I love spy movies, but I've never read a spy book before. So when I saw this was one, I jumped at the chance to read it.

I actually really liked the spy aspect of this storyline. It had all the action that my little heart desired. I was able to visualize everything well because the writing was so detailed and vivid. There were explosions, fighting, spy gadgets, and bad guys chasing them. It was honestly just chef's kiss. If you can picture one of your favorite spy movies, this was right on par with that.

I did struggle with what to rate this. There were a couple things that I just didn't really care for in this story. I want to preface this by saying that I've read a lot of books and have never had an issue with dual timelines until this book. It was really difficult for me to feel immersed in the story at times because just as a past mission would peak my interest, it would abruptly take you back to the present time in the next chapter. Same could be said for the present day chapters. It was just far too much back and forth for my liking. The "past" chapters are also composed of several different missions that they were partners on and I feel like some of those abruptly ended too. The dual timeline did add a bit of unnecessary confusion. I found myself wondering what timeline I was in on multiple occasions.

The other thing I had an issue with was Alex's reason for thinking she was a bad person. It seemed so silly to me. She had absolutely no control over what she did in-utero and to still be thinking about that and letting it influence decisions in your adult life is irrational. But, that's how guilt works sometimes. Unfortunately, every time she mentioned it, it was making me like her less and less. She really seemed careless with her life as well. Leading the life she lead, I wasn't a fan of her "jokes" and stubbornness.

Lastly, I felt that the romance was lacking. I was at 70% and I still was longing for a coupling. I think this is beyond a slow-burn. It's totally okay to have a plot more centered around something else (I still enjoy those stories), but I was expecting more. I say this because while the plot does have a big focus on these two together, I didn't feel like it was together as a couple. After their initial meeting I found myself asking if these two even liked each other. So for me, the romance plot took a backseat to the spy plot. There are some moments that happen before 70%, but it just kind of felt like they were friends and enemies for too long and not that they actually loved each other. Alex and King at their best happen when they first meet and at the end.

I still really enjoyed reading this story though. As a spy book this is absolutely 5 stars, as a romance I'd say 3. I'm gonna go with a 4 because I was really entertained and it did keep my attention. I was a unique storyline and I could see myself reading this again. I would definitely recommend this to people, especially fans of spy romances.

I was highly anticipating this sequel and it did not disappoint. Banter, chemistry, plot twists, kissing. Really; what more could you ask for?

4/5 ⭐️, 0/5 🫑, 0.5/5 💧

🏰 Mystery/Thriller Romcom
🏰 Multiple Timelines
🏰 Dual POV

This was a sequel to the first book, the Blonde Identity, that makes me want to go and reread the first book to fill in the gaps. I was looking forward to this one and it was enjoyable.

There was a lot of action, but it wasn’t super compelling. There were a lot of unknowns and I’m not sure that there were enough breadcrumbs to keep my interest on that was going on.

In the end it worked out, albeit with a few plot holes, but if you’re just looking for a Disney vibey fun time, I think you would find this enjoyable.

I enjoyed the love story but I also think that this could have developed a tad more. There were some really moving moments though that really did hold my attention and I thought was very well done. I wanted more of that! Overall, if you’re looking for a closed door, Disney-like/YA style spy romcom, this would be a good one to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ally Carter for the arc.

If Ally Carter writes it, I will read it. I just love your YA and adult books. The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold is the second book in the Blonde Identity and we get to see what makes Alex tick, it's guilt. She feels guilty that she is the healthy twin and since she was 9 yrs old she has wanted to be a spy and be anyone but her self. This enemies to lovers takes us back and forth through time when Alex stars her spy career and meets The Guy, Michael Kingsley. While I really liked the book and the twists I just wished that Alex would have gotten out of her own way earlier in the book but it took her forever to come around. The other, you've got to be kidding me moment happens right at the end and so there better be a third book with all four characters, that's all I've got to say about that moment.

