this was silly goofy fun! it was a while since i read The Blonde Identity, but it was fun to be in this world again.

the suspense!!!! the pining!!!! the slow burn of it all!!!! i was shouting at these characters the kiss for pretty much the whole book. 👏🏻

i loved seeing in alex’s head. it was a lot different than zoe’s from book 1. she seems like such a bad ass but she has her fears and deep insecurities too.

king was very similar. he had the legacy and power behind him but he wore a lot of masks as well.

i loved seeing this over the dual timeline. we got to see them grow and change. the characters arcs were everything to me.

this is out this tuesday. you should pick up a copy if you get the chance.

I first met Alex in book one of this series when her identical twin sister, Zoe, was running for her life after being mistaken for CIA operative Alex. This time it’s her story and the stakes are just as high. THE BLONDE WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD can easily be read as a stand-alone, but is way more fun after reading THE BLONDE IDENTITY.

Alex Sterling and Michael Kingsley (aka King) first met ten years ago in spy school as brand new CIA recruits. Instant rivals, their relationship has always been, well, complicated. Often paired together as partners, they have taken down the bad guys and grudgingly managed to fall in love at the same time. It’s a messy situation in the most glorious way.

King has it bad for Alex. B-A-D and she’s fighting it (and him) every step of the way. They’ve both been off the grid for a while and are surprised (not in a good way) to find themselves handcuffed together in an unknown location with no recollection of how they got there. And so begins this high energy, often hilarious espionage themed romantic comedy that entertains from page one.

There’s plenty of tension on both the spy and romance elements. Will they? Won’t they? Catch the bad guys? Save the world? Stay alive? Realize they are perfect for each other and live happily ever after? Ally Carter keeps you guessing till the very end.

I paired the eARC with the audio and it was perfection. The narration from Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet captured both the action packed and tender parts of the story. The digital copy was helpful in differentiating the multiple timelines.

This book is a sure winner for a fun, escapist read. It has just the right mix of stress, swoon, and comedic relief.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Audio, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advance copies. All opinions are my own.

Full review to come! This was a fast paced enemies to lovers with BURNING TENSION AND PINING i ate up every single word

Delightful. Read it in a day. Narrators were PERFECTION. Dual POV books with dual narration are my jam. Had a few moments where the time jumps got a little confusing, but this is such a fun romp in the spirit of the first book. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and is a very fun adventure. It also didn’t feel too similar to the Blonde Identity which was nice given the connection between the books. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and ALC copies of this book!

Ally Carter is an absolute treasure. On live I picked this book up, I couldn’t put it down. It gripped me from the start and I wasn’t expecting something as serious as a dual timeline second chance love story. And even though it’s a sequel, it felt like this book could stand on its own. I love the action, I love the romance. Sign me up for everything Carter writes!

4 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold
is the second installment in the The Blonde Identity Series is a ln action-packed, second-chance rom-com about two rival spies who must join forces to stay alive (If they don’t kill each other first).

After years in the CIA, Alex and King’s partnership—and romance—ended when she walked away for good. Now, they wake up bloody, bruised, and handcuffed together with no idea how they got there or who’s behind it. Forced to work together, they must survive danger, betrayal, and simmering unresolved feelings.

Alex is witty, sarcastic, and seemingly all sharp edges, but with a secret marshmallow center. She has big “Legally Blonde but lethal” energy, balancing charm with lethal competence. King is broody, fiercely protective, and absolutely gone for her, even when he’s trying to pretend otherwise. He’s got a dry sense of humor and flashes of unexpected silliness that make him even more endearing. Together, they’re button-pushing pros with chemistry that crackles in every scene.

This book was such a fun ride, packed with action, banter, and just the right amount of absurdity. The dual POV and dual timeline added depth, showing both their begrudging partnership and growing friendship in the past, alongside their tense, danger-filled present. Definitely a must add to TBR!

