My Bookshelf: To Steal a Heart by Jen Turano

After spending her childhood as a street thief, Gabriella Goodhue thought she’d put her past behind her until a fellow resident at her boardinghouse is unjustly accused of theft. Using her old skills to prove her friend’s innocence, Gabriella unexpectedly encounters Nicholas Quinn, the man she once considered her best friend—until he abandoned her.

After being taken under the wing of a professor who introduced him into society and named him as his heir, Nicholas is living far removed from his childhood life of crime. As a favor to a friend, Nicholas agrees to help clear the name of an innocent woman, never imagining he’d be reunited with the girl he thought lost to him forever.

As Gabriella and Nicholas are thrown together into one intrigue after another, their childhood affection grows into more, but their newfound feelings are tested when truths about their past are revealed and danger follows their every step.

To Steal a Heart is the first novel in Jen Turano’s new Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency series. Since I have been an avid fan of Jen’s for MANY years now, I knew that this would be a story that I would enjoy, and I was not disappointed. Though I did have a bit of memory loss when I started it and thought it was a part of her American Heiresses trilogy instead of the beginning of a brand new series. Needless to say, I was a bit confused for the first few pages when I didn’t recognize any of the characters (haha). However, I quickly realized my mistake and was able to fully immerse myself in getting to know this new set of characters.

Let me start by saying that I think Jen’s last series, the American Heiresses series, is my favorite one she has written so far, with the third installment—Storing Up Trouble—being one of my favorites of all her books, so Jen had a lot to live up to with this new novel. I think the plot line of a reformed thief who is now having brushes with high society is so unique and captivating, so I knew this story would keep me interested until the very last page. However, I was nowhere near prepared for the many twists and turns that filled these pages!

To Steal a Heart is almost impossible to put down. It just grabs you and pulls you in and you can’t stop reading because you just HAVE to know what’s going to happen next! That’s honestly one of my favorite things about all of Jen’s novels, there isn’t a single boring minute when you’re reading them. You’re either laughing or on the edge of your seat or swooning over the sweetest romance, and I think that’s why she’s one of my all time favorite authors.

Clearly, I enjoyed this novel, so it isn’t hard to guess that I most definitely highly recommend it. I do have to say, I still think that the American Heiresses series is my favorite, but To Steal a Heart is helping pull this new series into a very close second. So go out and pick yourself up a copy, I promise you won’t regret it!

Rating: 5 bookshelves

Recommend: Yes!

I voluntarily reviewed a complementary copy of this book which I received from the author. All opinions expressed are my own.