During a time where Inheritance Games has made a splash, Heist Royale is soon to follow. This book gave off the same vibes and had great writing throughout.

Heist Royale begins where Thieves’ Gambit left off with Ross and Devroe fulfilling their year of service to the organization. Ross is approached by a new character, Baron, who wants to take control of the organization from Count. A new Gambit, consisting of 3 rounds, begins between 2 teams, Ross on team Count and Devroe on team Baron, for control of the organization. Heist Royale features multiple heists and explores the themes of friendship, loyalty and trust. I enjoyed the diversity of the heists and I liked Ross’ character growth throughout the book. Overall, I think this was a fun second installment in the series.

4.25/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun read - even more enjoyable in my opinion than book #1.

I just find the entire plot, story and characters super likable and could not put this down.

I recommend reading the books in order but you won’t be sorry you did!

Loved this sequel! Such a great follow up and kept up the fast pace of the first book in the series I love these characters and Lewis has done a great job with the dialogue. So much fun!

4.25⭐️

Such a good sequel!!! This book was just as fun and adventurous as the first in this fast paced series. I absolutely fell in love with the characters and their friendships, the banter and sarcasm was so fun to read. I felt like one of the thieves right along with the rest of the characters as we went along on their heists planning all the schemes. These books were paced great and I felt like there was never a lull. These kept my attention throughout the entirety and I honestly would LOVE a third. Would definitely recommend this series!

I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Overall this book was just as good as the first book. I enjoyed that the characters you liked in the first book returned. There were new circumstances for them to overcome. The ending felt a little not quite right to me but not necessarily in a bad way. I think it will not have another book and will be a duology and if that is the case it was perfect. I will say the moms in this book are just nuts.

"There are lots of different types of quiet.
Peaceful quiet, like sitting alone on a beach in the middle of the night. Stressed silence, while you're wringing your hands trying to figure out what to say. And then there's defeated silence when there's nothing to say."

Heist Royale by Kayvion Lewis
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice:none
Age rating:13+

Thank you @kayvionclewis and @netgalley for this arc! I loved the first book so much and this sequel did not disappoint! The banter between all the characters had me laughing so much! The heists were so fun and they also had me stressed out so much. I loved Ross's character development and I'm going to miss reading about her. Also the small romance sub plot was SO GOOD! The ending was perfection yet I'm sad that it ended because I had to say goodbye to these characters I loved. I definitely see myself rereading this duology in the future and I can't wait to go and get a physical copy in November! If you love Oceans' movies you should definitely pick this series up!

This was a great sequel to the first book. It was fun jumping back into the story and learning more about everyone and seeing them grow. The plot was also interesting, but a little lacking compared to the first book. The first book was a little more high stakes and action packed and adding the cliffhanger ending to that, I enjoyed it a bit more than this one. With that being said, if you liked the first book, you should definitely give this book a read! It’s a fun time and a good wrap up to the storyline.

I just loved this book! The main cast of characters was the same from the first book, and I loved seeing how their relationships had grown and changed. The heists were fascinating and the action superb. I feel like I need to go back and reread both books because I’m not ready to let this world go!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a wonderful follow up to the first book.

I enjoyed seeing new characters in this book as well as see the growth of the characters from the first book. This continues to be a fast paced plot full of action and twists. It really kept me on my toes. I enjoyed the romance between Ross and Devroe. I liked how the characters in this book were teamed up differently than the characters in the first, it changed the game for me so it wasn't so much of the same thing again.

So glad I had the second book in the Thieves' Gambit series after the first one ended on a cliffhanger! This one was also full of action, twists, and surprises which I enjoyed. Unexpected teammates, new rivals, and more heists had me paging through this one as fast as I could.

“If I pretended hard enough, I could almost believe the fireworks bursting over the stadium were for me. ”
Here are reasons to read the YA Mystery book:

Sequel - In this sequel to the Thieves Gambit
Continuing - Ross and Devroe are continuing their work with the Organization
Power Struggle - when Ross discovers a power struggle between 2 leaders
New Gambit - and a new Gambit occurs to determine the winner

First let me say that this is not a standalone book. Not only is it necessary to read the first one, but I also highly recommend reading them close together if you are someone who reads so many books they forget what they are about. There isn’t a lot of recap in this book, so you are shoved into the action pretty quick. I did enjoy the heists they dealt with in this book, and still love this series. However, the first book is still my fav.

This was a great conclusion to a fun duology. I didn’t see the ending coming and enjoyed how got a Ross happy ending. I found the book a bit slow at times and it lacked the magic of the first book but this was still entertaining and enjoyable.

I think the ending was a little rushed and that Devroe was a little dramatic, but overall it was a decent book. I don’t think I would reread this book, but I’m not mad that I did read it. I would consider reading other books from this author.

The power of friends coming together really shines through in this book. If I had to choose a theme, I think I'd ultimately go with "I have your back, always" — at least among the teens (let's not even get started with the adults). Time and again, the characters pull through for each other, but especially for Ross, who is just starting to learn what friendship really means.

In the beginning of Heist Royale, Rosalyn "Ross" Quest has just endured a dissatisfying six months working with Devroe. She's angry at her mom, not-her-guy is sending confusing signals, and Count is being demanding as always.

When an opportunity comes her way to shift things in her favor, Ross jumps at it, unintentionally throwing herself into the center of an organization-wide feud. Lines are drawn and schemes are hatched, and the race to win an even deadlier Gambit is on.

