Don’t be fooled by the cover: this book is not a shallow, flighty romance novel. The cover art is cutesy and adorable, but the story inside has complexity and emotional depth, along with plenty of breathtakingly suspenseful moments! The Frame Up is primarily a fantasy/magical realism novel about Dani, a former art thief with magical artist talent, who is summoned for an epic final heist with her old gang. There’s some flirting and romance, but it is very, very minimal and not the focus of the plot at all.

I absolutely love art - galleries and museums are such happy places for me- and was fascinated by all the details about the art world and well known artists. I immediately felt affection for all of the main characters: they were all so fun and relatable. I couldn’t put this book down! I never felt bored and enjoyed every minute. I was thoroughly engrossed with the art heist story, and then when the plot twist drops at about halfway, explaining all the mysterious energy and complicated backstory: YES!! I’m intentionally avoiding saying much so as not to spoil it, but- SERIOUS GIRL POWER. That’s all I have to say about that. This book was a blast to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for entrusting me with an ARC copy of The Frame Up! This book drops February 13, 2024 and I will be telling all my friends to snag a copy.

I will be posting my review to Instagram on October 3, 2023.

This is the first time I’ve read a book with anything akin to this plot and I really enjoyed it…from the world of art thieves to the inclusion of magic (and sinister beings)thrown in with family drama and a second chance romance and a possible billionaire love triangle? I ate up every bite and left no crumbs behind. Between Dani, Elliot, Brad, Emma and Sunflower, my heart was full.

Review is up on goodreads and will post on my book club Insta

I honestly was kind of disappointed with this book, and decided to DNF a little over halfway through. I have really enjoyed some of Gwenda Bond's previous books, but this story was all over the place. It felt like she was trying to do too much, and became very frustrating. I tried to push through and just deal with it, but it was something I don't handle well in my reading. For anyone else, this book might be enjoyable, but I don't think it's right for me.

This was a really cute, fun, and fast-paced story -- I enjoyed how both of the love interests were flawed/morally gray in their own ways. The banter was hilarious and it was a unique and engaging take on the classic romcom.

I received a copy of this from netgalley in exchange for a review.

Heists plus magic? Catnip for me! I started this book and was instantly pulled into the storyline and the characters. I wanted to know more about what happened to Dani and her mom, why the heck Archer gave me the creeps, and then more about Dani’s old crew as they were introduced. I really loved Dani learning about her ancestors, and coming to realize that she was right all those years ago, even if it may not have gone how she wanted.

The book gave me characters and relationships to root for, and plenty of intrigue to keep me reading as fast as I could. It ended well, but I could even see there being a sequel maybe in the future - love to know if Dani and Maria cross paths again. Also, I liked Brad, but could also see him maybe turning evil, so seeing what he does in the future would be really interesting.

I loved the mystery of this book as well as all of the art aspect! Dani’s relationship with her mom was hard to read but I was glad she was able to find family in other people. I didn’t love the evil aspect of the book but the ending was great!

The Frame-Up!! Man oh man did I enjoy this. This is the second novel by Gwenda Bond i've read and I loved ever page. It had magic, drama, demons, art thieves...i mean like cmon what else could you ask for!?

4.5 stars ✨

A magically gifted con artist must gather her estranged mother's old crew for a once-in-a-lifetime heist, from the New York Times bestselling author of Stranger Suspicious Minds.

This was so much fun! I don't read a ton of romance, but I ate this up.

I love heist movies, but this is the first heist book, so I was super excited to see a heist plotline and magic mixed together in a book! This book has many things going for it. There's gang of multiple characters with a complicated past and magical powers forming a new kind of Ocean's 11 crew. There's a daughter with a redemption plotline trying to earn her mother's forgiveness (and maybe love a little bit). There's (kind of) a second chance romance. There's a lot going for this book. For example my favorite part of the story was the plotline of Dani finding her great (great?) grandmother's diary and discovering a secret her mother has hidden from her. I'm rating this book 3 stars because it had a lot of cool things going on, and a lot of elements that I liked, but I think they could have come together better. I think many plot-lines were sacrificed to further the realism of the heist, when I was more interested in other elements like the romance, the mystery of who Archer is and how Dani's family is connected to him, the relationships between the old crew and how they could overcome their shared painful history. I also felt like the magic in the world could have been built out more. I was a bit confused about the nature of how powers worked and who had powers and wanted some more of the world building, because the addition of a demon character felt a bit out of the blue in this world. Overall, a great idea, cool elements, interesting characters, but I wanted a little bit more for everything to come together.

Dani Poissant is the daughter of a famous art thief. Her mother is in prison and Dani put her there. Dani and her mother has magical skills .and talents. Dani has a job to pull off in two weeks that should have taken much longer in planning. The book has a little of everything: art heist, magic, romance , family dynamics, and friendships. A quirky book.

This book has cemented Gwenda Bond as an auto-buy author for me.

