If you like romcoms with a bit of a holiday twist, you may enjoy this one. I think I was just not the correct reader; to me it wasn’t bad but I just didn’t love it.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an E-ARC in exchange for a non-biased review.

I was surprised and thoroughly enjoyed Ally Carter's novel. I tend to steer clear of romance novels but since there was a mystery element to the overall plot I thought I'd request a copy.

Maggie is a cozy mystery writer who along with Ethan is invited by Eleanor Ashley to her England home. Ethan is a crime thriller writer and Maggie simply doesn't like him. If a man doesn't even attempt to get her name correct then he's off her holiday nice list.

Once Maggie and Ethan arrive they're trapped in the mansion along with several of Eleanor's acquaintances. There's a horrible blizzard going on and no one can leave. The book has an "And Then There Were None" vibe with a dash of Knives Out.

What really worked for me was that the romance element was not the main focus of the book. There were nice descriptions of the weather, Christmas decorations, food and finally Eleanor Ashley's amazing home library.

The conflict between Maggie and Ethan dissolves into collaboration to catch a killer and it was nice to see a romance plot that didn't drag the conflict on with unnecessary tropes like lack of communication or bickering. The mystery was the focus. The romance was a small subplot.

The overall mystery was fun. This is a really great holiday, mystery read. Well written, good character development and a steady propulsion. One could easily read this with the busyness and requirements of December. If you put it down for a task you can easily pick it back up without losing the overall mood and plot of the book. This is due to Carter's good writing. I hope she writes another for next December. I'll be the first to sign up.

I went into this book knowing very little about it, and had never picked up an Ally Carter book. !!! This book had me right alongside the characters with every twist and turn. I loved the knives out feel and the Agatha Christie vibes. My favorite parts were Maggie and realizing her true value and her growth. Very satisfying ending!

Easily my favorite Christmas book I’ve read this year. I loved the mix of mystery and romance. The author paired the two really well and add in the enemies to lovers trope and SWOON.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and the author for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest feedback!

Christmas came early for me because Ally Carter is back and better than ever! I absolutely loved reading her other book, The Blonde Identity, and my expectations were high with this new release. Holiday books can definitely be a bit cringe but WOW was I so pleasantly surprised with this one!

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Maggie Chase is simply not having a wonderful Christmastime. Her husband recently left her for her best friend, she has no other family to spend time with over the holidays. Her only companion these days is her extensive Eleanor Ashley collection, her favorite mystery author, who has written 99 bestselling books. Maggie is also a mystery writer, and when she's not working on her new book or re-reading the Eleanor Ashley catalog, she's annoyed with her colleague and nemesis, Ethan Wyatt.

Out of nowhere, she receives an anonymous invitation to fly private to an English estate two days before Christmas. When she loads her bags on the plane, she sees the worst person sitting opposite her chair - Ethan Wyatt. They have both received the mysterious invitation to the manor.

When they touch ground in England, Maggie learns that the one and only, Eleanor Ashley, owns the estate they're going to. Eleanor has personally invited them to attend a Christmas party with extended family, doctors, lawyers, police, a duke and duchess, and even more authors in attendance. That very night, Eleanor goes missing from her own house.

As the group of seemingly random strangers get to know each other while snowed in at the manor, Maggie and Ethan learn more about the situation. Suddenly, people are being poisoned and shot at, and Ethan and Maggie have to put their differences aside to work together and find Eleanor. Could she actually be in danger, or is this some kind of test? Why were these two random authors invited? And why does it seem like everyone here has a motive to want Eleanor Ashley to disappear for good? And why does Ethan all of a sudden look so hot in that stupid Christmas sweater????

I knew I was going to love this book from the first page. Immediately the spark and chemistry between Maggie and Ethan was so clear and jumped off the page. I loved that there was a bit of grumpy/sunshine without Maggie being so perpetually grump that it felt like a facade.

The writing was genuinely funny, in a way that felt natural; the writing made it feel like a romcom was telling me a mystery, a combo that worked so well. This was a fast-paced, quick read that lived up to its stunning cover.

Loved this absolutely fun and addicting locked-room mystery/caper/romance! So funny and just a good time read for the holidays. I haven't read The Blonde Identity yet (the author's other adult novel), but now I really really want to.

