A Million to One is a very different from the work I’ve read by Adiba Jaigirdar in the past. Her previous two titles The Henna Wars and Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating were centered on high school students falling in love. A Million to One is a heist novel set on the Titanic focusing on slightly older protagonists. While a romance is a part of the book, it is not the main focus. The tone of the novel is also more intense than her previous books.

A Million to One does a really good job of setting up and exploring the relationships between the characters. The heist, while seeming impossible, was something I was really rooting for the characters to accomplish. I was so focused on the characters pulling it off that I almost completely forgot about the Titanic’s tragic end.

The story’s ending was very bittersweet. While I very much enjoyed the book, it was not the ending I had hoped for. In fairness, I was warned this book was heavier than her previous novels

I never knew I needed a heist book on the Titanic, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and concept. I really enjoyed getting to know each of the lady leads, I was invested in what happened to them and hoping the heist would succeed. There was a great tense atmosphere not only when you were hoping the heist would work but also you know that there is a disaster about to happen sooner than later. Overall this was a great read and I look forward to reading more from Adiba Jaigirdar.

"Violet used that to her advantage. Sliding to the side at the last minute, she sent Lake stumbling behind her, nearly crashing into the wall. With Lake trying to regain his balance, Violet tossed the book to Josefa. As if they could read each other’s minds, Josefa grabbed it easily, squeezing past the crewmen before they could process what was happening all the way."

I have been fascinated by the Titanic since I first heard of it and admit to living a good story set around it. A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar was a really fun twist in other stories I've read because it didn't center the story just on the sinking the ship. In many ways, it felt like the disaster that you knew was coming was just another twist, not the focus. The four characters were fun and their unique backgrounds helped move the story forward. There were some times when I felt I had missed something in their backstories or would have liked it to go a little deeper. The tie in of actual people on the ship and historical references was excellent. Overall, this was a fast moving read that I recommend for folks who enjoy historical fiction.

This novel was fun and tense adventure, and allowed fans of Adiba Jaigirdar to see a new side of her work that we haven't seen before, historical fiction. I liked following our four female main characters, and seeing insights into their motivations, pasts, backgrounds, and talents. The actual heist was interesting to follow along, but felt a little far-fetched at times. I was also not a fan of the novel's ending, and I felt that the decisions made at the end of the novel ruined my overall enjoyment of the story. I think I prefer Adiba Jaigirdar's contemporary romance works, but I believe that history fans will definitely enjoy A Million to One.

Adiba Jaigirdar is an author that I have grown to love and admire. It does not matter what her books are about, if I see that she is releasing a new one, I automatically trust that it is going to be great. HOWEVER, when I read that she was releasing a book about a heist on the Titanic AND that it included sapphics, I KNEW I just had to read it and that it was going to be great. AND IT WAS. Highly recommend.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC of this title.

A Titanic heist story sounds fun in theory but this one just didn't quite land for me. I'm a big fan of The Henna Wars and Hani & Ishu so I was excited to dive into the author's historical heist because I really enjoy the writing and characters in the other books. I really didn't feel emotionally attached to any of these characters, unfortunately. Their backstories were murky and in a case or two, withheld too long in the story to really give me a sense of who the young women were and what motivated them. Some details just didn't make sense to me - a character rolling onto a moving cart being pushed by someone without them noticing? Just too many farfetched happenings and close calls for me to really believe in the story. The ending is a bummer (because obviously, Titanic), but I wasn't invested enough in the characters to really be affected by their fates in the end.

3/5 stars.

Ocean’s Eleven meets Titanic in a wild heist led by a group of young women with some very unique talents. Josefa is a thief planning to steal the Rubiyat, a gem covered book worth millions. But there is one catch, it will be on board the Titanic. Knowing she needs help she recruits Hinnah, a daring acrobat and contortionist; Violet, an actress and expert dissembler; and Emilie, an artist who can replicate any drawing by hand, to help.

This was an interesting read, but it was a very slow start to get to the actual heist. As with any good theft, it isn’t going to be easy and plans never go as they are supposed to. And when you get a group of like-minded ladies who are all involved in the crime of the century, tensions are sure to flare and personalities clash.

The book was told in varying POVs of the 4 girls, giving each character a chance to shine and have a well developed feel. I did feel it was a little long for a YA but that seems to be how books in this genre are trending. Knowing how the story of the Titanic ends lent to a subtle tension for me as a reader waiting for the inevitable and wondering how they are going to make it out alive.

A very good read.

Billed as Ocean's 8 on the Titanic, this book gives us an all-female heist crew attempting to steal the Rubaiyat, a priceless, jewel encrusted book. The pov switches between the four main characters as they plan and attempt to execute their heist. But, things only seem to be going wrong for them, and as the Titanic begins to sink, it seems like their goals will sink with it. There were some decent heist elements included in the book, though I felt the lead up to the real action (the heist starts around the time the Titanic strikes the iceberg) took a bit too long, and forced the conclusion to wrap up too rapidly. There were parts where the story dragged, and at times a bit more action would've benefitted the story. I liked the main characters, each girl was different from the others, and the diversity in the group was fantastic. Like with most books set on the Titanic, readers will know the ships fate long before the event takes place, but the suspense really comes from whether or not they can pull off the heist, and which, if any, of the main group will survive. The ending was fantastic and satisfying, though definitely emotional. Giving more space to the actual heist and escaping the sinking ship would've made this a perfect book for me, but I still enjoyed it as is.

A Million to One is a quick, light read following four girls with different struggles united by a goal to steal a jewel-encrusted book from the Titanic. Their POVs are fun to follow as we delve into the highs and lows of their friendship as well as the dangers of the heist. Though I felt that the stakes weren't projected to be as high as they should've been and something about the simplistic writing didn't bring out the emotions in me. Overall a good book, one that is sure to keep readers invested!

Thank you, HarperCollins, for allowing me to read A Million to One early!

A sapphic Titanic-inspired book by Adiba Jaigirdar was everything I needed to start Pride Month with. Impeccably written and exquisitely intriguing A Million to One is definitely a reading experience to remember.

This book had a lot of charm, and I would absolutely recommend it to readers in the YA age category. The characters are fun to follow, their relationships are sweet, and the heist itself is engaging, if a little paint-by-numbers. It was a swift, light read with wholesome sapphics, which turned out to be just what I needed.

I knocked off a star because the prose read a little young to me. Lots of simple sentences, "[Subject] did [Action]," that sort of thing. I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with simplicity, but it did start to read a little repetitively after a while, and some of the sentences began to blur together, particularly during scenes and moments that were meant to be more action-heavy and high octane.

I absolutely devoured this story in two sittings - well fleshed out characters you can root for, sky high stakes, a heist, and a dash of sapphic romance? Literally nothing else I could ask for! I'm usually not a fan of the ticking clock chapter heading motif, but this was a masterclass in how to use it to build tension! By the time I got to the 60% mark I knew I couldn't put this down until I'd gotten to the end - and I'm so glad I did. This was such a fresh, fun, and ultimately heart wrenching read that I'd definitely recommend this for folks who are looking for a contemporary heist story, or who want to branch out into reading more historicals!

I love Jaigirdar's contemporary YA romances, but this just didn't really hit for me. I didn't particularly care for Violet or Josefa as characters, and even though I knew it was a Titanic story I wasn't expecting the bummer of 2 of the 4 main characters not making it out alive. A fine book, but not for me.