With the stakes higher than ever, there can't be any room for mistakes or second-guessing. Even with the help of her newfound friends and a parent or two, Ross and the gang must work to survive — and perhaps even thrive — in another game for their lives.

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I loved following all the characters on their adventures! Heist Royale's escapades take place in a variety of locations, from the frozen glaciers of Antarctica to a high-end casino in Monte Carlo (where you'll meet an interesting character or two . . . 😉😉).

CHARCTERS, OLD AND NEW

The gang is back! Our favorite characters are all together again — Ross, Devroe, Mylo, Kyung-soon, Noelia, and Taiyo. Rounding out the cast are the infamous Rhiannon Quest, a dude called Baron who also happens to be a horrible cook, and Devroe's mother Diane. Oh, and let's not forget Count.

- Rosalyn (aka Ross) — loved seeing her learn to navigate friendships in this book
- Devroe — man's got a lot to make up for . . .
- Mylo — love this guy! always chill, down for any kind of shenanigans, does his best to glue people back together
- Kyung-soon — a sweetheart and a real friend, and probably one of the most emotionally mature ones
- Noelia — shows up when needed and slays
- Taiyo — the big brains
- Count — still snappy and snippety as ever
- Rhiannon (Ross' mom) — we get to see a little more of her softer side in this book; though she still sucks, we get to understand her better
- Diane (Devroe's mom) — a tired and broken woman
- Baron — arrogant and idiotic man (he's smart, but idiotic), plus a horrible chef

Spoiler notes (and fangirling)

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MY THOUGHTS: SPOILER VERSION

Kyung-soon
The whole Ross-and-Kyung-soon-fighting thing in the beginning of the book confused me, but made sense in the end.

On Devroe
As I was looking though Goodreads' reviews, quite a few readers mentioned dissatisfaction with Ross and Devroe's romance, or wanting Devroe to grovel more. I'll admit that I also wished for more chemistry between the two, but here are my two cents:
- No one's perfect. Also, these guys are freaking teenagers.
- IMHO, Devroe's wish more than proved his loyalty to Ross. With the messy and complicated family dynamics between them, he put his life on the line twice — remember that we learn how Rhiannon's original threat to Diane was aimed at Devroe? (The other instance was his wish.) This isn't to say his betrayal was justified, or that Ross should've forgiven him sooner, but that I think Lewis balanced it all out nicely in the end.

Mr. Kiah Hart
Kiah Hart . . . need I say more? I can totally imagine him as someone's smart, snarky, annoying younger brother. I'd love to seen a spinoff on this guy. Honestly, while I'm 100% Mylo and Taiyo all the way, I could also see a potential Kiah + Taiyo pairing working out.

FANGIRLING

- Mylo and Taiyo were a surprise, but I was so here for it! The kiss scene was mwah! perfection
- Devroe's wish — damn that was something else
- LOVED the scene of Kyung-soon helping Ross out at the casino 🥹
- Ross adopting Noelia 🥹 . . . another of my favorite scenes

i had as much fun with this one as i did with the first book! it was just as addicting and i couldn’t put it down! i’ve come to love these characters so so much and their friendships mean everything to me :,) the ending was bittersweet for me, i loved it yet im sad to have reached the ending of this story and saying goodbye to these characters. that’s not stopping me from rereading tho which i will definitely be doing a lot!!! i could honestly say that i could read about these characters and the heists and never get tired of it!!

thank you to netgalley, the publishers, and kayvion lewis for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Here come even more exciting twists and turns! Following Ross on yet another gambit is exactly what we were asking for. Now that she has learned to trust outside of her family after learning of their betrayal we see Ross truly open up and introduce friendship as a means of winning. As always, things are not as they seem. Will Ross learn to trust the right people and win it all? Trust me, you want to know those answers!

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers, Nancy Paulsen Books Group, for the copy of Heist Royale by Kayvion Lewis. I loved Thieves' Gambit, the first book in this series, so much it would have been impossible for this one to measure up. You should definitely read book one first so you know what is going on and what a Gambit is. The book got really good when they were carrying out the casino heist, and it had the energy of the first book again. This was a worthy sequel to Thieves' Gambit! 4 stars

Book:
HEIST ROYALE by Kayvion Lewis
Thank you Netgalley and PenguinTeen for the EARC (Nov 12)

Review:
4.5⭐
When it comes to sequels, they can go either way---especially if the first one was executed very well(like THIEVES' GAMBIT) or not executed well. HEIST ROYALE lived up to the first novel.
Ross Quest is back and six months into working with Devroe for the organization and Count. When a threat arises, and a new Gambit begins, Ross and the members of her team compete in high stakes competition in order to come out on top.
Like I mentioned above, HEIST ROYALE is just as good as good as the first. This book is thrilling and entertaining, keeping hooked from page one. I liked how the readers get more of a glance at Ross and Devroe---together and apart as they work toward things they both want. It was nice seeing what happened after the even of the first Gambit. With the addition of new characters, enemies, and tasks, HEIST ROYALE takes the gambit to the next level. After the events that happened in this one---that ending---I would read a third.

Thank you NetGalley and Peguin Group for letting me read this ARC.

I’m gonna be honest; I enjoyed ‘Heist Royale’ more than the first books. If you ask me it’s better than the first book. You get to know the charachter better which gaves you as a reader a connection with them.

The story picks up six months after the first book, ‘Thieves’ Gambit’. And it’s so different. All our favorite characters are back, but not everything is as it was. Who can be trusted?

I couldn’t put it down. For if was a real pageturner,