After devouring Thieves Gambit, I couldn’t request the ARC for Heist Royale quick enough!

I would say this one was almost as fun as the first, though I did enjoy the original a little bit more! I think one thing this author does especially well is setting a scene and picking really great locations for the various heists. In the first novel, I loved being transported to Egypt, and in the second I really enjoyed the sections that took place at Hart’s Casino (plus Ross’ interactions with Kiah) and the mountains of Cape Town.

Probably my only criticism is that this book felt much more rushed than the previous one. In Thieves Gambit I felt like there was a good slow build and a good amount of context in each section, but when reading Heist Royale, I noticed I was 80% down and would have assumed I was only about 50% of my way through the story. I thought the final heist, resolution with the groups leader, the discussion between Rhiannon and Dianne, and the gang back together seemed very quick and I would have loved to see more there. I assume there will likely be a third book though so maybe some things will be fleshed out further in the future.

Overall though I really enjoyed this and can’t wait for the next installment!

Thank you to Penguin Group, Nancy Paulsen Books, Kayvion Lewis, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my review!

Thank you NetGalley and Kayvion Lewis for the ARC of Heist Royale!! It was even better than Thieves’ Gambit!! Was a roller coaster of emotions and anticipation! If you want to read this book than I’d highly recommend picking up the first book, Thieves’ Gambit, you won’t be disappointed!!

I was so glad to receive this ARC! After the first book, I was chomping at the bit to get my hands on the next book in the series. I thought that this was another fun adventure that really took you along for the ride. I loved reading more about the characters, the missions and the relationships between them all. Can't wait for more! Thanks so much to Penguin Young Readers Group | Nancy Paulsen Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

DNF @ about 50%

I absolutely loved Thieve's Gambit and was so excited to start reading this one! However, the pacing and setup of this one didn't work for me. The beginning of the book felt slow and I didn't quite know what its goal was in that setup. I also didn't buy into the second gambit because it didn't feel quite as natural as the first one. I also didn't enjoy the dynamic of the new characters as compared to the relationships between the characters that were in the original gambit. In the first, we had so many questions about who is trustworthy or not as facts changed that it kept me on my toes. Now, the characters felt more stagnant. Ultimately, I wish the first book had been a standalone because for me this didn't have the same grab as the first.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted eARC!

Six months into their year of "employment", Ross is still seething over Devroe's back-stabbing to win the Gambit. With him trying to woe her, Ross makes it her mission to be cold as ice, but Devroe's not taking the hints. After a minor abduction in Rio, Ross learns that Count is being challenged by Baron for control of the Organization. To settle the challenge, a Gambit begins. Ross, her mother (who she's still mad at), Mylo, and Noelia against Devroe, his vicious, out-for-blood mother, and their remaining friends. Ross's team wins the first challenge for Count, but things aren't as easy as they seem when deals can be struck. Will Count remain head of the Organization, or will Baron's ruthlessness prove superior? Can Ross open herself up to forgiving her mother for the last Gambit, or will she let Diane get her revenge?

I absolutely LOVED Heist Royale. I enjoyed the character development along with each heist (I also found the focus on Baron's awful cooking a hoot). This novel reads like Ally Carter's <i>Heist Society</i> books (which I also highly recommend). I highly recommend this phenomenal follow-up (which I think is better than the first). I hope Lewis continues the tales of Ross, Devroe, and their thieving friends.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nancy Paulsen Books, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up Heist Royale on November 12, 2024.

I really enjoyed this sequel and conclusion to Thieves' Gambit! Was it a bit silly for them to throw a completely new Gambit? Sure. But I could suspend disbelief and just enjoy the second round of shenanigans and antics that our thieving lady Rosalyn Quest got up to. I do wish we'd had a bit more relationship development from Ross and Devroe, since it seemed like their moments together were a bit rushed. But I also appreciated how the stakes were higher in this book and the trials more deadly.

Look no further for your next completed heist found family duology!

Heist Royal is the sequel to Thieves' Gambit, and I had a fantastic time reading it! Some of the characters are now at odds, the challenges get even harder and by the end the stakes are sky-high!

