I love everything Ally Carter writes, and this no exception. I love how this book oscillates from the past to present, building the relationship between Alex and King that I loved. 5 stars no notes at all, this was just such a fun quick read!

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Truly, I don’t even know where to begin. This book was brilliant. Ally Carter is sensational! Once again, she has delivered romance and mystery fans alike with a masterpiece! If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. I would give it all the stars.

Told from dual POVs in dual timelines, The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold by Ally Carter is the follow-up to The Blonde Identity. This book follows Alex Sterling, a magnificent spy and the twin sister of the main character in The Blonde Identity.

The romance, the LONGING, the LOVE in this book… Ally truly knows how to create characters you love and builds connections between them like no other author I’ve ever read. The complexities amongst these characters and the ways they see right through each other, down to their very core, is so special. Other than The Blonde Identity, I’ve never read a piece of writing where I felt so moved by the narration and the observations these characters make about each other as they interact. It just speaks to how skilled Ally Carter is as a writer.

Beyond the characters, the story kept me engaged the. whole. time. Just when you think the twists are over in this novel… They just keep coming.

Ally, keep doing what you’re doing. I will always be a fan. From YA to now, each piece you’ve created has been masterful. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the advance reader’s e-proof in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to be honest... I cannot for the life of me remember the names of the main characters. The blurb for this book does not mention them (rather, the ambiguous "they") and none of the top, recent reviews do either. So you're stuck with FMC and MMC--sorry. When the FMC and MMC wake up in a dark room chained together, it's the first time they've seen each other in years, and they're not exactly happy to see one another. And now they have to be on the run from their CIA past together, with no one but each other to trust. Forced proximity for the ages!

BUT! I do remember that I loved this book. I've been a huge Ally Carter fan since I was a youth, and was ecstatic to see her entry into the adult romance space with The Blonde Identity--but, to be honest, this book is even better. It was like that book jogged so this book could run (walk is too derogatory--it was better than a walk). This one was just a joy to read and I binged it in one sitting. I loved the premise, I loved the characters, I love the mix of romance and suspense and mystery. Definitely a keeper.

Thanks to Avon for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

This book was so good I went and preordered a paperback copy as soon as I finished reading it.

Everything about this book was perfection. It was vivid, tense, lucious, and so incredibly immersive. The romance itself was taut and pulled me along into something so incredibly rich that I felt as though I was living it moment by moment. I really don't have anything negative to say about this book. The pacing was glorious, the action was precisely as it should be. My only wish is that I could forget it so I could go back and read it for the first time all over again.

Ahhh I just will always love everything Ally Carter writes. I’m convinced. I’ve been a Gallagher girl since j was a teen and I am obsessed with Carter’s transition into adult spy novels that still give me the same happy feeling. I started my year rereading the Gallagher Girl series and now, getting to read this one early was just the icing on the cake. I loved the Blonde Identity so much, and The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold was just was fun.

This book is perfect for a happy, light read, which I know I certainly needed right now. I’ve been unable to focus on a lot of books lately and just in an overall slump, but this one still managed to make me smile. I can’t wait to see what Carter does next!!

The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold is a wonderful sequel to The Blonde Identity and also a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read on its own merit!

Alex is the spy who "got" Koslov and King is the CIA agent who fell in love with her 10 years ago when they started with the CIA. They wake up shackled to each other in a dark room with no recollection of how either one of them got there.

I adored The Blonde Identity, but I think The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold is so special because of the distinctions that Ally makes between these two identical twins and the way the differences in their childhood shaped them. I love Alex, her intelligence and her fearlessness. King is as Alex puts it is a "baby duke" of the CIA and so smart and unshakeable. This book takes you through Alex and Kings past while weaving in their present predicament. Alex and King are a classic enemies to friends to lovers and it is such an enjoyable ride! I also loved Zoe and Sawyer's presence in this book!

I highly recommend this book to anyone! Anything Ally Carter writes is filled with wit and action, and frankly I would read her grocery list. This is action packed with romance and sisterhood weaved through it.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Blonde who Came in from the Cold is the perfect sequel to The Blonde Identity. While The Blonde Identity was more lighthearted due to Zoe's personality, there was still plenty of laughs with the banter between Alex and King.

I absolutely loved reading about Alex and King's evolving relationship over a decade as well as Alex's struggles with liking herself. Parts really made my heart hurt (in the best ways). Carter knows how to write strong characters with heart and vulnerabilities.

