This is a must-read book I don't want to give any spoilers, but you won't regret getting this book, you won't put it down till you're done reading the whole this.

This book was not what I was expecting and that's not a bad thing! So many twists and turns that I found myself stopping to try and work it all out and instead just sat back and enjoyed the ride. Its always fun when we have a unrelatable narrator and seeing the true events unfold at the end.

I picked this up expecting a solid YA mystery, but what I got was so much more. Stolen Hearts is an intense, psychological read that completely messed with my head—in the best way possible.

Ella Gatz is a chess prodigy, a compulsive liar, and one of the most unreliable narrators I’ve ever read. And I loved it. From the very first page, you’re pulled into her web of secrets, trying to untangle what’s real and what’s just another one of her carefully crafted lies. It’s the kind of book that keeps you second-guessing everything, making it impossible to put down.

What really stood out to me was how well the book balanced the mystery with deeper, emotional themes. There’s a strong focus on manipulation, trauma, and control, which made Ella’s story even more compelling. Her relationships—especially with Theo and Harper—were so layered, filled with tension and unspoken truths. And the twists?! I saw some of them coming, but others completely blindsided me.

I also have to mention the representation. Ella is sapphic and asexual, which isn’t something I see often in books like this, and it was handled so well. It felt natural, not like a checkbox, and I really appreciated that.

If I had to nitpick, I’d say some parts felt a bit disjointed, especially when Ella’s lies got too tangled. There were moments where I had to reread certain passages just to make sure I understood what was happening. But honestly? That just added to the experience.

If you love unreliable narrators, dark and twisty mysteries, and stories that keep you questioning everything until the very last page, Stolen Hearts is 100% worth the read.

This is an unputdownable offering from Bold Strokes Books, with a vortex of a plot that held me trapped in its whirlpool currents of heist mystery and Bildungsroman.

Ella is everything I want in a main character: spiky, unreliable, gullible, crazed yet composed queer skeptic prodigy.

The narrative structure of 'Stolen Hearts' - full of omissions and obfuscation - is provocative, holding space for both tenderness and misdirection.

Castleman's complex pairing of Ella and 'her thief' is at times tortuous, but always clever and wonderfully suspenseful.

This is a tremendous twisty blindside of a book, which had me engrossed throughout. Thanks to Bold Strokes Books for the eARC!

I had mixed feelings about this one unfortunately! I liked most of the novel a lot; it was clever and there was some good writing. I was invested in the story and wanted to know where things were going to go. It was a page turner. The way chess was used as a narrative device throughout the novel was neat, and I think it was well done. I think the author is good, but this specific novel could use some more work.

On the flipside I found that I was left with a lot of questions at the end of the novel, and not in a good way. There were a lot of elements to this novel where I was waiting for the explanation/reveal but it never came. I can’t give specific examples without it being a massive spoiler, but there are several main plot points that never delivered. Unfortunately, these were the things that I was so invested in which resulted in me being unable to put down the novel, so that was a double disappointment. I also had trouble figuring out a lot of characters motivations for their actions which was an issue when trying to connect with the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.

Michele Castleman’s Stolen Hearts is a passionate, emotional romance that explores the power of love, trust, and second chances. With captivating chemistry between the protagonists and heartfelt moments that tug at the heartstrings, Castleman delivers a story filled with tension, longing, and healing. A perfect pick for fans of steamy yet heartfelt romances that leave a lasting impression.

Loved this book, the characters were real, the storyline ever twisting, fast paced and super intriguing. Loved the ending!

YA book with a lot of mystery. I do not really like YA books but I read this despite this fact. Having a main character that is asexual is not something I love since I am all for romance. It was quite a slow read so not a favourite.

I am always a huge lover of books that explore the complexities of grief (for the living and the dead) in any capacity and this did that very well through the connection to the painting. Castleman included these elements so well and we could see the character drive within that. The opening chapter that has the reader on edge from the first page was done so well and had me hooked right from the start. This novel really surprised me and I really enjoyed it

this was... alright. honestly, it took me a while to get invested in, but when i did, i started truly rooting for the main character (ella). she was definitely an unreliable narrator imo and one of the reasons why i couldn't fully connect with the book. i liked the sapphic/ace representation though!

overall, not a bad book, but in the end kinda weird. i don't know what else to say, really.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. I struggled to stay engaged in the story. I found the writing to be quite amateur and in need of revision. Many details were unnecessary and distracted me from the main story. People who don't understand Northern English words or slang won't be able to read it. The vocabulary used throughout the book, is typical from that area, which is more complicated and limits the audience from the book.
The premise was good but the execution lacked in many ways.

An easy but clever read that I enjoyed a lot. When a thief steals a painting that belonged to Ella’s mother, Ella is determined to find the person who took it. However, as we watch her solve the mystery it becomes obvious that there’s something more complicated going on.

The novel felt like one big chess game, revealing one move at a time while working five moves ahead. Although you are left in the dark for quite a lot of the story, it is very satisfying to see everything fall into place and make sense towards the end. The mystery behind everything feels really natural too, not like it was just there for shock value.

One thing that was neglected though was the background of these characters. We are shown glimpses of their pasts and their relationships slowly, but there definitely could have been more development for these characters. The plot was satisfying though so it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment, it’s more just something I would have liked to see.

I would definitely recommend this for someone looking for an easy mystery book to read.

I would like to start off this review by thanking Bold Strokes Books, Inc. and Michele Castleman for allowing me to read this book, Stolen Hearts, via Netgalley. All opinions following are my own.

