{"id":39490,"date":"2025-08-01T13:57:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T13:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/39490\/"},"modified":"2025-08-01T13:57:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T13:57:07","slug":"queen-of-the-spy-romance-genre-ally-carter-is-back-with-the-blonde-who-came-in-from-the-cold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/39490\/","title":{"rendered":"Queen of the spy romance genre Ally Carter is back with \u2018The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ally Carter\u2019s<\/a> adult spy romantic comedy, \u201cThe Blonde Identity<\/a>,\u201d opens with a woman waking up in Paris with no memory of herself or how she got there. It\u2019s only fitting, then, that the follow-up, \u201cThe Blonde Who Came In From the Cold,\u201d starts similarly \u2014 only this time, her twin sister wakes up with no memories, and she\u2019s handcuffed to someone she hasn\u2019t seen or spoken to in years. But this isn\u2019t too out of the ordinary, since Alex Sterling is a spy.<\/p>\n

Despite being a side character in \u201cThe Blonde Identity,\u201d Alex Sterling stole the page \u2014 and our hearts \u2014 during her few scenes in the book. The ending of \u201cThe Blonde Identity\u201d hinted at a continued story for Alex, meaning readers (myself included) have been eagerly waiting<\/a> to see how Alex\u2019s story might unfold. I\u2019m glad to say, Carter hasn\u2019t let us down.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The sequel follows Alex and her ex-spy partner, Michael \u201cKing\u201d Kingsley, as they try to figure out who kidnapped them (and handcuffed them together) and why. While doing so, the pair, of course, battle their feelings for each other. Carter employs a dual timeline structure, following both the past and present. We read about Alex and King meeting as young operatives entering the CIA and watch the trust and feelings that grow between them over the course of a decade\u2019s worth of history. Simultaneously, the characters\u2019 present-day storyline involves them untangling the complicated web they now find themselves in. While keeping the timelines straight gets confusing at times, especially since the present-day Alex and King retrace their own steps and return to previous mission locations, it all adds to the effect Carter works to create \u2014 the characters are confused and need to reorient themselves, and we need to work alongside them to piece everything together.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In terms of romance, Carter keeps us waiting for gratification. Alex and King have a will-they-won\u2019t-they dynamic in the past timeline, made all the more fun with the tropes Carter uses. They constantly engage in enemies-to-lovers banter and pose as a couple on numerous occasions \u2014 all things any romance fan will love. In the present-day timeline, though, the characters talk about their issues and estrangement. Readers eagerly await the climactic point of figuring out what caused them to part ways all those years ago, and what it will take for them to be on the same page once more.<\/p>\n

Just as Carter does an amazing job of balancing the past and present timelines, she expertly employs a dual-perspective narrative, allowing her to evenly highlight Alex and King\u2019s characters. This is particularly apparent when it comes to King\u2019s feelings for Alex; in her chapters, we see how she works hard to seem composed and confident, the kind of spy you see on TV \u2014 despite insecurities about her abilities. She\u2019s a hard-edged, older sister spy, someone who won\u2019t let herself show weakness \u2014 the very definition of a tough girl. But King\u2019s perspective shows us her softer sides, which Alex tries to hide. It\u2019s one thing to read about a person through her own eyes, but we get so much depth from reading about Alex and King from each other\u2019s eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a lot of ways, \u201cThe Blonde Identity\u201d was about how soft girls can also be tough girls. Its sequel reminds us that the opposite is true: tough girls can also be soft girls. Carter shows us that Alex\u2019s more vulnerable side never detracts from her strength. It\u2019s just the contrary, in fact; Alex becomes a more nuanced person when she understands that spies (and tough older sisters) don\u2019t need to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. It\u2019s okay to share the burden.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As for King, let\u2019s just say that Carter continues her streak of never failing to write an amazing male love interest (who else remembers Zach Goode?). King is strong and smart, and objectively, everything you could ever want in a spy. Even better, though, he\u2019s patient and caring, wanting nothing more than Alex\u2019s safety and happiness. And he\u2019s willing to put in the work to make sure she gets that.<\/p>\n

Between the action and the romance, the dizzying tales of missions-gone-wrong and rescues-gone-right and the spy movie ending (complete with ballgowns and tuxedos), Carter has once again proven she\u2019s the queen of the spy romance genre. And like the book\u2019s dedication reminds us, it\u2019s never too late to be a spy, whether you\u2019re a soft girl, a tough girl or some beautiful thing in between.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Daily Arts Contributor Sabriya Imami can be reached at simami@umich.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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