I'm not even a huge art buff, but this was pretty fun! You should totally check it out if the description speaks to you.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the free ARC. ,
Dani Poissant turned her art thief of a mother into the FBI ten years ago and now, in order to reconcile with her mother, she has to join forces with her mother’s old partner to fulfill the job they had been working on before she was caught.
This was a fun and easy read, I enjoyed the premise of the story, I do feel like there could’ve been a little bit more supporting the romantic connection, but overall it was really enjoyable,

The synopsis sounded like this book would be great fun, but I couldn't connect with it. I'm going to give it a second chance since I read it during a transatlantic flight and was pretty tired. I will not publish my review on Goodreads until that second reading.

This was an interesting read - I was excited about the art heist and the story, but I wasn't expecting the fantasy/magic component. It was a very enjoyable read, but I wasn't always quite sure how the magic played into the story and the part where one character turned into a demon was a little surprising... I liked the story, the characters, the description of the art and collection.

Dnf @ 18%

Sighhhh this has not been my year for arcs. The premise of this book sounded so intriguing but its just so slow. There is also magical realism in this book which I am not always a fan of and this proved to be true in this book.

I feel like I was expecting more ocean's 11 from the premise but the set up felt like it could never ramp up to the action that I was craving. Also, the beginning of the book was hinting on a love triangle and that is definitely not my jam.

Mostly I'm just disappointed because I was truely looking forward to this book. Sunflower however was such a highlight.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6175538262

Thank you Net Galley and Random House Publishing for providing me an ARC.

The Frame-Up is about Dani, a magic-wielding art thief set out to do the biggest art-heist she has ever done. The more I read through this book, the more I was filled with surprises that you could never had me guessing.
I liked that though this was a book with a heavy mention of art, it didn’t really feel forced and I legitimately believed Dani and her passion for painting and her knowledge about art. Also, I loved Sunflower. Nothing beats an adorable dog.

Not all aspects of this book are perfect though. I felt like the introduction to characters were rushed, and if I’m being honest, I had no idea who most of the characters were until almost the end of the book. Some characters I still didn’t feel a connection with (Mia/Liz).
I also had absolutely no idea that magic was a part of this story, and while it was cool to see, I did feel like this story could have been complete without it.

There is also a small subplot of romance in this book but I don’t feel like it was a priority whatsoever, so if this is something you are looking forward to, I would say skip. This read is more of self-discovery/family/found-family centric, which I actually really enjoyed. I didn’t quite see the connection with either of the love interests. There wasn’t much emotion there, but I did enjoy reading them as characters in Danis story nevertheless.

I will say that I’m slightly upset about the antagonist of this book. I wish he played a bigger role in being a true enemy to Dani and her friends/family. Even after I finished the book, I’m not 100% on what he did or why he really did what he did. I won’t spoil too much about it but I was really hoping for some more details, specifically regarding why he did what he did.

Overall, I thought this was a fun read! Would definitely read more of Gwenda Bond.

According to Gwenda Bond magic in the world comes in hidden talents. Dani Poissant has the ability to make perfect duplicates of fine art, but she’s been using minor blackmail to scam since she turned her mother into the FBI. Then her mother’s ex-partner hires her to steal a portrait of himself (painted a century before). It's part of a very rich collection that recently came on the market when the owner died. She only has a week, but her mother’s old crew might be available. Unfortunately there are other thieves to block The Frame-Up (paper from Del Rey). This heist tale is as much fun as sounds. I really enjoyed it and would eagerly read a sequel.

It sounded like something I would love but it fell short. I was not a fan of the writing style, and the characters didn’t do so much. Normally I love magical realism but this again felt flat. It feels like it could use another rewrite and edit.

This novel is one part magical realism, one part art heist, and one part romance.

In The Frame-Up, we follow Dani Poissant as she rejoins her mother’s crew of magical con-artists in the hopes of pulling off one more art heist. She’s been hired by her mother’s former partner, the mysterious Archer. The target: an unusual art collection belonging to a deceased billionaire. But Dani soon discovers this eclectic collection of paintings is more than meets the eye.

I was super intrigued by the premise and found it such a creative concept!

That said, I felt like I needed more for me to buy what this book was selling. As someone who loves to read about a heist, I needed way more twists and high-tension moments. And as someone who loves a romance, I needed way more chemistry and bantering from the love interests.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book is so intriguing. The book itself fell a little flat for me. Right from the beginning, I was a little confused. I wanted to really like it. The magical touch was odd. I felt it needed more depth. For everything going on in the book, it fell a little short.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy for an honest review.

