I really enjoyed this book! It was a captivating read that held my attention from start to finish. The story was well-paced, and the characters felt real and engaging. I’m grateful to the publisher for providing an early copy—it was a pleasure to read!

Thieves' Gambit started off strong but quickly lost its momentum for me. The fast-paced nature of the story felt like a series of events more than a fully realized narrative, resulting in my lack of any emotional connection to the characters. The plot was predictable and the stakes disappointingly low, making it hard to stay invested in the heists, which often felt staged and uneventful.

While some characters had potential, they mostly came off as one-dimensional, with the Ross' supposed expertise in thievery overshadowed by moments of incompetence. The pacing varies suuuper dramatically; some sections dragged on, and I skimmed unapologetically. Though it likely resonate with younger audiences, other older readers might find it lacking in the complexity and excitement typical of a good thriller. Overall, Thieves' Gambit was a missed opportunity to create a gripping heist story.

Thank you to Kayvion Lewis, Penguin Group, and NetGalley for an arc of Thieves' Gambit!

I absolutely could NOT stop reading this book! I finished it in just over a day. A mix of Inheritance Games and Ocean's 11, I was roped in from the first chapter.

I enjoyed the diversity of the characters and the fact that the thieves competing in the gambit came from all over the world.

I loved Ross's back story and truly felt for her. The competition was obviously so tough because it was a great opportunity to make friends, but her instincts were telling her to not trust anyone. I liked how we saw her character arc go from apprehensive to working with the others as a team.

The twists at the end of the book had me on the edge of my seat and led me to dive right into the next book. Not sure if this is going to just be a duet or a triology, but I could read about the antics of these characters all day!

5 Stars!

It was a cute, YA heist book. i enjoyed it for what it was and I think it fits a good niche. I am excited to read book two and continue the story.

SPOILERS. This was really good… I have a note in my calendar to nab the next one in the series when it comes out. I hate to compare books, but I somehow read two heist books back to back, soooo… I guess it’s happening.
This one was better written than Heiress Takes All, but I want to read the sequel to that one, so the author did something right!
The book description likens TG to a mash up with Oceans Eleven. I don’t agree. Heiress Takes All had a more Oceans Eleven feel with a crew of people with individual talents coming together to pull off a heist. This one had a more Hunger Games feel with all the people involved being against each other for one prize (although there was some working together in the end). That being said, I do feel like the author is setting up book 2 to be more collaborative, with many of the competitors ending up liking each other by the end of the book. Anyway, plenty of drama at the end of the book is setting up the next one to be an awesome ride.
Basically, great book, kept me hooked.

Ross Quest comes from a family of thieves. They travel the world completing jobs for customers acquiring others' belongings. Until a heist goes wrong her mother is captured. Ross will do anything to get her back, including joining this year's "Thieves Gambit" competition where the winner gets to make a wish. Will Ross be able to complete the Gambit and save her mom?

This was a great book! This YA novel had a little bit of everything; romance, deception, and many twists and turns that kept me guessing. And it ended on a cliffhanger, leaving me excited for the next book!

The Inheritance Games meets Ocean's Eleven in this cinematic heist thriller where a cutthroat competition brings together the world's best thieves and one thief is playing for the highest stakes of all: her mother's life.

At only seventeen years old, Ross Quest is already a master thief, especially adept at escape plans. Until her plan to run away from her legendary family of thieves takes an unexpected turn, leaving her mother's life hanging in the balance.

In a desperate bid, she enters the Thieves' Gambit, a series of dangerous, international heists where killing the competition isn't exactly off limits, but the grand prize is a wish for anything in the world--a wish that could save her mom. When she learns two of her competitors include her childhood nemesis and a handsome, smooth-talking guy who might also want to steal her heart, winning the Gambit becomes trickier than she imagined.

Ross tries her best to stick to the family creed: trust no one whose last name isn't Quest. But with the stakes this high, Ross will have to decide who to con and who to trust before time runs out. After all, only one of them can win.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

This was a great adventure. Honor among thieves, not this time. This story had thieves competing against each other for money and a year of thief jobs. Only the elite and best thieves are invited.

I Really enjoyed this group of thieves contest. Found it to be exciting and entertaining. The ending threw me off a bit. I wasn't sure I really liked how it ended at all. But the rest of the book is solid.

Thank you, netgalley, for an ARC for my review. invited.

A fun fast paced heist for fans of movies like Oceans 11. I like a good YA book and am excited to see if this ends up becoming a movie. If you like a good heist you'll like this book! Can't wait for the rest of the series

Ocean’s 11 meets Inheritance Games in this high stakes gambit. Twists and turns everywhere. Completely unpredictable. Don’t trust anyone. Now onto Heist Royale!

This book is a thrilling mix of heists, twists, and intense competition, centering on a game where the winner’s ultimate desire is granted. Entering without much prior knowledge made the plot’s surprises and betrayals even more captivating, especially with the challenge of guessing each character’s true motives.

Ross, the main character, is strong, smart, and cautious with her trust. Devroe, another intriguing character, reveals only parts of himself, suggesting more depth in a possible sequel. While not romance-focused, the story explores each character’s growth and ambition. The ending, with two unexpected betrayals, left me eager for more.

The premise is so interesting, but the romance was lacking and the overall writing was subpar. I personally would skip unless you’re really in the mood for a mediocre heist. Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was much more cut throat then I imagined. I'm not surprised its already being developed into a movie. In all honesty, I feel like this actually may make a better movie than it was a book.

