Review by Ronny
Series Name: Blonde Identity, # 1
The Blonde Identity is a fun, action romance that is going to take you on a wild ride.
Favourite Quote:
When the television changed, it took her a moment to realize what she was watching. It must have been some kind of surveillance footage because the picture was dark and grainy. It looked like some kind of fight. No. An attack. The word fight implies an even playing field, but this was one woman against a dozen men.
Except, Alex realized, the woman was winning. Punching and kicking and throttling men twice her size. What’s French for badass? Alex was just starting to wonder, when the picture froze and it was like an echo.
But the face… the face was exactly the same, and for a moment, Alex couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. She couldn’t even think until her brain translated the words beneath the picture: Fugitive. Armed. Extremely dangerous.
And Alex said only thing that made any sense at all: “I’m a spy!”
Book Synopsis:
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…
Review:
Gosh, this book is a hoot and a half. I enjoyed every moment of it and was so disappointed that I had read it so quickly. This is a fun, easy read and perfect for any bookworm looking for an adventure/spy rom-com. There is so much to love about this book, so get ready for some major gushing. First, let’s chat about the plot, which is very unique and a lot of fun. I know it can be hard to gauge where action/spy romances land in terms of comedy, action, light and darkness. Those cartoon-y covers can be deceiving. This book is a light, comedic, action-packed romance with no dark romantic elements. There are action scenes and some violence but think of those action sequences in action comedy movies. It’s not too gruesome or graphic. The story has this fast pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat, with a sprinkling of quiet moments between Zoe and Swayer. The pacing worked really well to keep me engaged and wanting to turn the page. Of course, this is a spy movie, so most of what happens is not realistic, but that’s ok. Everything made sense, and the plot was well thought out.
I loved the characters. Zoe is a woot and added so much comedic relief to the story. She has this quirkiness that instantly draws you to her. You can tell she is a fellow bookworm just by some of the things she says. The amnesia trope can be a hit or miss for me; in this case, it was a hit. I thought it was a really clever trope to include and was a great tool to infuse an air of mystery in the story. We don’t know who Zoe is other than the fact she is Alex’s twin sister. We don’t know how she arrived in Paris or the events leading up to her losing her memories. What I liked about Zoe’s character is that we were discovering who she is as a person, and at the same time, she was discovering who she is. Those barriers and self-doubt thoughts that often overwhelm adults weren’t present in Zoe’s mind; she just went for it and acted on instinct instead of overthinking things. In a way, not having memories was freeing and allowed her to discover who she was.
Swayer is that typical broody male who is broken inside. He thinks he isn’t deserving of a HEA, and he knows that he shouldn’t be feeling anything romantic towards Zoe. I liked him as the hero in this book. I also liked the fact that we got to see inside his POV, we got to see what was going on in his head. But there was still this air of mystery around Swayer’s character. That can really trust him, or anyone’s feelings are prominent in this book, which is one of the reasons why this is a great spy book.
I loved the romance in this book. When a romance has a lot of danger, action, and life-and-death moments, it often means that those romantic feelings floating around in the book are heightened. This means that things tend to move pretty quickly between the two MCs, and you get those heightened insta-love moments. This is a closed-door romance; there is kissing, cuddling, and intimate scenes taking place off the pages. I liked that, it fit the vibe the story was giving off. The chemistry between Zoe and Swayer was perfection. You can tell that Zoe has this bubbling, sunshine personality, as Swayer is that gruff, no-nonsense spy. I am a sucker for a good grumpy/sunshine romance, and this one was really well written. I ate up the banter; it was witty, fun, and just so good.
If you are looking for a fun, lighthearted romance that is sure to put a smile on your face, then you need to read The Blond Identity.
