Dani has done her best to leave her fraudulent past behind, including turning in her convict mother. When Dani gets coerced into a new heist by her mother’s partner Archer, she wants to set things right. That includes reconnecting with her ex Elliot and old team to help pull it off. As Dani slowly uncovers the truth about her family’s magical past and more about the diabolical Archer the more she wants to end things once and for all.

A mix of heist, magic, and a little romance makes this an enjoyable read!

I really liked the way this one started, which is why I was so disappointed with the overall result... I wasn't familiar with the author prior to this book. I was drawn by the concept, which was cool and original - con men being one of my favorite plot devices - and the opening was strong and intriguing. Unfortunately, very quickly the book devolved into a messy aggregation of characters and stereotypes and a lot of meandering about that lost my attention and interest. It felt like the con man element and the family drama and the magic never really meshed together but were slapped one on top of the other in layers that never quite gelled. This one wasn't a good fit for me...

I don’t know what to rate this book. I’ve read another Gwenda Bond book, and felt much the same way about that one as I do this one. It wasn’t a bad book by any means. I enjoyed the banter between some of the characters; I thought Dani’s relationship with her dog, Sunflower, was the cutest thing in the entire world; and I’ve always loved heist books. But there was something about this book that also felt like I was constantly looking for just a little more, like I was just waiting for something else… and it never came.

Perhaps it was the villain, who is made to be “extremely evil” and scary with the worst of vibes, but we as readers never really see much beyond a bit of smoke and mirrors, and some tangential threats. You are meant to know as a reader that this man is a torturer of women, but as I moved through the book, I was largely ambivalent towards Archer, and the stakes he apparently set for the other characters. The other side villains felt like they existed solely for plot convenience, without any detail or depth to their depiction, and even characters like Dani’s mother and her other mother figure, Rabbit, felt like we were always just one step too far from truly knowing or understanding them.

Because of all of this, I found myself rather uninvested in the narrative as a whole. I was happy when Dani got her happy ending, but I didn’t really care in the way I do with novels that have better and deeper characterization. I read to the end, and I liked the way the book panned out, but I just didn’t care very much what happened to anyone. As such, I give this book 3⭐️

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I was excited for The Frame-Up because of the art heist element, but what I got was something I wasn't expecting. Honestly I'm not sure still a few weeks later if it was a good or bad unexpected. I enjoyed the heist elements to the story, but thought the magical and romantic elements fell short. It felt like Gwenda Bond wanted the magical elements to be a bigger part of the story, particularly given on specific painting, but I don't think it panned out well. Maybe it was because I wasn't expected magical elements in this story.

Thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

Dani Poissant is the daughter of the world’s most famous art thief who happens to be in jail because Dani turned her in. Now, ten years later, she is approached for a once-in-a-lifetime heist that can make up for her past mistakes and reunite herself with her mother’s old gang which includes the love of her life and her former best friend. Can she pull off the heist? Oh, did I mention that the secret to their success is magic?

Why We Liked it: The magical realism of this story set it apart from other art heist novels, but the magical mechanisms should have been more greatly explored in the story. The more interesting part was Dani’s journey of self-discovery and her realizations about her relationship with her mother.

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

I needed the world building to be better. I was so confused abt if the magic was real or not. But I liked the idea of the plot. But for a heist book, I’ve read better.

I loved the idea of a magical heist! I thought it was a fun book with just a hint of romance thrown in. Unfortunately it was really easy for me to put down and not want to pick back up. I would be willing to read more of Gwenda Bond's books in the future though!

3,5* rounded up. The premise of the book is awesome: An art heist, magic, romance, a family secret… it was a pleasant read, but some parts just fell flat. The romance part for example. I didn’t feel any chemistry between Dani and the guy she chooses in the end (I would read a sequel if the other guy is in there tho 😅). Also had some plot holes. Nevertheless a nice palette cleanser with a wholesome feeling. Bonus point for her dog Sunflower.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the earc!

Well written, complicated story about mother daughter art thieves. The mother/daughter relationship is fraught with issues. There are quite a few well developed characters. The story is original and well thought out. Definitely would recommend!

This one took a while to get into. The last half was intense and exciting, the first half boring and forgettable. That said it is a perfect beach or airplane read.

This book was not what I expected and I loved every second of it! I loved that the story focused on all of the character relationships and not just on the romantic ones. The main character was super relatable and there was suspense but also humor!

As excited as I was about this book’s concept, it just didn’t hit the mark for me.

The Frame Up follows Dani, a painter, as she tries to get back into the good graces of her mom’s magical group of thieves after connecting with a man she’d only heard of as her mom’s confidant.

The book has a high stakes art heist, secret magical society, a love triangle - all very fun tropes. I think the characters just felt a bit flat for me and there were several who felt superfluous. I wasn’t able to connect with everyone, as much as I was excited about the story.

I will say the addition of Sunflower the dog was wonderful and I loved that aspect. I just think there was maybe too much going on in a short span and it would have benefitted from more character diving.