I really liked The Blonde Identity and was super excited for this sequel, which features Alex, the actual CIA operative whose twin sister was at the center of the amnesia plot in The Blonde Identity, and her enemy/partner, King. This is a fast-paced spy thriller that jumps around in time to build tension (romantic and otherwise), and I was pulled in right from the start. I liked the plotting, the dialogue (especially the banter), the spy/adventure stuff, and the romance. The only thing that kept this from being a perfect five star book for me was that things felt a bit rushed at the end. I felt like it was building up to a very big reveal, but the reveal happened pretty fast (which does make sense with the pace of the whole story but felt just a tiny bit anticlimactic). Still a solid 4/4.5 stars, and I'm tempted to go back and read Carter's YA spy series just to get my fix.

Overall I still enjoyed this one but just not as much as book 1. It had the action but not as much humor?
The back and forth between timelines could be a tad much but wasn't too hard to follow.
I think my biggest issue why this wasnt 5 stars was because the chemistry was there for me. The ending of book one made it seem like it would be a funny "enemies to lovers" where she may go after her man, but really.....didnt seme much enemies or lovers. She kept fighting it too much, which made it not as cute.
But like I said, overall still a fun read and this one had more spy stuff going on while so explaining how her sister lost her memory in book one. Reading those scenes again from Alex's pov was a nice treat!

Really had fun with this one… did take some getting used to with back and forth timelines but thoroughly enjoyed this book! Thanks NetGalley for gifting the chance to read this arc!

This second book in the Blonde Identity spy romance series was a lot of fun. I did struggle a little bit with the dual timeline, but I loved the action and the romance was pretty good too.

Alex has always wanted to be a spy, but she got more than she bargained for. I really liked her. She is smart, sassy and pretty brash for a spy. She is the opposite of her sister Zoe, who we met in the first book. Alex has a tendency to act first and think afterwards, which sometimes gets her into trouble. I really liked King as well. He is also smart, and comes from a long line of famous spies. I loved getting his thoughts and feelings about Alex and how infuriating she was, but he still falls for her hard.

I liked the romance between these two for the most part. I think things could have maybe been a bit clearer as to why they broke up the first time, and the build up to them finally admitting their feelings to each other could have been a bit better too. But the banter, especially at the start of the book, was great. It would have been nice if there was a little bit more in the way of steamy scenes than what we got as well.

The present day plot was interesting and pretty easy to follow. They spend a lot of time going over old missions they did together to help them figure out who wants them dead now and why. I really enjoyed watching them work together. We also got a second timeline that went back to when they first met, and then the missions that they did together. I found the other timelines a little bit confusing at times as they often mirrored what was going on in the present. I often had to check back to the beginning of the chapter to see where and when they were. This confusion made the story on the whole a little harder to follow, but I still enjoyed it. The ending was perfect and hopefully a set up for a third book.

If you read the first book in the series, you will probably enjoy this one too. If you like the author’s YA books, this adult novel will certainly entertain you. I do recommend that you read the first book before this one, as there is overlap of the two stories which could cause some confusion.

If you are reading this, it may sound like I did not like this. But I DID! It was a fun time and a unique plot. I think there were a lot of great ideas and I especially loved Alex. She was the perfect blend of fun and badass and I definitely would have aspired to be her in middle school. I also loved King because quite simply I love a YEARNER!

If this was a movie I might enjoy it but the cheesy tone just didn’t translate that well for me. I think this book didn’t know whether it wanted to be a YA spy novel, an enemies-to-lovers romance, or a comedy action movie. And unfortunately that indecision really shone through.

I also had trouble following the plot/progression. I love what Carter was going for with the flashbacks and delving into different missions but I think there were a few too many things going on? I got a little lost in all the exposition and I feel that the story did too. I wish there was either more of a focus on the spy stuff or more of a focus on the relationship. I don’t think this quite found the balance. I didn’t fully understand the development of the King/Sterling aka Michael/Alex relationship. I love male yearning but he was on the FLOOR. I felt like he was instantly in love with her and I didn’t really get why. Alex is a great character, don’t get me wrong, but I wanted their relationship to be fleshed out a little further before we got to the Love of My Life discussions.

Overall this was really enjoyable and I did like the concept a lot but it had a little further to go. I don’t think the story quite landed on what it wanted to be and the relationship didn’t ring true to me because of that. It was fun! Definitely would like to read the Blonde Identity again. I read it a long time ago and felt that I missed a lot of the context of this book because I didn’t brush up on the last book. I like the universe but think this would play out way better on screen.

