I love all of Ally’s books and this is the best one yet! I read it all in one sitting on my plane ride and couldn’t put it down. She has this way of having two people fall in love while also trying to stay alive that makes your heart melt and race at the same time! This mish mash of action and romance is perfection and the chemistry between Alex and King is *chef’s kiss*! And I loved the tie in to The Blonde Identity too! Highly recommend 🤩

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆:

💙 Second chance romance
✨ Spies
💙 Let’s kiss so they don’t catch us

🎧 Audiobook ARC & 📖 eARC via NetGalley | HarperAudio Adult | Avon & Harper Voyager

I have loved Ally Carter since the Gallagher Girls series, and honestly, no one does spy-girl stories better than she does. This book was no exception — I loved it!

I’ve been waiting for Alex’s story since Blonde Identity, and it delivered. Alex and King’s chemistry was chef’s kiss. Witty banter, the sarcasm, the action-packed romance = perfection. Add in family drama, CIA/spy antics, and the right amount of chaos, and you’ve got everything I could ask for.

We also get Zoe and Sawyer back, plus some absolutely delightful twin shenanigans. Seriously, what’s not to love here? (Truly asking.) I’m also not usually a fan of flashbacks, but they worked here adding depth, history, and making sure you were 100% rooting for the good guys.

Loved every second. Sad its over, again!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 by Ally Carter
The Blonde Identity Series book 2
336 pages
Released August 5th

• 𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜
• 𝚐𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚢𝚇𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎
• 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚎𝚜
• “𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚖𝚎?” “𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍.”
• 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
• 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚡𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚢
• 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚑𝚎𝚛 & ☠️
• 𝚊𝚖𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚊

I love Ally Carter’s books. They’re always fun reads. This was most definitely a fun one and made me feel a little nostalgic. I can’t be the only one that dreamed of being an international spy (hello Austin Powers) at one point in their childhood. Like how cool would that be?!

I listened to the audio and read a physical arc of 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 at the same time. Duet narration with narrators that hit the spot perfectly. I was completely immersed in this world, felt my heart pounding thinking they could get caught or hurt at any turn.

The story is told in dual timelines, past and present. I loved seeing how Alex, our sassy fmc, came to be a spy. And how the mmc, King, fell so hard for our girl. The banter was top tier and King is so swoon worthy 🥵 All the shenanigans they get up to was ridiculously funny as well. The added touches of vulnerability between the two was the perfect cherry on top.

If you’re a fan of Mr. And Mrs. Smith, you’ll love this fast paced action packed spy romcom.

Thank you Avon and Harperaudio for the physical and audio arcs! This is my honest and voluntary review.

I loved The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold however I did like The Blonde Identity better. I love the spy novel meets romance plot and Alex is a great character. And I really loved the ending. However I did get confused a quite a lot because of the timelines. I can generally follow dual timelines well, but this had more than 2 timelines and lots of locations so I did get lost a few times. But it was still amazing.

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Audio Adult for the gifted copies of this book.

Summary: A second-chance romance filled with action when two rival spies team up after a year apart to stay alive.

My Thoughts: I fell in love with Ally's writing with the first book in this series, The Blonde Identity. As soon as I was done, I had to know if Zoe's twin sister, Alex, would have a book, because I couldn't wait to hear her story. A compelling second-chance romance underpinned a plot rich with suspenseful undercover operations, peppered with genuinely sweet moments and an entertaining flow of witty banter. This story had me laughing from start to finish, making it very challenging to put down.

From the first moment they're on the page together, Alex and King have sizzling chemistry. The constant friction of their rivalry, often fueled by being forced to collaborate during missions, produced truly sparkling conversations. My absolute favorite setting was anytime they were on the island, since they were sent into the most bizarre of situations while there.

I especially loved seeing Zoe and Sawyer and where they are after their own story. The four of them had a fun dynamic together, and I truly wish we had more of them together. I look forward to whatever Ally has next up her sleeves.
🎧Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet did a phenomenal job with this audiobook. The audiobook was so vivid, it felt as though I was watching a movie. If you're an audiobook lover, be sure to add this to your TBR.

What You'll Find:
Rivals to Lovers
Workplace Romance
Spies
Dual POV
Dual Timelines
Witty Banter

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The chemistry and banter between the main characters was top notch and the plot and twist were well executed. Listening to it, I sometimes had a hard time keeping straight whether the characters were in the current time or in the past, which was a little confusing to follow the plot. But all in all, I enjoyed it!

Ally Carter is back with another high-octane romantic suspense novel that ties in with The Blonde Identity in the best way.

This book was very fun and the story was incredibly engaging, I couldn't put it down. The characters were deeply flawed but lovable. Parts of the story got convoluted with the constantly changing timeline, locations, and narrators, especially listening to the audiobook.

If you are in the mood for a fun time with great banter and silly moments. I did not know that there was a genre of spy second-chance romance before, but I think it might be my new favorite. The plot, the characters, the chapter flow, I throughly enjoyed this one. Ally Carter provides us with a great story. The best part was Alex’s humor and the sharp, playful banter with King. They were such distinct, dynamic characters that I literally could not put this book down—it was addictive from start to finish. Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy. This one is so cute, don't miss out!

