This was such a FUN summer read. The equivalent of a popcorn blockbuster! Heists. Misfits. Wedding planning. I read multiple reviews that compared it to Ocean’s 8 meets The Wedding Planner, which I’m on board with… maybe a dash of My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Thelma and Louise too?

FMC Simi will do anything for her ride or die bff Chloe. When they stumble upon a jewel heist, things escalate quickly, and when Chloe is facing charges for the theft, Simi will stop at nothing to make sure Chloe lives a free and happy life. Even if that something means assembling a rag-tag crew to steal a $25 million necklace under the guise of planning and executing a multi-million dollar wedding. It’s a grin-inducing, super-fun read! The perfect book to take away on a vacay or escape during a staycation.

Simi Chopra hasn't quite found her way in life and she's still trying to find a job she finds compelling. Her best friend Chloe is a white hacker and penetration tester who is set up to look like she was involved in a museum robbery. Simi tries to rescue her but instead meets Jack, who says he's there to steal the very necklace that has already gone missing. In order to clear Chloe and Simi's name with the police, Jack suggests stealing the necklace back from the people who took it. To do so, Simi poses as a wedding planner for the daughter of the mafia member who now has the necklace and enlists a motley crew to plan the heist. The further into the heist they are, the more Simi falls for Jack and wonders if he can be trusted. Overall, a fun rom-com with a range of characters who each have their specialty and are just trying to get ahead in life. Some of Simi's spiraling thoughts were hard to read, but the banter was fun and it was nice to see Simi find her passion as a problem solver with her wedding planning business.

This is a romcom in truest sense with very healthy dose of rom and com. There is a good dash of adventure and friendships. All around this is fun read where you laugh, swoon and maybe forget you put water on stove to boil and forgot…for couple of hours 🙈…,or maybe you are more put together and won’t 🤷🏽‍♀️

This is the first time I am reading this author and I really enjoyed the writing style. It was absolutely hilarious and such a fun read. The story involves a heist, there’s quite a bit of action & adventure, which also happens to include the most interesting & unique group of misfits . I enjoyed the banter and wit . Both Jack and Simi’s characters were likable. I really enjoyed this story. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.

This is a great funny and romantic read! I loved their little heist crew, and how they could all not be more different, but somehow worked so well together! The banter was great, and some things said will definitely have you laughing! But this book still has the swoony romance factor! Jack and Simi are truly such a cute couple! I loved learning more about jack as the story continued! Everything about the heist once it started had me turning to the next page to know what happens next! There were a few times when things were being described so deeply that I was skimming over it because it was just too much for me, but someone else may love that! I think this is definitely a book you should add to your tbr!

Honestly, this is one of the most fun and entertaining books that I have read all year. I laughed, I cried, I shook my head at the utter ridiculousness. The characters are incredible, I wanted to jump into the book to be their friends. Their interactions are even better. The story line is so far fetched and unbelievable, that it is easy to get lost in the chaos. Throw in some mystery and romance and you won’t want to put this book down! I am still thinking about the future for this group!

Simi organizes a heist in order to save her best friend who is being falsely accused of stealing a necklace. With 25 million as a reward, she finds a group of “misfits” to help her. They never expect to find love, friendship, laughter, chaos and belonging along the way.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy

This was an okay read for me, not fantastic, not terrible. I think a reason I struggled to enjoy this book was that I had just reread "Partners in Crime" by Alisha Rai and loved that book and I felt that this book did not deliver the way that book did. I will say that I did love Jack's character, how he would just appear and was also just very competent at thieving. Simi was also incredible relatable as a fellow Desi woman myself. She was having a quarter-life crisis and dealing with constant commentary from her family. I think because the author was so focused on the aspects of the heist, I felt that Simi and Jake lacked chemistry. If you're just wanting a fun read with lots of crazy antics and less of an emphasis on romance, this is the book for you:)

This is hands down one of my top 5 favorites of the year! I laughed so much and so hard. It had everything I love - comedy, great banter, a bizarre found family of misfits, a snarky heroine and spice thrown in for good measure.

