So I wasn’t aware there was another book before this one.. don’t think it truly affected the story and could be used as a standalone. I’ll have to read it and see.

I liked both Alex and King, but I think it was how their story was told that really threw me off. The way it’s written in alternating timelines each chapter often left me confused. I had to keep looking back at the beginning of each chapter to see who’s story it was and the timeline.

The book was ok. There’s a lot of action and love the main character being a bada$$.

An excellent follow-up to one of my favorite reads of 2025, The Blonde Who Came In From The Cold answered several questions that I had about Alex’s backstory after her introduction in The Blonde Identity.

This book was filled with just enough super-spy antics to make it interesting, while remaining light enough to make this an enjoyable read that I could pick up before bed or read on a break. While the “dual timeline”/ “time jump” aspect confused me at first, once I got used to it, it was a compelling way to tell the story and helped me understand why certain people or locations were important. I loved that Carter created tension between Alex and King through their verbal interactions and the scenarios that they were put in, without relying on mature scenes.

My favorite part of this book was watching Alex and King’s relationship grow in the “past” portions of the book. Seeing them get paired up and truly being better together helped make the bits where King was broody and Alex was stubborn in the present have a bit more weight, Ally Carter did a great job of making me feel through the characters, which is something that I love about her writing! I will say that, in this book, it took me about a third of the way into the book to understand their relationship and really start feeling for King and Alex.

The thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me is that while Alex and King were fairly fleshed out, i felt like I didn’t get to spend enough time with some of the side characters to really connect with them. I felt like I was supposed to connect with Merritt, and while I understood her importance, I didn’t have an emotional pull to connect with her. This story was definitely more plot-driven than character driven, and I tend to look for a good mix of both. That being said, being more plot-driven was nice while reading because I didn’t need to remember a million side characters to understand and appreciate the story!

This book is filled with funny one-liners, a good amount of mystery, and tons of super-spy scenarios that pay a respectful homage to the spy movies that Alex loves so much. If you’re looking for a nice light read that gives Kim Possible, Spy Kids, or Totally Spies vibes, this is definitely a book that I’d recommend!

How does she do it? How does Ally Carter do it? How does she do it? She's so good at this and I just keep being marveled every single time. I think I might like this one even better than the first. I love Alex. I love King. This was thrilling. This was exciting. This was everything. It felt like I was watching a movie. This was the best of everything Ally Carter does. Spies AND heists and twists and emotions and romance and everything. I want more. I don't know if we'll ever get more. I don't know what more we can get. But I want more. You should read this. You reading this review trying to decide if you should read this, read it. Maybe read The Blonde Identity first, but do it. Read them both. They're both so good.

Also, it's both of them, I'm sure of it.

I just finished reading 'The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold' by Ally Carter, and wow—boy was that good! The writing was lit (in the best way), and the plot was really, really good. I'm a total sucker for spy romances, and this book was another banger from Ally Carter.

This is actually the second book I've read by her. Her previous book, The Blonde Identity, was just as fun. So I had high hopes for this one—and it did not disappoint!

This series has become one of my favorites. The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold is another solid spy romance from Ally Carter, and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t read her older books, but I did read The Blonde Identity—the first in this series—and liked it a lot. This second title didn’t disappoint either.

Ally Carter’s writing is sharp, funny, and very readable. She’s great at building characters with charm and personality. The story follows Alex, a smart, witty, and very capable spy who might come off a little like a “Legally Blonde” type—but make no mistake, she’s tough and clever. Then there’s King, the male lead. I wasn’t completely sold on him, but he’s a good mix of broody, protective, and occasionally funny.

The book is told in dual POV and switches between past and present timelines. We get to see how Alex and King met, worked as fake couples on missions, and slowly built a connection. In the present timeline, they find themselves kidnapped and handcuffed together—even though they’re not on good terms anymore. It’s part action, part romance, and part comedy, with some great banter and a self-aware tone that works well.

If this is Ally Carter’s usual style, I’m definitely interested in reading more of her work. This book was fast-paced, fun, and well-written. I’d give it 4.5 stars and plan to get the paperback when it's out.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. It was a joy to read.

Another fun and quirky installment in the Nocturne Falls universe! This series is such a cozy comfort read for me—paranormal romance with a touch of mystery and humor. In The Blonde Who Came in with the Cold, the wintery setting added a nice atmospheric twist, and I really liked the dynamic between the main characters.

