Ummm I feel like I might be losing my mind a little because SO many people loved this book, but I was not a fan of any of this. The development of the romance in this “rom-com” was almost nonexistent and felt too much like “love at first sight” for it to be believable. I also could not get behind the crew that were so! super! quirky and different! Clearly, Desai wanted to give each of them their own distinct voices, which is great, but they were all so wildly out of this world that I didn’t really connect to any of them. I may just be in a non-romance mood, but I finished this book underfed and disappointed.

After her best friend is conned into helping a jewelry thief pull off a heist at a local museum and is left to take the blame, Simi decides she has no choice but to steal back the necklace in order to clear Chloe's name. With the help of the mysterious Jack and a ragtag crew of acquaintances, the girls set out to infiltrate the wedding of a mafia boss's daughter in order to get close to the necklace and take it back. 

This was a super fun and entertaining read! It is hilarious, action-packed, filled with a cast of quirky characters and, although some of the situations they get into are a tad ridiculous, overall, I had a good time reading it. I much preferred the heist aspect to the romance because it was way too insta-love for my taste. Simi admits to hardly knowing anything about Jack, yet they are somehow madly in love by the end of the book. I know some people enjoy that, but it's never been my thing. 3.5/5

Read if you like:
🏃🏼‍♀️ Adventure
😂 Humor
💍 Jewelery Heists
🃏 Ocean’s 11/8
🤨 Misfits
💒 Weddings

This book was so unexpected! I thought it would just be a straight forward romance but it was so so so much more and that is why I love going into books blind for the suprises like this one that I get to read and enjoy.

I loved the bit of a love triangle with the cop, the bad guy (potentially), and Simi. The tension between Simi and both was to die for and I loved her lack of filter as it made me crack up.

This book truly represents found family with a group of misfits that found life being better together even if it comes with a side of crime.

If you loved the Ocean Movies or Now You See Me & romance I think you will absolutely love this one and all the laughs along the way.

Thank you so so so much Berkley for my ARC of this one!

This was a closed door romance and I STILL loved this book friends and if you know me, you know I like 5 spicy faces and the door wide open!

This author does an excellent job pairing romance with a really fun and outrageous storyline that incorporates interesting side characters, subplots with substance, and diverse characters from different backgrounds. While, I wish we had a bit more romance and moments with our leading man, the subplots made up for it 😍😍.

I honestly wish there would be a sequel to this or a tv show 😭

For lovers of Finley Donovan is Killing it and the show Leverage, I’d highly recommend this one! It comes out next week on 7/18!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a cute romantic comedy with some suspense thrown in. I mean an accidental encounter with a man who steals things for a living and getting roped into one of his schemes? It was such a fun read. Simi has a great personality and is really funny! Her friends are incredible and Jack is definitely mysterious but once you get to know him, he is great as well. The story line of doing a heist in the middle of planning a wedding short noticed has me hooked. It had so many different elements that worked together perfectly. This was one that made me laugh out loud quite a few times.

I wanted to love this book since I really enjoyed the author's previous works but this book... it just missed the mark completely for me.

I would not call this a romance based on how shallow and almost nonexistence the romance is. It was insta-lovey at best.

Every character was just over the top in the worst way and the entire book was just a confusing muddled mess.

This book had everything I love in one amazing story. Simi is a very relatable millennial trying to find what makes her happy while dealing with family expectations, being single and crippling debt. She has her ride or die bestie Chloe by her side and unfortunately for them Chloe is framed for a crime she didn't commit. What ensues is an action packed story that I did not want to put down. Simi makes new friends, finds out things about herself and best of all discovers what makes her happy.

This was a fun and action packed story. Simi is a character readers will root for! This story had some Stephanie Plum vibes for me. The romance wasn’t really the prominent story and at times I wondered which man was Simi’s true romantic partner. I love books with good friendships and my favorite part of this story was the crew Simi assembled while trying to rescue her best friend. This story has lots of twists and a satisfying conclusion.

The story starts off with a big case of “wtf did you do?” Simi’s best friend Chloe gets herself in a really bad position and as Simi is going to rescue her a stranger pulls her back and saves her from also being in a really bad position.

The verbal diarrhea that Simi has was so embarrassing to me lol.
I was kept wondering who Simi was going to be with, as with every book that had any iota of romance in it I focus on that aspect so the rest is just filled lol. I was always keeping Cristian in the back pocket 🤣

This book was reaaaaaaally long. There were so many LOL moments though, Cristian in the tube on the back of the speed bump had me LOL’ing at my hair appointment. The book I feel was a lot of a coming of age for an adult as Simi really was just floating around just being and not really taking on grown up responsibilities and not having planted roots anywhere but then she’s somehow in the presence of a hot cop (Garcia) and a master heister (Jack) so then I stopped feeling sorry for her.