This book follows the main character, Ella, who is on a mission to retrieve a beloved piece of art, Her Heart, that was stolen from her father's office while she was home alone. It is important to her because it was her mother's favorite piece, and it is the one thing she had as a remaining connection to her mother. At 17, she hasn't seen her mother since she was eight years old. The piece was so important to Ella, in fact, that she fought the intruder. However, after the intruder cut Ella's face unintentionally with a ring she was wearing, the intruder was able to escape. After all this happened, readers find out that Ella's dad is the very successful, rich, and aloof owner of a security company. Embarrassed that his own security system couldn't stop the intruder, he refuses to report the art missing. With seemingly no one to help, Ella decides to get the painting back herself. Is she in over her head?

I gave this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️. There were parts of the book I liked, but it took awhile for the book to take care off. Once it did, it kept me intrigued and guessing how it would all come together. While I felt most of it came together, I felt other aspects, particularly a side romance storyline, were rushed. I would recommend this book to readers who like a slow burn, but don't read it for the romance.

#brenbreathesbooks #BrenReviewsBooks #netgalleyreviewer #StolenHearts #ThreeStarReads #121 #ReadingChallenge #BookWorm #BookNerd #BookCommunity #bookstagramcommunity #MicheleCastleman #Mystery #Thriller #SlowBurn #Lgbtq #Bookish #Reader #Bookstagram #Romance

Ella is on her own when someone steals her mothers favourite painting.
She struggles with the theif but they get away.
She is upset but her father won't report the theft.
I am not sure what I really thought of this book. It wasn't what I expected from the description.
Just to say there are mentions of trauma. Also physical and domestic abuse.
I didn't like the book as it went on. I thought it would be a kind of cat and mouse but it wasn't really
It turned out not to be my thing.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.

Like a game of chess this is a tale with a long end game plan. Ella a soon to be 18 year old on the hunt for not only answers but also objects that have been stolen from her home that were precious to her and her memories of her mother. There are many twists and turns as the story unfolds. Ella is quite hard to like as the narrator as she is closed off, full of rage and unfortunate trauma. There is a trigger warning prior to reading which I would advise do take note as referenced throughout. There is also Ace representation which at times could lead to some form of love triangle but more suggested than actual. She is on the hunt for a thief which leads to a lot more than she expected. I have to be honest it was an interesting read but personally felt it was very slow and at times felt like a chore to read. If you like a long drawn out hunt for answers, references to chess then this is most likely for you. Thank you to NetGalley for an opportunity to read this and provide an honest review in exchange.

Maybe it's the cover, but I was expecting more of a thriller-y type story, so I kind of set myself up to not like this one as much as I could have. I did still enjoy it though. I liked the twists and turns (for the most part) and I had fun following Ella as she basically puzzled out her entire life. I will say, this has one of my least favourite writing tropes- twists that have absolutely no foreshadowing. Some of these "shocking" twists and turns are literally only shocking because there is NO hint to them. Luckily, the most important reveals don't have this problem, so I did end up still finding the ending mostly satisfying.

I want to thank NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Stolen Hearts tells the story of Ella, a teenager who seems to have it all, though appearances can be deceiving. She embarks on a quest to recover a stolen painting from her home, with only a few days to uncover the thief and reclaim "her Heart."

While I felt the story had significant potential, the execution left me unconvinced. In an attempt to introduce twists and unexpected turns, the complete development of certain characters was neglected. For instance, Erica and Sunny had some intriguing backstories, but not enough detail was provided to give them real depth.

Overall, the plot was enjoyable, especially if you're into mysteries and family drama. It’s an interesting read, but I wouldn't revisit it, even though I did enjoy certain parts.

This story took me a little bit to get into, but I really liked it. There’s an emotional disconnect to the main character due to the writing style that I think is intentional given the trauma the poor girl has endured. (Trigger warning for child abuse) But I was really rooting for Ella.

I know nothing about chess, but I found it fascinating how much information she knew about not only the game but could recite famous chess matches move for move in her head. Ella approached life like one giant chess board and I’m glad she got her checkmate in the end.

There’s a hint of a love triangle going on in this book, and I’m happy with who Ella ended up dating in the end. They were so cute together and I’m hoping for many happy years for them! 😅

Ella must find who has stolen her heart. Without embarrassing her families name. This mystery read was really enjoyable. I liked the secrecy and the family secrets element. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this gem.

"When I rounded the corner to the dining room, all thoughts ceased. There, sitting alone at Father’s table as if waiting for Thanksgiving dinner, her hair recently cut and styled to look just like mine, sat the thief. She gazed at me, a wicked grin bleeding across her face."

When her mother's precious 'Portrait of Her Heart' painting got stolen, Ella, all the more vexed at her father's dismissive and nonchalant behaviour, determinedly took upon herself to catch the art thief. Soon she'll discover the truth behind her mother's mysterious disappearance and involvement.


⚠️Triggers⚠️
includes some references to off-page physical abuse and on-page mentions related to domestic abuse and violence


I just want to highlight that it's cute that the author included her cats in her acknowledgements and dedication page. 😻
This wasn't what I expected. This is more of a light slow burn 'who-done-it' YA mystery thriller with a little bit of romance thrown in. The MC is written as a rich teenager with a strong, calculative and manipulative streak. A pro chess player, she doesn't care if she also uses people as real life chess pieces ♟️ to get her way. She is born to a rich family with a controlling father and a mother she has lost contact with for nine years. As a result of a broken family, she has grown detached, untrusting, always questioning people's motives for being nice, kind and helpful. As the story progresses though, it is hard not to empathize with her as she discovers the painful and shocking truth about both her parents.
📖 If you:
✔️ like Heist-related mystery suspense/thriller
✔️Like added trivias about famous paintings
✔️are a fan of chess ♟️♟️♟️
✔️Just one POV / strong female character

3.5 ✨

Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for the arc 🖤