I loved a good locked-room mystery and this one did not disappoint. The banter and rivalry between Ethan and Maggie was amazing and kept me smiling the whole book and the mystery itself was engaging. I enjoyed the "treasure hunt" to get to the end (not a literal treasure hunt, unless you could a missing author as the treasure). This was the perfect light-hearted murder mystery I need nowadays.

So great!

🎄Book Review 🎄

Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for gifting me a copy of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year!

This book was hard to put down. Even harder because the chapters were typically slower…so the one more chapter thing happens repeatedly!

It’s a whodunit mystery that takes place Christmas week when a popular mystery author, Eleanor Ashley invite people to her England estate.

Ethan and Maggie are mystery authors who are enemies and both are invited on a Christmas trip to one of their fans only to find out it was Eleanor Ashley! Shortly after arriving Eleanor disappears during a blizzard and Ethan and Maggie must team up before they’re both killed…and to solve the mystery of what happened to Eleanor.

I loved the twists and turns this book takes while Ethan and Maggie solve the mystery of the crimes that take place at Mistletoe Manor. It was a nice book to break up all the holiday romances I’ve been reading but don’t worry…there’s some romance mixed in.

Read The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year if you like:
🎄Christmas Mysteries
🎄Whodunit mixed with romance
🎄 Forced Proximity
🎄Enemy to Lovers
🎄He falls first

I now understand what people mean when they refer to a book as a “cozy mystery.” Because this book is THE coziest (weird way to describe a crime, ngl) mystery romance… and it’s seasonal!

It took me a beat to get into it (I was a little confused at the start of the story with all of the characters), but that could also be because I was distracted 😅

Anywayyy, it was fun! And cute! The insta-love was a bit much, but hey, it’s a fictional story with a fictional mystery to solve—you get what you pay for! 🤓

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

Yes, Christmas came early for me as soon as I started reading this book! The twisty murder mystery is smart and riveting. The characterization reminds you of the movie “Clue”! Maggie (not Marcie) and Ethan’s chemistry hits the roof, making you hyperventilate, even though it takes place in the freezing wintertime in England! Ethan reminded me of the mischievous, playful, flirty Richard Castle, including his relationship with his dad! (Who can resist reading a book when the hero is as charming as Nathan Fillion?) Maggie’s traumatic past is heartbreaking. Her self-deprecation and suspicions about people’s motives are understandable, but her wounds make her one of the best crime writers.

This was truly such a delight to read! I was drawn in by the fun cover and found so much goodness inside. I enjoyed the characters, the setting, the plot…it was a breath of fresh air during a run of mundane holiday books. I loved it!

This book was so much fun! I had such a good time reading this romance. I enjoyed the mystery just as much as I enjoyed the love story which is saying a lot because this was an excellent rivals to lovers romance.

THE MOST WONDERFUL CRIME OF THE YEAR | Ally Carter
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Format: 📖

If you are still trying to squeeze in one or two more holiday reads before the new year, then I highly recommend you choose this one!

What a perfect blend of romance, mystery, and holiday! Pure perfection. If you are a fan of playing the game Clue during a family game night or loved Knives Out then look no further.

ALSO I AM OBSESSED with this cover! OBSESSED. Probably one of my favorites of the year.

Here’s what to expect:

❤️‍🩹 rivals to lovers
📖 mystery authors solving a mystery
👏🏼 the banter + tension
🎄 holiday but not too hallmark
✨ protective MMC (loved!!!)
🚪locked room mysteryesque (mansion)

What a fun Christmas thriller! Maggie and Ethan are on a trip to a mysterious mansion in the moors of England. When they arrive they find out the house is owned by reknowned crime author, Eleanor Ashley. Maggie is sure she's died and gone to heaven as Eleanor is her favorite author and the author that saved her as a child. But when Eleanor goes missing, this Christmas trip becomes a crime scene. Is it a test to see who will take over Eleanor's empire? Or is something more sinister at play? Maggie must put her hatred toward Ethan if they are going to solve this mystery.

Ally Carter books are the most fun! I really enjoyed this mystery/romance that takes place over Christmas in a mansion. It gave me Clue vibes which is my favorite game (and my husband cannot figure out how to beat me). Clue + Kissing = my kind of book! If you are looking for something a little different than your typical holiday romance, pick this one up!

