Ok, so The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by @theallycarter was an absolute delight.

It has Christmas. It has romance. It has frenemy mystery authors solving a real life mystery. It’s a funny, poignant Agatha Christie-style whodunnit with just the perfect amount of spice! Kinda like if Knives Out was a romance.

No notes. 10/10. It was pure fun, from start to finish.

I absolutely loved this book the whole way through! I loved that we got a mystery along with a romance and both were major plot points not overshadowed by the other! I always love a rivals to lovers and forced proximity romance so getting both of those tropes was amazing! Also loved the fact that he fell first so long ago, and has been waiting for her for years. The romance between the two main characters was amazing and they had such an amazing connection. The mystery aspect kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and I didn’t see the end coming at all!

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! It was the perfect enemies to lovers with a dash of mystery! Very well written and detailed it had me captivated I finished it in a day

I love Ally since her first book, she’s a local Florida author so I may be biased but her books always really do it for me. But if you love mysteries and a cute, cozy Christmas read, this is the book for you.

“You know, if mankind has one universal superpower, it’s gaslighting women into thinking they’re the problem.”

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is a fun Christmas mystery rom-com that is perfect for cozy winter nights with a blanket and a mug of hot chocolate.

When cozy mystery writer Maggie Chase accepts an invitation to spend Christmas at the English estate of a mysterious fan, she didn’t know the days to follow would involve her favorite mystery writer disappearing from a locked room, multiple murder attempts, and time spent with Ethan Freaking Wyatt.

This book reminds me of the Hallmark movies I watch with my family every holiday season and a little bit of Knives Out (a favorite of mine!). Although the development of the romance felt a bit rushed to me, I still enjoyed seeing Maggie and Ethan’s relationship change as they race to follow the clues. From the very beginning, we are already introduced to their one-sided rivals-to-lovers dynamic, and Maggie’s internal commentary on Ethan is so funny. But, before that, what stood out to me was the book’s dedication: “If anyone has ever tried to gaslight you into thinking you’re the problem, congratulations! This book is for you.” This really proved to be true, and I liked how Maggie slowly grew into her confidence. (I’m also absolutely ready to hunt down Maggie’s ex.)

Idk why it took me 10 years to read this it was cute and a fun holiday read. Should be on KU, missing out by not

4⭐️ huge shoutout to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an arc of this book. I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was cute, engaging, structured very well, and incredibly entertaining. I really fell in love with the characters and was rooting for them the whole time. I also love the whole mystery element and the clue finding, thought it was so fun. The only reason why this book wasn’t a 5 star read for me is just because there were a good amount of characters and I would get a bit confused on who’s who. Also, some of the clues went completely over my head so I feel like that part wasn’t super fun for me simply because I wish I would’ve understood how we got there. But overall, highly enjoyed and would definitely read more from this author.

This is an absolute stunner of a holiday book! It’s got all sorts of genres inside it, but Carter manages to keep everything together and intelligible. That’s no mean feat. I had an absolute blast while reading, trying to solve the mystery and watching sparks fly between the main characters.

Not usually a romance fan, but this was a very fun Romantic Cozy Mystery! I really enjoyed "The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year" and it being the holiday season, it was a perfect quick read. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon publishers for the ARC.

This. Book. Is. So. Fun.

Like just pure entertaining fun! If you love enemies to lovers romcoms AND murder mysteries like Knives Out and Clue AND an Agatha Christie locked room setting - THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!

I enjoyed every single minute of this adorable, entertaining, thrilling book and highly recommend to read cuddled up with a warm drink, under a cozy blanket, sitting by the fire!

The ONLY thing that bugged me was this thing that always bugs me in romance books - what man calls a woman "sweetheart" constantly? For some reason, it just feels icky to me and makes it seem like the man is the big hero and the woman is the cute little sweetheart who needs saving. But that's a little thing and it's a me problem that I have in a lot of books.

But that tiny detail didn't keep me from loving this one! Highly recommend!

