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A review by maggiestraveledbookshelf
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
๐ The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year
โ๐ป Ally Carter
โ๏ธ Mystery + Romance
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
โ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐จ๐, ๐โ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ค๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ชโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ข๐ช๐ง๐๐๐ง. ๐โ๐ข ๐ค๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ชโ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐โ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ.โ
This was so fun!!
Overview:
โขCozy Mystery
โขSlow Burn Romance
โขKnives Out Vibes
โขMixed Media Format
โขFlashback Scenes
๐๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐, ๐๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ต.
Iโm not normally a Mystery Reader, but this genre blend of cozy mystery + rom-com really worked for me! With the added setting of Christmastime, it was the perfect vibe.
(Side note - I think this could be read at any point of the year! Christmas was just the backdrop, with low festive tones.)
Ally Carter mentioned that the FMC (Maggie) is her homage to While You Were Sleeping and how the holidays can be so challenging and lonely.
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค ๐ก๐ค๐ฃ๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐จ. ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ.
With Maggieโs complicated history, it set up the rivals to lovers romance perfectly. Her emotional baggage forced her to employ defense mechanisms, and the MMC Ethan definitely got caught in the crossfire.
Luckily for Maggie (and all of us), Ethan is steadfast and protective of her. His respect and admiration of her was purely delightful to read. I love a โI will harm anyone who harms youโ man.
Plus, their back and forth banter was so fun!
โ๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ข๐๐จ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฉ, ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ก๐ค๐ค๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ.โ โ๐๐ค ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ชโ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐จ, ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐.โ
Also, the Mixed Media format had interspersed police interrogation transcripts, which may have been my favorite parts!
๐๐จ. ๐พ๐๐๐จ๐: ๐ ๐ค๐๐ซ๐๐ค๐ช๐จ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐ข.
๐๐ง. ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ: ๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐จ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐โ
๐๐จ. ๐พ๐๐๐จ๐: ๐๐ ๐โ๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐ข, ๐๐โ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐.
๐๐ง. ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ: ๐๐๐โ๐จ ๐จ๐ช๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ. [๐๐ง. ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฉ.] ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ง๐.
The whole story definitely reminded me of Knives Out (a movie which I loved), with plenty of unexpected twists, a sprawling estate, and an eclectic group of people.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a lighthearted and cozy mystery with rom-com vibes!
โจ Read via Libby โจ