🎧𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌🎧

𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs

𝒪𝓃𝑒-𝒲𝑜𝓇𝒹 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌: ʀɪᴠᴇᴛɪɴɢ

𝒪𝓅𝑒𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝐿𝒾𝓃𝑒: ᴀs ʟᴜᴄᴋ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɪᴛ, ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴀʟᴇxᴀɴᴅʀᴀ sᴛᴇʀʟɪɴɢ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴋɪʟʟ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ sʜᴇ sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ sᴘʏ sᴄʜᴏᴏʟ.

𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐵𝓁𝑜𝓃𝒹𝑒 𝒲𝒽𝑜 𝒞𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝐼𝓃 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒞𝑜𝓁𝒹 ᴅɪᴠᴇs ʜᴇᴀᴅғɪʀsᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ sᴘʏ ʀᴏᴍ‑ᴄᴏᴍ ᴄʜᴀᴏs—ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴏɴᴇ ʜᴇʟʟ ᴏғ ᴀ ʀᴇᴜɴɪᴏɴ. ᴀʟᴇx sᴛᴇʀʟɪɴɢ ᴡᴀᴋᴇs ᴜᴘ ʜᴀɴᴅᴄᴜғғᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ғᴏʀᴍᴇʀ ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀ ᴍɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟ ‘ᴋɪɴɢ’ ᴋɪɴɢsʟᴇʏ. ᴛʜᴇʏ’ʀᴇ ʙʀᴜɪsᴇᴅ, ʙʟᴇᴇᴅɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪssɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀsᴛ 𝟺𝟾 ʜᴏᴜʀs—ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴄᴀʀᴇғᴜʟʟʏ ᴄᴏɴsᴛʀᴜᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴀʀᴍᴏʀ. sᴜᴅᴅᴇɴʟʏ ᴛʜᴇʏ’ʀᴇ ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ… ᴡʜᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴏʀ ɴᴏᴛ.

ᴄᴀʀᴛᴇʀ ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀs ᴏɴ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍ, ᴡɪᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴇᴇʀ ɴᴇʀᴠᴇ. ᴀʟᴇx ɪs sᴍᴀʀᴛ, ʀᴇsᴏᴜʀᴄᴇғᴜʟ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʀᴍᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ sɴᴀʀᴋʏ ʜᴜᴍᴏʀ. ᴋɪɴɢ—ᴏɴᴄᴇ sᴛᴀɴᴅᴏғғɪsʜ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʀᴏᴏᴅʏ—sʟᴏᴡʟʏ ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟs ʜɪs sᴏғᴛᴇʀ sɪᴅᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ғʟᴀsʜʙᴀᴄᴋs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴇ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴄᴀᴅᴇ ᴏғ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴍɪssɪᴏɴs ᴀɴᴅ “ғᴀᴋᴇ ᴄᴏᴜᴘʟᴇ” ᴀssɪɢɴᴍᴇɴᴛs. ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴄʜᴇᴍɪsᴛʀʏ ɪs ᴘᴀʟᴘᴀʙʟʏ ᴇʟᴇᴄᴛʀɪᴄ—ʙʀɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴀᴛ ғɪʀsᴛ, ᴛʜᴇɴ sᴍᴏʟᴅᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ.

ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴀɪᴅ, ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ-ᴀɴᴅ-ғᴏʀᴛʜ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀᴇsᴇɴᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇʟɪɴᴇs ɢᴏᴛ ᴄᴏɴғᴜsɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴜʟʟᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ғʟᴏᴡ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ. ɪᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴘᴀᴜsᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴏʀɪᴇɴᴛ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ʙᴜᴍᴍᴇʀ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴏᴛ ɪᴛsᴇʟғ ɪs sᴏ ɢʀɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ. ᴀʟsᴏ, ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴍᴄs ғɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ɢᴇᴛ ɪɴᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇ—ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ—ɪᴛ’s ғʀᴜsᴛʀᴀᴛɪɴɢʟʏ ғᴀᴅᴇ-ᴛᴏ-ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ. ɪ ᴡᴀs ʜᴏᴘɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴘᴀʏᴏғғ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ.

𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝐸𝓁𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈:
✨ sʟᴏᴡ‑ʙᴜʀɴ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ‑ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
✨ ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇs‑ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ‑ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀs-ᴛᴏ-ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs
✨ ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴛɪᴍᴇʟɪɴᴇs (ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴍɪssɪᴏɴs / ᴘʀᴇsᴇɴᴛ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ)
✨ sᴘʏ ɢᴀᴍᴇs & ʜɪɢʜ‑sᴛᴀᴋᴇs ᴇsᴘɪᴏɴᴀɢᴇ
✨ sʜᴀʀᴘ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ & ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴘᴀʏᴏғғs
✨ ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ
✨ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴀʟs
✨ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ғᴇᴍᴀʟᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴅ x ʙʀᴏᴏᴅɪɴɢ ᴍᴀʟᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴅ
✨ ᴡᴏʀᴋᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ

𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃: ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ғᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇs ᴅᴜᴀʟ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡᴏʀᴋᴇᴅ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴡᴇʟʟ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs sᴛᴏʀʏ. ᴛᴇᴅᴅʏ ʜᴀᴍɪʟᴛᴏɴ ᴡᴀs ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴀs ᴇᴠᴇʀ—ʜɪs ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ʙʀɪɴɢs sᴜᴄʜ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴘᴛʜ, ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴛᴏ ᴋɪɴɢ’s ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ. ʜᴇ ᴇғғᴏʀᴛʟᴇssʟʏ ɴᴀɪʟs ᴛʜᴀᴛ sʟᴏᴡ-ʙᴜʀɴ ᴠᴜʟɴᴇʀᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ʙᴇɴᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴜɢʜ ᴇxᴛᴇʀɪᴏʀ. ᴛʜᴇ ғᴇᴍᴀʟᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴅɪᴅ ᴀ sᴏʟɪᴅ ᴊᴏʙ ᴛᴏᴏ, ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴀʟᴇx’s sʜᴀʀᴘ ᴡɪᴛ ᴀɴᴅ sᴀss.

𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉: ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʀᴀᴠᴇ sᴘʏ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀs ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ, ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ sʟᴏᴡ-ʙᴜʀɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋᴇᴇᴘs ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴜᴇssɪɴɢ—ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ’s ᴀ ᴡɪɴ. 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐵𝓁𝑜𝓃𝒹𝑒 𝒲𝒽𝑜 𝒞𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝐼𝓃 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒞𝑜𝓁𝒹 ɪs ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ‑ᴘᴀᴄᴋᴇᴅ, ғᴀsᴛ‑ᴘᴀᴄᴇᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅᴇᴅ. ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ sɪᴍᴍᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʀɪɢʜᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇ ᴋᴇᴘᴛ ᴍᴇ ʜᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪɴᴀʟ ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟ. ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴀ ɴᴏᴛᴇᴘᴀᴅ ɴᴇᴀʀʙʏ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇʟɪɴᴇ sʜɪғᴛs—ᴛʜᴇɴ ʙᴜᴄᴋʟᴇ ᴜᴘ ғᴏʀ ᴏɴᴇ ᴜɴғᴏʀɢᴇᴛᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ʀɪᴅᴇ.

ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ
ᴡᴡᴡ.ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ.ᴄᴏᴍ

Thank you Avon Books and Harper Audio for the gifted copies! I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of these action-adventure rom-coms, so publishers, please keep them coming! I loved this one even more than The Blonde Identity and recommend reading both. They technically work as standalones, but the events from book one are woven into this one, so I’d suggest starting at the beginning.

One of the reasons I love this subgenre so much is the unpredictability. We know we’ll get a HEA, but everything else is up in the air. I was shocked (in the best way!) by how it all unfolded, and the ending totally delighted me. Also re: the ending — either Ally Carter hates us or we’re getting a third book!

I read this while working on a pumpkin patch puzzle, and there are a few scenes where Alex and King are cozied up in a Scottish castle that felt so atmospheric. I just know I’m always going to associate this book with fall vibes and cozy nights (yes, I know it’s not fall yet but it FELT like it!).

