As a longtime Ally Carter fan, I adored Blonde Identity—a fast, funny romp with spies, amnesia, and romance. So I was excited for this standalone sequel about Zoe’s twin sister, Alex. While it had Carter’s signature humor and charm, it didn’t quite capture the same spark or pacing as the first. Still fun for fans, but it didn’t fully live up to the original’s high-energy appeal. (3.75/5)

✨ Thanks so much to NetGalley, Ally Carter, and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. Always grateful for the chance to read early! ✨

a little bummed about how this one turned out. the blonde identity was one of my favorites, and i was excited when alex and michael’s relationship got teased at the end. i didn’t even know for sure we were getting a follow up. this one jumps around in time, showing different points in their relationship from meeting at spy school to a rough mission fallout to reconnecting in the present. i really wanted to love it. they both had their moments, and as a couple they had some good scenes, but for me their chemistry just didn’t hit the same level as zoe and sawyer.

i also thought we’d get more of the twins interacting, especially since zoe was new to the spy world. we only got a glimpse of that toward the end, maybe 15 pages or so. honestly, those two and their individual storylines could have carried the book. there were also a lot of moments where the dialogue felt repetitive. i started skimming and didn’t feel like i missed much.

not the experience i was hoping for, but i still really like the world and the characters. i just wish this one landed a little stronger.

I can't get enough of this series!! Such a fun spy adventure with a romance that had me desperately needing to know everything and rooting for a reunion the whole time. LOVE this one from Ally Carter, she's done it again!

The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold was the perfect vacation, action, romcom.

Ally Carter created characters you wanted to learn more about and a story that had unexpected twists.

I definitely will recommend this to others.

Spies who have gotten out of the business, but have a very mixed up past. The story alternates between many timelines over the last 10 years.

Ally Carter books are so much fun. Spies (or not-spies sometimes) on the run and falling in love? Or in this case, fighting their feelings for literal years? High stakes entertainment for the win.

Alex was such an enigma in ‘The Blonde Identity’, it was great to get to know her and her history in this one. She’s such a layered character with a depth of emotions and guilt that fueled her motivations. She had an interesting dichotomy of knowing she’s skilled at what she does while still harboring the natural insecurity of wondering if she was good enough. Her instincts and ability to dive into something dangerous were consistently impressive.

The dynamic between Alex and Michael was a push/pull of competition and attraction. They were defiant of their undeniable feelings and channeled that into banter and bickering. Yet they still remained a strong team even when arguing, and no matter what it was clear they had each other’s backs. Most specifically, there was never a doubt that Michael would show up for Alex if she ever said the word. They were up against so many external and internal factors that ultimately made them stronger.

For me personally, the constant jumping between past and present timelines made it harder for me to get fully sucked into the story, but the past was important for their present. Totally necessary for the story, just a personal struggle for my own reading flow.

I’m so happy we got this book after loving ‘The Blonde Identity’ so much. Thank you to Avon via NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this closed door second-chance romance, ex-spy Alexandra Sterling is forced back into the biz when she wakes up to find herself tied to former flame Michael Kingsley.

I read this because I loved The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. But the banter here fell flat, and the romance was off-putting. The plot read like someone describing an action movie they saw. Just felt slapdash all around.

4.5🌟 Oh I just love this series! I've been an Ally Carter fan since the Gallagher Girls days. She is a must read author for me! This book, like all of hers, is full of fun, great banter, romance and is a mystery/ thriller too! I liked the tie in with Zoe and Sawyer from the first Blonde Identity book. I will say that my only con of the book is that the dual timelines made it a little hard to keep track of the major storyline. That was the only issue for me. Otherwise, I liked the story, the twists and all the longing. I hope there's another book coming soon!

Yes Yes Yes! This is what I have been waiting for years as soon as I finished The Blonde Identity! This was so good. I couldn’t put it down. It was fast paced and enemies to lovers perfection. Will be posting a review in my Ig closer to the release

Ally Carter has done it again! The second book in her adult spy novel foray gives readers the intrigue, excitement, mystery, and romance that they are looking for. With well crafted characters and a thrilling adventure, this book is perfect!

3.75⭐️, rounding up

WOW Ally Carter this was everything I wanted and more! I LOVED THIS. If you were hesitant after reading The Blonde Identity, please give this a try as this is more of a true spy romcom. I would love to see this adapted into a movie.

This story takes place over ten years and multiple timelines and is a slow burn for the main characters but faster for the readers with the alternating timelines. I loved watching them realize they were developing feelings, and their banter was so fun and had me giggling and kicking my feet.

