Oh I loved this book sooooo much! It had me guessing the whole way and was such a great adventure. I really enjoy Sians writing she just has a way of writing that is completely fabulous. Sigh

The Gem Thief is a mystery that keeps you guessing to the very end. It will spark your curiosity with each detail.

I actually requested this one on NetGalley because of the stunning cover. I’m always skeptical about new authors from publishing houses I have little experience with, and this one was a definite winner! I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as Gracie and Quinn race (literally around the world) to figure out who’s stealing high-end jewelry. There are so many layers in this mystery with all the different people required for the crime and I loved how they got peeled back a little at a time.

I found the romance to be very believable and often even humorous, and it was easy to root for this couple to realize they needed to be together permanently.

Squeaky clean and though written by an LDS author it doesn’t contain any LDS theology. (Important to me as an evangelical reader) I’ll definitely be picking up more books by this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

This was a great story, and I really enjoyed reading this. There were some spots that felt a little predictable to me, and that is the only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5. Overall, this was a great read. I didn't feel all the things that the characters did in this one. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is a good book. It combines a good mystery with a budding romance to keep the reader entertained. The characters are well written with enough back story to make them come to life. The story moves quickly, keeping the mystery element ever changing. The writer gives us enough clues that the options of "who done it" remain a mystery until the end. It's obvious Sian Ann Bessey enjoys her craft and can make her readers fall into her stories. I'll definitely look for more of her books.

This is a well-written and well-paced mystery. Until the last chapter, there were several people who could have been the thief, and the answer to the mystery wasn’t immediately apparent. The ending of the story is not rushed and comes to a satisfying conclusion.

The characters are great. Gracie and Quinn make a terrific couple, and Aunt Dora is a likeable, strong woman. The settings in New York City;
cruise ship; and Greece add much to the story and perfectly fit the plot. I liked Gracie’s character. She had great respect for Dora and wanted to help her, even when it placed her own life in danger. This whole book has kind of a “To Catch a Thief” vibe to it, and this was an entertaining story to read.

This is not a “Christian fiction” book, but it has no bad language and is absolutely clean and sweet. I have no problem recommending it to readers of Christian fiction. I’ll be looking for more of this author’s books.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A cute mystery with some romance. I loved the main characters. There was enough twists in the story to keep me guessing. It was a cute and easy read.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A nice, clean mystery romance! I enjoyed the overall story, but I would have enjoyed more character development. Gracie and Quinn seemed on the fluffy side, nothing too deep.

The Gem Thief is my first introduction for me to Sian Ann Bessey's writing. I would love to read more them in the future. Four stars.

The Gem Thief is a very well written mystery. I enjoyed the plot and the author’s writing.. I received an arc from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

This book had so many amazing elements! I adored all of the main characters, I enjoyed the relationship and character development, and I loved the mystery aspect. Grace is a jewelry designer and I always enjoy reading about professions that are unique. I felt like the author did a great job describing jewelry and jewelry design without being overly detailed. The book takes place largely on a cruise and I loved all of the descriptions of the cities they visited in Greece. I will be looking for other books from this author!

High stakes robbery, mystery & a sweet romance - I really enjoyed this Mediterranean journey from Sian Ann Bessey. Such a great mix of characters - wealthy widow, high end NYC jewelry designer, the CEO nephew, plenty of arrogant wealthy step-kids, snotty ex-girlfriend & the down to earth FBI agent.

The travel begins in Venice and takes you on a Greek cruise in the Med. This mystery will keep you guessing right to the end. Very well researched and beautifully description you’ll hear the waves lapping against the ship and feel the heat in Olympia.

Combining everything I love in a story, I was thoroughly engaged from the very first page.

Gracie & Quinn make a great pair with a chemistry that’s felt & believed.

Thanks to Covenant & Netgalley for the eARC. This is my honest review.

This book was such a cute guilty pleasure read! Mystery, romance, and travel to lush settings. Whats not to love?! A very cute book that I enjoyed sinking into during harsh winter days. This author is not very well known which is quite sad but I have a feeling not for long.

I have always enjoyed Bessey's writing. She is a good author and writes a good story. Nothing too crazy or too deep, just a nice read. This pulled me in from the start, I was immediately loving Gracie, her character pulled me in and kept me reading. This is a contemporary proper romance with a bit of violence and a couple kisses.

*Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Gracie Miller is a young jewelry designer striking out on her own in New York City. After an unexpected disaster at work, Gracie is suddenly thrust into the very center of an incredible mystery.
Bessey describes the locations in this novel so vividly; one can easily imagine themselves joining the characters on their adventures. The main story line of a gem heist is easy to follow and intriguing. The (I believe, secondary) romance between Gracie and Quinn West is written so that it is something special and not in the least bit tawdry. Overall, this was a quick, highly enjoyable read.

#TheGemThief #NetGalley

Wow!! I loved this book!! Gracie is a small town girl, turned jewelry designer, for an upscale jeweler. When one of her clients comes in to have a ring resized, Gracie discovers that the original stones have been stolen. Dorcas the owner of the ring, is determined to find the gem thief. Coming up with a solution, Dorcas, Gracie and Dorcas's nephew Quinn, board a cruise ship in the Mediterranean, to seek answers and to lure the thief into stealing again. I loved the vivid descriptive detail and long to visit Greece now, a book that was hard to put down, and such a great read.

