The Blonde Identity – Ally Carter

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. Which is 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 tot trust: the twin she can’t remember or the mysterious man she can’t let herself forget.

(Summary from book flap – Image from target.com)

My Review: When I saw that Ally Carter, the author the one of my favorite YA series, had written an adult romantic spy novel, I immediately jumped on the holds list at my local library. I have very fond memories of reading the ‘Gallagher Girls’ series (first book reviewed here) about a finishing school for young ladies that actually turned schoolgirls into spies, so there was zero chance I was going to miss out on anything she wrote that was even remotely espionage related.

The Blonde Identity* is an adult contemporary spy romance about a woman who wakes in the middle of a snowy Parisian street, bruised and bloody, with no memory of how she came to be there. As soon as she gathers what’s left of her wits, it becomes apparent that some very scary people want her dead  and the Hot Guy with a Gun telling her to RUN may or may not be one of them. Before long, she’s dodging gunfire, hanging off bridges, jumping out of trains, and faking a marriage, in order to survive. To avoid spoilers, that’s all of the story I’m going to give you, but I will say that as someone who has read her fair share of lemons lately, it was an enormous relief to be hooked by the first few pages of this book.

The story is a high-drama adventure, trope-filled**, and delightfully swoony…and I enjoyed it far more than I really want to admit and certainly more than I’d willingly admit in a room full of, say, church ladies, but here we are. From the very first page, the story played out in my head like a fabulous Netflix mini-series that I would almost certainly binge in one sitting. I loved the premise, the voices of the characters, and don’t even get me started on the top-notch banter. The fact that it was dual POV, which allowed me to be in the heads of both characters, was even better. 

I loved the chemistry between the two main characters. Amnesia Girl (yes, you eventually learn her name but I’m not going to use it here) is awkward, resourceful, sassy, and hilarious. Hot Guy with a Gun is skilled, serious, protective (in an exasperated sort of way), and a huge curmudgeon. Together they are quite entertaining and there were so many fun moments between them that I spent most of the book grinning like an idiot. They seem to catch feelings rather quickly, but when a standalone book is only 289 pages, there’s not lot of time to waste. I also loved the pop culture references, Gallagher Girls ‘easter eggs’ and book trope comments that worked their way into the story.

The Blonde Identity may be perfect for grown up*** Gallagher graduates who are already familiar with Carter’s writing style. That having been said, I probably won’t recommend this book to *every* reader (nor anyone under the age of 18) because of some of the innuendo and nearly-nude situations that crop up. The sex stays off-page (which I totally appreciate), and most of the nearly-nude content is comedic in nature, but some of the dialogue leading up to the fade-to-black ‘spicy time’ toed the line of what I feel comfortable reading and recommending universally.

Have you ever watched a show that seems to have a lot going for it – action, adventure, romance, and comedy, all rolled into one? That is how The Blonde Identity felt to me, and I enjoyed it far more than a reader with a sensitivity to language and spicy talk probably should. I’ve sworn to be honest in my reviews, and that includes being honest with myself.  Was it also kind of cheesy, dramatic, and over the top at points? Yes. Did I care? Not a whit. The story does resolve at the end, and in a satisfying way, but the author also leaves an opening for more books in the series with different focal characters. If she writes a sequel, I’ll definitely be reading it.

*NOTE: This nod to The Bourne Identity did not go unappreciated. I may have giggled when I made the connection.

**TROPE SPOILER: Grumpy Sunshine, Mistaken Identity, One Bed, Enemies to Lovers, Fake Marriage, Touch Her and I’ll Kill You, I’ll Find You.

***I cannot stress this enough. This is an adult novel. Not for kids. Not for teens.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars (Would have been 5 for sheer entertainment value alone, but I took off half a star because it toed my spice line).

For the Sensitive Reader:
Language: Some innuendo and crude language. A fair mount of profanity.
Sexual Content: Mention of sex, no description. Moments when female character is nude or nearly nude (think skimpy/sheer nighties), no graphic description. Sexual innuendo sprinkled throughout. Some ‘spicy’ talk leading to fade-to-black/inferred sex (M/F, pgs 184-186)
Violence: Plenty of shoot ‘em up fight scenes and hand-to-hand combat.