If you dont like flip-flopping timelines, then skip this. If you love hot spies, mystery, double agents, and protective men, then give this a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely LOVE everything about this book series and these characters!! We have a missing Rogue spy Alex and another mysterious spy Michael and together they are unstoppable and unforgettable team!! These enemies to maybe friends wake up handcuffed together with no memory of how or why but they know they need to work together to survive!! Alex and her identical twin sister Zoe finally get to reconnect!! Carter is one of my top favorite authors and the cliffhangers left me speechless!....! I was extremely excited that I received the ARC of thus book!! It has been my FAVORITE book I've read this year!!!

THANK YOU to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an Honest review!

#TheBlondewhocameinfromthecold
#Netgalley

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for this advanced copy.

Ally Carter has just an effortless voice, she makes it easy to fall in love with new characters every time. I've been hoping for Alex's story since her brief cameo in The Blonde Identity and this book went above and beyond my wildest dreams. Alex and King had so much pining, yearning, and true enemies-to-lovers-but-you're-still-really hot that it kept me turning the pages faster and slower, because I needed to know but didn't want it to end. Carter is a master of the modern spy novel.

This was a super fun continuation of the first Blonde Identity novel! In the first book we meet Zoe who is NOT a spy but gets mistaken for her sister, Alex, who IS a spy. In this book, we get Alex's full story with a love interest mixed in. I definitely enjoyed it, even if the timeline and location hopping throughout the novel was sometimes hard to track. I'd recommend both in the series!

Avon and Harper Voyager/NetGalley ARC

The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold is a fun, fast read filled with spies, action, comedy, and banter. It’s a companion book to Ally Carter’s The Blonde Identity, but the books can be read separately, in any order. 

In Blonde, Alex and King find themselves handcuffed together, in the dark, unclear about where they are and how they got there. They have to work together to get out of this situation, and the rest of the novel is about how they met, their lives since, and whether they can rebuild enough trust to find whoever is responsible for their predicament.

Both books blend action, romance, and humor, with crisp dialogue and well-written characters to keep the reader engaged.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was an entertaining follow-up in this series. I loved it! The twists didn’t terribly surprise me, but still I was invested in how the storyline played out.
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC e-book!

ARC Review: The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold by Ally Carter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Ally Carter delivers another fun, fast-paced spy adventure in The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold! I really enjoyed the dual timelines that gradually converge in the second half of the book—it added a layer of tension and intrigue that kept me turning pages.

It was also great to get more insight into Alex’s character after meeting her in the first book. She’s complex, capable, and so compelling to follow. While I did find myself wishing for a bit more romance, the story itself had a strong premise and a satisfying arc.

Overall, this was an engaging read with sharp plotting and great character development—perfect for fans of clever thrillers with a touch of heart

The Blonde Who Came In From the Cold acts like a separate but related novel to her previous one, The Blonde Identity. This book is a whirlwind of action comedy and romance which we experience with our main characters Alex and "King." Their journey is split between the present day and the past which informs their journey and relationship throughout the book. In typical Ally Carter fashion there is plenty of excellent banter that lets the reader get lost in the story entirely. The pace I felt was good, but sometimes I got a little confused between what was present day and what was the past. This is a closed door romance with plenty of tension and an exciting plot. I've loved Ally Carter's books for ten years, so I may be biased, but they just keeping getting better and better to read each time. This was a 10/10 read for me. It's goofy. It's entertaining. It's one-hundred percent an easy read with lovable characters.

this was such a fun read. Truly bingeable writing with top tier banter, perfect silly moments and amazing characters. This was such a good time, will absolutely recommend

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a good fast paced read. I did enjoy it, just not as much as the first one. This one could get a little confusing sometimes between the flashbacks but that is my only con to this book, If you need a fun fast paced book to get you out of a slump, this is the one.

i've really grown to love and look forward to ally carter's books. I loved the first book in the series and this one was amazing as well. this writing was so heartwrenching and beautiful and poetic, I didn't expect it but it definitely slammed into me. I really rooted so much for alex and king. I think the only confusing thing was the constant timeline switches, but I definitely want to do a reread of this through audiobook format. this was great. Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

Loved loved loved! Ally Carter is so back (she hasn’t gone anywhere), spy romance will never be the same (haven’t read any from this sub genre)! Huge fan and Ally didn’t disappoint, the story and romance were so good and interesting, and a great follow up to the first book. I really hope she writes another one, all of the characters were so fun to read about.

Carter’s books are absolutely addictive! this one took off at the very beginning and i could not stop reading to see what would happen! it was SO GOOD! The enemies to lovers, banter and PINING! i adored it!

i've really grown to love and look forward to ally carter's books. I loved the first book in the series and this one was amazing as well. this writing was so heartwrenching and beautiful and poetic, I didn't expect it but it definitely slammed into me. I really rooted so much for alex and king. I think the only confusing thing was the constant timeline switches, but I definitely want to do a reread of this through audiobook format. this was great. Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!