I find that Sara Desai novels can be hit or miss for me but this one was definitely a winner. I loved the caper nature of the novel and the secondary characters were so fun. I hope we get to spend more time in this world she created.

Simi can’t catch a break. She’s got student loan debt up to her eyeballs, she’s lost her job – again, her basement apartment flooded, and her best friend is accused of stealing a multimillion-dollar necklace. If anyone needs a break – its her. Enter Jack. He’s charming, he’s mysterious, and he can help her friend and her. All he needs is a crew, then they can infiltrate a high-society wedding and steal the necklace back. Will they be able to pull it off? Will they get the reward? Or will Jack end up stealing Simi’s heart?

Okay let me start with how hilarious this book was! I love a good rom-com and this one delivered. However, it was so wildly unrealistic I really had to let go of reason, but when I did I really enjoyed it. I am a little bummed with who the main character ended up with but it worked nicely and the romance was done nicely. I have loved previous works by this author and this one was also a hit. I loved the hint of mystery in this one as well. The banter, humor and romance were all on point. The writing in this book is wonderful and painted a wonderful picture.

If you are looking for a delightful rom-com then check this one out July 18th.

Thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing, @berkleypub,@berkleyromance, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Netgalley will be updated with social media links one week prior to publication at the publishers request

To Have and to Heist is a hilarious comedy from Sara Desai! Sara Desai's previous novels in The Marriage Game trilogy were also incredibly funny, so I was not surprised to find myself laughing at the ridiculousness of Simi and her crew's antics. While the book is marketed as a rom-com, I definitely would consider this more of a comedy than a romance, as Jack and Simi's relationship is not the main focus of the story, nor did it feel super developed. I still did enjoy their dynamic--it reminded me a lot of Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz's dynamic in the movie Knight and Day. I think this book would make a great comedy action film, with a dash of romance, and I look forward to Sara Desai's upcoming novels in this series!

I thoroughly enjoyed "To Have and to Heist" by Sara Desai. A sweet, thrilling rom-com that will be a great addition to any romance lover's shelf!

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

A slight departure for this author, but a very fun read. A young woman is somewhat at loose ends, not really succeeding in any career or relationship. Circumstances force her into the proximity of a professional retrieval agent (i.e retrieves stolen items and returns them for a fee). In order to help her best friend, she ends up putting together a rather ragtag crew to retrieve a stolen necklace. And then she also becomes a wedding planner. All while trying to convince the handsome police detective that she is (relatively) innocent, and avoiding confrontations with her family who want to marry her off to just about anyone. Hilarity ensues. If you enjoy Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, this book (and hopefully series) will work for you.

This book was amazing! I loved the idea of a rag tag group coming together to pull off a heist. I just wish there was more Simi and Jack! As a die hard happily ever after person, I was biting my nails the whole time waiting to see if everything would work out for Chloe and Simi in the end. I definitely recommend this book!

This book is a hilarious, action-packed rom-com with a "Ocean's Eleven" meets "Wedding Planner" premise that you won't want to miss. It's filled with adventure, humor, wit, and mind games, paying tribute to famous heist action movie scenes. There's more comedy than romance, even though Jack and Simi's chemistry is explosive, igniting each chapter they share a room with others.

The plot centers around Simi Chopra, who is experiencing a bad-luck streak. She's buried in student loan debt, living in a flood-prone apartment, and inadvertently stumbled into an octogenarian's sex dungeon. On top of that, her best friend was catfished at her last job and accused of stealing a multimillion-dollar diamond necklace. When Simi rushes to her friend's aid, a charismatic and mysterious man calling himself Oliver Twist drags her into the bushes, attempting to save her from being charged.

After hours of questioning by the hotshot, charming Detective Garcia, Simi discovers that both she and her bestie, Chloe, are prime suspects. She begins to ponder how to prove their innocence when the mysterious Jack Danger reappears in her life with an offer that could help them become safe and rich, but also puts them in grave danger.

