To Steal a Heart by Jen Turano is a fun, light-hearted romance with a hint of mystery. Anyone who is familiar with Jen Turano’s work will expect a cast of endearing (and somewhat crazy) characters who get into all sorts of hilarious situations. They will most certainly not be disappointed!
While I really enjoyed the quirky characters that make up the Bleaker Street Inquiry Agency, I did hope that the mystery element would be a bit more prominent. It seemed to stay in the background for most of the book.
The main characters—while having all the necessary requirements of good main characters—failed to captivate me. It’s most likely due to my own personal taste, and I’m sure that many other readers will adore them (they were very likeable as main characters). For me, two supporting characters (namely Daphne and Eunice) completely stole the show! Between Daphne’s hysterical quirks and Eunice’s mysterious past, I was intrigued as I was entertained during every scene they were in.
The romance was handled wonderfully. While it developed a little slower than a typical historical romance, I thought it worked perfectly with the personalities of Gabriella and Nicholas. It was sweet and felt natural.
As book one in a series, I’d say it has successfully done its job in setting the stage for more funny, historical romances with a dash of intrigue. I cannot wait to read To Write a Wrong (Daphne’s book), which releases next year.
I’d recommend To Steal a Heart to fans of light, humorous romance, and historical romance set in the 1880s.
4 Stars