I will say the epilogue? HUH?

Thank you NetGalley for the book! This is my honest (stream of consciousness) review!!

4.5 rounded up

This book was so much fun. Smart, quirky, and such a great love story. I am all about a romance with some action to the story and a little something different and this book gave all of that to me. The MCs, Alex and King, are spies and such a fun enemies-to-lovers relationship to enjoy. Pure rom-com goodness. Side bonus to the Easter Eggs referring back Book #1 in the series.

I removed .5 star because the flip-flop timeline got a little confusing for me when they were doing similar things or in similar places. The idea was very cool and impactful so the confusion was probably a personal problem, if we are being honest.

All in all, I loved this book and thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it! Thanks Ally Carter for another great one!

I just devoured The Blonde Who Came In From The Cold by Ally Carter! This spy rom-com had me hooked from start to finish. I loved getting Alex's point of view and her 'enemies to lovers' story with King. The undercover flashes were everything! This book reignited my love for spy novels and gave me major 2000s rom-com feels. Ally Carter's writing is pure perfection. I'm patiently waiting for her next masterpiece! If you're a fan of rom-coms and spies, add this to your TBR ASAP! It's James Bond meets How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days - what's not to love?! 5* read, hands down! #allycarter #theblondewhocameinfromthecold #spybooks #romcombooks #bookreview #netgalley #bookrelease #romance #books

Enemies to Lovers ✅
Spies ✅
Grumpy/Sunshine ✅

I absolutely LOVED The Blonde Who Came In From The Cold by THE Ally Carter!!! This is the second book in the Blonde Identity series. This action-packed romance novel follows two spies through a 10 year span. It was so fun following the FMC and MMC from their first day at The Farm. Both characters were likable which can be hard to find. I also liked that the book has duel timelines as we jump from present day to the past. I hadn’t read the first book of the series but that wasn’t a problem. I was hooked from the first chapter and immediately bought the first book in the series to read next. As a huge fan of James Bond, Alias, and The International Spy Museum (IYKYK), I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

My first Ally Carter book and it did not disappoint!!

This book was so fun and tugged at my heart. I am not familiar with spy books, but found this book entertaining and enjoyed the aspect.

Kingsley (such a hot name) and Alex are more rivals to lovers (they each want to be the best spy) rather than enemies to lovers (that would spies on opposing sides). I loved the yearning between the two and the chemistry was definitely there. They’re both very much idiots in love and I really love that they were what the other desperately needed.

Hmmm I think I loved the mystery of this since I’ve been delving into mysteries more. But I felt that it dragged a bit and the flashbacks kept confusing me. I feel like the cast was quite short: Merritt, Tyler, Alex,Kingsley, and then whoever tf was hunting them, which turned out to be (Tyler). So not a huge cast of fun characters but I liked being able to focus on Alex and Kingsley. Idiots. I think the end of the mystery was lacking a bit. I wish more of Tyler’s rise to evil had been fleshed out more, but the foreshadowing was good enough. I’m glad it wasn’t Merritt. I can’t believe his grandmother was Nikolai like wow girl, where’s your book???

I think my biggest issue was the back and forth between the present and the past. While the way it was told/sequenced was important to the story, it all began to blur together. There were some chapters where I wasn’t sure where in time we were and it got confusing. My other issue was that I felt like I needed to read the Blonde Identity first. I think it would’ve been an easier read had I read BI first, which most likely set up more world building and connected me to Alex.

This was filled with lots of action and romance and a lot of mystery. I enjoyed the story and think I’ll try the Blonde Identity to fill in the gaps of this world.

I also loved the epilogue because twins are already chaotic so having someone pregnant is even more funny when you don’t know who. I wonder who it is!!

Two former spies, forty-eight hours of missing memories, and ten years of yearning. Michael Kingsley left the spy world and Alexandra Sterling disappeared completely. Until they wake up handcuffed to each other in a remote shack with no idea who captured them and why. Let the spy games begin.