Suddenly, Simi finds herself the leader of Motley Crue, a group of overqualified, underpaid, unemployed people looking for a way out to pursue their dreams. They are scheming to pull off a heist in the middle of the society wedding of two mobster families. Simi is also the wedding planner for this special occasion, with no idea that she would be arrested, shot at, shopping for a dress at the top floor of Bloomingdale's, hobnobbing with Chicago's elites, and doing surveillance missions in a short amount of time.

Can she trust her unusual and quirky team, consisting of Rose, an 80-year-old grease woman with a busier sex life than Simi, Chloe as a white-hat hacker, man-whore life coach Christian as the inside man, Anil as their tech man/DJ / drone operator with a photographic memory and dreams of becoming an MMA fighter, Emma as the speed-racer Uber driver, Gage as the hitman, and Jack as the lock specialist to steal the jewelry?

Can Simi organize the heist without anyone getting hurt and leaving with the necklace? Can she trust Jack, who keeps too much to himself? Can she also pull off a successful wedding that will earn her five-star reviews without getting shot by the mobsters? It seems like there's a lot on her plate, but Simi never says no to a challenge.

I had a thoroughly entertaining time reading this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to enjoy every second of it. Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this hilarious book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

this is one of those books where you need to love the author to enjoy cause its definitely not for everyone, however with that said i did enjoy the book a lot it was fun to read and i love the heist aspect of the book and the little bit of romance...highly recommend

I am a sucker for a heist, add in a well rounded crew of motley misfits and two swoon worthy love interests, well that's a winner. It was funny, and sweet, and I hope it's the start of a series lol.

This is my first read by this author and I found it incredibly enjoyable. While it very much had mild romcom vibes, this was found under a thriller category. Thriller for me isn't a good fit. This is more of a Guy Ritchie heist comedy featuring an unlikely unskilled bunch taking on a job that even the most skilled thieves would struggle with.

Our leader (FMC) Simi is a curvy, South Asian, who was impulsive, funny, overly honest, and surprising. She is a total female Scott Pilgram who morphs into a McLovin, and ends as one of Charlie's Angels. I adored her. I also loved her very big family who wanted nothing but for her to find a husband and have babies.

The rest of the crew features a "professional thief" who has ulterior motives and doesn't seem to be contributing much, an overly sexed and inappropriate 80-year-old lady with a string of male lovers, a super sexy male gigalo who wants to save mother earth, a very sexy muscle man that gave me total Dave Batista vibes, our super sweet and angelic girl next door hacker, a South Asian mama's boy looking for a wife, and the driver... Not sure how to describe Emma. But she is a total bad ass and will leave you in stitches. Very funny always says off the wall shit, likes to antagonize, and has a NEED FOR SPEED!! She would totally get along with Ricky Bobby & the Fast & Furious Crew.

This group kept me entertained from start to finish. There were lots of twist and turns in regard to the heist and how it all played out. Loved this and was very happy with the ending.

Highly Recommend

What can go wrong will go wrong. I’m the end, Desai’s story is so, so right. Fun, easy, and an unexpected good time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I read and LOVED all three books from Sara Desai’s Marriage Game series, so was thrilled when this came up to request on NG and obviously had to read right away!

What I was not expecting was this to be more of a cozy mystery (I should read more plot synopses), which is typically not my go-to genre. If you enjoyed Finlay, Dial A for Aunties or Arsenic and Abodo, this is a must to add to your list. If you were hesitant about those but still love a hilarious story with a swoony romance, I would still give this a try!! Like in all of Desai’s books, the Desi representation was top notch, and I loved learning about the Indian culture. There was a great cast of supporting characters, jam-packed action and a lot of the ridiculousness expected with the cozy mystery fit with the plot. Simi, the heroine, was a relatable main character who I found easy to route for, and I enjoyed the mysterious love interest Jack, and watching him peel off his layers as the story progressed.

Read if you like:
-Cozy mysteries
-Desi rep
-Party planning
-Family antics
-Elephants

Thank you Berkley Pub for the ARC!! This one is out 7/18/23

This one was really fun! I loved Sara Desais other books so was super excited to read this one. Cozy mysteries can be hit or miss but this one was so fun. Lots of action and a cute romance. Wondering if this will be book 1 of a series!!

Thank you Berkley & NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review.