Am I into art? No.
Am I into heist stories? No.
Did I love every dang single moment of this book and now can’t stop thinking about it? Absolutely.

I love how Gwenda always takes a simple concept and puts such a unique twist on it. Magic is also used so differently in this world compared to most, and the way it impacted the heist was so non-traditional. Not only that, but the characters in this book just instantly grabbed your attention and made you love them.

I wish I could say more, I just don’t want to spoil it! Needless to say, this book is now part of my personality, and I absolutely cannot wait until it comes out!

As a first-time Gwenda Bond reader, I was impressed by the creativity and uniqueness of The Frame-Up.

I’m a sucker for a good magical realism story. Add in an art heist, and what’s not to enjoy?

It reminded me of a mash-up of Ocean’s Eleven and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (minus the vampires).

4.5 stars. Extra points for the fun book cover design!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I got this book thinking it was a heist story. I enjoyed it, although I didn’t expect the fantasy aspect. Dani Poissant a superb artist, manipulated into becoming an art forger and accomplice to her mother, Maria, a world-famous art thief, both of whom have magical abilities. Maria can persuade people to do her bidding; Dani can imbue her forgeries with qualities that make them appear to be genuine. At a vulnerable age, Dani is again manipulated by the FBI into turning her mother in, resulting in her mother’s imprisonment. Ten years later, Dani is approached by the villainous Archer, her mother’s former lover, who tries to manipulate her into stealing a painting he wants held in Fort Knox type private gallery. The ticking clock: Dani has one week to accomplish this goal.

There are recurrent themes of childhood neglect and emotional abuse. Dani is thrown out of her community and must exist on her own at a relatively young age. Although the cover has a lot in common with current covers of contemporary romances, this is not a romance. There are hints of a potential romance with Brad, the young man who inherited the gallery, as well as with Elliott, a young man Dani thought would run away with her after the debacle with Maria, but who he fails to show up at their rendezvous. Neither of these guys get enough interaction with Dani to make their romance potential believable. Also, Dani’s “found family” wasn’t quite believable either.

Overall, a fun read. Not sure the magical elements did much other than serving as shortcut to the real work of staging an art heist.

This was such a cute novel that really exceeded my expectations. I hadn't heard of Gwenda Bond before, but I will definitely be checking out her future work after this. I loved reading this story and I've been thinking about it since I put it down.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Frame Up.
This is a “heist” book centered around the art world.
Our protagonist is Dani. She’s a thief with a dog and a past. She’s been made an offer and need to get it done in 10 days. Can she conjure up the strength and magic to get it done.
The odds are not with her.
3.5 stars

I gobbled up this book. I'm subtracting one star because the ARC was billed as a romance, and this book fails in that regard (see spoiler below). If you like fast-paced mysteries, heist stories, troubled but determined heroines, and spooky elements, I highly recommend it.

Our heroine, Dani, is smart, competent, and motivated. She's also a criminal. That's usually a deal-breaker for me, but by the end of the first chapter, I was absolutely Team Dani. I was also rooting for her border collie, Sunflower, who is a very good girl. Dani's backstory unspools slowly, but it's clear early on that she's fighting the good fight, even if not from a legal perspective.

We follow Dani for ten days leading up to a near-impossible heist. The execution of this heist feels realistic and plausible (in the world of the story), and the pacing is excellent. The only weak section comes in the penultimate chapter, where the sequence of events becomes confusing and a startling plot twist is revealed. Given how effectively Gwenda Bond managed the rest of her plot's intricate choreography, this is forgivable.

What annoyed me:
- Dani's partners in crime. These are people she'd known all her life. They rejected her years ago and still treat her terribly when she approaches them again. The worst offender is Rabbit, her mother's friend. When we finally learn why Dani was ostracized—there are several layers here—those reasons are inadequate to explain the level of hostility from Rabbit. <spoiler>We will eventually find out that the persuasive magic wielded by Dani's mother more or less brainwashed Rabbit. However, this magic is short-term, so how can it explain hostility that lasts for the decade Dani's mother was in jail?</spoiler>.
- The "romance" in the book. Don't read this as a romance, or you'll just be annoyed. <spoiler>There are two love interests. One is charming and kind. The other, Elliott, repeatedly betrays Dani and undermines her heist. He has cyberstalked her for years and sets her up as prey for Archer so that he (Elliott) will get to see her again. Elliott's her choice, apparently because she loved him all those years ago and still thinks he's sexy. There is nothing this dude does in the book to deserve love or respect. Among other things, when he finally explains why he betrayed her in the past, his reason is lame (and doesn't even include an apology). Dani may simply accept that Elliott is "the love of her life," but this only made me feel that she needs therapy to come to terms with the trauma of being shunned. I wouldn't trust Elliott as far as I could throw him.</spoiler>

Despite these quibbles, I loved this book. I may even reread it so that I can enjoy the way Bond sets up all her complicated moving plot elements.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Art heist stories are one of my favorite niche genres to I was so excited to hear about Gwenda Bond's newest book. This story drew me right in. I had a such a fun time trying to figure out how the characters would pull off the heist. The addition of magic added a unique element to the traditional heist story and would be super helpful as a thief! It was an interesting magic system since only some people have magic and they can only use it for one thing. The fantasy reader in me would have liked the magic system to be explained more, but I think it worked well for this genre. Overall a fun read that combined several different elements that I enjoy into one book!

