Final Rating:
Date of Completion: 03/11/2023
Published by: Macmillan
ISBN: 9781035038381
Cover:
This stunning design is perfect for the story it represents. It is simple, fun, and nicely captures the spy-thriller genre of the story. What’s more, the detail of the Eiffel Tower earring is a nice touch that hints at the initial Paris setting.
Writing:
Despite being easy to follow, I struggled to find the simplistic writing style captivating. In particular, the details and descriptions provided seemed lacking, especially for the action scenes. I also cringed at the blatant innuendos throughout the story and eventually could not stop myself from rolling my eyes.
Sometimes villains make the best heroes.
Storyline:
The story opens with an intriguing burst of action that develops into a light, entertaining storyline. However, numerous cliques, tropes and coincidences give the storyline little substance and make it reminiscent of any run-of-the-mill early 2000 romantic comedy movie.
Main character:
Zoe and Sawyer, aka the Michaelsons, were painfully one-dimensional, with actions and internal monologues that made them seem like naive teenagers. Besides this, Zoe’s self-deprecating personality and Sawyer’s macho man behaviour made it hard for me to connect with them. Honestly, the main thing I remember about these characters is the weird and constant moaning by Zoe while Sawyer was forever growling.
nothing on this earth is sexier than a woman who told death to fuck off.
Secondary characters:
While a small cast of secondary characters pop in and out of the story, none were particularly memorable. They were simply caricatures used to perform specific roles and drive the storyline.
Romance:
Though the main characters had several cute moments, their instant and unexplained connection left the grumpy/sunshine romance with little depth. I also hated how Sawyer’s manhandling was normalised, and Zoe acted like she had to save him. The man needed therapy, not the saving power of love!
Narration & Audio:
Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet were great narrators who used vocal effects and accents to enhance the story. Their voices were also fitting for the main characters, but I found this emphasised the irritating traits of both characters.
On the whole, ‘The Blonde Identity’ was a light and fun spy/romantic comedy. However, it lacked the compelling characters and/or themes that would have made it memorable. Those who liked this would also enjoy Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maeher, as that is another light and simple romantic comedy.
Do you agree or disagree with anything mentioned above? Let us know in the comments below. For those who have read this and want to discuss it, swipe for some questions (contains spoilers!!):
Q: What was your prediction for how Zoe got her scars?
My answer: I thought she had been physically attacked or seriously injured as a child. I am glad the reason turned out to be less brutal, even though having multiple heart surgeries as a child is not a walk in the park.
Q: Which of the tropes used in this story was your favourite?
My answer: The fake marriage trope was my favourite, as it led to many cute moments and drove a significant portion of the storyline. Zoe’s fake Southern accent for her cover also made this trope more memorable and entertaining to me.
Q: Did you pick up any spy tricks from this story?
My answer: The main trick that stuck with me was that a fake baby bump can be a great distraction for going unnoticed. People are more likely to look at and remember the baby bump than your face.
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