The audiobook narration by Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet in 3rd person POV, dual style was spot-on, bringing the banter, tension, and emotional beats to life perfectly.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this advanced reader copy.

I’m one of the OG Ally Carter fans - Gallagher Girls 4 Life!

Anywho, Ally Carter is the pinnacle for action/rom-coms, perfect for if you want espionage with banter and kissing.

I loved The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold since we got to see the twin sister, Alex, from The Blonde Identity have the spotlight. And gosh did this live up to my expectations. Five Stars.

The blonde who came in from the cold by Ally Carter
⭐️ 4.25
| 🌎 4 | 📖 4| 🖋️ 4 |👫 4.5 | ❤️ 4.5
| 🌶️ -0 (closed door) | 🎧 4

After finishing the Blonde Identity I was thrilled to receive the audio and digital arcs for the sequel- The blonde who came in from the cold.

It’s not often I say the sequel is better than the original but this one knocked it out of the park. This book started with a Veronica Mars quote and I knew I was hooked.

In this book we follow the twin sister, Alex. She wakes up handcuffed to her “nemesis”, Kingsley with neither knowing who captured them nor how they got there. Told in dual timelines with flashbacks of Alex’s 10 yrs of a spy and her and Kingsley’s complicated past.
This book again adds the “spy” twist on the classic romcom only this one adds the enemies to lovers, forced proximity, slow burn to the mix and I loved it. The batter amazing and Kingsley is absolutely swoon worthy!

If you enjoyed The Blonde Identity or a fun enemies to lovers this is a must read!

Ally Carter proves again why she is one of my all time favorite authors. I am so glad that I was able to get an ARC of this book because it was a great addition to the series. I can only hope that there is more in this world and for these characters because I simply love them all and how they work together and interact with each other in the book. There is just the right amount of humor vs seriousness and I felt like the characters and the their struggles (and romance) were very believable (for being a spy novel that is). You can just tell how much Ally loves writing these types of book in the passion that is put into the words and story. I can't wait to see what comes next!

This was such a fun follow up to The Blonde Identity. Initially it took me a minute to get reoriented to the world and who the characters were. I thought it was going to be a follow-up/continuing of Zoe and Sawyer, but it actually follows Zoe's twin Alex - the actual CIA agent that Zoe thought she was in the first one. I liked that we got Alex's backstory and the chemistry between her and King was top-notch. I do think that we spent a little too much time in their history and not enough in the present day. The flashbacks took up a lot of time, and while I know that the information in them was part of their story and how they got to where they are in the present, it just felt like some of it was extraneous. And then the present day chapters all seemed rushed and there really wasn't a whole happening other than jumping from place to places without a whole lot of information in between of what they were doing and why. Anyway, it was still a fun time and if there's a third I will for sure be reading it because hello what was that cliffhanger in the epilogue?

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the ARC!

Super fun spy caper with a side of romance! Book two follows a different couple so you could theoretically read it without reading the first book. It was a fun read that was fast because I couldn't put it down! I'm really liking Carter's entry into the suspense/spy/rom genre. She writes great banter and that's not easy!

Buckle up everyone! Ally Carter is back!! We got the quickest glimpse of Alex in The Blonde Identity and now we get her story. This book is told from multi POVs and time jumps. I would gave the first book a quick reread (which like, what a gift) before jumping into it. This book gives everything you want from a fun flirty spy heist.

TROPES
Who Hurt You? (both sides)
Yearning (so much!!)
Fake Dating (they're undercover!)
Kissing To Hide From The Enemy (might be the best tactic IMO)
Action (they're spies on a mission!)
Banter (incredible chemistry)

Alex and Michael have that kind of inevitably that is always so fun to read. They meet, they flirt, they regret it and then they spend the rest of book fighting for each other. I love them!

The book was FUN and reads so quick it's like a movie playing right in front of your eyes. Actually, these should totally be movies? Like a fun hot spy romantic action comedy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

To put it simply: I loved it, and I loved them.