The romance developed a bit quickly (as usual in this series), but it was sweet and satisfying. The magical elements were whimsical without being over the top, and I always enjoy seeing familiar characters pop up from previous books.

Not the strongest in the series, but still super enjoyable. If you’re already a Nocturne Falls fan, you’ll definitely want to add this one to your shelf!

“Mercy.”

Unfortunately not as good as The Blonde Identity (loved seeing snippets of Zoe and Sawyer, though!)

I liked both Alex and King, but I think it was how their story was told that really threw me off. The way it’s written in alternating timelines each chapter often left me confused and I felt it poorly affected the plot’s pacing and build-up.

It was when the alternating chapters lessened around 20 percent in that I finally got invested and more interested in where the story was going.

Also, I still have no idea who Kozlov or Collins actually is. When it comes to the spy stuff and missions, I’m just here for the vibes.

3.75 stars.

3.5 stars rounded up. So, the good news is that I did like this book a little better than the first one. The bad news is that I didn't really love either of them, even though I really wanted to. The series as a whole sounds so fun and the stories moved along quickly. I just never felt really connected to the characters or the plot. This was an entertaining read overall though. If you liked the first book, then I think it's safe to say you can expect to like this one too.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was fun! This is technically a sequel but could probably be read as a standalone but is more impactful if you have. I had read the previous book, Blonde Identity, and enjoyed it very much, it was satisfying to see what was happening behind the scene on Alex’s end. Even though it had been a while since reading the first there was enough information to remind me of the important parts without it feeling like the pacing was slowing down. The shifting timelines was an effective tool to connect dots and move the plot along. I enjoyed the romance and the banter between Alex and King- they were both strong and feisty. This will definitely make a great summer read that can easily be enjoyed year round.

I went into this book with high hopes after loving the first one so much, but this one didn't hit the way I was hoping it would. The dual timelines and the dual POV got to be a little bit to much and I had a hard time keeping track of everything. But I will say I loved the emotions of the characters and the dislike of each other (but secretly they're in love).

I was so excited to read this book after loving The Blonde Identity! There were elements of the book, like the main characters, that I really enjoyed, but overall the jumping timelines felt too muddled and left a lot to be inferred by the reader. I felt like a lot of plot lines were either rushed or incomplete and even though I KNEW I was reading a romance, I had a hard time seeing the romance plot develop organically.

The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold returns us to the world of The Blonde Identity, this time from the perspective of super spy twin Alex.

Fans of The Blonde Identity will have their questions about Alex answered, including what was she doing during Zoe’s story.

Told in past and present povs from both Alex and the male love interest “King”, we slowly unravel why Alex went rogue.

Ally Carter returns with the same sarcastic humor and flair for the dramatic. It’s a solid read for people who like fast-paced plots and heavy action, but it reads a little more juvenile and shallow than I prefer.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Hate to love, but make them spies that have to go in missions with each other and pretend they’re married. It was a cute, fun, quick read. I enjoyed the first book of the series more but this was still good. Didn’t love the MMC for some reason. He was a little too closed off, even from the reader for most of the book. Would recommend as a vacation read.

While reading this story, I was reliving my teenage years reading her other books! I enjoyed the duel time lines that switch quickly. With shorter chapters and the main female characters banter makes for a quick read (2 days for this slow reader). I could relate to the sarcasm of the MFC and instantly felt like I was the character. I also enjoyed that the duel time had duel perspectives.

I really enjoyed this sequel that tells us Alex’s story. The book jumps frequently between the past and present, in addition to changing POV within those timelines. It wasn’t difficult to navigate that for the first 75% of the story, but near the end I had to go back to the beginning of a chapter to figure out what year I was in as the action really picked up.

I love a high-stakes, never let-up, while simultaneously falling in love with an enemy romance. It’s such a romp! This book has plenty of that, and I think it’s done well. The chaos is just supreme and King offers maybe even Darcy level yearning. I mean he hates himself for it, but he’s down bad. I ate that up.

I will say it is 100% fade-to-black, so if you are a closed-door reader only, this one won’t be for you. It had some strong language, but less than the first book. I’m counting that as a win!

This was a super quick read that kept me guessing for the most part. The last quarter of the book got a little chaotic even for me, but I still liked the story as a whole.

I haven't read any of Ally Carter's books, including the first book of this series The Blonde Identity, so I went into this completely blind. While not perfect, it was a fun read overall.

