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The Frame-Up
'Romantic, clever, and makes grand larceny more fun than ever' HOLLY BLACK
'A twisty, riveting and fantastically original story' ELLE COSIMANO
'Gwenda Bond at her absolute magical romantic and fun as hell' ALIX E. HARROW
Dani Poissant is the daughter and former accomplice of the world's most famous art thief. There was no job too big for Maria and her loyal crew. The secret to their success? A little thing called magic, kept rigorously secret from the non-magical world. They seemed unstoppable . . . until a teenage Dani turned her mother over to the FBI.
Ten years later, with Maria still in prison, Dani finds herself approached for a job that only Maria and her crew could pull off . . . if any of them were still speaking to her. But it's the job of a lifetime and might just be the lure Dani needs to reconcile with her mother and be reunited with her mother's old gang-including both the love of her life and her former best friend.
The problem is, it's an impossible task-even with the magical talents of the people she once considered family backing her up. It's a heist that needs a year to plan, and Dani has just over a week. Worse, the more Dani learns, the more she understands that there's far more at stake in this job that she ever realised.
'A twisty, riveting and fantastically original story' ELLE COSIMANO
'Gwenda Bond at her absolute magical romantic and fun as hell' ALIX E. HARROW
Dani Poissant is the daughter and former accomplice of the world's most famous art thief. There was no job too big for Maria and her loyal crew. The secret to their success? A little thing called magic, kept rigorously secret from the non-magical world. They seemed unstoppable . . . until a teenage Dani turned her mother over to the FBI.
Ten years later, with Maria still in prison, Dani finds herself approached for a job that only Maria and her crew could pull off . . . if any of them were still speaking to her. But it's the job of a lifetime and might just be the lure Dani needs to reconcile with her mother and be reunited with her mother's old gang-including both the love of her life and her former best friend.
The problem is, it's an impossible task-even with the magical talents of the people she once considered family backing her up. It's a heist that needs a year to plan, and Dani has just over a week. Worse, the more Dani learns, the more she understands that there's far more at stake in this job that she ever realised.
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2024
102 people are currently reading
12913 people want to read
About the author
Gwenda Bond
57 books1,221 followersGwenda Bond is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the first official Stranger Things novel, Suspicious Minds, the Lois Lane YA series, and the romantic comedies Not Your Average Hot Guy, The Date from Hell, and Mr. & Mrs. Witch. She has a number of forthcoming projects, including a magical art heist book, The Frame-Up. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in Publishers Weekly, Locus Magazine, Salon, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications.
She co-founded and chairs the nonprofit Lexington Writer’s Room, and lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, author Christopher Rowe, and a veritable zoo of adorable doggos and queenly cats. Visit her online at www.gwendabond.com or join her newsletter at www.gwendabond.substack.com.
She co-founded and chairs the nonprofit Lexington Writer’s Room, and lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, author Christopher Rowe, and a veritable zoo of adorable doggos and queenly cats. Visit her online at www.gwendabond.com or join her newsletter at www.gwendabond.substack.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 536 reviews
November 19, 2023
I had high hopes from requesting this arc - the premise is SO unique and the cover is so eye catching. But unfortunately The Frame Up was… boring. I think the writing style fell short, since this is supposed to be a literal art heist - none of the events (there’s a fight, the stealing of the art, there’s even a fire?? how did it all feel so bland) are written suspenseful or in an engaging way. Like, these events are supposed to be page turners and have you feeling nervous for the characters. NOTHING! There’s nothing! The magical realism element also went over my head at times because of how many characters there were that weren’t fully developed. I didn’t like the romance because I truly didn’t see the chemistry between the main characters besides their shared past.. give me more? I actually did like Dani (I think everyone’s favorite character will be her dog Sunflower) but again I just felt like the story dragged onnnn. There’s so much about Dani’s relationship with her mom, but I never really got invested in the Maria in the first place.
I was super excited for this book, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. It took me almost 2 months to slog through this.. Bummer. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.
I was super excited for this book, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. It took me almost 2 months to slog through this.. Bummer. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.
April 11, 2025
Thieves' Gambit, but if Thieves' Gambit was boring. I literally have nothing to say about it, can't believe this is the same author who wrote Not Your Average Hot Guy (both of those books were so silly and fun). Bonus points for Sunflower and Sunflower ONLY.
March 29, 2024
2.75 out of 5 Stars.