This was such a fun read and had me hooked from the jump. There was a little bit of a lull in the middle but the last 20% really picked up again. The twist at the end was also something I didn’t see coming at all but really enjoyed. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a fun spy themed romance.

Omg this was so fun. Like many others, I was excited about this book because I LOVED the gallagher girls books growing up and I couldn’t wait to continue an “adult” version! This book really felt like I was watching a movie or tv show the way it was paced and switched between flashbacks and present day. Like I could just visualize it so easily how it would switch in film. That was so much fun to me! I absolutely loved the tension we could see building from them and it left me intrigued in the present moments to figure out what happened between them that tore them apart.

Great for you if you love forced proximity, amazing banter, and “enemies” to lovers (more like two people who really don’t like each other but really not liking each other is a cover up for how much they don’t like how much they like each other and refuse to admit it)

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and the author for an ARC for my honest review :) This book is expected to be released on August 5, 2025

A charming follow up to The Blonde Identity. I loved the push and pull between King and Alex and Ally does a great job of balancing humor with the more serious aspects of the story. I could've done without the pregnancy reveal at the end, but overall really enjoyed this one.

This was a fun, twisty follow-up to The Blonde Identity — full of spy shenanigans, sharp banter, and that slow-burn chemistry between Alex and King. The time jumps were a bit confusing at times, which pulled me out of the story a little. But once the timeline caught up to The Blonde Identity, I couldn’t put it down!

We get a deeper look into the backstory of book one, and book two carries it further, especially when Zoe and Sawyer show up, while wrapping up Alex and King’s story in a satisfying (and chaotic) way. If you love action-packed romance with a little espionage and a lot of sass, this one’s for you.

I want to preface this by saying Ally Carter was one of my favorite authors when I was younger, and that three stars is not a bad rating for me.

It is a good book, but it's just okay. This book just fell a bit short for me and was a little too...much? Little bits of somewhat over-the-top scenes that worked in her young adult series have not hit the same for me in her recent adult books. I found myself rolling my eyes at the drama of it all when I’m sure I was supposed to be giggling and kicking my feet.

It is still a fun time, and I would recommend it to others looking for a fun summer read, but for me, her adult books haven't hit the way her older books did (and I'm saying this as someone who re-read them recently and thinks they still hold up).

3/5 stars, good but not great. Would still recommend this for a quick, fun (and over-the-top) time.

I think this book is a good fit for those who like arch romantic banter and almost absurd spy situations with a strong competitors to canoodlers vibe.
Bring on the beaches! There's a lot of time shifts, sometimes to the point of confusion, but also a fair amount of plot spirals and turns which will delight those who like to experience books as movies, even as they are reading them. Two top rival spies, Alex and King have a long history of love and loathing and now they are handcuffed together, without memories of what happened or where they are. A lot of other memories surface however and Carter efficiently laces them into the plot. Both characters were a bit too Mary Sue for me, but will appeal to those who are fans of Carter's other books

"To all the little girls who wanted to be spies when they grew up. There's still time." Te?)
Ally Carter, seriously, WTF? As a fan since the OG GG days, it angers me to say that this might just be your best work!
What I Loved: The writing in this is spectacular. Not only are the interactions between Alex and King THE best, but the narrative is absolutely beautiful, and the flashbacks are well-placed and inspired. The yearning is jaw-dropping, the "Who did this to you?" is perfection, and the action is top-tier.
What Could Be Better: Another 200 pages, please.
Final Thoughts: You need to read this.

I absolutely love Ally Carter and this book certainly did not disappoint. I immediately loved King from the start, his broodiness, stubbornness and intrigue had me wanting more. I loved the duel character POV as well as the storyline flashback and to present day. It kept the story moving and kept making me say oh just one more chapter!! I can’t wait to bring this into my classroom library. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

4.5⭐️

Ally Carter is my exact brand of humor & flirty banter. I will gladly read all of her books for the rest of my life. The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold is a fast-paced absolute joy ride of a book and I loved every minute.

One thing about me is I love a story with a dual-timeline, especially if it’s a second chance romance. Carter weaved together both timelines and both POVs into an adventure and fun-filled tapestry. Some of the back and forth had me double-checking the timeline and such, which is literally the only reason this isn’t 5 stars.

I loved the banter, the action, the mystery, not to mention that King is everything, and I would simply die for him. I absolutely devoured this. I think she strikes a really nice balance of humor/lightness with characters who have depth and are dealing with past traumas. I highly recommend this book, this series, and any of Ally’s adult novels! Thank you to Avon/Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

I love this series. Just the right amount of action and banter and wit and romance. The enemies-to-lovers bit in this one was exceptional. The perfect escapist read — would definitely recommend!