To Have and to Heist by Sara Desai
Contemporary Romance
Published on July 18, 2023- Berkley

Reviewed by Kate

I think there are very valid reasons to be wary of a certain type of book, with a certain type of cover, at this point, but I have enjoyed Sara Desai’s romances before, so I was willing to give To Have and to Heist a chance. 

And I was so happy I did! To Have and to Heist was the kind of book that I didn’t read straight through because I wanted it to last longer. It was so much fun and made me smile so big when I was reading it. 

Simi will do anything for her best friend, Chloe, including showing up at a museum with a rope where Chloe is stuck on the second floor after seemingly being set up in a jewel theft. That’s where she encounters Jack, and thus sets in motion the heist plan. Jack clearly has ulterior motives, but Simi and Chloe want to clear their names, so they put together a team to steal the necklace back. And, as in my favorite types of books, hijinks ensue – including getting mixed up in planning a mobster’s daughter’s wedding and trying to avoid the other group of jewel thieves that wants the necklace. 

Look, was this book completely implausible?? Yes. But was it implausible in the most fun way?? Absolutely. This book needs a movie deal, stat. It is a romp in the best sense of the word, and I had a blast while reading it. I know some of you are going to say, but Kate, those content warnings you have are insane! And to you, I would say- what action flick doesn’t have a little violence? This isn’t anything above a Marvel level of drama/action, in my opinion. 

However, the romance aspects of the book were few and far between. A lot of page time was dedicated to Simi and Chloe’s relationship, and the changes it was undergoing throughout the book, as well as the development of the friendships amongst the crew Simi put together. However, I didn’t really get why Jack and Simi were good together – they didn’t spend a lot of time alone to see their relationship develop. Plus, there was the distraction of the hot police detective, who kept showing up at inopportune times. Honestly, I felt like Jack and Garcia (hot police detective) almost had an equal amount of conversation with Simi.

I loved all the characters that were part of the heist crew. It was a delight to read the scenes where they were all on page together. There was even a secondary romance plotline between two of the other characters! 

So, overall, I really did enjoy this book. It was a lot of fun and made me laugh and was just so absolutely ridiculous that I couldn’t help but suspend disbelief and go for a ride. I do recommend, I just don’t think anybody should go in thinking it’s going to be the most romance-y romance they’ve ever read either. Know what to expect, don’t be too married to reality, and have a good time!

Grade: B+ 

Content warnings: Abusive ex-husband (past abuse mentioned as well as brief on-page appearances), gun violence, kidnapping, violent beating