Read for:
🍁Enemies to lovers
🍁 Second chance
🍁 International spy adventures
🍁 Banter for days
🍁 He falls first / he’s gone for her
🍁 Dual POV / 1st person

Great for fans of:
Carlie Walker
Meg Easton’s Romancing the Spy series
Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan series

Audio: Dual narrators for dual POV, featuring the same amazing team from The Blonde Identity: Andrew Eiden (aka Teddy Hamilton) and Emily Ellet (Canadian Boyfriend, A Groom of One’s Own). They deliver an excellent performance full of emotion and the right cadence and intonation to keep us engaged. Highly recommend the audio!

this was suuuch a fun story! the build up, slow burn, humor, and high stakes action all blended so well into one story. seeing alex and king over a whole decade weave their way in and out of each others lives made the story so interesting to follow. my main criticism is that the POV and timeline switches did get confused at times. the audiobook was so well done as well - the narrators killed it! thank you @avonbooks for the book! 💙

Fabulous! In fact, I loved The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold so much that I immediately ordered a print copy of The Blonde Identity which I had listened to when it first came out because I am now anxious to reread them both in quick succession. My attention was riveted from the first word to the last--so much so that it made driving on 95 between DC and Delaware in late July actually enjoyable! The story moves back and forth through time, skillfully revealing details about two CIA agents working, fighting, competing, and admiring each other for ten years, complete with harrowing escapades and endlessly delightful repartee. I particularly loved how the connections between this story and The Blonde Identity gradually come together, and I cannot wait to see what this talented author comes up with next. I am grateful to NetGalley for an early copy of this audiobook, superbly narrated by Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet.

This was really fun! Spy romcom is such a unique genre that somehow works. Ally was able to include classic tropes of a romance novel while also having some twists and turns you would expect when the main characters are spies. This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it just as much as The Blonde Identity (and we do get to see the characters a bit in this new book which was exciting). The timelines were a little confusing to me and I did spend a good chunk of the book wondering how the timeline compared to the one we know from The Blonde Identity. I read and listened to the audiobook for this one and the dual narration was great. I’m so glad Alex and King got their HEA but way to leave us hanging at the end Ally!!

This was such a fun book —full of spy games, humor, and a really well-done romance subplot. I was surprised by how much I liked it, I had the best time!! The enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and second chance tropes worked so well, and the banter was amazing! The book starts out with a bang and does not stop....

The only thing that threw me off was the frequent shifts in timeline and location—it made it a little tricky to follow at times, though that might just be me. I didn't read book 1, but now I have to, I really enjoy Ally Carter's writing!! This would make a great movie!!

The audiobook is INCREDIBLE, Andrew Eiden aka Teddy Hamilton never misses and Emily Ellet did an amazing job!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Harper Audio Adult for the Advance Audio Copy in exhange for my honest thoughts!!

Thank you to Avon Books for the advance reader copy and to Harper Audio and LibroFM for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book even more than The Blonde Identity. I think it works best to read the two books in order. This one definitely spoils the previous book.

I love a romance with a shared history. And Alex and Michael have so much past between them. They first meet when starting at spy school at the same time. And their interactions there and after have sparks flying, both literally and metaphorically.

Alex is exactly my kind of woman. Who else shows up to train for the CIA wearing a future spy hoodie? Her motivation and depth of emotion are so clear. And they make all of her actions from the previous book make perfect sense. I want her to have every good thing in this world.

Michael is a perfect match for her, especially with his perfect memory and spy family background. I loved the two of them together and all the undercurrents in every scene.

And the spy adventures and crazy twists of the plot matched the romance so well. This will become a duo that I return to again and again. Action, adventure, humor, romance, and so much more make this a wonderful book.

Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet repeat as narrators from The Blonde Identity. I adore Andrew Eiden, and Emily Ellet more than matched his performance. Audio is a great way to engage with this book.

4.5 stars rounded up

What a great time!

The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold hits the ground running and simply doesn’t stop. The second in a series, I would not recommend treating it as a standalone. I absolutely love how smart and resourceful both main characters are. I also love a flawed female character who takes no shit. She has my heart. And the way he is all in for her? Ugh, perfection.

I appreciate the action/spy intrigue of this novel. It kept things interesting without taking away from the romance.

Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet narrated the novel to perfection. They were both dynamic and engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio/Avon for the alc in exchange for an honest review!

The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold by Ally Carter is an enemies-to-lovers, second chance romance and absolutely wonderful!! Narration was performed by Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet and brought the story to life. This is the second book in the Blonde Identity series and alternates from current day to 10 years prior and in between. Alex and King meet the night before joining the CIA and have a complicated relationship in a world when relationships can't really happen. The timeline was used in a way to slowly reveal the story and how their relationship came to be what it is. I loved the banter between characters and having Zoe and Sawyer weaved into the storyline. The jumping around of time got a little confusing, but this did not deter from the excellent book!

