Review: The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
I don’t think I can accurately describe to you how excited I was to see this book on shelves after I learned about it last year. Ally Carter is one of the authors I credit for my love of reading and writing. I read her Gallagher Girls series as a teen and was fully obsessed with them. Now, Ally Carter has returned to my reading life with her first adult romance and I am THRILLED by this turn of events.
I had the best time reading this book. It was nostalgic in the sense that I was familiar with Ally’s writing and that didn’t. change, just the age of the characters. It’s so cool to read her writing again as an adult and it was. BLAST. This book is funny, swoony, and clever. It’s all the things I loved about Ally but grown up.
Even if you didn’t read her YA books, I think you’ll enjoy this book. It’s not closed door, but It’s not too spicy either. If you like a good heist and action focused novel, you’ll love it. And if you love romance, you’ll love it even more. Thank you Ally, for being such a huge part of my life as a reader and inspiration as a writer.
Synopsis:
“It’s the middle of the night in the middle of Paris and a woman just woke up with no memory.
She only knows three things for certain:
1. She has a splitting headache.
2. The hottest guy she has (probably) ever seen is standing over her, telling her to run.
And oh yeah…
3. People keep trying to kill her.
She doesn’t know who. Or why. But when she sees footage of herself fighting off a dozen men there’s only one explanation: obviously. . . she’s a spy!
Except, according to Mr. Hot Guy, she’s not. She’s a spy’s identical twin sister.
Too bad the only person who knows she’s not the woman they’re looking for is this very grouchy, very sexy, very secret agent who (reluctantly) agrees to help her disappear. Which is easier said than done when a criminal organization wants you dead and every intelligence service in the world wants you caught.
Luckily, no one is looking for a pair of lovesick newlyweds on their honeymoon. And soon they’re lying their way across Europe—dodging bullets and faking kisses as they race to unravel a deadly conspiracy and clear her sister’s name.
But with every secret they uncover, the truth shifts, until she no longer knows who to trust: the twin she can’t remember or the mysterious man she can’t let herself forget…”
What I Liked:
The Wit—Ally Carter’s writing is SO funny and sharp. It’s one of those books that makes you laugh out loud and swoon at the same time.
The Nostalgia—I grew up reading Ally Carter’s YA books and they were a huge part of my girlhood. They made me fall in love with reading and the book-ternet, as I used to check her website daily and message boards. I learned about what “optioning” a film means vs. actually producing a film. I reread them during the pandemic and they were a joy to return to.
The Characters—I LOVED Sawyer so much. And I enjoyed Zoe too! She was zany and perky and fun. It was just so much fun to read.
What Didn’t Work For Me:
A Little Short—I wanted MORE. It was less than 300 hundred pages, which is great to read quickly, but I feel like I wanted 50 more pages or at least an extended epilogue. I loved them too much to say goodbye!
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: Closed Door Overall Rating: 5/5
Content Warnings:
Violence, guns, blood—it’s a spy novel!