To Steal a Heart

Gabriella Goodhue has had a hard life. As a child she was forced to work as a thief many other children for an unscrupulous man, until being rescued into an orphanage. Now as an adult she has turned all that around. She is has become an upright citizen and has a respectable job as a seamstress. She resides at the Bleeker Street Boardinghouse with a most unusual group of women. Each with their own past and funny quirks, but together have formed a close knit family. One of the tenants there is falsely accused of stealing an expensive heirloom from an aristocratic family. Gabriella is determined to clear their name. She disguises herself and goes undercover at a ball to try and nab the real thief. In the process, she is thrown together with Nicholas Quinn. He was a part of the child thief ring and they had been very close, but had not seen each other in many years. Nicholas was taken in by a wealthy man and is now part of high society. He purposes to help her solve her case but she wants nothing to do with him. She has past hurts of feeling he abandoned her. As with all of Ms. Turano’s books the events that follow are hilarious and touching! I couldn’t quit laughing at the escapades of Gabriella, Nicholas and the motley group from the boardinghouse. Daphne, her friend and fellow tenant, was my favorite character! Her eccentricities paired with her helping Gabriella were hysterical I loved the suspense and close calls they found themselves in. What I liked most was Nicholas’s strong faith in the Lord and his gentle guiding to help Gabriella see that God loved her and she could trust Him. This is such a fun book and the ending will surprise you. Thank you Ms. Turano for brightening my reading days with another fantastic book!

Having read some of Jen Turano's books I knew I was in for a treat with To Steal a Heart. I was not disappointed. This is the first book in the Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency series and the author brings to light interesting tidbits about The Gilded Age era and the New York Four Hundred society as she tells the story of Gabriella, a young woman on a mission to clear a falsely accused friend's name. As she completes her mission, she might just find she has found a family, perhaps not of blood-lines, but of an odd assortment of people who she comes to love. The story held my interest from the beginning to the end with interesting and sometimes humorous scenarios. The author does a great job with her characters, making them likable, flawed, and realistic. I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more from this author. Readers who like quirky historical romance will not want to miss To Steal a Heart. I received a complimentary copy of this book via CelebrateLit. A favorable review was not required, and opinions are my own. This review is part of a CelebrateLit blog tour.

To Steal a Heart by Jen Turano is the first book in her Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency series. Gabriella Goodhue grew up as a street thief. Now a friend is accused of a theft and Gabriella must use all her old talents to clear her name. Running into Nicholas Quinn, an old friend, was not part of her plan. This was a great beginning to a new series. I can’t wait for the next book. All the ladies at the boardinghouse were so unique. I laughed out loud so many times at the witty conversations and the antics of all the different characters. I was afraid the whole book was going to be about one case that the agency had to solve, but I was pleasantly surprised that it wrapped up rather quickly and moved onto others. Ms. Turano did a great job with balancing the romance and mystery in this book. It would make a fabulous movie! I think this is her best book yet!! I received this book from the author for my honest review.

"Another bizarre turn to what is becoming a very strange night." What a fun and surprisingly unique book! I was totally expecting a well-written, hilarious historical fiction set in the Gilded Age of America (which the author is known for), but this book was so much more. Filled with intrigue, mystery, a group of secondary characters who are absolutely ridiculous and lovable, and a wonderful theme of looking at the heart and not the outside of a person, this book clearly demonstrates why Jen Turano is such a beloved author of historical fiction. I enjoyed getting to know Gabriella, a reformed thief who is sassy, impulsive, headstrong, temperamental but also loving and loyal. Nicholas is her former partner in crime and best friend who is now a high society gentleman of means and his gentle sweetness and protectiveness are endearing. Though they start off on the wrong foot during an unexpected reunion, they keep getting thrown together. As Gabriella and her housemates form Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency to solve mysteries and grievances throughout NYC, Nicholas and his friends become further and further involved in the welfare of the ladies of the Agency. There is plenty of humor and adventure from the start and the plot moves at a quick pace with quite a few surprises thrown along the way. A jewelry thief, plotting and vicious society matrons, and questions about Gabriella and Nicholas' parentage will have you scrambling to figure out the pieces of this fantastic puzzle. It's a great start to her new series and I can't wait to see what the author has in store for the next book. I received a copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.