This is a high octane series for anyone who loves heists, fast action, high stakes, casinos, and an emotional love story 💜

Incredibly predictable sequel to <i>Thieves Gambit<i> that doesn't add anything that we didn't read in that book. Having said that, there are a few nice sequences (particularly in New Orleans) and fans of the first book will enjoy this one.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

Sometimes there's this curse where a sequel falls flat to such a kick butt first book in a duology or series. In the case of Heist Royale, somehow it beat the curse and, in my opinion, was even better. A high stakes second gambit with which we get to see Rhiannon Quest team up with her daughter and Diane Abara team with Devroe? Be still my heart. This was fun and Heart pounding with the action and plans and betrayls keeping the pages turning until that final one. *chefs kiss*

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Heist Royale by Kayvion Lewis is a first person-POV YA contemporary sequel to Thieves’ Gambit. After losing the Thieves’ Gambit, Ross hasn’t completely cut ties with everyone she met in the competition. Devroe has been making efforts to woo Ross, including celebrating her birthday, while Noelia is one of Ross’ best friends. But when Ross’ mother and Devroe’s mother both come back and Count needs Ross and her friends to do a heist, their relationships become even more complicated.

What I really liked was the friendship arc between Ross and Kyung-soon, Ross and Noelia, and the romances between Devroe and Ross and Mylo and Taiyou. Heist Royale feels a lot more relationship-driven to me than plot or character-driven because the individual relationships Devroe has from the previous book define a lot of what happens next, though not everything. I liked Taiyou a lot from the first book so to see him come back and maybe start something with Mylo made me very pleased. Devroe is a hopeless romantic when it comes to Ross and even arranges for her to have pineapple upside down cake on her birthday, which is a tradition in Ross’ family.

Early on, Ross and Kyung-soon have a kind of falling out, culminating in Ross lying about learning Korean to hurt Kyung-soon. Kyung-soon chooses to work for Count’s rival during the heist and it almost feels like Kyung-soon is only going to come back at the very end when all the other stuff is taken care of, but we get a surprise when she does return. I’m a big fan of female friendships being given center stage so between this and Ross’s relationships with her mother, Noelia, Devroe’s mother, there was a variety of female relationships on the page.

The heist plot was really fun and made callbacks to films like Ocean’s Eleven and 21, particularly in terms of scamming casinos. There’s always something exciting about a heist going wrong and the anticipation as the leads try to figure their way out of the mess they got into even if you know the protagonists will succeed in the end. Ross gets caught by the nephew of the owner of the casino, Kiah Hart, and he takes great delight in figuring out the schemes of potential thieves, making it a battle of wits as he very openly says he’s onto her.

I would recommend this to fans of Ross and Devroe’s romance from the first book, readers of fiction about casino heists, and those who wanted more of the friendships in Thieves’ Gambit

After reading the first book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the second in this exciting duo! Once again, we have another Gambit and Ross won't stop at anything to succeed. This book picks up 6 months from where the last book ended and if you loved the first book, you will love this one just as much, if not more!! This was a great end to this series! Thank you for NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars. I really enjoyed Thieves' Gambit last year. I think it was an interesting take on the competition style plot, which has become so popular (especially in YA series). My major critique with those types of plots is that book 2 always feels like a let down, since the competition is invariably over. Thankfully, that was not the case with Heist Royale. I didn't know how Lewis would top the Thieves' Gambit in the first book, but boy did she ever! You do need to read book 1 in order to appreciate book 2. And if it's been a while, you may want a refresh about what happened in book 1. Because book 2 basically picks up right where Thieves' Gambit left off... only 6 months later. One of the things I really enjoyed about the first book (apart from the twists, surprises, and betrayals), were the friendships that Ross was making. And one of the best parts of Heist Royale is that the gang is back in action! And Ross gets to reconnect with all of her friends from the first book. Truly, the found family vibes in this duology are strong. If you thought the tasks/ challenges in book one were impressive, prepare to be gobsmacked for what Lewis has in store with book 2! All in all, Heist Royale was just as fun of a ride as Thieves' Gambit. And I think if you enjoyed book 1, then you will absolutely enjoy book 2.

Thank you so much to Penguin Teen, netgalley, and Lewis for hooking me up with the eARC and a physical copy in exchange for my honest review!

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.