Between planning a wedding and stealing jewelry and kidnapping this book had it all and kept you guessing.

Big thank you to @valentine_pr and @saradesai for sending me this ARC to read and review.

This was such a fun and entertaining read! I absolutely loved the side characters and all their different personalities. They felt crucial to the story, it wasn't just Simi and Jack's story, but all of theirs. I loved the progression of Simi and Jack's relationship. They were so cute, I absolutely ate it up! Overall, a really fun read!!

THIS. BOOK. WAS. UTTERLY. DELIGHTFUL.

Simi is stuck in her life. Unable to hold a steady job, always fending off her matchmaking parents, and sometimes accidentally almost killing her landlady's octogenarian gentlemen callers, the only thing that she can rely on is her ride or die best friend, Chloe. When Chloe is trapped in a museum and framed for a jewelry heist, Simi doesn't hesitate to try and save her. What she doesn't expect is to be dragged into the bushes by a devilishly charming thief named Jack, who steps in to save her from getting arrested. Now, with the police looming and threatening to arrest Chloe and take her away from her teenage daughter, Simi has to team up with Jack and assemble a heist crew to steal the necklace back, clear their names, and claim the reward.

When I say this book was completely unhinged, it had me laughing on practically every other page. The way Sara Desai was able to create hilarious characters reminds me of Jesse Q. Sutanto's mysteries. While all the characters were wonderful in their own right, Rose deserves a special shoutout. She brought so much humor to each of her scenes, and I never knew what she was going to say next.

Simi and Jack's romance was absolutely electric. I loved watching Simi learn to brace her individuality, and that the bumps in the road with her relationship with Jack acted as moments in which she learns what she is capable of, and the kind of person she needs in her life. I would have liked to get more of Jack's perspective, because at times I truly was not sure if I could trust him, however I absolutely loved that, the few times I was reading his POV, the narrative perspective switched from first to second. It was such a unique choice that I have never seen in another book that captured Jack's personality perfectly.

The moment I finished the book, I was immediately looking into whether or not the story would be continued into a series, because I was not ready to say goodbye to all the characters, so you best believe that I will be reading the sequel when it comes out. All in all, if you enjoy laugh out loud stories, a romance that is brimming with chemistry from the first interaction, and characters that you will quickly fall in love with, then this is most definitely the book for you.

To Have and to Heist by S. Desai, published by Berkley Publishing Group, is a witty and fun read.
Simi and Jack are perfect for each other.
When they meet one of them is in a , lets call it special situation.
Simi is a bit of a wild child/ card, failing at life again. And Jack is just an ordinary guy who's life became incredibly complicated. So, a match made on earth you could say.
This is an highly entertaing read with scorching scenes, hilarious sometimes, but always a beautiful rom/com.

I think there are very valid reasons to be wary of a certain type of book, with a certain type of cover, at this point, but I have enjoyed Sara Desai’s romances before, so I was willing to give To Have and to Heist a chance.

And I was so happy I did! To Have and to Heist was the kind of book that I didn’t read straight through because I wanted it to last longer. It was so much fun and made me smile so big when I was reading it.

Simi will do anything for her best friend, Chloe, including show up to a museum with a rope where Chloe is stuck on the second floor after seemingly being set up in a jewel theft. That’s where she encounters Jack, and thus sets in motion the heist plan. Jack clearly has ulterior motives, but Simi and Chloe want to clear their names, so they put together a team to steal the necklace back. And, as in my favorite types of books, hijinks ensue - including getting mixed up in planning a mobster’s daughter’s wedding and trying to avoid the other group of jewel thieves that wants the necklace.

Look, was this book completely implausible?? Yes. But was it implausible in the most fun way?? Absolutely. This book needs a movie deal, stat. It is a romp in the best sense of the word, and I had a blast while reading it. I know some of you are going to say, but Kate, those content warnings you have are insane! And to you I would say- what action flick doesn’t have a little violence? This isn’t anything above a Marvel level of drama/action, in my opinion.

However, the romance aspects of the book were few and far between. A lot of page time was dedicated to Simi and Chloe’s relationship, and the changes it was undergoing throughout the book, as well as the development of the friendships amongst the crew Simi put together. However, I didn’t really get why Jack and Simi were good together - they didn’t spend a lot of time alone to see their relationship develop. Plus, there was the distraction of the hot police detective, who kept showing up at inopportune times. Honestly, I felt like Jack and Garcia (hot police detective) almost had an equal amount of conversation with Simi.

I loved all the characters that were part of the heist crew. It was a delight to read the scenes where they were all on page together. There was even a secondary romance plotline between two of the other characters!

