“Fear has no power over me when it comes to how I feel about you”

I really like this. Surprisingly so, because I was not expecting to enjoy myself as much as I actually did. Takes place in France. A young woman who lives in the street and needs to take care of her little sister. She is a thief and sometimes an assassin. She is seeking revenge against those who hurt the people she loves. She is assigned from a complete stranger to steal something from the catacombs of Paris. And things go awry as she is to be helped by another thief … charming, cocky and impossibly handsome man who … well let’s say that this book is the definition of he falls first. She is not supposed to feel for him. She is ruthless … she is heartless … or is she? I liked the dynamic between the characters. I liked the magical element in the story and how seamlessly blended it was in the narrative. I liked the fact that it was fast paced. I even liked the fact that the romance was more pg … a breath of fresh air recently (not that I do not enjoy my spice in books). It was different. A good different. And I enjoyed every second. I’m glad I got to read Evelyn’s story!!

“You can’t exist without my memory … But I’ll go on without you”

I am heart broken about this book
At the start I was loving it and was sure it would be a 5 star read. I loved Evelyn who was smart and feisty and doing her best to keep the orphanage afloat. I loved Jaq and thought he was mysterious and sweet and funny.
The idea of going into the catacombs to find an artifact was really funny and I loved the puzzles and sneaking around that had to happen to get there

If you told me the last 1/3 of the book was written by a different author I would believe you. The editing turned really bad and our FMC went from badass to screaming when she saw a skull … in the catacombs. The ending was completely nonsensical to me. I really didn’t like it
It was such a shame because it started so well

Love this set up. Enemies to lovers, searching for a fortune and hope for a better life. This was so entertaining and I really liked the way everything rolled out.

Florence Gray was able to weave a strong storyline and had that dark magic element that I was looking for and enjoyed in this type of book. The characters worked well in this universe and was invested in what was going on in this underworld. I enjoyed the concept and how it was executed. It left me wanting to read more in this world and from Florence Gray as I enjoyed this a lot.

The premise (and cover) were very intriguing but unfortunately it didn't land for me. This was described as historical fantasy however the writing and speech felt too modern for the time period it was supposed to be set in. I also struggled with the main character whose internal monologue felt much younger than she was intended to be, and I didn't gel well with her.

The Heartbreak Heist was such a fun ride! Evelyn is the perfect morally gray protagonist—sharp, unpredictable, and impossible not to root for. Jaq was the shadow daddy I'm 100% looking for and would fight Evelyn over. The pacing kept me hooked, and the ending delivered just the right kind of cliffhanger: satisfying, but with enough unanswered questions to leave me counting down the days until book 2. If you're into smart cons, complicated loyalties, and characters who live in the gray areas, this one’s for you!

Okay well.

Overall, I mostly enjoyed reading this historical fantasy with a dash of romance (*not fantasy romance or romantasy by definition* if it matters to someone) book and thought it was interesting and compelling. Evelyn is the Bird of Bordeaux, a master thief, who gets the opportunity to get a little revenge and a lot of money by stealing a particular object. This task is set to her by a mysterious figure she calls The Reaper, and she works with a handsome sassy lad named Jaq. Along the way, we have some tension, some mystery, a surprise (?) shadow daddy, and a solid heist romp.

I want to focus on the world building for a bit. We are allegedly in a slightly magical realism/urban fantasy alternate timeline post French Revolution, and the occasional random date puts us somewhere either in the late 1790s or early 1800s? I would argue there wasn't a whole lot that squarely placed us in that time. The writing and dialogue felt very modern, and there were some timeline issues I lost count of the number of times I googled "when was _______ invented?" (Mattresses with springs: 1870s; carabiners for climbing purposes: mid/late 1900s; eclairs: 1860s; female jumpsuits: 1930s, etc). Could this alternate timeline have included alternate invention timelines? Sure, I guess. That added up to consistently and liberally sprinkled anachronisms and I think there was a bit of a lost opportunity to really evoke and use that time period as a scene setter outside of corsets and a glimpse of Paris.

I was entertained throughout, however. I love a heist story. Until the ending. The ending peeved me: not including spoilers but I didn't care for it and personally thought it was senseless. I was hot and cold on Evelyn and Jaq throughout: I think there were some odd characterization choices that were random and either weren't always consistent or fleshed out enough. There were some twists that were pretty predictable, but also some that came out of nowhere for thin reasons.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Victory Editing (god 🙏🏻and🤞🏻 that this doesn't sink my chances of getting approved in the future by Victory Editing) for the opportunity to review this ARC.

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. .