✨ Dual POVs
✨ Second Chance
✨ Rivals-to-Lovers
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Dual Timelines

Ally Carter is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! This book was so completely bingeable that I read it in a day. It was so sassy and fun! The perfect sequel that I enjoyed even more than its predecessor, The Blonde Identity. I grew up reading The Bourne Identity series and watching Alias and Spy Game so it makes sense that a spy rom-com is really my jam!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I think I loved this even more than The Blonde Identity. I went right into reading this after finishing the first book and I’m so glad I didn’t have to wait. As soon as I saw THE Logan Echols quote I knew exactly the type of relationship I was in for and Ally Carter delivered. Alex Sterling and Michael King had a great enemies to lovers arc, their chemistry and snarky banter, while still being one of the only people the other trusts, was so well done. Alex is snarky, sassy and gives off the ‘I don’t need anyone’ attitude, yet feels she’s too much, too loud, but inside she’s a marshmallow. King is broody, and dealing with trauma, yet is protective and has the ‘burn the world down for her’ yearning. I’m not ready to leave this world Ally Carter created, and I’ll be back in a heartbeat if she ever goes back.

At the end of The Blonde Identity I was happy that there was a hint of a sequel sister book. I was excited to see what all happened while Zoe and Jake were going through their book. The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but in the end it delivered more.
I would give the last half of the book five stars. Unfortunately, I have to dock it a star for the first half. The timeline flashbacks and dual points of view discombobulated me. It made for several put down moments when I was finally getting when and where we were, then we'd jump to another perspective or time period. Alex and Michael felt like irritated classmates more than enemies-to-lovers. I knew I was going to finish it to at least see the end scene from The Blonde Identity make the timeline, but I was starting to wonder if this would be a 3.5 star read.
At the halfway point though, it comes together and is totally worth it. I read the rest in one sitting, thoroughly enjoying it. I'm happy I read this and Alex got her story too.
Long term, this is probably a 4.25 or 4.5, now understanding that it does come together. I kind of felt like this was a side of The Heist Society we haven't seen from an adult perspective. I also didn't have to skip through overly spicy scenes. A little steamy maybe, but I appreciated the closed door romance.
I can't wait to get the audiobook to hear the characters' voices.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Collins for providing me an advance reader copy.

This was so much fun!! Absolutely loved this as a follow up to last years book. I love a good second chance romance and the ending was SO fun and wild. Very fresh; very addictive. Will absolutely recommend to everyone.

Ally Carter is the queen of romance suspense novels. I absolutely loved The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold. After reading The Blonde Identity, which I also loved, I was so excited when I learned that Alex was going to get her own book and it did not disappoint. Do yourself a favor and start reading Ally Carter.

Another fabulous, exhilarating Ally Carter novel for the books! I’ve been a fan of Ally Carter since middle school, so her newly published adult books are so nostalgic for me. The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold is no exception! It’s a true slow-burn, with two very stubborn spies and a boatload of banter. This felt more grown-up than The Blonde Identity, and you can really tell Ally Carter is finding her niche in this genre. The dual timeline was so polished as well. I have so many highlights because the things that King says to Alex are all just so swoon-worthy. Here’s to hoping we get more books set in this world!

Alex was one of the CIA’s best spies until she went cold about a year ago. When she wakes up handcuffed to her former partner, King, in the Nevada desert with no memory of the past two days she is immediately plunged back into the world she left. King officially left spying behind about six years ago but finds himself constantly being pulled back into the game by his mentor Merritt and his deep love for Alex. The pair must work together one more time to tie up loose ends on several missions in their past and figure out he truth behind the mysterious Nikolai.

I knew from the moment I opened this book and found a quote from Logan Echols that I was going to enjoy this book. The book has its main story arc in the present day which is broken up by a series of different flashbacks across the pair’s time in training and then their various missions together. I loved all the spying aspects of the book and really enjoyed Alex and King as characters, but the jumping around in time never really allowed for the heat and tension between the two to grow and often the book felt disjointed and underdeveloped. I found myself wanting so much more of the romance aspect and honestly I needed more humor especially where the first book was able to do this so well. I still had a great time and it pulled me out of a mini-book slump after two DNFs but it just didn’t fully do it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.