Simi’s on a mission to save her best friend who’s been set up and accused of stealing a multi-million dollar necklace. To prove her innocence Simi will plan a heist to steal the necklace back from a fence, and with the help of a master thief, Jack who’s also looking to steal said necklace. She ropes in friends and strangers into her plan. Y’all it’s Simi and her band of ridiculous misfits. Each one of them is a character with unique traits, and I swear it’s shenanigans 24/7 with this lot. Her flirtations with Jack, and also the detective investigating the case are as steamy as they are fun.

Holy cow, the narrator is so freaking talented! She has perfect comedic timing, great deadpan delivery, and each character shone thanks to her. She had excellent material to work with. Desai has written a wonderfully upbeat, hilarious, super entertaining and a little suspenseful heist story. I enjoyed every minute of this caper. I think this would make a fantastic tv series. Someone let @mindykaling know about this book, please! The humor and the romance are right up her alley.

Do yourself a favor - if you want laugh-out-loud fun and lots of heart, this is it! It’ll be good for your soul. Sooo good!

Many thanks to @prhaudio for my ALC, @netgalley & @berkleyromance for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. 𝗧𝗼 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘁 is out today!!

If Sara Desai writes something, I am going to read it! I love her books so much! While her other books are more traditional romcoms To Have and to Heist goes in a slightly different direction with a heist story with a romance and I am here for it. Simmi and Jack and crew are a blast! I love a story with a solid friend/secondary character crew and this book has it in spades! I also love a book that makes me laugh out loud because life is hard and we all need some laughter. Sara knocked it out of the park again with To Have and to Heist!

this book can be summed up in two words: CHAOS ENSUES ✨

it’s fast-paced and so fun, centered around a missing multimillion-dollar necklace and a ridiculous plan with a ragtag crew to get it back and clear the innocent’s name. it has a good girl/bad boy, opposites attract love story woven throughout, but even stronger found family dynamics, and such dramatic antics that you won’t want to put it down. it feels just like reading an action movie in book form!

Simi got a lot of nothing going on right now. She is out of work with a mountain of debt and nowhere to really live. She can barely see ahead, but when her friend is accused of stealing an expensive diamond necklace, Simi steps up to solve the mystery. She doesn’t anticipate being caught up as an accomplice and meeting a mysterious stranger who’s willing to help.

Simi needs all the help she can to clear her name. She enlists her best friend, Jack (the mystery guy), and a whole weird ensemble who bring humor to this story. There is tons of action, as there are some bad guys thrown in the mix. Can Simi really handle anything else that is thrown at her?

I had reservations about reading this one because the blurb doesn’t sound like my jam. However, I’ve read books by this author, and she knows how to do romances that give that community vibe with a dash of humor. To Have and To Hold doesn’t give up on that, but there’s so much more that the author’s normal style gets lost in translation.

This was like reading an action film. I kept trying to figure out what happened. How would Simi clear her name? Could she pull it off with the cast of characters in the book? Then to throw a little bit more excitement in the mix, the author had a bit of a love triangle vibe going on. I don’t want to give it all away, but it left too many of my emotions up in the air. I don’t like books with competing love interests. Since this had so many elements, I wonder why the author chose that route.

While this certainly wasn’t my favorite book by the author, I did enjoy it. I still can’t wait to read other books by her. If fans like to read romance with a high pace action theme, they will love this book.

~ Samantha

To Have and To Heist is a entertaining tale I couldn't put down. The story was funny, action-packed, with a dash of romance and takes us on quite an adventure with Simi and her team who were all an unlikely crew but I loved them.
Simi and her best friend Chloe were BFF goals as it was obvious from early on, they would do anything for each other, which leads to Simi going all out to clear Chloe's name.
Part romantic suspense, part heist, this story was funny and outrageous and I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.

Really absolutely gorgeous book!

