Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Blonde Identity

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter

28 reviews

ciwanski's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

The dedication literally made me sob. Thank you Ally Carter for writing this book (and all of your books) for me.

While romcoms tend not to be the most prestigious examples of literature, this book was certainly a damn good time. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that has made my heart burst in every single chapter, but this book hit the mark. Ally even made me not hate a man calling a woman “sweetheart.” Not to mention she gave a great addition to the classic “I’ll kill anyone who hurts you” line.

This book made me giggle and blush and kick my feet and occasionally check my pulse. It also made me very sentimental. For these reasons it is my first 5 star read of the year (almost 9 months in oops). I’m an Ally stan through and through.

Content Warnings

overflowingshelf's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

CW: Violence; gun violence; murder; death of a parent (off-page)

When I heard Ally Carter was writing an adult romance, I was ECSTATIC. I was obsessed with the Gallagher Girls series as a teen as I felt like I grew up with Cammie and the gang, so I was so excited to dive into a new spy novel as I knew this would be a rip-roaring good time with plenty of action, humor, and romance – and that’s precisely what Ally Carter delivered with The Blonde Identity.

If you cannot guess from the title, this is a play on The Bourne Identity storyline. An injured woman wakes up in the middle of the streets of Paris with no idea who she is or what she’s doing there. Luckily, an extremely hot spy guy is there telling her to run as motorcycles come gunning for her as soon as she wakes up. Turns out, she’s the identical twin sister of a wanted spy that nearly every governmental organization and the Russian mob are looking for, so she has a massive target on her back. She has to team up with the sexy, brooding, hot spy guy to disappear safely. Together, they’re lying their way across Europe, dodging bullets and faking kisses along the way as they race to unravel a deadly conspiracy and clear her sister’s name.

It’s been a while since I stayed up until 3 a.m. multiple nights in a row to finish a book (that takes me back to my high school reading days), but this book had me doing that. I seriously couldn’t put it down because you’re immediately swept up in a high-stakes, action-packed ride as soon as you start reading it.

This was the perfect spy romance, as it had everything I wanted and more. With amnesia, mistaken identity, a road trip across Europe, and plenty of fun and flirty banter, there is a ton to love with the romance. I adored how the relationship between Zoe and Sawyer developed. It didn’t feel rushed, even though they only knew each other for a short time (being on the run and having to flee multiple people trying to kill you would bring anyone close together quickly). Their chemistry was immediately apparent, and I loved how their covert ops allowed them to flirt. The twists Carter weaves into the plot pulled on my heartstrings at times as it directly affected Zoe and Sawyer’s relationship, but she makes it all work in the end.

Fair warning, though – this book is closed-door. I don’t mind closed-door romances, but this was one where I was hoping it wouldn’t be closed-door. The sexual chemistry between Sawyer and Zoe was so good, and the lead-up to the behind-the-door scene was so sexy that I ended up disappointed that we didn’t see the culmination of all the build-up play out on the page.

Zoe and Sawyer felt like classic Ally Carter characters to me. Both have a razor-sharp wit, a bit of a sarcastic streak, and some unexpected skills. Thanks to Zoe’s amnesia, we’re taken along on the ride with her as she has no idea who she is. Considering the fact that multiple people are trying to kill her and she has no idea who she is, Zoe handles the whole situation surprisingly well. I like the vulnerability we saw with her as she grapples with not knowing who she is. She is incredibly resilient and clever, and I love her journey in this book as she manages to hold her own in the end. She does come off a little younger than she is based on how she’s portrayed and some of the things she says, but I honestly didn’t mind that much.

Sawyer is more of an enigma as the Hot Guy Spy. I loved how exasperated he was with the situation with Zoe, but he also would do anything to protect her. He’s definitely a badass spy – I mean, he strangles someone with a negligee! – but his morals may be a bit dubious. Getting his POV was fantastic, as it helped round out the story. Seeing him grapple with wanting more than the spy life after meeting Zoe was enjoyable. Also, this man tries to act like he has no feelings and tries to deny them to himself, but he so clearly does. He shows he cares in little ways, and I loved it. Exposing all parts of himself is not easy – he is a spy, after all – but I loved peeling back all the layers and seeing the real Sawyer without a cover.

This book made me incredibly nostalgic as it felt like a classic Ally Carter/Gallagher Girls story. The writing is the perfect blend of humor, action, and romance. It’s slightly elevated from Gallagher Girl days, but it felt instantly familiar as soon as I started reading this. I had a massive grin on my face while reading this, as the book was so fun. The writing had me laughing out loud, and I may have audibly gasped a few times as the twists and turns in the plot were so delicious and unexpected. Plus, I was feeling all the emotions with the romance.

I seriously loved The Blonde Identity and had such a good time reading it! I couldn’t put it down as I was invested in the story starting on page 1, and it didn’t let up until the end. I hope we get a sequel, as the ending perfectly left the door open for one, and I would love to get Alex’s story. Plus, Ally Carter is the master at writing smart, action-packed, swoon-worthy spy romances that just hit the spot for me. I definitely think some of my enjoyment of this book was due to the nostalgic value of revisiting a favorite author with an adult story. Still, this book was so fun that those who haven’t read Carter’s Gallagher Girls series will also enjoy it!

Content Warnings

mrsalexisrjones's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Ally Carter does it again with another spy novel that just sucks you in. Zoe wakes up confused. She can’t remember anything but there is a hot man running towards her telling her to run. Suddenly she is on the run with him. Her twin sister is a spy and people are after her.

Content Warnings

aplain's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

3.75

Content Warnings

booksbeyondthebinary's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

vj_thompson's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

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

4.5

This was SO good!! It was difficult not to binge in one night. Ally Carter’s writing is 😍

Content Warnings

srhittson's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny fast-paced

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

5.0

If you were a fan of the tv show Alias or the Gallagher Girls books series then this is the book for you. It’s another excellent Ally Carter spy novel. The Ally Carter writing that we all know and love, but now it’s for adults. The Blonde Identity has everything I loved about Ally Carter books as a teenager and everything I currently love about books as an adult all rolled into one amazing book.

As a long time fan of Ally Carter the dedication alone was worth the price of the book, let alone the amazing story that followed. This was the best book I’ve read in years and that started with the very first line. I normally don’t see first lines and think I really want to read this book, but this one grabbed my attention and made me want to continue reading. Im also not the type of reader than annotates books, but I’ve preordered multiple copies of this book so that I can annotate one. Every interaction between the two main characters is *chef’s kiss*. The main character pointing out the tropes as they came up just made those tropes even better.
I loved everything about this book, and I can’t wait to reread the story again and again when I have physical copies of the book.

Content Warnings

katelynnelawson's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny fast-paced

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

3.5

This is a fun and fast grumpy/sunshine read about what happens when a spy runs into someone with amnesia, thinking she's another spy... However, the woman Sawyer bumps into on a snowy Paris night isn't Alex, but rather her twin sister who has no memory of who she is or how she got there. The two end up on the run as every government agency and nefarious villain imaginable are after the real Alex and have no idea that her twin isn't her.

This was a very fun read! I absolutely loved it, though it brought nothing new to the genre. My only qualm was the whole stereotype that men look good with graying hair and women don’t. Yeesh, Zoe.

Content Warnings

More...