Thieves' Gambit

It starts off slowly, but once we're in, it picks up a bit. I enjoyed following Ross and the crew, especially seeing her open up more to Devroe. I just wish there were more interactions between them, give their dynamic a bit more depth, so I am looking forward to how things play out for them in Heist Royale, especially with how things went down. It was a fun read overall, and I would recommend to anyone that enjoys a good thieves/spies tale.Sidenote: In some ways, it sort of read like the extended cut of movie.

I loved this book. It is listed as Young Adult but really much older would still enjoy it. I did. The sequel is just as good. I wish there was going to be more coming.

Fun book to ready with a young adult in your home. Great for both young and older adults

I was so excited for this book—heists and thieves are some of my favorite tropes—but it ended up being a mixed bag.The protagonist, while 17, felt much younger, with awkward slang and a constant obsession with her “kicks” that was mentioned far too often. The juvenile tone of her inner monologue made slower, introspective moments frustrating. The action scenes, though, were great—especially the boat scene early on, which reminded me of why I picked this book in the first place. Unfortunately, the pacing suffered whenever the focus shifted back to immature character dynamics or the insta-attraction to Devroe, which felt out of place given the stakes.At 30%, I realized the problem wasn’t the YA aspect, but that the writing skewed toward lower YA or even middle grade. The descriptions were simplistic, dialogue felt stilted, and random references to urban fashion choices made high-stakes scenes feel disconnected. The story started to redeem itself after the halfway mark when the focus shifted to heist elements, with an unexpected twist that genuinely surprised me.By the end, I was back to enjoying myself. The ending was action-packed and plot-focused, strong enough to make me consider continuing the series in hopes that book two delivers more of what I liked and less of what I didn’t. Overall, this was a 3-star read for me—fun in parts, but ultimately uneven. Fans of lighter YA might enjoy it more.

3.5 starsI haven't read many YA heist stories so I enjoyed this. The characters were interesting and I liked the constantly shifting relationships. I particularly liked how everyone had a hang-up: Ross and her trust issues, Noelia and her perfectionism, Mylo and his adrenaline cravings, Kyung-soon and her indecisiveness, etc. It made it fun to see how all those things interacted and clashed.The romance lacked luster. I get why that storyline is there and I could guess where it'll go but it felt thin. I would've much preferred an exploration of friendship and what that means to all these people.The plot was compelling, provided you approach it with a suspension of disbelief. The limitless funds, crazy stunts, and general high-octane insanity are a bit of a stretch for teenagers. Setting that aside, you have a plot packed with twists and turns. I'm naturally suspicious so I saw a lot of the twists coming but that ending?! *chef's kiss*I'm looking forward to the next installment!