Two bestselling writers - who happen to be nemeses - find themselves in an English castle at the invitation of the greatest mystery writer alive. Except she's gone missing and now they have to contend with her disgruntled family members, a poisoning, and multiple attempted murders.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year was a super fun and wild ride, combining romance with a modern-ish take on on Agatha Christie vibes. Maggie and Ethan have excellent banter, and an enemies-to-lovers arc that isn't what it seems. I loved seeing Maggie regain her self confidence, plus the highly relatable joy at being able to meet your hero and having her be just as cool as you always hoped. Overall, a delightful holiday romp that breezed by!

4.25/5

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!!

i held off on reading so i could enjoy this during the holidays and i’m so glad i did! this was such a fun and cozy mystery, and i really enjoyed the dual narration💗

🎄Book Review🎄
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Summary-
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.
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Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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My thoughts- This was the perfect way to kick off my holiday reads this season! A fun combination of thriller and romance, with lots of drama. I enjoyed the characters but at the same time I really wanted more from this. It had the potential to go deep, if Maggie’s divorce was more resolved it would have been great. It was a good enemies to lovers, but it could have been even better if the characters had a bit more depth.
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QOTD- Any fun weekend plans ?! We’re getting our Christmas tree tonight and decorating then going on a nice little date night this weekend 🥰.

🌲The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year - Ally Carter

4.25 ⭐️ - Oh I liked this !! This is a fun mystery that takes place around Christmas and has romance. This was short, exciting, and cozy for all the winter vibes! This one is all over bookstagram right now and rightfully so.

Maggie Chase is a big time cozy mystery author. Ethan Wyatt is a famous thriller author. Maggie hates Ethan and he thinks her name is Marcy. But when both of them accept a cryptic Christmas invitation, neither is expecting it to be from the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself. The next night the weather turns, the snow builds, and Eleanor is gone. As the storm gets worse and the stakes get higher, every clue in Eleanor’s disappearance brings Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth… and also each other.

I loved the premise of this book. I was so into the mystery authors solving a mystery! This was funny, fast-paced, and took lots of twists and turns. Was there a lot of characters though or was it just me? I loved the crossover connections between our main characters pasts and present and how it brought them together, not only romantically, but professionally to solve this murder mystery. I enjoyed listening to this one - short chapters! - so I definitely recommend the audio! Try to pick this one up soon before the holiday season is over. It’s perfect to mix up with those hallmark love stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC! I love everything Ally writes, so I was thrilled to read this. And it DID NOT disappoint! I laughed, I cried, I HAD to know what happened next. Everyone needs to read this book!

4.5

Setting: UK
Rep: n/a

Knives Out is one of my favourite films of all time so I leapt on this book the moment I saw Knives Out as a comp. I love a mystery, I love books about authors, and turns out I really enjoy a romystery. Move over, romantasy, there's a new bitch in town.

Ally Carter and I go way back, all the way to my teen days. Her adult offerings of late have kept me going. So imagine my enthusiasm on coming across a new adult novel by Carter, one just in time for the holiday, brimming with hijinks.

Romance is a genre that embraces it's tropes but sometimes this comes across too-too. I especially find this to be the case with holiday romances. Carter manages to perfectly blend romance and mystery in this fun locked room story of two mystery writers trapped together for the holidays.

Ethan and Maggie jump off the page and I could not put The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year down. This would be a great title to gift to those in your life who enjoy a good romcom but aren't necessarily romance readers. It was fun, sweet, and perfectly paced.

Rating: 5 stars!

What a cutie little mystery with Knives Out vibes. Two authors who hate each other are invited to a strnage home for the holidays. Someone goes missing, someone is almost murdered, and rogue events start happening in the old house. A quick read!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyagerfor an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A new twist on the locked room mystery! Loved this! Eleanor is a force, Maggie(Marcie) and Ethan are phenomenal! I loved everything about this clue like mystery rom com!

this was so much fun! We’ve got a snowed in/locked door mystery set at Christmas time. The MCs are rival mystery writers trying to solve the case of the author who inspired them!! It was bingeable, short chapters, and a closed door romance. We love our leather jacket guy!! Will be recommending to anyone who wants a holiday read that isn’t hallmark-y!