Side Note: As much as I LOVE the cover I do think it is a little misleading about the genre of the book. The cover feels very rom-com but the romance is a side plot and I wasn't very invested in either of the love triangle options. This could lead to potential disappointment if you were looking for a romance heavy rom-com. This didn't affect my enjoyment of the book, but could change a reader's expectations going in.

It feels somewhat distant with the narration, and it wasn’t gripping me. Feels like a solid three stars “liked it” for the target, four for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

There’s not a lot of character development so the twists didn’t feel as high stakes. I didn’t really end up caring much about the protagonist. Interesting concept but needed some more work in my personal opinion!

I received an unfinished ARC from Del Rey. All opinions are my own.

While I was targeted as someone who loves heists and Foundryside for reading this novel, and I <i>did</i> enjoy it, I'm still not sure about the demographic. But I also think that this is being mis-tagged on GR as being a romance just because the cover looks cutesy and romance. THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE. There are romantic subplots as there are in most books, but if anything I'm more likely to compare this to a White Oleander where the primary relationship is a girl and her imprisoned mother who she still feels inadequate when compared to and the mom is very manipulative, even behind bars.

What I Loved:
Obviously the best thing in this book, hands down, is Sunflower. I will hear no arguments. She is beautiful and perfect and so smart that I was convinced for much of the book that she was only pretending to be a border collie and would actually turn out to be a shapeshifter or guardian angel or literally anything else. All the treats and pets for Sunflower.

The pop culture elements were also really fun. Using "<i>Pretty Woman-</i>ed" as a verb on one page and referencing Gomez and Morticia on the next was a delight. Though there are some areas where this can backfire a little (eg referencing Gates as a philanthropist when in actuality most of his foundations have been found to be too controlled to be efficacious, and mostly just a front for securing and hiding away more of his money) and I hope that they'll be able to clean that up before the final copy goes to print.

The Curator. I absolutely needed more scenes with The Curator, and maybe some spin-off short stories. She has such a unique ability and is brimming with personality and mystique and I'd love to glimpse more of her world.

What Felt Under-developed:
I mentioned already that this is not a romance, but there are two men who are vying for her attentions-- the hot second chance ex with unfinished feelings, and the kind single-dad billionaire. While I wouldn't want the story to be longer, I didn't feel like either of these characters got enough time for me to develop any emotional attachments one way or the other.

There's also a moment in the middle-ish of the book where the narrative is interrupted to read back-to-back journal entries from the late 1800s. While the information is vital to the plot, I didn't care for the writing or abrupt nature and actually kind of resented having to read them. Granted, journal chapters are hardly ever a thing I like in books so ymmv, but I think these could be both polished and truncated so they don't disrupt the flow of the story as much.

And lastly I don't think the found family elements landed for me. I was fully onboard with Mia and Dani, but I don't think Elliott interacted with the other characters enough to feel like more than Dani's love interest. And Rabbit has some very strong feelings in the beginning and the eventual emotional pay-offs happened too quickly without enough build-up and character moments for her as well.

The Characters:
Overall I really loved Sunflower, liked Dani, & wanted more of Brad and his daughter and Mia. Most of the other characters were just kind of present.

But I definitely think that Archer in the first 60% or so made a big impact on me. He was more toothless and cartoony and less present in the latter part of the book, but I was really enjoying him as an ominous present in the first half.

Likewise, Maria seemed to be built up as a much different character in the first 75%, then suddenly I didn't understand her character motivations or who she truly was as she seemed a lot more of a 2-D villain by the end. Since I think that this relationship is the emotional center of the book, I would have really liked to see more depth here.

The Sexism:
I wasn't prepared for this book with the cutesy cover in pale blues and pinks with a sweet puppy to get into SA and misogyny, but this was actually a pretty major theme throughout the book. It can get somewhat heavy, so just be prepared for that going in.

The Magic:
Honestly the magic could be scrubbed from the book and you wouldn't see a change. All of their powers just feel like shortcuts to becoming classic heist personas (the hacker/guy in the chair, the forger, the guy who always knows a guy who has what you need, the charismatic leader who can convince you to do anything, etc). It's definitely light on the Fantasy elements and I think there's more that could be explored here.

Overall:
Ultimately I think the first half of the book had the potential to be a 5 star, but the overall execution means that this is probably a 3.5 for me. And while certain elements were strong enough that I was thinking about them a lot and they invaded my dreams, the overall conclusion kind of washed that away and I don't think I'll be thinking about much of this book again (apart from Sunflower who is perfect and I love her).