I’m not going to lie…. I had to attempt to read this twice. The very first time I tried reading with my eyeballs, but the language in the first police interview had me rolling my eyes. I didn’t think I was going to make it all the way through. But then I said, “Don’t DNF it, just get the audio.” So I did. And let me tell you, it made a world of a difference.

Ok so I first added this to my TBR because it had a Knives out comparison. And that is my 4th favorite movie of all time. (First 3 belong to the Rush Hours lol) Anyway, after that, I had to at least try again. So I did. So when I got the audio, I was fully prepared to not like this. But since I listen to audio at 3x’s the speed, I was able to get past the cringe part really quickly. And once I got to the actual part where the drama begins, it turns into a whole different story.

I try to always go into a book not really knowing anything about it. And this one was no different. All I knew about it was the cover was great, Knives Out was mentioned in the synopsis before I stopped reading it, and there was a holiday mystery. So basically I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I finally started reading this. But it was so good. I have read at least 3 locked room murder mysteries this year and I don’t think I enjoyed any of them as much as this one. The mystery itself is so good! A highly acclaimed author goes missing from a locked room. It’s weird because the only people in the house are some of her family members as well as two people she invited. Who just so happen to also be authors. And rivals at that. It gets really interesting when they realize that they might be looking for clues that the missing author has left behind and they have to work together to find her. It was intriguing enough for me to say “wtf” at some points and I had to rewind some other parts. And I also remember sitting down and trying to talk out how she was able to get out of that locked room. I was so confused! And I guarantee you will get the ending wrong. I was actually shocked by the ending. And that hardly ever happens.

As for the romance, I wasn’t exactly sold on it. Like ever. But then again, I’m an enemy to lover hater, so I would have been cussing her out for acting like that to me. But I know that’s just a me thing. I know there will be some people out there that are ok with that so I won’t be too critical. It just wasn’t believable for me. Now when they got down to it and they were starting to fall for each other, I thought their flirting was ok, but the way they were going to hard when they finally made it and it felt over done. But I was happy with the ending when we finally got all the answers.

Idk how to talk about this book without spoiling anything, so I’ll just I really enjoyed it. If you’re going into it looking for something that has a lot of emphasis on Christmas, this isn’t going to do it for you tho. If you’re mainly interested in the mystery, I say get into it. It’s going to Take you away to an estate out in the snow!

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, this book blew me away.

Maggie and Ethan are mystery writers. Ethan is more of a James Patterson, and according to Maggie more of a, "Leather jacket guy," author, writing action packed mysteries. In contrast, Maggie writes cozy mysteries, her latest series centering around a feline. The two seem like polar opposites in the beginning, and where Ethan is the flirty, extroverted, life of the party, Maggie would rather be reading from her purse book. When a surprise adventure brings the two to the same mansion for Christmas, they must work together to try to solve a disappearance, putting their extensive knowledge of crime to use.

There are so many things to love about this book, mainly the humor, depth, romance, mystery, intrigue, and plot twists. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised and can see myself re-reading this book next year. Just when you think maybe it should have been in the mystery genre, a fun twist reminds you why it's romance. I can't give anymore away, but the writing is so well done and the pacing is perfectly timed!

Fans of the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano will enjoy this book.

I really enjoy Ally Carter books. This one was fast paced and so fun to read! The enemies to lovers trope was used in blonde identity too but it still felt fresh. Didn’t see the twist coming.

This book is everything Ally Carter does well. The mystery was so engrossing and I really didn't see what was coming. I loved all of these characters. Please keep more books coming!

This one lived up to the hype! I had read many things about this book before I was given the opportunity to read the ARC.
This was a fun read with laugh out loud humor, romance, and old school mystery.

Definitely one I would encourage your to read this holiday season.


Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager Books, NetGalley and author Ally Carter for the digital ARC

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books, and Harper Voyager US for this copy of "The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year."

What a highly entertaining and witty treat! A locked room whodunit that will keep you guessing until the end.

Maggie is a crime fiction writer, hates thriller author Ethan and Christmas, and adores legendary mystery writer Eleanor Ashley.

