Jen Turano’s To Steal a Heart is a humorous piece of historical fiction.  One of the best things about these stories is seeing how “proper” society has such difficulty adjusting to those who buck the trends.  It is so laughable to imagine the characters shaking things up amongst the elites or elite wannabes. 

Gabriella is an interesting character.  Some of the best parts of the story involve the relationships she has made with her employer and those who dwell in her boarding house.  Many characters have interesting stories and personalities, and they all flow together into an interesting mix of people.

The thing that makes this story so appealing is the absolute silliness and unlikeliness of some of the circumstances.  One can get lost in the light-hearted fun and still find room for some budding romances.  Enjoy the lark and smile at the antics.  Sometimes real life can be too intense and this book provides a nice diversion.

Review of a Digital Advance Reader Copy

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Bethany House Publishers

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None 

Violence/Gore:  Character strikes another with her purse; a person breaks his nose in an accident and it bleeds; a character tackles a thief; several instances of characters holding others at gunpoint; a character punches another; a character kicks a dog. 

Sex/Nudity:  It is mentioned that a man has a mistress and this is the focus of one of the chapters; report that a woman had a child out of wedlock with a married man; a couple of references to brothels and prostitution.

Mature Subject Matter:

Orphans, illegitimate children, death of parents.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Characters consume champagne and other alcohol at parties.