To Have and to Heist

Starred review from March 27, 2023
Oceans 8 meets The Wedding Planner in this dazzling rom-com caper from Desai (The Singles Table). Simi Chopra spends her life rushing from a series of “soul-sucking, mind-numbing entry-level office jobs” to retail side gigs because she has “too much debt to pursue anything interesting, much less find passion.” When her ride-or-die bestie, Chloe, a freelance white hat hacker, gets set up to take the fall for the theft of a $25 million diamond necklace, Simi mounts a rescue that proves both hilarious and thoroughly ineffective, stymied by the presence of another criminal, Jack. Jack, a thief, doesn’t have a last name he’s willing to share with Simi, but he does have a plan. If Simi and her gig worker friends (each of whom has a relevant talent) can get him into the house of Chicago’s best fence, Joseph Angelini, Jack will steal the necklace, clear Chloe’s name, and give each member of the crew enough reward money that they’ll be able to finally focus on their passions. As the danger increases, so does the sizzling attraction between Simi and Jack—but Simi can’t tell if she can trust Jack’s motives in the caper, let alone with her heart. Desai perfectly balances the lighthearted romance with a fun and twisty heist plot enacted by a kooky cast of indebted millennials. Romance lovers will devour this un-put-downable treat, and even readers generally wary of the genre will be swept away. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary

May 15, 2023
Best friends support each other when one of them is set up to take the fall for a robbery that evolves into a caper of their own. Simi Chopra's the kind of ride-or-die friend who's always there with bleach and gloves for emergencies like the potential death of her octogenarian landlady Rose's latest "gentleman caller" in the midst of some extracurricular activities. So when Simi's bestie, Chloe, calls with her own emergency, Simi's ready to help. In this case, Chloe's trapped in a small museum on Chicago's Gold Coast, and Simi knows it must be a true emergency because Chloe even phones. Chloe seems to have been set up in some sort of million-dollar necklace heist by her mysterious employer, Michael P., who's used Chloe for her computer expertise to break into the museum's security while telling her that he works for the museum and is trying to enhance their security. When she gets to the museum, Simi tries to convince Chloe to take an actual fall from the second story in a bid to avoid the police who will surely arrest her. But Simi's help is neutralized when a man puts a hand over her mouth and drags her into the bushes. Oliver Twist, or maybe Jack Danger, informs Simi that he's just saved her from arrest. Whether or not she believes him, Simi can't stay upset at a captor and/or rescuer who's so handsome. So begins a jam-packed heist with the requisite slowly assembled team of misfits, from a life coach who's more of a gigolo to a drone-loving nerd determined to rebrand himself "The Butcher." Even a good friend can stay too long, but that doesn't mean the visit wasn't fun.

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Starred review from June 1, 2023

Simi Chopra's life is one disaster after another. Simi's family won't stop trying to set her up with a boyfriend, she's working two jobs just to afford a currently flooded basement apartment, and her best friend Chloe is being framed for stealing a $25 million necklace. Simi can't do anything about her parents, her apartment, or her job, but she will do everything in her power to keep her friend out of jail. Gathering a crew of misfits, Simi plans the perfect heist with the aid of master thief Jack, who she isn't sure she should trust. This hilarious, slow-burn romantic comedy features a full cast of fun, quirky characters and intriguing, likable protagonists. Jack and Simi have instant chemistry, as do Simi and the police detective investigating Chloe's case. The light love triangle adds to the storyline, which twists and turns throughout the novel, keeping readers on their toes. The dialogue and Simi's internal (and external) monologues are animated, upbeat, and extremely well-written. VERDICT This unputdownable novel will fly off shelves, and readers will clamor for Desai's (The Singles Table) backlist.--Heather Miller Cover

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