I feel like this book had a big potential to be actually good. The premise was so interesting, and the cover is too pretty and eye-catching. Unfortunately, it didn't properly deliver what it truly wanted to deliver, and I didn't want to give up on the book too quickly.
Of course, this also does not mean I disliked the book, it was just okay for me.
I feel like this book had a big potential to be actually good. The premise was so interesting, and the cover is too pretty and eye-catching. Unfortunately, it didn't properly deliver what it truly wanted to deliver, and I didn't want to give up on the book too quickly.
Of course, this also does not mean I disliked the book, it was just okay for me.
April 28, 2024
I thought this would be a fun, frothy magical heist . . . but it's so much more! There's romance, there's intrigue . . . and there's definitely some very dark things going on. The magic and the backstory in this was a lot more complex than I had anticipated. It was rich and yet sparkling, like dark chocolate with pop rocks in it.
Also, there is a dog, she is amazing, SHE DOESN'T GET HURT DON'T WORRY.
Also, there is a dog, she is amazing, SHE DOESN'T GET HURT DON'T WORRY.
January 9, 2024
DNF @ 69% (lol) I’M SO BORED AND I DO NOT CAAAAAAARE
Also, I thought this was a romance but there is ZERO chemistry. No banter. No flirting. Nothing. This book is soulless.
Also, I thought this was a romance but there is ZERO chemistry. No banter. No flirting. Nothing. This book is soulless.
March 1, 2024
Rewrite this as a shadow daddy romance, Gwenda.
October 31, 2025
1.5 / 5.0 stars
the premise of the story was interesting, but there was a poor execution overall. i was confused 70% of the time with all the introduction of random characters and subplots. i had to push myself to get past the first 30% of the book because it was so bland.
also, magic? i really believe that this could have been a unique heist story but because of the unnecessary addition of magic, it all fell flat.
and personally, i'm disappointed with who she chose in the end.
tldr: i was excited when i first started reading but in the end, it wasn't for me. bummer.
special thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey / Random House Publishing Group for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
the premise of the story was interesting, but there was a poor execution overall. i was confused 70% of the time with all the introduction of random characters and subplots. i had to push myself to get past the first 30% of the book because it was so bland.
also, magic? i really believe that this could have been a unique heist story but because of the unnecessary addition of magic, it all fell flat.
and personally, i'm disappointed with who she chose in the end.
tldr: i was excited when i first started reading but in the end, it wasn't for me. bummer.
special thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey / Random House Publishing Group for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2024
I can’t believe I’m going to say this but the magical realism just didn’t work for me. As an art historian though, slay.
February 9, 2024
This art-heist-but-with-magic story is messy and doesn't make much sense. It seems to want to be funny and a bit romantic, but isn't.
April 19, 2024
For some reason, I thought Gwenda Bond was a new-to-me author, but it turns out I read her novel Girl on a Wire way back in 2016. Of course, I didn't write a review so I have no idea why I rated it what I did, but after finishing The Frame-Up I think I will have to give it another go! This was a really fun heist novel with a dash of magical realism (love) and mostly loveable characters that I got a kick out of. The storyline also features Dani's dog Sunflower who stole the show if I do say so myself. I enjoyed the various array of quirky characters that show up throughout the book, and the dash of romance was just perfect.
I could probably take or leave the audiobook of The Frame-Up, and while I loved Shannon McManus's voice and overall narration, I thought a lot of her pacing was off. It felt pretty stilted most of the time and didn't flow the way I thought it should. This is only my observation though, and please don’t let that turn you off if you want to try it! I thought the humor was pretty light and though it felt like it should have been funny, it didn’t make me laugh as much as you would think it would. I also wish Bond would have focused a bit more on the magical realism aspects of the storyline as it wasn’t discussed a whole lot and felt like an afterthought as opposed to the focus I think it should have been. As a whole though, this was a very enjoyable experience and I’m really glad I got the chance to read it! I will definitely be reading this author in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I could probably take or leave the audiobook of The Frame-Up, and while I loved Shannon McManus's voice and overall narration, I thought a lot of her pacing was off. It felt pretty stilted most of the time and didn't flow the way I thought it should. This is only my observation though, and please don’t let that turn you off if you want to try it! I thought the humor was pretty light and though it felt like it should have been funny, it didn’t make me laugh as much as you would think it would. I also wish Bond would have focused a bit more on the magical realism aspects of the storyline as it wasn’t discussed a whole lot and felt like an afterthought as opposed to the focus I think it should have been. As a whole though, this was a very enjoyable experience and I’m really glad I got the chance to read it! I will definitely be reading this author in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
February 12, 2024
DNF at 20%
I just could not get invested in this one. I thought the premise sounded really interesting so I submitted the ARC request, but I feel pretty let down. I wasn’t invested in any of the characters at all. Every relationship felt superficial and disjointed. Some things needed more explanation to actually make sense. I’m glad for the people who read this and enjoyed it, but unfortunately it’s just not for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC copy.