Thank you Netgalley, HarperAudio Adult, and the author for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to HarperAudio Adult for the ALC! I LOVED having the audio narration along with the ebook copy, it made the reading experience even more fun for this quick and easy read that I breezed through in a weekend! It was a Dual Narration and I really enjoyed how each brought the characters to life!

While I think this could be read as a standalone, it’s technically the second book in the Blonde Identity series and if possible I think I liked this one even more than the first! If you’re going to read both then definitely start with the first or you’ll run into spoilers.

I loved that in this one, BOTH the leads were incredibly fierce spies and their rivalry and adventures from “spy school” through different missions around the globe was such an entertaining way to see their story develop.

Lots of fun banter, fast-paced action, mystery and intrigued, villains and heroes, and a love story all tied together (ha! 😉) for the perfect combo!

🕵🏼‍♀️ 2 Badass Rival Spies (spy school, training, missions!)
❤️ Second Chance(ish) Romance
2️⃣ Dual Timelines / POVs / Narrators
🛏️ Only one bed (closed door)
🙌🏻 “Who did this to you” & “you came for me”
😍 Fun banter & swoony tension

🎬 This also had all the makings of a big screen romcom and I’d die to see it in the theaters! Think Mr. & Mrs. Smith or Miss Congeniality vibes!

This marks 3 books in a row from Ally Carter that I've loved, so she’s officially becoming an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Audio, and Ally Carter for the ALC!

The narration was fantastic! Emily could easily changer voice from Sterling to King to Fiona and Andrew definitely sounded like a broody agent.

I loved this dual POV, dual timeline adventure! There was action and banter and suspense but also a hint of tenderness and found family. I loved that the MMC and FMC aren’t even aware that they themselves are their greatest mission yet - just two spies always ending up back together.

“…long story short, I’m in an enemies to lovers situation.” SWOON 😍

That cliffhanger though!! I need #3 😅

This is the most quintessential Ally Carter book. In this follow up to the Blonde Identity, we follow Alex in present day as she wakes up handcuffed to her EX CIA-partner, King. We get flashbacks of their career together as they try and figure out what happened to them in the present day. I enjoyed the first book but I loved the second. It added so much depth and world building to the series that the first was unable to do while also keeping the heart love. The audiobook has the same narrators as the first book, with the perspective changes between her and him (Alex and King), which I love for the consistency.
Thank you to Net Galley, HaperAudio, and the Author, Ally Carter, for an early copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Ally Carter does it again with The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold, delivering another ridiculously fun spy rom-com that blends explosions, espionage, and emotional slow-burn into one bingeable adventure.

This time, the spotlight shifts to the sister of The Blonde Identity's heroine—except this sister is the actual spy. Alex and her former partner-slash-ex-lover King are handcuffed together in a dark room, waking up bloody, bruised, and with no clue how they got there. What follows is a wild ride through past missions and present danger, as secrets unravel and chemistry reignites.

The story is told in dual timelines—"then" and "now"—which adds depth to their history but also makes the pacing a bit tricky toward the end. While I loved the emotional build and callbacks, the time jumps started to feel chaotic, especially with such short chapters. Still, it’s easy to forgive when the writing is this much fun.

Carter leans hard into the romance tropes—forced proximity, fake marriage, enemies to lovers, one bed—and makes them work beautifully within the spy framework. Nothing feels shoehorned; it’s tropey in the best way, like a wink to rom-com lovers who also want some international intrigue.

Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet absolutely nail the audiobook. Their performances brought the banter to life and helped keep me grounded in the shifting timelines. Honestly, the audio made the reading experience even better—it added spark, urgency, and charm.

If you’re here for a gritty, realistic spy thriller… this isn’t that. But if you're in the mood for a cinematic, stylish, heart-tugging, and hilarious spy romance that knows exactly what it is? You're in for a treat.

Rating: 4.5 stars — Rounded up because fun always wins.
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Fake Marriage, Enemies to Lovers, One Bed
Read If You Like: Mr. & Mrs. Smith, tropey romance with a spy twist, chaotic spy antics, sizzling banter

“You’re safe with me. You will always be safe with me. Let me keep you safe.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold is the second book in Ally Carter’s Blonde Identity series. They are interconnected but can be read on their own.

