I love Jen Turano’s books so much! They are always such a highlight to my reading time. If you’ve never experienced one of her books, this is the perfect time to pick one up as this is a brand new series, The Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency. After reading this one, you’ll definitely want to check out her back list.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, see disclosures for more detail.
To Steal a Heart is a November 2020 release from Bethany House Publishers
About the Book:
After a 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. In the middle of breaking into a safe that holds the proof to prove her friend’s innocence, Gabriella is interrupted by 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 heir, Nicholas is living far removed from his childhood life of crime. As a favor to a friend, Nicholas agreed 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.
My Thoughts:
I gave this book 4.5/5 stars
Can I just gush for a minute about how enjoyable Jen Turano’s books are? I am always a little bit giddy when I pick one up because I know I am in for a treat, and this novel was no exception.
I’m generally not a big historical fiction fan, but the way Turano combines romance, humor, and in this book, a few well thought out mysteries, makes the experience of reading a delight. The 1886 Gilded Age setting among the New York Four Hundred’s privileged members provides the perfect backdrop for this enchanting tale.
I loved the characters, particularly headstrong Gabriella and her childhood friend Nicholas. The romantic tension between the two is palpable, yet they cannot and will not admit it, not even to themselves. Both have a great deal to learn about and resolve regarding their pasts before they can confront the future. The start of the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency is thrilling, the cases that they take and solve during the course of this novel are both fun and clever, and there’s so much potential for further installments in the series with the plethora of women running the agency–all with secrets they are hiding. I can’t wait to learn more about Daphne and Eunice in upcoming novels.
There’s a very subtle faith message in the novel, but it is very approachable for those looking for a clean, enjoyable read. Turano’s inclusion of animals in her stories consistently adds to the humor–the pirate dog and the kleptomaniac parrot are just two of the hilarious characters readers will encounter. All in all, this is a thoroughly wonderful book and a very entertaining way to spend time.
