James Bond but Make It Rom-Com:The Blonde Who Comes in from the ColdBrings Sexy Spy Vibes (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Ally Carter and her new book, ‘The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold’.Photo:Liz Ligon; Avon Books

Liz Ligon; Avon Books

If you lovedThe Blonde Identity, you may already be waiting for Ally Carter’s newest — and PEOPLE has the details fans have been waiting for.

The hotly anticipated sequel is calledThe Blonde Who Came in from the Cold, and it’s coming this summer from Avon Books. It follows two rival spies who have to join forces to stay alive and, much like the breakout hit it follows, there’s plenty of heart-pounding scenes — and chemistry for days.

Carter burst onto the adult scene withThe Blonde Identitybut readers may also know her from her Gallagher Girls and Heist Society young adult series. In addition, she’s the screenwriter behindA Castle for ChristmasstarringCary ElwesandBrooke Shields.

Avon Books describesThe Blonde Who Came in from the Coldas “an action-packed, second-chance rom-com.” Ten years after they joined the CIA, six years after he got out of the gig, five years after they fell in love and one year after she ran away and never looked back, a pair of spies wake up handcuffed together in the dark.

Read on for an exclusive excerpt to get a taste of what happens next.

Avon Books

“King?”

When King heard the voice in the darkness he didn’t know whether to feel relieved or downright angry. He’d been sitting there for at least 20 minutes, listening to the unconscious figure behind him breathe and groan and stir. It had sounded like her, but he hadn’t been sure. Not until—

“Kingsley?” It was more curse than question, and that’s how he knew for certain.

His head hurt. And his arms hurt. He couldn’t even feel his hands, they’d gone so numb in the too-tight handcuffs. The dusty air made him feel like he was going to sneeze which would have added a new layer of insult to his injury, but King couldn’t help himself. He slumped and felt himself go boneless, one thought echoing over and over again in his mind.

She’s alive.

She’s—

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“King?” she asked again, voice cracking slightly. He thought of a million things that she might say.I’m back. I’m here. I’m sorry.But what came out was “What did you do?”

King couldn’t help himself: he laughed. Nothing was funny, and yet … “What didIdo? You’re the one who’s been out in the cold for a year, Sterling. What didyoudo?”

“Let me go.” She pulled at the handcuffs again, trying to break free from whatever was holding her back. She clearly hadn’t realized that the thing she was handcuffed to washim.

“Ow.” His voice was flat and she went still.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” She jerked her arms again — which hurt. But not as much as his pride. “Of all the idiots in all the abandoned shacks in all the world, I had to get tied up with you.”

“Actually, you’re tiedtome,” King corrected and Alex huffed out a laugh.

“You’reactuallying me? Now? At this moment?” Then she jerked her arms again, just to spite him. Because, after all this time, she was still the girl in the Future Spy hoodie, and he was still…

“Kingsley!”

“What?” he asked.

“Tell me what you see.” The room was pitch black, nothing but a few slivers of light drifting through cracks in the walls. It wasn’t a house. Maybe a barn or shed. It was dusty and dry and had the smell of disuse and desperation.

“Not much on this side. How about on yours?”

“Nothing,” she conceded. “What can you hear?”

“Nothing.”

“You have to hear something. You’ve been awake for longer than I have and—”

“I stand corrected. I hear nothing but the sound of you yapping—”

“Yapping?” The handcuffs jerked as she tried to spin. “Little dogs in expensive purses yap. I do not yap.”

“Clearly.”

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He felt a tug on his hands, like she was making sure he was still with her, and then Alex went silent in the darkness. It was his turn to lash out, but King was too busy thinking … And remembering …

“Come on, Sterling. It’s not like it’s the first time.”

source: people.com