Thank you so much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

This book is not working for me. I've read about half, and while I'm enjoying parts, the overall reading experience isn't what I want it to be. There is so much dialogue compared to other types of narration that it's overwhelming and takes me out of the story. The narration (and especially the dialogue) feels overly witty and as if it's trying too hard to be clever. A lot is happening, and I'm interested in the plot, but there's no emotional depth and I can't connect to the characters. I am wholly uninvested in the romance aspect of this book, and actively put off by the forced love triangle.
I may come back to this in the form of an audiobook, because that may help with my dialogue issues, but for now I'm giving it 2.75 stars.

This was incredibly fun, there were some parts where i felt like i needed to skip through because i just felt like it dragged on but other than that, i liked it a lot. It was very funny, the characters are so funny and it was just a great time.

3.5 ⭐️

I really liked this book! I loved the found family trope and the friendship between Simi and Chloe, how Simi was willing to risk her life for her and all the things she did. The chemistry between Simi and Jack was amazing. The plot twist near the end caught me off guard to be honest.
Near the end, I thought that Jack was going to betray her or something, but thankfully he didn't. Loved how Simi changed and found her new self.
Overall this was such a cute and funny read!

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Sadly, this one was not for me. I really did not connect with the main character at all. I found her to be really tiring and annoying. I didn't get the two main love interests. It didn't work for me, really, on any level.

Simi Chopra is down on her luck. In the midst of crippling student loan debt, two unfulfilling jobs, and her overbearing family trying to marry her off as quickly as possible, the one person who brightens all her days is her best friend Chloe - and she’s just been accused of stealing a diamond necklace worth $25 Million. To save her friend from prison, Simi would do anything, including incriminate herself, but the mysterious, dashing Jack “Danger” shows up and convinces Simi to steal the necklace back and return it to clear Chloe’s name. Not to mention they each would get a cut of the $5 Million reward. Simi and Jack recruit a ragtag heist crew and soon find themselves entangled with an extravagant mobster wedding, a handsome detective, and even an elephant with a crush!

I love a good heist story, and this lovable band of misfits made this one a winner! Each member of the crew brings something special to the story. There are so many hilarious moments, from training sessions gone awry to acrobatic octogenarian antics. While the romance is a lot of fun and I LOVED the banter, it’s definitely secondary to the theme of friendship, especially between Simi and Chloe.

This book doesn’t take itself too seriously, which made it the perfect beach read. Go in expecting to suspend reality a bit and laugh a lot, and you’ll be rewarded with a very entertaining reading experience!!

Highly recommend this one for readers who enjoy stories with:

👯‍♀️ Ride-or-Die Female Friendships
🩷 Neurodivergent MC
🫠 Millennial problems
🏡 Found Family
💎 Ocean’s 8 vibes
💓 Insta-attraction
🤣 Belly laughs

Thank you @valentine_pr @saradesaiwrites @berkleyromance @netgalley for the advanced copy for review!

Thank you to the publisher and Valentine_PR for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This delightful rom-com proved to be a rollercoaster ride filled with both humor and thrilling escapades. The story revolves around Simi Chopra, a young woman burdened by student debt, whose life takes an unexpected turn when her best friend is accused of stealing a priceless necklace worth millions. In the midst of this chaos, she crosses paths with the enigmatic Jack, who offers his assistance in locating the stolen necklace and clearing her friend's name. However, the solution to their predicament requires nothing less than an audacious heist, prompting Simi to assemble a crew capable of pulling off this daring feat.

One of the aspects I thoroughly enjoyed about this book was witnessing the camaraderie and antics of the crew as they embarked on this thrilling adventure together. Over time, their bonds grew stronger, making this a heartwarming story. There was never a dull moment throughout the story. I particularly admired Simi's resourcefulness and how she had a solution for every problem.

While "To Have and to Heist" exceeded my expectations in terms of entertainment, the romance aspect didn't quite resonate with me. I felt indifferent toward both Jack and Detective Garcia, and I believe the story could have been done without any romance. The captivating storyline, endearing characters, and thrilling heist made for an unputdownable read. I would read it if there is another book in the future.