This was absolutely fantastic! The banter between Maggie and Ethan was delightful. Their relationship had me smiling and squealing throughout. The mystery was intriguing. The last few chapters?? Perfect! Love love loved the ending. Give me ten more books just like it. Ally Carter wrote (as always) a great book! I want one of these reads every Christmas! Now I am off to recommend to everyone I know.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I loved this. What a unique, fun story!
It has heart too. I enjoyed the story but I also loved the characters and their backstories.

Maggie and Ethan are both mystery writers. Maggie has never been a big fan of his, she actually dislikes him but we won’t know why for awhile (it’s nothing new unforgivable, I promise ).

They both get called to the mansion of the most famous mystery writer Eleanor Ashley, they will be spending Christmas with her and her family. Neither knows why but Christmas has been tough for both of them over the years and they think this trip could boost their careers so they go.

They aren’t there long before Eleanor mysteriously disappears from a locked room.

At first Maggie thinks it’s a competition, maybe the person who figures out what happened to Eleanor will get to take over her famous book series when she retires.

But then things start getting dangerous and it no longer feels like a competition. It actually gets Maggie and Wyatt to work together to figure out what’s going on and find a way to safely escape themselves.
And they just might fall in love along the way.

I absolutely loved this one. Wyatt and Maggie will both break your heart at times but you will love them and want nothing but the best for them.

Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt can’t stand each other. To be more precise, Maggie hates Ethan. She’s the new Queen of the Cozy, and he writes thrillers. They’re both invited to a a Christmas house party at a remote estate, who’s owner turns out to be Eleanor Ashley, the “Duchess of Death” and one of the world’s most famous crime writers.

Then Ms Ashley disappears. Has she been kidnapped or is it a giant puzzle to be solved? Maggie and Ethan join together to find her, and in between getting shot at and more, Maggie discovers that Ethan doesn’t hate her at all, quite the contrary! Can they find the missing writer and figure out their relationship at the same time?

I really enjoyed this enemies to lovers romp, it’s funny and I loved the characters. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Locked room is my favorite thriller/mystery trope and this did it very well. This added a romance side plot too which was exactly what I wanted. There were some interesting characters and I enjoyed the suspect pool. The msytery was solid and kept me hooked as I was reading. My only complaint was I wish we had more of Eleanor and she seemed like a real spitfire!

Mystery writer rivalry, mysterious invitations, country house party, and a locked room mystery to be solved. Her Young Adult Spy books were on my radar for years now, but turns out a humorous Christmas Mystery Romance is what got me to finally give her a go. There was plenty to ho ho ho about once the tinsel got untangled.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the year starts on a plane when two rival authors find themselves bantering to fill the time as they jet to a country house holiday party hosted by the top writer in their game and the acknowledged queen of crime. Maggie can’t stand the charmer and his popularity who can never get her name right and Ethan has a strong desire to get past Maggie’s prickles since she made such an impression during that elevator meet cute a while ago. This is Maggie’s dream come true to meet the author, who has been her inspiration since childhood. No sooner do they arrive on Eleanor’s estate when they meet up with a rum mix of family, household members, and acquaintances. The atmosphere is strained. The weather turns into a blizzard and then Eleanor Ashley disappears from her office, which was still locked.

This pair of opposites are determined to get to the bottom of Eleanor’s disappearance and end up ranged together with everyone in the house having strong motives to remove Eleanor and someone is equally determined that Maggie and her use of Eleanor’s books for detecting inspiration also must go. Maggie’s got the brains for figuring it out and Ethan has the security expertise to watch her back while she’s at it. Maggie uses words as her shield, but slowly this pair start working past the dislike and mistrust. Maggie’s reasons for her trust issues come out and I was all a swoon to learn while Ethan kept calling the gal Marcie.

The mystery is what brought them together, but this book is focused on Maggie, Ethan, and their romance along the way. It’s fun, but not too fluffy. Loved the holiday at an English country house for the setting harking back to the Golden Age of British Mysteries. I sure hope this is only first of books pairing up Maggie and Ethan as a detecting team. Those who enjoy mysteries with a strong dose of romance and humor and romantic suspenses should definitely add this one to Santa’s List.