I just could not get invested in this one. I thought the premise sounded really interesting so I submitted the ARC request, but I feel pretty let down. I wasn’t invested in any of the characters at all. Every relationship felt superficial and disjointed. Some things needed more explanation to actually make sense. I’m glad for the people who read this and enjoyed it, but unfortunately it’s just not for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC copy.
July 19, 2024
The Thomas Crown Affair and Ocean’s 11 meets Dorian Gray in this fun, plot twisty palate cleanser of a read that I genuinely loved!
The magical art heist premise and its focus on the complicated bonds between protagonist Dani, her art thief mother (who she helped send to prison) and her mother’s crew was really compelling. I really empathised with Dani and the difficult choices that led to the FBI catching her mum.
The heist aspect of the plot (like most heist movies) was an action packed whirlwind, that kept us guessing right up to the eleventh hour (with obligatory mishaps, betrayals and post-heist reveals) that I thoroughly enjoyed.
However, I would’ve liked the character development of our love interests (we sort of get a bit of a love triangle for a brief moment) and the rest of the cast to have been more in depth. The crew and Dani had soo much history together and I felt like we barely scratched the surface.
And the romance itself wasn’t as prevalent as I’d hoped for either which was a bit disappointing. Especially as Elliot and Dani’s second chance relationship is hinted at in the blurb, but doesn’t really leave the angsty longing stage until the last 50 or so pages.
I did like the magical realism and creepy, Dorian Grey-esque antagonist, Archer. He was the perfect, love to hate antagonist that you know you won’t be rooting for later, which I’ve come to realise are surprisingly difficult to write well. But Gwenda Bond absolutely nailed it!
Overall, this was a really quick and entertaining read that I had soo much fun with. The world and magic system was intriguing too if a little brief but I live in hope that Bond will expand on it via a sequel or spinoff at some point in the future.
The magical art heist premise and its focus on the complicated bonds between protagonist Dani, her art thief mother (who she helped send to prison) and her mother’s crew was really compelling. I really empathised with Dani and the difficult choices that led to the FBI catching her mum.
The heist aspect of the plot (like most heist movies) was an action packed whirlwind, that kept us guessing right up to the eleventh hour (with obligatory mishaps, betrayals and post-heist reveals) that I thoroughly enjoyed.
However, I would’ve liked the character development of our love interests (we sort of get a bit of a love triangle for a brief moment) and the rest of the cast to have been more in depth. The crew and Dani had soo much history together and I felt like we barely scratched the surface.
And the romance itself wasn’t as prevalent as I’d hoped for either which was a bit disappointing. Especially as Elliot and Dani’s second chance relationship is hinted at in the blurb, but doesn’t really leave the angsty longing stage until the last 50 or so pages.
I did like the magical realism and creepy, Dorian Grey-esque antagonist, Archer. He was the perfect, love to hate antagonist that you know you won’t be rooting for later, which I’ve come to realise are surprisingly difficult to write well. But Gwenda Bond absolutely nailed it!
Overall, this was a really quick and entertaining read that I had soo much fun with. The world and magic system was intriguing too if a little brief but I live in hope that Bond will expand on it via a sequel or spinoff at some point in the future.
November 5, 2023
The Frame-Up one had a super unique premise with a dose of magical realism which I really liked. It kept me hooked for the entire book, and I just had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next and how the story was going to end.
I enjoyed Dani’s character and how strong she was and her relationship with Sunflower (of course!). The other characters seemed a little flat to me, including their relationships with Dani. I think it definitely could’ve benefited from being a bit longer to deepen those characters and relationships. I did like the found family that was created through the book, which is one of my favorite tropes.
Overall, I really liked this one! It was a quick, engaging read and I would definitely recommend if you like heists and magical realism! Thank you to Random House Publishing and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed Dani’s character and how strong she was and her relationship with Sunflower (of course!). The other characters seemed a little flat to me, including their relationships with Dani. I think it definitely could’ve benefited from being a bit longer to deepen those characters and relationships. I did like the found family that was created through the book, which is one of my favorite tropes.