The Frame Up was a funny at times, suspenseful, second chance story of a heist with a twist.
Dani is a grifter that has been on her own for years. After a heist gone wrong when she was a teenager she ran away from those she had loved and struck out on her own. But, her past finds her and has her going back to where it began to complete the big heist they never were able to finish.
There are so many plot twists within this new heist that every time you turn the page there was something else new to conquer. I loved the addition of the magic aspect to the team. (Made me think of Oceans 11 meets Harry Potter). Everyone has a unique gift that aids in the heist. Add in a possible love triangle and a FBI agent that hasn't forgotten about Dani since the last time he saw her (at her mother's trial) and you have a story that keeps you turning the pages.

If you love art heist books, and books with a healthy amount of magic thrown in, and also some romance and family drama, The Frame Up is for you! The magic is somewhere between magical realism and fantasy. There is a whole world in this book of people with very specific magical talents, many of whom join together to commit crimes. Dani is the daughter of Maria, a master manipulator and thief who Dani sent to prison when she was still a teenager. Now Dani wants to make up for this and reunite with her mother and their thieving friends, and she's given a challenging heist to lead to get there. It's a little too much for me in the magical sense, but still an entertaining book.

This book was very mid to me. Nothing special.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.

ARC Review ~ The Frame-Up~

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was drawn in by the premise of a heist but stayed for the magical fun. I loved the magical elements that the author incorporated throughout and the cast of characters kept me well entertained. I love the progression of the main character in her desire to right a perceived wrong and she find her true self. At the end I was wishing for more in that world.

Features:
*second chance romance
*lgbtq+ rep
*fun magical system
*heist

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC!

An art thief with the magical ability to create exact replicas, an adorable guard dog, a tempting offer to steal a portrait while acting as the head of security? What could possibly go wrong? This charming and exciting read kept me on my toes the whole way.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This book sounded so intriguing: magic mixed with art heists. Somehow the execution just didn't match with how I had built up the storyline in my mind. I didn't feel the great connection between the characters. We are told Elliot is her former best friend and love of her life, but...there was not a lot backing up the claim. I was hoping Dani would turn over a new leaf and pursue the relationship with Brad (and his adorable daughter.)

There were some dramatic scenes and some mystery and a demon...but, overall, I couldn't get fully invested in what was happening. The characters needed more development and the story to have less subplots.

2.5 stars

(2.5/5 stars) I genuinely wanted to like this book!! A heist? Magical realism? A romance? All the ingredients to be a slam dunk were there and yet... this book fell so flat for me. I couldn't get into it at all - I kept waiting for things to get exciting (which one would expect with an impossible heist) but alas! It took me DAYS to get through this, and I expected it to be an afternoon of "I can't put this down!" The chemistry just wasn't there for me between the characters, and the writing didn't excite me. I'm actually SAD that I didn't like this book!

Idk if it’s because I love heist stories, or because I love stories with people who possess different powers, or a combination of the two, but I enjoyed this book! Either not enough stories are written about heists or I’m just looking in the wrong place, but I was so excited to read this and am glad I did.

The best parts are obviously any moment with the MC’s dog, Sunflower. I love a pet that’s actively a character and not just “she had a dog.” I wish I had a dog LIKE Sunflower, or for the MC to teach me how to train my dog so well 😅. The bond between the MC and Sunflower is easily the best in the book.

The other relationships fell a little flat for me. I adored BFF Mia but that’s about it. There are two love interests and I can’t say I love where she ended up. I just didn’t. And her relationship with her mom was gross, honestly Dani just needs to go to therapy over that one.

Oh, and another bonus - there’s a character named Archer who, IMO, would be played perfectly by Tom Hiddleston, and that’s who was acting the part in my head 😂

If you like quirky heists and fun little magic books, I recommend this!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book started like so many others that I absolutely loved that it took only days to finish. But as k got further into the pages I found myself losing interest quickly. Not something I will recommend to everyone but I know there is a niche of people that will absolutely adore it.

2.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this E-ARC. This book did not do it for me. I will say that this is one of the first books if not the first that I wanted the MFC to end up with someone else. I think the concept of the book was really good and interesting but I wanted more of it. What I though would be explored was just glossed over and I finished the book with just more questions that I had going in.