REVIEW: The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter

In The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter, Waking up with no knowledge of who you are while in the middle of a snowy Paris street is unsettling. Have a gorgeous guy questioning and yelling at her while she’s lying in said street is even more disorienting. But when she realizes there are bad guys after her–and she has no idea *why* they want to hurt her–that’s when she takes a chance and goes on the run with Mr. Hot Guy. Thankfully, he has just enough info to give her an idea who she is. And that her twin sister, Alex, is a spy who is also on the run…and who had been working with Hot Guy before she went on the lam. The only bright spot during the many times Zoe’s shot at, pushed off of bridges, and trying to avoid getting killed is spending time with her sexy spy guy. But can she really trust what he tells her or her feelings for him? Or is everything just part of his plan?

“You have a hotel room? In your name? Is that where they found you? Do you have any money? What ID were you using? Have you been in touch with Alex?”
“Um, let me think… Amnesia. Amnesia. Amnesia. Four euros. And…amnesia. Any other questions?”

While he’s used to working with a partner here and there, Sawyer’s not typically saddled with someone as green as Alex’s twin. Not to say she isn’t smart and resourceful in her own way–particularly since she has amnesia. He’s impressed with how quickly she can think on her feet as they encounter one issue after another on their trek across Europe. But a spy she is not. So, it’s up to him to keep her safe and, well, alive. Or Alex will have his hide. As they work (mostly) together, saving each other from every bad guy out to get them, Sawyers’s shocked to find that for once, he’s thinking of the future. Not just the next hour, day, or job. But operatives don’t get shiny happy endings. And he knows that as soon as they find Alex, he’ll likely have to move on to his next dangerous mission.

‘At some point in the past thirty-six hours his priorities had shifted in a way that made him a worse spy but a better person and he wasn’t at all sure how to feel about the trade-off.’

A high octane rom-com-slash-spy-thriller that takes readers across Europe, one life threatening situation at a time, The Blonde Identity is the perfect example of a page-turner that will make you gasp in surprise as often as it will make you chuckle.

‘Sawyer had learned a long time ago that safety wasn’t just an illusion–it was a lie. And it would get you killed.’

Ally Carter’s newest novel, The Blonde Identity, had me flying through the pages to see what new unique and dangerous predicament Zoe and Sawyer would get into. It was fast paced. It had a wonderful blend of humor and action scenes. And of course, there was the slow burn romance. *sigh* But it was the spy angle, wondering who could be trusted and if anyone was playing double agent, that thrilled me to no end.

With elements of both The Bourne Identity and the 90s movie The Saint (to me at least), The Blonde Identity paired up quirky-cute amnesiac Zoe with grumpy and handsome spy Sawyer. Right away they had a simmering attraction that created more problems than it solved for the pair. And while they ran from the bad guys, Sawyer and Zoe tried to piece together how she got involved in her twin sister Alex’s mess with a Russian crime boss. Talk about exciting! Scene after scene, the duo not only saved each other from harm–okay, Sawyer saved Zoe more often, but still…she did kick a few butts along the way–but they also became more captivated with each other.

Zoe and Sawyer’s happy ending moved just as quickly as the rest of the story did, but it definitely suited them. I absolutely adored them as a couple. And with the teaser ending, it sounds like Zoe’s twin, Alex, is likely to get her own book–so hopefully we haven’t seen the last of Sawyer and Zoe quite yet.

QOTD: Have you read any novels that blended romance with a spy type thriller?

Book Info:

Publication: Expected Publication: August 8th, 2023 | Avon |

A fast-paced, hilarious road trip rom-com about a woman with amnesia who discovers she’s the identical twin sister of a rogue spy… and must team up with a rugged, grumpy operative to stay alive.

It’s the middle of the night in the middle of Paris and a woman just woke up with no memory.

She only knows three things for certain:

1. She has a splitting headache.

2. The hottest guy she has (probably) ever seen is standing over her, telling her to run.

And oh yeah…

3. People keep trying to kill her.

She doesn’t know who. Or why. But when she sees footage of herself fighting off a dozen men there’s only one explanation: obviously. . . she’s a spy!

Except, according to Mr. Hot Guy, she’s not. She’s a spy’s identical twin sister.

Too bad the only person who knows she’s not the woman they’re looking for is this very grouchy, very sexy, very secret agent who (reluctantly) agrees to help her disappear.

That’s easier said than done when a criminal organization wants you dead and every intelligence service in the world wants you caught. Luckily, no one is looking for a pair of lovesick newlyweds on their honeymoon. And soon they’re lying their way across Europe–dodging bullets and faking kisses as they race to unravel a deadly conspiracy and clear her sister’s name.

But with every secret they uncover, the truth shifts, until she no longer knows who to trust: the twin she can’t remember or the mysterious man she can’t let herself forget…