Alex and Michael meet when they are first joining the CIA. There is an instant chemistry but they are definitely rivals. Fast forward 10 years they wake up handcuffed to one another in Vegas with no recollection of how they got there.

This story alternates between the present timeline and all the previous years since they met. I loved how the story unfolded through this use of the timeline. Ally Carter writes in such an engaging way and I get so sucked into her stories.

In this book the stakes are high as Alex and Michael work in extremely dangerous spy situations. While this is a contemporary romance there is also an element of suspense and lots of action.

The audiobook narration is perfection. I loved this book.

Thank you to Avon for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

The second installment of the Blonde Identity series focuses on Alex and her rivalry Kingsley, two spies often thrown together for assignments, including one where they had to pretend to be a couple. After a meaningful weekend together followed by a long hiatus from each other after, they find themselves handcuffed to each other in a dark room by an unknown villain.

Since I had never read the first book but the second one is coming out on Tuesday, I decided to grab the first from the library before I jumped into the second. I am so happy I did, partly because I thought the series was absolutely adorable and I was happy to remain in the world a little longer and second because reading the first does make the newer book a better read. I did find the second book a little more confusing than the first (there’s a lot of flashbacks and jumping between pasts and present) but I really holistically enjoyed the series. It’s a bit like Finlay Donovan in its chaotic pace and funny lines. I loved listening to the audio of the first, the newer book took a little more attention since it was a bit more confusing - but loved the narrators.

Thank you to Harper Audio and Net Galley for the ALC to review

I don't think anyone does action romcoms as well as Ally Carter. This is the fifth book of hers I’ve checked out, and it’s also my fifth 5-star review. I honestly don’t know how to write this review without just gushing with lots of heart emojis and gifs.

The banter and chemistry between Alex and King were fantastic. King had just the right amount of emotional angst that made the story more meaningful without dragging it down. I really liked the use of different timelines to show the development of their relationship. I’m starting to realize that might be a favorite romance device for me. And of course, all of this is happening while they’re SPIES!

I also forgot how much I missed Zoe until she popped back up. Might be time for a re-read of the first book.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ALC! The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold comes out August 5, 2025.

This was such a fun book to breeze through. Think Mr. & Mrs. Smith if they’d actually talked about their feelings. It’s been awhile since a book left me grinning the whole time.

After CIA agents Alex and Michael wake up handcuffed to each other with no memory of what happened, we end up with full on rivals to lovers story that’s to spy for. In the search to figure out what happened to them, we get a dizzying journey that’s par to Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

I really enjoyed this one even though I didn’t read the first book (didn’t know there was one). The chemistry between Alex and Michael was palpable and their banter had just the right amount of tension, sarcasm, and vulnerability to keep me fully locked in.

The dual narration with Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet was fantastic. I appreciated being inside both their heads, especially as their past and present timelines unfolded. We get alternating timelines throughout their working relationship over the past 10 years and I thought it worked well. It didn’t feel disjointed at all. It added weight to the emotional stakes and gave the romance more context.

I adored Michael’s quiet protectiveness and the moments where he lets his guard down. Alex keeps her walls high, but the dynamic between them stays balanced.

Overall, this was such a super face paced fun and charming read that’s not trying too hard to be twisty or overly dramatic. It just tells a compelling story about two people who’ve been through a lot and are trying to figure out if they can trust each other again. Definitely recommend it if you like slower-burn second-chance stories with emotional payoff.

4.5 stars

Love it! I have been waiting for this book since reading The Blonde Identity. This series is so much fun. I really loved the dual narrators.

This book picks off where the first one ends and I love that you’re thrown right back into the story but it’s about Alex and Michael this fine. I loved seeing all of their history together from the first time they met then fast forward 10 years and all of their ops in between. Super fast-paced spy romance that always kept me on my toes and made me want to keep reading. The angst between the characters was amazing and the push and pull was chefs kiss! The epilogue makes me want even more of these characters!

Thank you Avon for my ALC - the narrators were incredible. Super clear voices and the inflections were great.

I didn't realize when I requested that this is book 2 in a series and I had not read book 1. While I don't think it's necessary because this one is more of a prequel in the series, I think if I had known there was another book I may have wanted to start with that one first. This book is fun and campy and I think the genre of female spies has become popular. I categorize this book as not overly serious and light on suspense. I think this book is an adventure waiting to be read and the audiobook narrators were excellent!