a DNF for me for now. WAYYYYY too much going on here. Might try again someday but now, its not for me.

ARC via netgalley

Heiress Takes All by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka was a great YA heist novel. Olivia is upset that her father's cheating has upended her life. In retaliation, she sets up a heist to steal her father's money and make him pay for the suffering he has put her and her mother through. Throughout the heist, set in the backdrop of her father's third wedding, she discovers her family's and her father's secrets and lies. It's about found family, romance, and familial relationships. Every move was entertaining, and the unexpected twist took the cake.

Olivia doesn’t like her father. He cheated on her mom, kicked them out of their luxurious home, made her mom work long, painful hours after an accident, and cut Olivia out of her inheritance. When her father is getting remarried, she considers it an opportunity to get revenge for everything her father has done wrong. She gathers a group of fellow high school students and one former teacher to use the wedding to steal millions of dollars from her father’s online accounts and right the wrongs against her and her mother. Unfortunately, the schemes of other people who also don’t like her father and her ex-boyfriend make things more complicated than she expected.

Unfortunately, for a book that’s supposed to be based on high stakes and Oceans 11, I was bored for a significant part of the book. The concept is very fun, but I didn’t enjoy the execution.

My biggest issue with the book is the characters. While I understand Olivia’s anger, especially with the mistreatment of her mom, it’s hard to get behind her reasons for stealing, lying, and generally treating people badly to get what she wants. She’s supposed to be fierce and intelligent, but I was annoyed with her for most of the book. She’s supposed to be a master heist planner, but she isn’t. Obviously, things need to go wrong at some points in the book to make things suspenseful, but she came across as clueless and unprepared during most of it.

The other characters are generally either convenient or inconvenient. Their only traits are “helping Olivia” or “getting in Olivia’s way” mostly. It’s also uncomfortable to have a former teacher hanging out with them and supporting them in this illegal activity. I also didn’t think there was any real chemistry between Olivia and Jackson. I didn’t care that they were broken up, and I didn’t see what Jackson saw in Olivia when she was just conniving and mean. The only characters that seemed to have much development was Kevin and Olivia, and I couldn’t stand Olivia.

There are a lot of plot holes, and you have to put yourself in the shoes of clueless Olivia in many aspects to think that 1. Any of this is going to work 2. Her father would just let her get away with this in the end anyway. It’s frustrating how much you have to ignore, and the number of twists got tedious instead of building excitement.

If you just want a silly heist book and don’t need to care much about the characters, this could be a fun read. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me.

These two are a writing Powerhouse and I loved this mystery book! Full of twists and turns. I look forward for more from them!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I won’t even lie to y’all, this might be my favorite read of 2024, or at least it’s up there in those top spots.

Swipe ➡️ for more details (i.e., moodboards, playlists, and such)!! I try to diversify my bookish playlists, but Taylor has this book on LOCK. So Rep / TTPD coded!!

HEIRESS TAKES ALL follows ex-heiress Olivia, who had her whole life stolen from her when her rich dad had an affair and divorced her mom, leaving the two of them with nothing. As her dad’s third wedding date arrives, Olivia knows it’s finally time to get revenge. With a ramshackle yet perfectly crafted crew, and in spite of various unforeseen obstacles, the witty Olivia has plan upon plan, phase after phase, lined up so that she can steal her father’s wealth right from under his nose. What she could never have anticipated getting in her way were her own warring feelings about family, about her ex-boyfriend, and about herself. If she is a thief, then how alike is she to those she steals from?

I need to stop writing or I’m going to give too much away. I absolutely LOVE how all the aforementioned elements weave together to create such an addictive and interesting story!! I though the romance came on a tad too strong at first (I came for the heist, ya know?), but I was HASTY in my judgement for sure. Because every piece of the puzzle - every character, every phase, every plan gone wrong, every new family member or secret revealed - fits so neatly yet so chaotically into the next that it’s just an absolutely thrilling reading experience! The element of surprise is important, so I don’t want to give anything away, but essentially this heist / thriller / romance with family conflict, a dangerously luxurious setting, and internal conflict (with a dash of found family and a badass FMC) was like a perfect cocktail for me, and I CHUGGED IT! I 100% recommend this one for the heist or action-thriller lovers out there!

🎂 I received an e-arc in exchange for my participation in a book tour, and all opinions are my own! You can find more posts and tour dates in the link in @tbrbeyondtours ‘s bio! 🎂

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this. I didn't actually realize this was YA when I picked it up: I've enjoyed some Emily/Austin in the past, and wanted to give this a chance. It's silly and fun...something that easily has a place in my reading plans
Olivia is hellbent on revenge from her deadbeat, millionaire father, and assembles a team to steal millions from him. Its ludicrous and kinda silly: this isn't a story for someone looking for plausibility. Its got 1000 twist and turns as it becomes a bit more about Olivia and her ex, and less about her father. Theres too many subplots for me personally.
Just fun.

This is perfect for fans of The Inheritance Games! The concept of this one is so fun--just different enough from The Inheritance Games, but with a similar vibe. I loved the heist feel of it, and all the characters involved. It was such a fun ride!