Alex and King are both spies who could not be more different. Alex is the bubbly, hyper independent twin of a sickly sister and King is practically spy royalty, hailing for a lineage of impressive super spies. Both spend the novel grappling with their pasts and also with each other. More than any one trope, I love banter between main characters and this book delivers.

The story cuts back and forth between present day, where our leads are found kidnapped together, and the past where we see them meet and eventually fall in love. The flashbacks are pretty much every other chapter, which made keeping the timeline straight a confusing task, especially as we see them revisit locations. I honestly wasn't especially invested in their present day storyline and wanted more of them falling in love initially. With the way they met, it felt a bit instalove so I didn't find myself rooting for their second chance romance since the first go around fell flat. That said, I do like the main characters separately and felt like their backgrounds were fleshed out and very clear influences on their words, actions, and difficulties in relying on each other. The slow burn is real. The ending did leave room for a sequel so I'd be curious what direction the next book might take!

Tropes:
Grumpy/sunshine
Rivals to lovers
Second chance romance
Fake marriage
Slow burn
He falls harder

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars ⭐ (rounded up to 5 on socials)


The Blonde Identity was one of my fav books of the year a few years ago so to read King & Alex's story was so dang fun! Told in many different timelines, we get to see how they met (& became enemies) and obviously the rest is history but this one was definitely so fun & had me guessing to the end. A wild ride but fans of Ally Carter will love this one!!

[Thank you to Avon | Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the gifted eARC!]

This book has convinced me that it’s impossible to not get fully absorbed by one of Carter’s books! As someone who can easily predict a book’s ending, I was totally caught off guard by the genius of the ending. Honestly, I need more! 😂

We bounce back and forth between present day and the past (going as far back as a decade ago) seeing Alex and Kingsley’s history unfold. The tension that builds is delicious. They have phenomenal banter and you’re just waiting for them to realize their chemistry (it’s a slow burn!). Honestly, I ship them.

Hopping around their timeline may seem confusing, but it allows the reader to slowly solve the mystery alongside Alex and Kingsley. This ties in so well with the previous book yet I could still see it as a standalone (but also, read the first book because it’s so good!). It’s action-packed and way more believable as a spy story (which makes sense as both Alex and Kingsley are trained spies).

Absolutely grab this book as soon as you can. You won’t regret it!

I grew up on spy books and the Gallagher Girls. Coming back to an Ally Carter book about spies truly feels a bit like coming home. I didn’t realize this was the second in the duo, but perfect timing had me at home with my sisters copy last week. I loved reading the duo together and unraveling both the girls stories.
Specifically in this one, Alex is our focus. The plot time jumps between her time in ‘spy school’ (with Sterling), various missions over the years (mostly with Sterling), What Happened Last Year (with Sterling), and how the heck Alex and Sterling end up tied together outside of Vegas.
The time jumps and learning about Alex and Sterling’s history all while trying to figure out what is going on now keeps you interested the whole read. This book is a light hearted, quick, palette cleanser of a story. However, that doesn’t stop it from touching on important topics like family history and self doubt.
The book isn’t perfect — there is a lot of plot going on for a single relatively quick book, parts of the ending were rather unsurprising, and it’s definitely more YA than Adult. In fact, I really think it’s just YA. I think this book does a good job of what the Gallagher Girls did for me — a path into reading for young people. It shows how fun books can be, teach life lessons to impressionable young minds, and overall urge you to dive deeper into reading.
For those more of my age, I think this is a great book to reset. Pick it up when you head to the beach and simply enjoy. It’s also a great one to read with a younger friend or family member and share!

Thank you to the publisher and author for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an amazing follow up to “The Blonde Identity.” The banter, action, and romance were top notch. I loved it all and devoured the book in one sitting.

What a chaotic, high-speed, love-strewn delight! You cannot have anything but a good time while reading Alex and King's story. I read The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold as a standalone and had no idea it was part of series until I had finished. Now, The Blonde Identity is on my radar.
Alex and King met in spy school and for ten years have had a cat and mouse, enemies to lovers relationship blooming through mission collaborations filled with rollicking hijinks and smart banter. When they join for one last mission, their past comes reeling back and they must combine brains and forces in order to survive. But working together is hard when your relationship is built on high-stakes missions and a Mr. & Mrs. Smith vibe. In Ally Carter's capable hands, you're in for a joyride of dynamic physicality and witty banter.
Told in short chapters and dual POV, as well as multiple timelines, Carter's writing keeps things moving forward at a fast pace before she settles you down into then tender moments when Alex and King are fragile and human with one another. I loved these two together.