Overall, I really liked this one! It was a quick, engaging read and I would definitely recommend if you like heists and magical realism! Thank you to Random House Publishing and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
September 12, 2023E-ARC generously provided by Del Rey in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!
Was encouraged to request it since I enjoyed Portrait of a Thief. Interested to see how it compares.
Was encouraged to request it since I enjoyed Portrait of a Thief. Interested to see how it compares.
April 5, 2024
I received an unfinished ARC from Del Rey. All opinions are my own.
While I was targeted as someone who loves heists and Foundryside for reading this novel, and I did enjoy it, I'm still not sure about the demographic. But I also think that this is being mis-tagged on GR (AND IN THE BLURB FROM HOLLY BLACK ON THE COVER OMG) as being a romance just because the cover looks cutesy and chick lit. THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE. There are romantic subplots as there are in most books, but if anything I'm more likely to compare this to a White Oleander where the primary relationship is a girl and her imprisoned mother who she still feels inadequate when compared to and the mom is very manipulative, even behind bars. Strong themes of desire for parental approval and misogyny as well.
What I Loved:
Obviously the best thing in this book, hands down, is Sunflower. I will hear no arguments. She is beautiful and perfect and so smart that I was convinced for much of the book that she was only pretending to be a border collie and would actually turn out to be a shapeshifter or guardian angel or literally anything else. All the treats and pets for Sunflower.
The pop culture elements were also really fun. Using "Pretty Woman-ed" as a verb on one page and referencing Gomez and Morticia on the next was a delight. Though there are some areas where this can backfire a little (eg referencing Gates as a philanthropist when in actuality most of his foundations have been found to be too controlled to be efficacious, and mostly just a front for securing and hiding away more of his money) and I hope that they'll be able to clean that up before the final copy goes to print.
The Curator. I absolutely needed more scenes with The Curator, and maybe some spin-off short stories. She has such a unique ability and is brimming with personality and mystique and I'd love to glimpse more of her world.
What Felt Under-developed:
I mentioned already that this is not a romance, but there are two men who are vying for her attentions-- the hot second chance ex with unfinished feelings, and the kind single-dad billionaire. While I wouldn't want the story to be longer, I didn't feel like either of these characters got enough time for me to develop any emotional attachments one way or the other.
There's also a moment in the middle-ish of the book where the narrative is interrupted to read back-to-back journal entries from the late 1800s. While the information is vital to the plot, I didn't care for the writing or abrupt nature and actually kind of resented having to read them. Granted, journal chapters are hardly ever a thing I like in books so ymmv, but I think these could be both polished and truncated so they don't disrupt the flow of the story as much.
And lastly I don't think the found family elements landed for me. I was fully onboard with Mia and Dani, but I don't think Elliott interacted with the other characters enough to feel like more than Dani's love interest. And Rabbit has some very strong feelings in the beginning and the eventual emotional pay-offs happened too quickly without enough build-up and character moments for her as well.
The Characters:
Overall I really loved Sunflower, liked Dani, & wanted more of Brad and his daughter and Mia. Most of the other characters were just kind of present.
But I definitely think that Archer in the first 60% or so made a big impact on me. He was more toothless and cartoony and less present in the latter part of the book, but I was really enjoying him as an ominous present in the first half.
Likewise, Maria seemed to be built up as a much different character in the first 75%, then suddenly I didn't understand her character motivations or who she truly was as she seemed a lot more of a 2-D villain by the end. Since I think that this relationship is the emotional center of the book, I would have really liked to see more depth here.
The Sexism:
I wasn't prepared for this book with the cutesy cover in pale blues and pinks with a sweet puppy to get into SA and misogyny, but this was actually a pretty major theme throughout the book. It can get somewhat heavy, so just be prepared for that going in.
The Magic:
Honestly the magic could be scrubbed from the book and you wouldn't see a change. All of their powers just feel like shortcuts to becoming classic heist personas (the hacker/guy in the chair, the forger, the guy who always knows a guy who has what you need, the charismatic leader who can convince you to do anything, etc). It's definitely light on the Fantasy elements and I think there's more that could be explored here.
Overall:
Ultimately I think the first half of the book had the potential to be a 5 star, but the overall execution means that this is probably a 3.5 for me. And while certain elements were strong enough that I was thinking about them a lot and they invaded my dreams, the overall conclusion kind of washed that away and I don't think I'll be thinking about much of this book again (apart from Sunflower who is perfect and I love her).
