male model with a charming personality and killer smile that only Maggie seems to see right through and who never seems to get her name right no matter how often she correct him. When their host disappears, the scene is set as these two enemies must put aside their differences and team up to try and find out who is trying to kill them, and why, before one of them ends up dead this Christmas! While a blizzard rages outside and the back story for the both the rivalry and Maggie’s dislike of the Christmas season unfolds, this romantic mystery takes a deeper dive into what it means to brave your fears.

This clever ode to Agatha Christie has all of my favorite things: a creepy castle, a crazy snow storm, a locked room mystery, a large cast of diverse characters who make great suspects, and enemies who know little about each other, but have to agree to set aside their differences if they are going to save themselves (and maybe each other) during the most wonderful time of the year. As a huge fan of cozy mysteries, I found this romantic mystery to be filled with lots of fun twists and turns, and also plenty of depth of character (and chemistry) for our heroes.

Ally Carter has always been a favorite author with my family, and I am happy to see that her writing has grown up with her target audience as she has progressed from books written for middle grade to YA to older YA and finally adult novels. I know I will be preordering copies of this one before it comes out on September 24, 2024 for the huge Ally Carter fans in my house. If you love Knives Out and classic Agatha Christie mysteries, this is one that you will definitely want to add to your book shelf too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Vogager publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year was exactly what I needed, the perfect marriage of a mystery that brought readers along in solving it and an enemies to lovers romance. Described in the blurb as reminiscent of Knives Out, I felt similarly in reading this, with a sense of fun in the locked room mystery.

Maggie and Ethan, both authors for the same publishing house, are invited to legendary mystery writer Eleanor Ashley’s home in England over Christmas. Very quickly on Eleanor disappears and has seemingly left them some clues around her disappearance, in addition to the ones they work to suss out while locked in her mansion during a winter storm. Other characters join the pair, from distasteful and mysterious relatives to outlier friends or friends of relatives. I loved the dynamic between our two main characters, their unusual backstories (both individually and around their relationship) and their interactions and conversations were fun to follow. The mystery wasn’t easy to solve (in fact it seemed like multiple mysteries) and the other characters were believable enough in their motives and the red herrings thrown that I wasn’t quite sure if I was right in the suspect (I was - but it was so much fun solving the mystery, and so hard to be completely sure, that it doesn’t bother me).

Highly recommended for fans of mysteries that remind me of the classics, and fun reads in which the romance organically develops.

Knives Out meets Ally Carter. This is one of the best mysteries I’ve read in a very long time. My only complaint: not a fan of closed door romance. But the plot was amazing, and I loved all the characters so much. There were so many great twists throughout.

Put aside that Ally Carter is an instant buy for me, and this was still a super fun read. I read it in one day and couldn't put it down. It has enemies to friends, he falls first and harder, and the all amazing “who did this to you?” line. This mystery rom com has something for everyone. I can't recommend it enough!

“𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙖 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙖 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣…𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙖 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩.”

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗:
Maggie writes cozy mysteries and Ethan writes thrillers, making them rivals in the industry. They’re both invited to legendary author Eleanor Ashley’s home for Christmas along with her family & friends, but just days before Christmas Eleanor vanishes. Trapped in a mansion where everyone has a motive, Maggie & Ethan have to work together to find Eleanor while trying to stay alive themselves.

𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎:

Rivals to lovers, attempted murder, snowed in & CHRISTMAS all in one book?! Part mystery & part romance, this book is seriously so.much.fun!

"𝙄'𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣."
"𝙏𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣?"
"𝙏𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪."

Maggie & Ethan are everything you want in rivals (enemies?) to lovers. Maggie lashes out & Ethan flirts - honestly it was giving me major Castle vibes! All I could think about every time Maggie gave Ethan a tongue lashing was “𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶!” because seriously Ethan was so far gone for Maggie.

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

I absolutely LOVED how everything in this story is unraveled, from Maggie & Ethan’s history to the mystery surrounding Eleanor’s disappearance. & the action seriously never stopped! I found myself on the edge of my seat, so much so that I binged this one in a day.

“𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀, 𝗜’𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗶𝗻.”

Maggie & Ethan were such a fun dynamic. There’s banter & teasing but also so much swoon & tenderness. I loved how their relationship unfolded as more about Ethan’s true persona is revealed & how a slight misunderstanding led Maggie to believe they were enemies this entire time.

“𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙤? 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧…” 𝙃𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙖 𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙.”
“𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧?” “𝙈𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪?”
“𝙃𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙖𝙣…”𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚. 𝙆𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙.’”

This book is witty and fun but will have you in your feels. There’s romance and swoon but also angst and thrills. There’s goosebumps and chills, but also such aching tenderness. Do yourself a favor and read this one!

𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:
▶Knives Out but make it a holiday rom-com
▶Mystery thriller with romance
▶She’s a cozy mystery writer
▶He’s former Secret Service turned author
▶I’m protecting you so I have to sleep on your bed
▶Let’s kiss so they don’t see us
▶Lots of leaning against doorframes
▶Touch her & die
▶“Stop being mean to me or Im going to fall in love with you!” vibes

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Tenía años que no leía a Carter.



Así estaba quedando mi reseña a la mitad del libro:
Maggie es escritora de misterios, no le gustan las multitudes, la invitan a una fiesta navideña de una celebre escritora a otro país y acepta a regañadientes porque tiene meses que no sale de su casa.
En las navidades le pasa cosas malas y cuando sus padres murieron cuando tenia 18 años dejó de gustale y festejar. Justo cuando murieron conoció a Emily (aka la rata traicionera 2) y Colin (la rata traicionera 1) y se volvieron mejores amigas, el su novio y posteriormente su esposo.
Hace un año que se divorció porque la rata traicionera 1 y la rata traicionera 2 tuvieron una aventura, se quedaron con la casa y con todo su dinero por lo que todavía no se ha recuperado.
No me gustó que desde el principio encontrara a Ethan atractivo si el era un tarado con ella.

Ethan es escritor, mujeriego, siempre llama a Maggie por otro nombre a pesar de que sí sabe como se llama, es carismatico y el tipo que se hace amigo de todos. A él también lo invitaron a la fiesta misteriosa.
Me cayó mal con su comentario: "No me sorprende que la hayan dejado" quería golpearlo.




Como ven Ethan me caí mal, no entendía que le veía Maggie, pero luego en la segunda mitad empezó a tener povs, todo cambio y se dieron muchas explicaciones de su comportamiento. En cuanto al romance la segunda parte es la mejor. No contaré más porqué ya dí muchos spoilers.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.