When Maggie's publisher delivers an enigmatic invitation for a Christmas trip, she reluctantly accepts and is whisked away on a jet. And is shocked that Ethan is on the same jet.

And neither knows that their destination is Eleanor Ashley's Mistletoe Manor. Why are they invited for Christmas?

Oh what fun it is to read!

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year was the first title I read from Ally Carter and I am charmed. This was such a fun take on the Knives Out meets "enemies-to-lovers" trope. I loved following the main characters through this game of cat and mouse and it made me want this to be turned into an entire series. I laughed as I read about the antics of these wild characters and swooned at the same time. The BANTER was incredibly done with some intensity and flintiness keeping the two MCs on their toes just as much as the crime did. I will be recommending this book during the holiday season especially for romance readers who used to steal away and read Mary Higgins Clark mysteries at bedtime.

Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy.

I grew up reading Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series, so when I saw she was publishing a Christmas adult murder mystery with a side of romance, I HAD to read it. It did not disappoint!

The short chapters kept me throughly intrigued. I could not put the book down. I had to know what happened next! The locked-room mystery is great. I love the case of suspects and the twists and turns. Love, love, love the ending!

The romance between Maggie and Ethan is everything. The enemies-to-lovers trope in this book is done so well.

Thanks NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital advanced copy of this book!

4⭐️
I am an OG Ally Carter fan so I was very excited to read her second adult fiction novel and this book did not disappoint.

From the very first chapter, I was already trying to figure out the twists and turns Ally was taking us on. We had such a fun mastermind in Elenor Ashley and I deeply related to our FMC Maggie.

Unfortunately what kept this from being a 5 star for me was the MMC. Ethan was a little too egotistical, macho man for my liking. Though he had many redeeming qualities, his tendencies to want to “kill and beat” Maggie’s adversaries really put me off.

In the end, I like how things were wrapped up and how even though the twist was shocking, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.

The pacing did feel a bit rushed at the end but that might just be me wanting it to be a little longer 😉

This book was phenomenal! I usually don’t enjoy stories with a nonlinear timeline but this story had me excited for flashbacks just as much as the current plot.

The slow burn, pining, miscommunication (which was so well done I throughly enjoyed it), and mystery made this story one of the best Christmas/mysteries/romances I’ve read in awhile!

I loved how the story started with plot and then the romance bloomed as the story went - there was a perfect balance of romantic plot and mystery to solve!

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter was a fun read. I enjoyed the plot points and storyline as well as the character arcs and development. Fantastic cover!

While not overly Christmassy, this book is more than enough fun to make up for that. The main driving plot of a legendary mystery writer inviting other writers to her estate for Christmas, where they end up investigating her disappearance? A+, no notes. Maggie is a great lead - clever and likable and so easy to root for. And Ethan. He’s so swoon-worthy. I wanted to shake Maggie by the shoulders when she “hated” him. But luckily, the mystery forces them to move past that quickly.

The romance is sweet, and the mystery is just so well done. This made my Gallagher Girl loving heart so so happy.

If Knives Out was turned into an Agatha Christie rom-com, you've have this book!

I don't think any book is going to beat this for my favorite cozy Christmas mystery read. Absolutely loved it. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Thank you the NetGalley and the publisher for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

Maggie Chase isn't sure whether this is a dream come true or a living nightmare. On the one hand, she's been invited as a guest to the remote English manor of her mystery novel-writing idol, Eleanor Ashley. But on the other, so has her arch-nemesis Ethan Wyatt. And now Eleanor has gone missing from a locked room and it seems like someone in the house might be trying to murder her. Maggie will need to decide whether she can trust Ethan and put their differences aside so that they can solve the mystery of the missing author.

I thought that this was a fun holiday "romystery" with plenty of familiar tropes from both genres. Contemporary romance fans will find rivals-to-lovers, forced proximity, one bed, and he falls first. Mystery fans will be treated to a locked room mystery set in a remote manor where there are plenty of suspects and red herrings. Oh, and a parlor room reveal scene at the end. I do think that veteran mystery readers will be able to deduce the culprit, but the journey to the conclusion is still fun.