The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold – Ally Carter

Ally Carter just gets it. This read delivers everything I adore about her books…quick pacing, snappy banter, and a story that refuses to let you walk away. It’s the perfect balance between laugh-out-loud moments and a few well-placed swears, all wrapped in an addictive mystery. The tension keeps you hooked, the characters keep you grinning, and the vibe are giving that “just one more chapter” energy.

And I will always recommend Ally’s audiobooks. The narration is delightful, bringing every character, joke, and twist to life in a way that makes you feel like you’re right there in the middle of the action. Absolutely love.

Themes & Vibes
• Quick, clever banter
• Mystery with a playful edge
• Fast-paced, no-filler storytelling
• Just the right sprinkle of romantic tension
• Action with a wink
• Audiobook narration that’s pure gold

Would I recommend it?
Absolutely. If you want a mystery that’s light on the heavy and big on the fun, grab this in audio and thank me later.

This book is the perfect sequel to Blonde Identity. It’s super fun and exciting, with all the high-stakes and intrigue we’ve come to love from Ally Carter.A ndrew Eiden and Emily Ellet deliver an excellent performance with their dual narration with the audiobook! Their humor and steam are palpable. Another winner!

This second book in the Blonde Identity series was a fun read overall, but I found the dual timeline a bit hard to follow... Unless I'm wrong, I thing I prefered the one that was in the past. I liked the relationship between the main characters, however I thought that all the tension masked by teasing and condescension jumped way too abruptly into them being into each other. I would've liked it better if their feelings developed slower (and started developing earlier in the book, the burn was a touch too slow). The banter was mostly sarcastic and insulting (towards each other), which felt a but weird to me. All in all, not a bad read, but it failed at keeping my entire attention the whole way.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a cute story! I enjoyed both the romance and spy aspects of it. I felt like it lacked a little on the character development side of things and had more of a YA feel to it. The narrators were great and really added to the spy/secret agency vibe.

10/10. Utter perfection. An action packed second chance rival spy romance with touch her and die energy. Insane chemistry!!two spices wake up bloodied and handcuffed together & must race against time as they travel around the world eluding attackers and looking for answers But they have a very complicated history to the have to do this while pretending they don’t want to rip each others clothes off… with flashbacks to close call missions over the last decade, Including being fake married to your enemy and having to kiss them to keep the cover!!

One of the best audiobooks I've ever consumed. No notes.

The audio for this book was great! I felt like I was part of the action. The narrators did a great job. The whole book was amazing. This sequel was just as good as the first!

I absolutely loved this book. From the characters to the premise and settings to the narration, everything about it was great. I will go back and read the print version once I purchase it and add it to my collection. And the ending... I did not expect that cliffhanger. I look forward to the next book! (This is the good kind of cliffhanger, one that teases the next book and makes you want to know more, but doesn't mess with a neatly wrapped up ending for the current story.)

A fun spy adventure with a great romance. This is the second book in the series so I need to read the first one. Enemies to lovers and flashbacks. Good twists and turns!

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Narrators were fantastic!!

I applied for the ARC for this book before I even read the first book and I’m so glad I did because I loved The Blonde Identity and this book was somehow even better. I’m obsessed with this book. Where Zoe is all sunshine and rainbows Alex is black leather and attitude. For twins they couldn’t be more different and I love them both for different reasons.

The enemies to lovers of it all was spot on. Alex and King have this dynamic you just know will eventually end in hearts eye emojis once they get over themselves and realize how perfect they are for each other and the journey to get there was perfect. This book has everything you could want spies, action, humor, and surprises. The story kept me guessing from start to finish. I loved this book so much.

I read this book while listening to the audiobook narrated by Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet. Andrew and Emily did such a great job with this book and really helped to bring the characters to life. I love narrators who can adjust their voice enough that it doesn’t feel one dimensional and they did that with this book.

The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold
by Ally Carter
3/5⭐

This second installment in the series dives into the backstory of Alex and King. I loved finally getting more on them. Carter always delivers on the suspense and spy drama, and this one is no exception, with its fast pace, high stakes, and endless twists.

That said, the dual timelines and multiple POVs made it tough to follow on audio. I found myself wishing I had the physical book to reference. The timeline jumps back and forth, and I would forget where in the world they were at times. Lastly, I expected more focus on the sisters this time around, and that did not come until the very end. The ending was adorable and left things open-ended, with a major cliffhanger. So... third book, maybe? If you're into spy fiction with emotional layers, this one’s worth the ride.

Special thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollins for the audiobook ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: August 5, 2025 Out NOW!

we got to see Alex’s more vulnerable side and I loved it. I found her character to be so relatable. Fun fact: I also have a twin sister! Alex and King were so cute together. The plot in this one was just as action packed as the first. And a second chance romance? Sold! A few great plot twists and that ending!! A great wrap up 🩷 I highly suggest this series. They are such fun, quick reads!

I listened to the audio and it’s phenomenal!! The narrators did a great job and I felt like I was watching a movie ✨