The book introduces us to two of the top CIA spies in the world, Michael and Alex. Michael is a 'legacy' operative, his father and grandfather having been spies before him. Alex is new to the world and the only one that can compete against and work with Michael. It's a classic spy story, with the two main characters chasing the big bad for years and being pulled back in for one last job, but the writing is what elevates it. It's sharp and endearing with witty banter. And no matter how hard they try to deny it, they can't stop yearning for each other—a fact that's clear from the very first day, over a plate of chicken fingers. There's dual POVs and a dual timeline, following the current mission and all the previous ones that build up Michael and Alex's relationship. There are twists and turns, gunshot wounds, fake marriage (but only for the mission), and so much more. It's a great action romance that's well worth picking up!

I enjoyed the Blonde Identity so I was excited for book two. This book was harder to follow as the story jumped around every few chapters following spy missions over ten years. I had difficulty keeping track of where they were and what mission they were on. I’m glad it had a HEA ending but it didn’t quite live up to book one. 3.5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

oh my god. this book had me in a literal chokehold!!! The action packed plot of spy missions and covert operations was enough to have me absolutely hooked. Add in a rivals to lovers to rivals to lovers again??? I WAS ADDICTED. Also add in dual timeline??? SPECTACULAR! The amount of tension in this book was incredible, I didn’t know if i wanted them to give in or have the tension go on for 200 more pages… I cannot recommend this book enough, especially if you were ever obsessed with CIA shows!! Ally Carter wrote a mastermind of a book and i don’t think I’ll stop thinking about it for a while!!

Thank you so much Avon Publishing and NetGalley for the e-arc!!

4.25 stars ⭐️
This book was so fun! I really enjoyed the characters and the fun tense mystery elements. The romance was silly but I had a good time, and the fake relationships for the spy missions made me giggle.

My only issues came from this: I do not believe these characters are good spies haha. We just don’t see enough actual cool spy action for it to fully work for me, there’s a lot of fading to black here the cool stuff would be. However, it’s a romance book at its heart so I can’t judge it too much for that.

I definitely want to go back and read the first one! Thank you Netgalley for the e-Arc :)

This sequel was so fun to read! Obviously after The Blonde Identity we all had questions about Zoe’s enigmatic sister Alex and the second installment did not disappoint! The fast pace had me flying through the pages, keeping me guessing throughout the missions and espionage that brought Alex and King together over and over again. I adored the push and pull of their dynamic, I was constantly cracking up at their antics and bickering! Ally also brings the heat with this one, Alex and King are a study in longing and I was eating it UP! Don’t let those closed doors fool you, this baby is swoony as hell!
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My only slight criticism would be that the timeline could be a little jarring at times. I loved the flashbacks and dual POVs but since some of the chapters were very short, it sometimes felt a bit disorienting. Very minor tho and overall this was truly a joy to read!
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Thank you so much NetGalley and Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Fun read! Ally’s writing will always feel super nostalgic to me; I read her books as a teen and I’m glad I get to enjoy her books as an adult. Keep writing spies falling in love pls n thx!

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Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh how I love this series! Light, fun, good banter, spy missions, a backstory. I’m was all in and now really want a third book, too! A+++

This was brilliant. As a romance, it was sweet and swoony and had me giggling and kicking my feet. King and Alex are absolutely everything. They were written so perfectly as MCs and so perfectly for each other. I was a little worried after reading The Blonde Identity that I wouldn’t connect with Alex, but I loved her! This book was fast-paced and exciting. The time jumps could be confusing at times but flowed very well. I enjoyed seeing bits and pieces of Alex and King falling in and out of love and, of course, spying! The banter was so good and there were so many one liners that made me laugh out loud. The storyline was entertaining and action-packed and fun. The ending was PERFECT. I loved the connection to the Blonde Identity and the cameos of Sawyer and Zoe were brilliant. This will definitely be one of my top reads this year!