So, overall, I really did enjoy this book. It was a lot of fun and made me laugh and was just so absolutely ridiculous that I couldn’t help but suspend disbelief and go for a ride. I do recommend, I just don’t think anybody should go in thinking it’s going to be the most romance-y romance they’ve ever read either. Know what to expect, don’t be too married to reality, and have a good time!

Content warnings: Abusive ex-husband (past abuse mentioned as well as brief on page appearances), gun violence, kidnapping, violent beating

Thank you to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This new book is a mix of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, Ocean's Eleven, and Dial A for Aunties, It features all sorts of hilarious antics with a heist crew who are equally a wonderful found family.

Simi gets dragged into a police investiation and search for a multimillion dollar necklace to help out her best friend. Along the way, she meets Jack, a mysterious stranger who she may or may not be able to trust.

I really enjoyed this and laughed out loud. It definitely hit all of the comedy aspects of a rom-com for me. However, I wouldn't really call it a romance. The romance aspects take a major back seat to the heist and shenanigans. That's why I recommend it for folks who like comedies and mysteries more than those looking for a traditional rom-com.

Soneela Nankani narrated first person for Simi. I thought she did a fabulous job throughout on the audiobook.

This absolutely hilarious rom-com is filled with action, adventure, wit and makes you feel like you’re watching a movie play out. I especially love the chemistry between the main character Simi and Jack and the banter between the entire group is unmatched.

Simi gets out to plan a heist during a wedding between two mobster families, in order to save her best friend Chloe from being wrongfully arrested of stealing a diamond necklace worth millions. She meets Jack when he saves her from being caught trying to help Chloe get out of the museum where she was set up for the crime, and you can instantly feel the chemistry and pull between the two. Simi has to group together her own bunch of misfits in order to succeed in the heist and save her bestie

This book is so much fun, it will having you laughing out loud, giggling and smiling and I love the dynamic between the group.

Thank you to @valentinepr and @netgalley @saradesaiwrites for the e-arc of this book and all opinions are my own.

If you loved the Singles Table and Partners In Crime by Alisha Rai then you need to read this. This is kinda like If both books had a baby. Simi the fmc feels like she’s failing at life, she’s lost jobs and has so many financial problems. She ends up tangled in a robbery with her best friend Chloe and after meeting Jack the mmc, gets involved in a heist to recover the stolen item.

This was fun, crazy and sometimes unbelievable but I liked the chaos of the heist plot. The suspense and heist is front and foremost in the story. There are many background characters that make up the crew for the heist and they’re quite interesting. I liked Simi she was relatable, awkward and chaotic. I loved Simi’s parents and family especially the Indian aunties. The romance was sweet, it definitely wasn’t as heavy on the romance as I thought it would be and I wish we had gotten more of the that.

Overall this was a good read. It’s definitely different from the romcoms the author has previously written. Read If your into chaotic heist/adventure plots with suspense and some romance.

This was funny, sexy, and interesting. It was a little convoluted but I enjoyed seeing the characters grow and develop relationships.

To Have And To Heist is hiiiiiiilarious!

This is a true romantic comedy and it exceeded my expectations!

The dry sense of humor, banter, snark, the, chemistry between Simi and Jack was swoon worthy.I simply couldn’t put the book down!

The Crew, I loved each and every one of them, with their own quirkiness and charm.

This story is a mix of Ocean’s 8, 11, and Bond. Other movie moments included. Mobster movies too,. What a hoot!

I haven’t laughed out loud so much in a while, even tears rolling down my cheeks!

The romance had my heart putter pattering for more than just Simi and Jack. You’ll find out.

The love scenes are 2-3 heat level, not very explicit, yet their time together was meaningful and I felt Butterflies in my tummy.

The true meaning of loyalty, honor, love, family drama, romance and friendships are all well represented in To Have and To Heist.

I especially love how the whole cast who were at their lowest or struggling, found a way to overcome their challenges and grow personally.

I highly recommend To Have And To Heist by Sarah Desai, one of my top favorite books this year! Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

If there aren't more books in this universe, I will be DEVASTATED. Simi is such a hustler, jumping from job to job as she tries to keep herself and Chloe afloat. So when her best friend is framed for a jewel theft, she stops at nothing to clear her name. Talk about a ride or die! Add in the bon vivant Jack and a ragtag heist crew and you get a rom com for the ages. Simi and Jack have incredible chemistry, even though the last thing he's trying to steal is her heart. You get training montages, wedding shenanigans, and so many laughs along the way! I'd recommend this to fans of Finlay Donovan and Oceans Eight, or anyone who just needs a belly laugh.

*Thank you to Berkley, Valentine PR, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I loved the Marriage Game series but I think I love Sara Desai as a heist/romance writer more!!

This was so much fun and I hope she continues to delve into more romances like this, because it was an absolute delight!

cw: domestic abuse, gun violence, on-page sexual content