Heists and Hot Second Chance Romance

image copies from bookshop.org

Jewel Me Twice is the first of many caper-style novels that I anticipate reading as I work on my second Emily Monroe mystery. The glimpse it gave into how the team of thieves is established and how they pull off some of their heists was helpful in offering me tips as to how my own crew might be established. 

This is also the first novel by Charish Reid that I've read and it will not be the last as I thoroughly enjoyed it. It employs some popular romance genre tropes such as second chance love, rivals-to-lovers, and forced proximity romance. 

The story starts right off with both main characters, Celeste (CeCe) and Magnus, stumbling across one another after years apart when they endeavor to steal the same priceless jewel. Cece and Magnus both assume this is a one-off encounter. However, fate or their old mentor in thievery, Doris, have other plans. Each receive notes from Doris after her death asking them to meet at her New York Brownstone. There they are reunited with their old crew and are given a challenge, to carry off the steal of the century. 

What follows is a fun scavenger hunt of clues, leading them to the final job. I loved the way that Doris set all of this up for them and the fact that she included a personal journal for Cece to help her see why Doris chose to mentor her and the others in the first place. It was fun following the crew as they seek out each new clue. There were also some unexpected twists near the end as they plan the final theft. The romance between Celeste and Magnus as their forced alliance heats things up was delightfully steamy. I'd give it a 3 chili pepper rating on the spicy scale. 

All in all this was a fun summer read perfect for the beach or even a staycation at home. I listened to the audiobook and read the ebook while traveling on my sisters' trip to Nova Scotia. I was able to do this on my Hoopla app that is available through many public library systems and is a great one for reading or listening to books. It might be worth looking into with your own local library. As for Jewel Me Twice, if you enjoy steamy, second chance romantic adventure, then give this one a try.

My next blog book review will be an Emily Henry book that is a romance with a bit of mystery incorporated into the story. The cover and book blurb for Great Big Beautiful Life were both copied from bookshop.org.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad . . . depending on who’s telling it.