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A review by chronicallybookish
The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
adventurous
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
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 16+
Spice Level: 1/5
4.5 stars
I had such high hopes for this book—and it was exactly what I wanted it to be.
I’ve been a fan of Ally Carter’s since I picked up the first Gallagher Girl book when I was 13. I’ve read all of her YA, and I was so excited to see what she would do in the adult space.
This book was fun, fast-paced, and action packed.
The Blonde Identity follows a woman with no memory, as she learns that she’s the identical twin sister of a CIA agent who is on the run—and that means she has to be on the run, too. She has no choice but to team up with another spy and find her sister.
The amnesia trope is a huge component to this book. Our FMC spends the entire book unable to remember anything before the first page. Usually, I hate this trope, however something in the execution of this book worked for me. There wasn’t a single instance where it annoyed me—which is a first. Because this happens in a such a fast-moving book, where no one is like “don’t you remember me?”, and it doesn’t fall into any of the repetitiveness that the trope usually elicits.
The only aspect of this book that I wanted more from was the emotional development. There was so much action in this book that there was very little time for the quiet moments of a blossoming relationship. Ally Carter does a good job of having fleeting moments and touches within the action-packed scenes, but I felt like I could have used just a little more reaction time to sit with the characters as those feelings grew. I was invested in, and even connected to their relationship, but I wasn’t fully convinced that they were truly in love with each other by the end of the story. I wanted them together, and I was convinced they had feelings for each other, but the development between I like you and I’m in love with you felt a little rushed. I think Ally Carter is more used to writing romances that develop over the span of several books, and I think the transition to a one book romance arc left her with a romance that was not quite as well done as those in her previous works.
That said, I really enjoyed this book. I think I’m being so nitpicky with the romance simply because I’m comparing it to the superb romances her YA series have. It is a solid romance, and every other aspect of the book was phenomenal. I truly cannot recommend this book more and I desperately want more adult Ally Carter books!
Age Rating: 16+
Spice Level: 1/5
4.5 stars
I had such high hopes for this book—and it was exactly what I wanted it to be.
I’ve been a fan of Ally Carter’s since I picked up the first Gallagher Girl book when I was 13. I’ve read all of her YA, and I was so excited to see what she would do in the adult space.
This book was fun, fast-paced, and action packed.
The Blonde Identity follows a woman with no memory, as she learns that she’s the identical twin sister of a CIA agent who is on the run—and that means she has to be on the run, too. She has no choice but to team up with another spy and find her sister.
The amnesia trope is a huge component to this book. Our FMC spends the entire book unable to remember anything before the first page. Usually, I hate this trope, however something in the execution of this book worked for me. There wasn’t a single instance where it annoyed me—which is a first. Because this happens in a such a fast-moving book, where no one is like “don’t you remember me?”, and it doesn’t fall into any of the repetitiveness that the trope usually elicits.
The only aspect of this book that I wanted more from was the emotional development. There was so much action in this book that there was very little time for the quiet moments of a blossoming relationship. Ally Carter does a good job of having fleeting moments and touches within the action-packed scenes, but I felt like I could have used just a little more reaction time to sit with the characters as those feelings grew. I was invested in, and even connected to their relationship, but I wasn’t fully convinced that they were truly in love with each other by the end of the story. I wanted them together, and I was convinced they had feelings for each other, but the development between I like you and I’m in love with you felt a little rushed. I think Ally Carter is more used to writing romances that develop over the span of several books, and I think the transition to a one book romance arc left her with a romance that was not quite as well done as those in her previous works.
That said, I really enjoyed this book. I think I’m being so nitpicky with the romance simply because I’m comparing it to the superb romances her YA series have. It is a solid romance, and every other aspect of the book was phenomenal. I truly cannot recommend this book more and I desperately want more adult Ally Carter books!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Gun violence, and Blood