I volunteered as an ARC reader. Thank you Netgalley.

Author: Florence Gray
Series: ???
Release: August 26,2025

This was a wonderful historical fantasy heist book. The setting 1800s France after the French Revolution. There is magic, and suspense, and the new discoveries being made in science.

Evelyn is the morally grey FMC and she does not disappoint. She could honestly be considered a villain. She is the villain of her own story, perhaps a hero to her family. The thing about villains, is that they always have reasons- whether or not we accept them or consider them right or wrong is where we decide the line between heroine and villain. Evelyn makes decisions in this book that are so shocking.


But you'll have to read to find out what they are!

Out August 26th, 2025
The Heartbeat Heist is a pulse-skipping blend of romance, rebellion, and razor-sharp suspense. Florence Gray delivers a heroine who steals more than hearts—she steals time, secrets, and maybe your sleep schedule.

Set in a glittering world of underground auctions and whispered betrayals, this novel reads like Ocean’s Eleven crashed into The Night Circus—with a love story that’s as dangerous as it is delicious. Gray’s prose is sleek, her twists are wicked, and the emotional payoff? Worth every stolen moment If you love morally gray characters, high-stakes heists, and slow-burn tension that simmers until it scorches—this one’s a must-read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Azala Press for this ARC!

The Heartbeat Heist by Florence Gray
This was such a grat book! I really enjoyed Evelyn as a badass morray grey maincharcter. The story was captivating, well written and so intriging! The worldbuilding captivating with both being historical and a dark fantasy world.
The tension between the maincharcters, the action and heartwarming moments kept me glued to the pages. And I kept wanting to know what would happen in the next chapter.
A theif, a heist and a bit of magic

I…I don’t know what to say. I think the book finished me?! What a read honestly. I was captivated and broken all at once 🥲 thank you for the opportunity to read this one!

I am so glad I took a chance on this book because it was wonderful. Evelyn a.k.a. the Bird of Bordeaux is a master thief and I really liked her character. She is strong, smart and sassy and she takes no crap from anyone. The instant we meet the MMC, Jaq, I fell in love. I loved the tension not only with the story itself, but between Evelyn and Jaq as well. I think the concept was unique and the 1800's alternate France setting added an air of mystery and intrigue

I am a sucker for a good heist story and this one pays off. There is more I want to say here but I fear it would spoil some of the plot so I"m leaving it out. I felt the ending left room for the author to continue the story and I would be interested in reading more in this world.

Is this book perfect? No. It certainly has some flaws (particularly with the FMC and the way she describes herself as well as her conflicting decisions) but if you are willing to overlook them, I think you'll have a good time reading this book. I also wish we got to see a bit more of the magic and the descriptions could have been better.

Thank you NetGalley and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am not finishing this book. I was reading from the net gallery reader on my smart phone. I stopped at page 41. I was not enjoying this book. I did like the idea of the FMC, but there were a few things that put me off continuing:

The opening was confusing. It was difficult to determine who was speaking in the conversation until well into the conversation. A reader should be able to easily determine which character is speaking..

The FMC describes her own eyes as striking. She then describes her skin as tanned but then indicates that she doesn't spend any time in the sun.

The FMC describes her hair as a distinct shade of brown and falling in soft waves-no one describes themselves like that.

The FMC states that she needs to find a dress that didn't draw attention. Yet then chooses a dress that will stand out.

With no indication in the world building so far that people would have odd colored hair the author introduces who I will assume will be the MMC and he is not described as an elder person, but has a shock of white hair.

The premise is good but I stumbled through with the awkwardness of the examples given that made me cringe. I was only into the third chapter, and I became weary. .