Ally Carter

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...… (mer)

I don't remember the last time I spent most of a day at home reading, and I don't think I have ever spent a day just lying like a lump and listening to an audiobook. That is what I did yesterday with this book and boy was it fun. The book gets a lot of the credit, though some credit goes to good friends who keep me out drinking until 3 am *ahem, not pointing fingers at James, but . . .*

This is a romantic comedy thriller, which is a lot of things. Usually with romantic thrillers (whether or not they are comic) one of those things works and one does not, but here I thought both aspects mostly did work. Zoe and Sawyer were both really well drawn and charming. Zoe was one of those manic plucky girls who can (for me) get irritating really quickly, but I loved her all the way through. Sawyer is the morose broken spy, worn down by all he has seen, and once again that world-weary thing is something that I don't always love, but I loved it here. I think it is because even though they are tropes, there is much more to both of these characters and it is not only that he is drawn to her sunshine and she is drawn to his protection. In fact, I would argue that Sawyer makes Zoe feel so safe that she is able to protect herself and him, and Zoe fills Sawyer with so much hope and joy that he is able to make her see the good in things when things get bleak and she begins to lose hope. That did it for me. And the thriller part of this works too. It is all very cold war feeling though there were cell phones and such, and really that is the best setting for spies. Who does not like a good denouement in a Swiss bank? There were some elements of the spy story that were disconnected, and more info on why everyone was trying to get their hands on the quarry and how they were connected would have been welcome. That cost this a star, but it was super fun to read and root for our heroes, Zoe and Sawyer. I listened to this, and the narrators, Emily Ellet & Andrew Eiden, were really good.… (mer)

Loved it! This novel is Ally's first adult novel. I loved her Gallagher Girls series for middle school and was so excited to learn about this novel. I listened to the audio, and the narrator was outstanding, especially the female narrator.

She wakes up on the ground in Paris; someone yells, " Alex, run." No, she's way too comfortable; but upon opening her eyes, she sees the best looking man she's ever seen. He also has a gun; seems unhappy; and wants her to run. Okay--fine. The good looking man--Sawyer-- and her end up on the run together once he realizes she isn't Alex. And this whole time since she woke up, she is most excited to learn her name! Yep, she woke up with amnesia. She has a key card, a crumpled Kleenex, and lip balm in her pocket and that's it. Alex, Sawyer explains, is her twin sister whom he would like to kill. After all, he's been trying to find her for months and he's very irritated that he hasn't found her. Instead, he found her. She's different. She's unpredictable and nervously talks, coming up with all sorts of stories, befriending people easily. She's nothing like Alex. Well, crap. He needs to make sure she's safe. Surprisingly, she's not bad at the "coverting." She enthralled with the "spy" stuff and asks lots of questions, always coming up with who she might really be in real life. Throughout their enjoyable and amusing relationship, they are pursued by the bad guy and every agency, including CIA, MI6, Mossad, and whoever else.

As the novel progresses, they trust one another more and more. Eventually, Sawyer figures out her name and they try to find Alex. There's a lot of moving about, shooting, and a climatic ending. I loved it. it was fun; I laughed and am looking forward to the next installment very much!… (mer)

First sentence: Here's the thing about waking up with no memory in the middle of the night, in the middle of the street, in the middle of Paris: at least you're waking up in Paris.

Premise/plot: The Blonde Identity is a premise-driven spy thriller with a dose of romance. The main character, Zoe, finds herself waking up in the middle of a Parisian street injured. She's discovered soon after, by "Hot Guy," aka Sawyer. He thinks that Zoe is Alex, at least for a few seconds. He soon realizes that Alex--someone he knows very well--must have an identical twin sister. Alex may be an agent and able to take care of herself, but, Zoe seems vulnerable, unable to take care of herself in this new reality. The BAD GUYS are after Alex and want her dead. Zoe's life is in danger...at least until Alex turns up again...maybe longer than that. So Sawyer decides to help her--but is he trustworthy? Will Zoe ever get her memory back?

My thoughts: Imagine two book manuscripts from two different genres being shuffled together. The good news is that I think fans of adult romance novels will probably find it to their liking. It is very rom-com. Sawyer and Zoe in dozens of different scenarios--having somewhat enjoyable banter back and forth. There's insta attraction and lust. (Though some restraint.) Circumstances keep throwing them together into compromising positions. It is super predictable. I think it is more romance than some readers might prefer. Maybe. Again, I'm just one person. I liked this one okay.… (mer)