The plot was too convoluted, and the twists didn’t make sense. Nothing about the book felt realistic. I liked the characters, but I didn’t believe that they would participate in this heist. Also, they really didn’t get a lot of money considering how many people were involved. I also struggled with the idea of Olivia being poor after the divorce. Her father would have had to pay a lot in child support if he didn’t have custody at all.

In this funny, unflinching heist novel, a former heiress seeks revenge at her dad's wedding.

Olivia's dad wants her at his wedding for appearances sake, but Olivia sees it as the perfect chance for revenge. She wants to prove her worth to the dad who sees her as a spoiled, silly teenager not really worth his time.

Along with a team of friends, Olivia plans the perfect heist while everyone's distracted by the vows. But she's not counting on her ex-boyfriend showing up and challenging her perceptions of everything.

This has it all - offbeat, quirky characters, plots within plots, and a family with enough drama to fill a reality show.

A fun story that has the same energy as The Inheritance Games (a favorite of mine) while also remaining fun and fast paced. I think these two authors are such a fun duo and I have enjoyed reading their YA books throughout the years. This story took a different route than many of their other books I have read, and I still loved it! Some authors often find themselves stuck in a single genre, but these two can write anything.

4.5! Ok this was so good! I absolutely loved the vibes of this book, it so so much fun and had me on the edge of my seat so many times. I loved the idea of a heist stealing form your own father at his wedding, it made such a good setting and plot. Olivia was such a fun main character and truly a baddie for putting all of this plan together. The other pieces in her game of chess were great to read. I can’t believe this is Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund Brokas first thriller, it was so good!

I loved this author duo's YA books so I was pretty excited about this one and I had such a fun time reading it! It was quite adventurous with some surprising twists and turns!

We have our MC - Olivia who has assembled a ragtag crew to pull of a heist at her father's wedding! Her father is a rich influencer of sorts who has been coasting along on trust fund money and he's getting married for the third time. He had cheated on Olivia's mom and he had kicked them out of the house after the divorce. Though Olivia's life was completely uprooted, she had managed to settle into a new life of sorts but her mother got into an accident after spending multiple hours working to keep their family of two afloat and now the debts are piling up. Olivia's dad refuses to help them and Olivia is incensed - and decides to steal the money since it should have been hers anyway.

So we're thrown right into action as the plan is already underway and we meet Olivia and her heist team - which includes a bunch of high school students and a teacher!😂 They all have their own motivations for taking part in this plan and Olivia has worked out many details meticulously but unexpected things keep popping up and they have to constantly improvise to pull things off without getting caught. Olivia also runs into her ex - Jackson at the wedding and he's determined to win her back. Though their romance wasn't the focus I found it really cute.
Olivia was also an excellent protagonist - intelligent and determined but also a bit hardheaded at times. She's not without flaws but that made her more realistic. I also loved the heist crew and the witty banter! There were so many humorous moments between them and I was surprised by many of the events in the second half.
The ending was pretty satisfactory and it leaves room for a future story - so I'm hoping we'll get a sequel too!

Would recommend for fans of…
💰 Ocean’s Eight
💰 The Inheritance Games
💰 The Gallagher Girls

I’ve really grown to enjoy YA thrillers and mysteries in recent years, thanks in part to series like The Inheritance Games and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, so I was really excited to see Heiress Takes All would fit in.

In short, it’s a pretty good novel. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and relies on a lot of tropes and familiar character types within the genre. There’s moments of humor and, of course, romance, and there’s a fun sense of nostalgia that runs through it that I think will charm fans of Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series in particular.

Where this book lost me though was in how unbelievable the entire premise was. A teacher helping his students commit crimes? COME ON!!!! And that was just the beginning. I’m usually able to suspend disbelief for a good story but something about this one just didn’t work in the way other YA novels have.

If you’re looking for a quick read that will keep you guessing but doesn’t require too much of an investment, definitely check this one out!

Heiress Takes All is out now. Thanks to Little Brown Young Readers and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not going to lie, this book was a bit messy to me. Don’t get me wrong I loved it, it was very enjoyable to me but there was a lot going on and it felt like a bit too much at times. I loved the plot of her stealing her dad’s money but there were so many other things happening that took away from that original plot. I didn’t like the ending either, it felt kinda unnecessary and the book would’ve also been good without it.

The characters I loved the characters and their relationship(s) it was nice and I guess in the end everything worked out and it was cute. I adore them. I was kinda rooting for her and Tom tho tbh. 😭

The writing was pretty good too, with everything going on it felt like everything fit and it was easy to know whats going on. The mystery and pacing was so good and overall I would still highly recommend it!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown for sending me a copy in exchange for a free review!!

First of all, I LOVED THIS BOOK! I've had a complicated relationship with Emily Wibberley over the years. I really loved her early YA stuff (With and Without You, Always Never Yours). But then she started writing romance with Austin Siegemund-Broka...and it just wasn't working for me. The Break Up Tour, The Roughest Draft, Do I Know You? - I had high hopes for them all (and LOVED to covers), but ultimately they just fell flat. The characters didn't make me feel anything, the plots became a slog. Then came Heiress Takes All and Emily is back in the game.