I was provided this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Up top, I have to wonder if the reason why this book has such low ratings is because it’s based on expectations instead of on the actual book; I would happily & confidently say this book was a 3.75 if not 4-star book. Here’s the thing, I would not classify this book first as a romance, but that doesn’t make this book any less enjoyable. Perhaps the marketing for this book missed the mark by a bit on the romance aspect, but y’all…who doesn’t love a heist? Let alone a magical heist?

The concept of this story is so unique - it takes place in a world where magic exists, but it manifests differently for every person who does have magic. This makes for a secretive community full of strange, fascinating characters & an interesting magic system that I haven’t quite seen before. And I LOVE that, in the case of Dani & those in her orbit, the magic is used for art heists. Dani’s history is compelling & I love her as a character. I was solely invested in her arc & who she may end up with was really a side thought throughout everything else that happens in the story. I want to go into so much about this book but I don’t want to risk spoilers. I will just say that this book felt closer to something like “The Lost Apothecary” than your standard contemporary romance.

I gobbled this book up. It’s full of magic, history, action, mystery, & emotion. (And I especially loved the “Loki as DB Cooper”-esque nod that we got to the 1990 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft.)

Thank you to Ballantine/Random House Publishing & NetGalley for providing an advanced digital copy for review. All thoughts & opinions expressed are my own.

I was so excited to read this story. I loved the premise of a heist and the underground community in the art world.. The writing is good and I enjoyed the mystery as well.


Spoiler Alert:

I was not a fan of one of the characters being a demon. I felt uncomfortable and had to skip through many parts.

It was not what I expected and sad it did not work out for me. I enjoyed the writing and it was a good story

I was given a complimentary copy and not requited to write a review.

This was so boring and I want the time I wasted reading this back. The magic aspect of the book was not well written at all and didn't make a lot of sense. The main character also had no chemistry with the love interest. This was horrible.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I do love a heist, and Gwenda Bond’s The Frame-Up is a good story wrapped around a heist. I think it’s a standalone, but I would not say no to more of this crew doing their version of a heist with magic in the future.

Dani Poissant has been working solo in the decade since she turned her art thief mother in to the FBI. She’s a Robin Hood style grifter – targeting bad people, taking their money, and giving a big chunk of it to their victims. While she’s in the middle of blackmailing a soon to be divorced jerk, a man shows up to make her an offer she can’t refuse. This man that Dani has never met before has had a huge impact on her life. He was the reason Dani cooperated with the FBI, and now he is offering to give her mother and her family back to her if she will steal a painting.

Dani has 10 days to convince her mother’s old crew, including her old boyfriend, to join her on this heist, plan the heist, paint a forgery, and steal the painting. With the exception of her former best friend, Mia, they all have magical talents that they use for their thefts, grifts, and so on.

Initially, I assumed this was a romance because it’s Gwenda Bond. But I figured out pretty quickly that while there is a rekindled romance in the book, the romance isn’t the central focus. I double checked and saw that The Frame-Up is not being marketed as a romance. Yay for accuracy in marketing. It’s a fun heist mystery with elements of romance. I enjoyed this. I thought it was a fun read that you while away some time with, but don’t think about too deeply.

CW: Threat of violence, threat of violence to dog, emotional abuse by parent, magical emotional manipulation, magically induced fear and pain, rape of ancestor discussed in diary, discussion of ancestor’s suicide, incarcerated parent, and violence.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

This was an intriguing mix of fun and infuriating and I want more in this universe with this magic system.

Dani is a sympathetic character that's easy to latch onto and support, and oh my gosh everyone around her is awful and she doesn't even see it. Despite the sideways nature of a world with real magic and Dani possessing it, this is ultimately about recovering and moving on from the trauma that some parents inflict on their children. Dani has secrets and shames and so many of the things that people hold against her aren't her fault - let's just say her mom is even more awful than you'll suspect. At the end I was scoffing out loud in fury and agitation. But don't worry, Dani is actually the baddie she first presents herself as and it's awesome to watch her blossom into the life she should have and the power inside that has nothing to do with her magic.

I love a good heist book and the complexity of this one was fun, especially as multiple layers of things go wrong before and during the heist. Watching them try to maneuver and manipulate was a good time.

There's a slight romance, and a happy ending.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC
Ten years ago, Dani sent her art thief mother to prison. Now a friend of her estranged mother has asked her to help with a job, promising her mother back. The only way she can pull this off is with the reluctant help of her mother's crew, who she's also been estranged from. The job requires strealing a magical painting. Luckily Dani & the crew also have magic.
Entriguing story that kept you guessing who the bad guy really is. It also included a romance subplot including second chances and a love triangle.

The Frame-Up by Gwenda Bond is a fun mix of mystery and magic/fantasy elements. In the story, the main character, Dani Poissant, is a con artist with a special magical talent. She is approached by a colleague of her estranged mother to do an art heist that can benefit them all. Dani agrees to the job and then has to reach out to her former crew who she hasn't been in contact with for a decade. Needless to say, things do not go quite as planned with the heist.

I enjoyed this book but felt like some of the middle dragged a little. I was hoping for a little more action throughout. I found the magic element to be a unique twist in an art heist mystery. I would love to see another book following some/all of these characters!