The Gem Thief
by Sian Ann Bessey
Covenant Communications
Mystery & Thrillers , Romance
Pub Date 01 Nov 2018



I am reviewing a copy of The Gem Thief through Covenant Communications and Netgalley:


Gracie Miller, a small town girl has landed her dream job as a Jewlery Designer in New York City. She’s working for one of the most prestigious Jewlery in the world. Gracie has completed a particularly stunning custom piece settling for a large pink diamond. When her billionaire client Mrs Katsaros come to repair a minor issue with the setting. when the ring is brought in Gracie is shocked to realize it is not the ring she created. Her design has been forged by someone. The priveless diamond is now missing.


Mrs Katsaros does not want to bring media attention to the jewlery heist so she goes to her nephew Quinn and his friend Steve Who happens to be an FBI agent so they can do some sleuthing off the record. While sleuthing they discover that the missing ring is only one of many forgeries in the widows collection so they look to Gracie for help. They ask her to act the part of Quinn’s fiancé from the lights of New York to the shimmering islands of Mediterranean, Gracie is swept into throlli hunt but soon the feeling Quinn and Gracie have for each other.


I give The Gem Thief five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I received a copy of The Gem Thief by Sian Ann Bessey from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this novel missed the mark for me. I thought the writing was decent (fair) and the plot should have been interesting given the summary, but the plot wasn't evenly paced and the main characters' chemistry fell short.

I'd give The Gem Thief 3 stars.

What a FANTASTIC read! Loved it from the very first page to the very end.
Perfect setting, characters, and story line. I highly recommend this one!

The Gem Thief pretty much had my name written all over it! I knew I needed a change of pace from all the contemporary romance I’d been reading lately, so when I saw that this book was a combination some of my favorite things (mystery, romance, intrigue, and travel) I knew it was going to be something I’d enjoy.

1. I really, really love jewelry so I was excited to find out that Gracie is a jewelry designer for a big company in New York City. She designs settings for beautiful gems and precious stones, and when she arrives at work one day to learn that one of her pieces was replaced with a forgery, our mystery begins. I was so excited to see how it all played out.

2. Gracie is a very sweet, caring person. She’s polite, warm, calm under pressure, a little insecure, and down to earth even though she works for such a prestigious company and such wealthy customers. She loves her job and puts so much of herself into each piece of jewelry she designs for her clients. She felt so much empathy for and compassion towards Dorcas when she learned of the theft and immediately wanted to help in any way that she could. She’s just an all around good person, who I could easily picture myself being friends with.

3. Quinn is Dorcas’s nephew, and works for the insurance company that insures Dorcas’s expensive pieces of jewelry. As soon as the forgery is discovered, he is called in to help. I liked Quinn a lot, and thought his devotion to his aunt was very endearing and made him even more attractive in my eyes. He’s a great listener, and opens his heart to those he cares about.

4. Dorcas is so much fun! She lived a normal, mainstream life until she fell in love with and married the founder of the Greek Cruise Line (GCL). Then her life became glitzy and glamorous, filled with expensive jewelry, luxurious living arrangements, and extravagant vacations. She loves to wear bright colors, and has the sweetest, most caring personality.

5. I was eager for the traveling to begin once Gracie, Quinn, and Dorcas decided to solve this mystery themselves. I wasn’t disappointed at all. Their first stop is to the Venetian Jewelry Show (I LOVE VENICE), where Dorcas went with her husband each year to buy a new piece of jewelry. The descriptions of Venice were spot-on, and sent me right back to the Grand Canal and the winding passageways. Then they board a fancy luxury cruise ship and explore the Mediterranean. I just loved reading about their visits to Athens, Santorini, and Dubrovnik to name a few. The descriptions of the scenery, sunsets, and weather were wonderful.

6. I loved the slow burning romance. Quinn and Gracie get off to a very rocky start, but their fake engagement brings out real feelings very quickly. And I loved that their love story grew from mutual respect, to friendship, to more. It wasn’t founded on a one-night stand or lust. It felt real and organic to me. And the romance is totally clean. There’s some kisses, but no sex whatsoever. There’s not even a mention of sex as a want or an option on either side, and I really loved that about the book.

7. I would have liked more suspense, but that’s just me. I love suspense!

8. I was annoyed that the ship had “floors” instead of “decks”. Nobody calls them floors on a cruise ship! You don’t get in an elevator to go up one or two floors on a ship, you go up one or two decks. So that drove me nuts. I hope that was fixed in the final version of the book. DECKS.

9. Let me get picky about geography for a second. At one point in the story, Gracie and Dorcas were standing at the edge of the Grand Canal looking at the Mediterranean Sea beyond. That’s the Adriatic Sea. And yes, that’s part of the Mediterranean so I guess it works, but if you look at a map you’ll see that the Med is down at the tip of Italy. You can’t see the Med from Venice. Technically the author isn’t wrong, but if it were me I would have been more accurate about it.

Obviously, I have very few complaints. I really, really loved reading The Gem Thief. I’ve been in a book slump for quite some time, and I flew through this one. It was refreshing, and it allowed me to escape to one of my favorite places. I loved the characters and the romance and the mystery. It was just very fun for me. The writing is wonderful, and I’m planning to look into more books by Sian. I highly recommend this one!