I really enjoyed this book, from the characters and endless plot twists, to the feelings it made me feel. The last few books from this duo have left me feeling...nothing. But honestly, Heiress takes all was FANTASTIC and I can't wait to see what Olivia and her crew (yes, even Kevin) are up to next,

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Heiress Takes All by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. Pub Date: June 4, 2024. Rating: 2 stars. I have read other books by this author duo that I really enjoyed, so I was anxious to be approved to read this novel. Unfortunately, this novel fell really flat to me. The premise was intriguing centered around the world of heists. The main character, Olivia, did her "research" by watching Ocean's 11 on heisting and gained the confidence to plan to overhaul her father's wedding and steal his fortune. Honestly, I liked the male main character more, Kevin. I felt he added more substance to the storyline but was not enough for me to love this novel. It was silly, juvenile and did not capture my attention like I hoped. I will still read this author duo's work because I have enjoyed their stories in the past! Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Readers for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun YA action novel about a disgraced heiress who stages a heist during her father’s third wedding to rob him of his fortune. I am a big fan of Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka’s adult books and this was my first foray into their Young Adult fiction. The character development I’ve become accustomed to in their works was present as was the humor and heart I’ve come to expect from this author duo.

I am a sucker for heist stories and thoroughly enjoyed every member of the rag tag crew that main character Olivia assembled (even the ones who weren’t part of the plan from the start). My favorite moments included Kevin, one such tag along who’s constant interferences provided laugh out loud moments. There is also a very sweet second chance romance plot line between Olivia and her ex-boyfriend Jackson that I wish had been given more page time. It felt like their reconciliation came quickly but that didn’t stop me from rooting for it all the same.

A lot of this book was predictable, but that didn’t deter my reading experience. Everything still felt cinematic to the point where I could see this becoming a television series. The short chapters make for a fast-paced experience, and I kept wanting to flip pages as the stakes mounted.

Thank you Little Brown Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I snagged this one when I saw it billed as The Inheritance Games meets Ocean's 11. I absolutely LOVE The Inheritance Games SO SO much. And Ocean's 11 is such a fun movie, so this seemed perfect for me.

For the most part, it was fun. Obviously there will need to be some suspension of belief, given what these teens were up to in their respective fields as part of Olivia's heist crew, but that is always something I am more willing to do for YA than adult. I read YA because it is (usually) fun, and a kind of break between the heavy nonfiction I usually dive into.

But the plots and puzzles in The Inheritance Games series is far more complicated, while remaining believable, and didn't find that omparison to be accurate. Ocean's 11 for sure though.

Our main character, Olivia, has been cut off from her inheritance. Her mega rich dad cheated on her mom, kicked them out of their home, and is now getting married again. Though she is expected to be a guest at the wedding, it is the perfect cover for her plan - to steal millions from her father's various accounts. All she needs is the handwritten passcode. The passcode is in a safe, which she thus needs access to.

To pull this off, she recruits a handful of students and a former teacher to help. She has planned for every scenario - or so she thinks. A few wild cards threaten to derail everything, but Olivia meets each challenge head-on, and chaos ensues.

With some suspension of belief, as stated earlier, it was a fun ride. Things got pretty twisty and at times some of those were more distracting than helpful. But again, this was not meant to be a serious, complicated story. It was fast-paced and easy to follow. The only thing that really tripped me up was remembering everyone's code names.

There wasn't a ton of depth to the supporting characters, but that's pretty hard to create when a story takes place over a matter of hours and the singular goal of the team is to steal a shit-ton of money. But I felt like they worked well together and I knew them as well as could be expected within the time frame.

Olivia, on the other hand, we get to know well. She is so furious at her father, and rightfully so. We see her constantly struggle with her rage, but then also wanting him to really see her, be proud of her, be her dad.

Overall this was a fun read and I would recommend it to those who like YA and are looking for something light-hearted and quick.

This book was not for me. I didn't love the characters or the story. It didn't seem relatable and some of the plot seemed off. I have read a lot from this author was I was excited but this one didn't hit the spot for me.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=3.5 | 😘=2.5 | 🤬=3 | 14+

summary: girl wants to steal money from her rich awful dad at his wedding. it’s a heist thing with a second chance romance subplot thing

thoughts: hits and misses here. I liked the characters; most of the MCs were well thought out and developed, though it is inherently difficult to have a full-fledged character arc in under 24 hours. the boyfriend Jackson guy was pretty cardboard cutout, (view spoiler) and there’s always the questionable suspension of disbelief when it comes to YA heists; you’re telling me these teenagers are professional hackers and bakers?? be serious. but that makes it fun and funny to read? so there’s that?? I did feel like it tried to shove in a couple extra classic heist tropes at the end that were kind of undeserved by the actual narrative, but that’s fine. at the end of the day, it worked because it was fast paced with pretty good characters. congrats.