To Steal a Heart by Jen Turano | #BookReview @JenTurano @bethany_house #NetGalley #HistoricalRomance

They were inseparable street urchins, but time and circumstance draw them worlds apart.

To Steal a Heart by Jen Turano is an adventurous and heartfelt story of two childhood friends who loved each other but were drawn apart by their contrasting upbringing.

Our thanks to the author, Bethany House Publishers, and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy.

Book Details

Print Length: 363 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (November 17, 2020)
ASIN : B087RRTCVL

Book Description

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.

From the Publisher’s Blurb

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Review

Gabriella and Nicholas were urchins in the streets of New York in the late 1800s. They had to steal for a man that gave them shelter in return.

Gabriella dressed as a boy to avoid unwanted attention, and Nicholas was very protective of her. They were the best of friends.

One day, Gabriella was caught during one of their ‘missions’ and was sent to an orphanage. She waited and waited for Nicholas to come for her, but he never came.

Several years later, Gabriella and Nicholas met again in a very awkward situation. They were both trespassing on someone’s house, trying to open a safe.

Things were not what they seem to be, and Gabriella was surprised to find Nicholas transformed into a wealthy gentleman while she was a mere seamstress living in a boarding house.

The story is lovely. Nicholas is conflicted between his love for Gabriella and his ‘uncle’s’ and society’s expectations. Gabriella was still hurt that he never came for her but loved him too deeply to begrudge his good fortune.

Apart from Nick and Gabe’s romance, there were some adventurous and enchanting side stories with lovely supporting characters.

The ladies who live in the boarding house with Gabe were charming, particularly Daphne, a shy and observing woman who was actually a very famous writer.

I love that the ladies decided to use their many talents to open the Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency to help women deal with their troubles. I can’t wait to read the next books in the series. I am especially curious to learn what keeps Eunice, the boarding house’s young owner, from casting away her mourning attire.

To Steal a Heart is an adventurous, romantic, and inspirational story. Great read!

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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About the Author

Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO.

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