I enjoyed the book but at times there was a lot going on and I found myself zoning out. However, I did finish it and I'm glad I did!

At only seventeen years old, Ross Quest is already a master thief, especially adept at escape plans. Until her plan to run away from her legendary family of thieves takes an unexpected turn, leaving her mother’s life hanging in the balance.

In a desperate bid, she enters the Thieves’ Gambit, a series of dangerous, international heists where killing the competition isn’t exactly off limits, but the grand prize is a wish for anything in the world—a wish that could save her mom. When she learns two of her competitors include her childhood nemesis and a handsome, smooth-talking guy who might also want to steal her heart, winning the Gambit becomes trickier than she imagined.

I really enjoyed this heist story! I don't normally read YA, but the blurb grabbed me. It was a little slow paced in some spots, but overall a great story with enough twists and turns to keep me turning pages!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a great read! I loved the twists and turns, the intrigue, the betrayals. I am excited for book two!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

A fun story filled with puzzles and lovable characters. Due to the cover I did think it was part of the Inheritance Games series due to the cover, but I was mistaken . The stories are both full of puzzles and there is a race to the riches, but that is the end of the similarities.

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

When you’re a Quest, there is only one thing that you need to remember, “A Quest can only trust another Quest” or can they?

I really liked this book, it has international heists, romance, action, drama and so much more. I really didn’t know much about this book going into it and I loved that I didn’t because it made it so much better for me. I love that in this book you will find twists in the plot, betrayals and surprises, but you will also find friendship forged through this game that these teens are playing and it’s not just fun and games are a game where you can be the winner of the Gambit and get anything you have ever wanted.

I found the plot to be fun, trying to figure out who could be trusted and who couldn’t be, only to change my mind about that person and move them to a different category. It made it fun trying to guess what would happen next and who would be let go and/or killed. I thought the pace of the book was done well but I am hoping that we get a sequel because I would love to see more of what happens next and to see what might happen between two characters. I enjoyed getting to know the characters more throughout the book and seeing how they developed.

Ross was a great MFC, she is determined, strong, smart, and resourceful, but she is also stubborn and wants to believe that people are good. I liked getting to know her character more as the book went on and to see her open up to her new friends, I know it was not easy for her to do that because she had been raised to never trust anyone. I liked that she would show them a little bit of the truth but still had enough sense in her not to fully open up with everything right away. I liked Devroe's character, but I also felt that he was not being completely open with Ross. He would be vulnerable, but you could feel that he was still holding back and not showing himself really to her. Do I see a relationship between them now, but maybe in the next book we could. I didn’t mind that there was no real romance in this book because it really was about each character trying to get what they want and then change into something better. I was excited at the ending, who would have thought that you have two betrayals and not just one.

I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to review this book.

Title:  Thieves' Gambit
Author:  Kayvion Lewis
Genre:  YA     
Rating: 4 out of 5 

At only seventeen years old, Ross Quest is already a master thief, especially adept at escape plans. Until her plan to run away from her legendary family of thieves takes an unexpected turn, leaving her mother's life hanging in the balance.

In a desperate bid, she enters the Thieves' Gambit, a series of dangerous, international heists where killing the competition isn't exactly off limits, but the grand prize is a wish for anything in the world--a wish that could save her mom. When she learns two of her competitors include her childhood nemesis and a handsome, smooth-talking guy who might also want to steal her heart, winning the Gambit becomes trickier than she imagined.

Ross tries her best to stick to the family creed: trust no one whose last name isn't Quest. But with the stakes this high, Ross will have to decide who to con and who to trust before time runs out. After all, only one of them can win.

This reminded me of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ The Inheritance Games—and that’s a good thing. This was a lot of fun from the very beginning, except Ross’s mom is a lot. I always feel really not smart when reading books like this, but they’re also fascinating, seeing how someone else’s mind works. I loved the action in this, but the different characters and their personalities were the real stars of the show. This is a great weekend binge read!

Kayvion Lewis is from Louisiana. Thieves’ Gambit is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Penguin Group in exchange for an honest review.)

What a creative ride! Ross is a very unique character in the world of thieves! Better yet a family of thieves! Seriously just picture it! This had a Ocean's 11 vibe to it and family spy elements! The author is a genius for including a competition!🥳

Ross does not wish to be apart of her family's thieving lifestyle anymore. When she decides to set out on her own and make an escape unfortunately her mother is kidnapped! Immediately the author brings in a plan, a plan that goes wrong, and a plan that must be made! A Rubik's cube literary treat I gladly decided to decipher and enjoy! 🎆

In order to get her mother back she has to enter a competition called Thieves Gambit! She will win her mother back only if she wins the competition. It definitely had a touch of Hunger Games feel! Can you imagine, as well, adding to this book a romance between competitors?! Love!!!! 🍾

The pace and tone of the novel it's so easy to read for one moment I forgot I was reading and felt as if I was watching a movie reel in my mind! 📺

This novel truly has everything! A teenager and an adult would very much enjoy it! Hopefully when this is made into a movie I'll be the first one in line! 💞

Bravo! ☕

The Thieves' Gambit is a heist thriller with high stakes for one of the players. I found this book to be absolutely bingable. The ending of this book is chiefs kiss. I didn't see it coming, and I can't wait to read the next book because there is a great cliffhanger.

The twists and turns in this title are so fun! I will definitely recommend to my high school librarians.