I appreciated that both main characters had some depth to them and a bit of backstory. Maggie is wrestling with immense impostor syndrome after being gaslit by her husband and best friend for years. Ethan grew up with a hearty dose of toxic masculinity and instability. Maggie can't see herself the way that Ethan does, and Ethan doesn't realize how deeply she is hurting. Fortunately for the reader, this leads to barbed exchanges until they figure things out. But they do figure things out.

One of the things that I found curious about the book is that Eleanor Ashley is clearly an homage to a famous mystery novelist, but no mention is made of this real life person in the text of the novel, only in the Acknowledgements. The identity of the culprit also felt like a nod to one of that author's most famous works. Maybe I'm wrong and I just read too many mystery novels.

A very fun holiday read to enjoy while you are traveling this holiday season or are snuggled up by the fireplace and sipping hot cocoa. Perfectly satisfying!

I am usually not a fan of romance or cozy mysteries, but there was something about this one that just stuck out, so I gave it a go. I am so glad that I did because I really ended up loving this one with the comical banter, the sweetness of the romance without being cheesy, and the unpredictable mystery. It was very well written and delivered, and the characters were hard not to like. What tops it all off was that with the upcoming holidays, the atmosphere of it all was perfect. This was overall a great read, and I give it four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, for this ARC.

This was such a unique and fun mystery/romance, and I didn’t want to put it down!

Maggie Chase is invited to an English manor for the Christmas holidays by a surprise host, who ends up being Eleanor Ashley, her favorite author of all time. She is shocked to find fellow author Ethan Wyatt invited along as well, but the two quickly pair up once their hostess goes missing under suspicious circumstances. Also at the manor are a hodge podge of guests ranging from Eleanor’s lawyer and doctor to another mystery author and several family members. When someone shoots at Maggie, it becomes obvious that someone here is hiding a dangerous secret.

Carter’s prior book was compelling and full of hilarious antics that added levity to the story, and this one is definitely written in a similar vein. As Maggie and Ethan explore the giant manor home, we also explore their relationship over the past several years and whether they can trust each other today. It was highly entertaining, and I loved how lighthearted and full of banter the romantic portion of it was. The side characters are a ridiculous over the top bunch that were fun to read about, and I did not manage to solve the mystery myself.

Thank you to Avon for the ARC; all opinions are my own,

4.25/5

I really enjoyed this one! The lovers-to-enemies tension between the FMC and MMC was delicious. This is the perfect holiday-themed romance meets crime novel. Ally Carter has such a great way of writing characters and bringing them to life. I love her new direction of writing adult novels. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for an ARC. This is my unbiased and honest opinion.

Maggie has been through some trying times and it has left her alone, with no one but her favorite author, Elenor Ashley. When Maggie is coaxed to come to a Christmas party thrown by her publisher, she finds out her biggest fan has invited her to spend Christmas with them in England. She’s skeptical about going because she hasn’t left her house much recently. But when she overhears the golden boy, Ethan Wyatt, make a comment about her recent divorce, the hatred in her fuels her to agree to invitation. The only problem is, when she shows up on the plane, Ethan is there and going with her because he was invited too. Will their hatred turn into something deeper when their faced with a mystery to solve?

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I know I’m a little late in getting around to reading this but I really enjoyed this book! It was such a fun story with a fascinating plot. I enjoyed reading the development of the main characters and how Ethan was everything Maggie needed at this time in her life. He was so supportive and believed in her. Their relationship was so sweet and heartwarming amidst the mystery driving the plot. I couldn’t help myself from turning page after page trying to solve the mystery myself! If you’re a fan of mysteries, Agatha Christie, and ‘Knives Out’ then you’ll love the book!

3.5 stars

Very solid Christmas book. I was so excited when I read the synopsis because it’s everything I love and I liked most of it. I thought the mystery was good and well constructed all the way until the end. And I thought the romance was super sweet. I also thought the humor and banter were so well done. All in all, this book deserves a much better cover.

I generally didn’t love this book. I’m not a DNF person so I stuck through it.
The mystery of it all wasn’t intriguing and I wanted more from the couple.