While I was targeted as someone who loves heists and Foundryside for reading this novel, and I did enjoy it, I'm still not sure about the demographic. But I also think that this is being mis-tagged on GR (AND IN THE BLURB FROM HOLLY BLACK ON THE COVER OMG) as being a romance just because the cover looks cutesy and chick lit. THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE. There are romantic subplots as there are in most books, but if anything I'm more likely to compare this to a White Oleander where the primary relationship is a girl and her imprisoned mother who she still feels inadequate when compared to and the mom is very manipulative, even behind bars. Strong themes of desire for parental approval and misogyny as well.
What I Loved:
Obviously the best thing in this book, hands down, is Sunflower. I will hear no arguments. She is beautiful and perfect and so smart that I was convinced for much of the book that she was only pretending to be a border collie and would actually turn out to be a shapeshifter or guardian angel or literally anything else. All the treats and pets for Sunflower.
The pop culture elements were also really fun. Using "Pretty Woman-ed" as a verb on one page and referencing Gomez and Morticia on the next was a delight. Though there are some areas where this can backfire a little (eg referencing Gates as a philanthropist when in actuality most of his foundations have been found to be too controlled to be efficacious, and mostly just a front for securing and hiding away more of his money) and I hope that they'll be able to clean that up before the final copy goes to print.
The Curator. I absolutely needed more scenes with The Curator, and maybe some spin-off short stories. She has such a unique ability and is brimming with personality and mystique and I'd love to glimpse more of her world.
What Felt Under-developed:
I mentioned already that this is not a romance, but there are two men who are vying for her attentions-- the hot second chance ex with unfinished feelings, and the kind single-dad billionaire. While I wouldn't want the story to be longer, I didn't feel like either of these characters got enough time for me to develop any emotional attachments one way or the other.
There's also a moment in the middle-ish of the book where the narrative is interrupted to read back-to-back journal entries from the late 1800s. While the information is vital to the plot, I didn't care for the writing or abrupt nature and actually kind of resented having to read them. Granted, journal chapters are hardly ever a thing I like in books so ymmv, but I think these could be both polished and truncated so they don't disrupt the flow of the story as much.
And lastly I don't think the found family elements landed for me. I was fully onboard with Mia and Dani, but I don't think Elliott interacted with the other characters enough to feel like more than Dani's love interest. And Rabbit has some very strong feelings in the beginning and the eventual emotional pay-offs happened too quickly without enough build-up and character moments for her as well.
The Characters:
Overall I really loved Sunflower, liked Dani, & wanted more of Brad and his daughter and Mia. Most of the other characters were just kind of present.
But I definitely think that Archer in the first 60% or so made a big impact on me. He was more toothless and cartoony and less present in the latter part of the book, but I was really enjoying him as an ominous present in the first half.
Likewise, Maria seemed to be built up as a much different character in the first 75%, then suddenly I didn't understand her character motivations or who she truly was as she seemed a lot more of a 2-D villain by the end. Since I think that this relationship is the emotional center of the book, I would have really liked to see more depth here.
The Sexism:
I wasn't prepared for this book with the cutesy cover in pale blues and pinks with a sweet puppy to get into SA and misogyny, but this was actually a pretty major theme throughout the book. It can get somewhat heavy, so just be prepared for that going in.
The Magic:
Honestly the magic could be scrubbed from the book and you wouldn't see a change. All of their powers just feel like shortcuts to becoming classic heist personas (the hacker/guy in the chair, the forger, the guy who always knows a guy who has what you need, the charismatic leader who can convince you to do anything, etc). It's definitely light on the Fantasy elements and I think there's more that could be explored here.
Overall:
Ultimately I think the first half of the book had the potential to be a 5 star, but the overall execution means that this is probably a 3.5 for me. And while certain elements were strong enough that I was thinking about them a lot and they invaded my dreams, the overall conclusion kind of washed that away and I don't think I'll be thinking about much of this book again (apart from Sunflower who is perfect and I love her).
January 20, 2024
2.5 stars, rounded down
This book should have been a slam dunk for me. I love heist stories, and I’m always looking for new ones.
I wasn’t expecting a magical element to the story which wasn’t really necessary. I think I would have liked it a lot more if it had just been ordinary people doing an ordinary heist. There was also a completely unnecessary love triangle (ugh, aren’t we over those?) and I wasn’t happy with the guy the MC chose, so that didn’t help me like the story more either.
The characters were all quite flat and I had a hard time relating to them, or even liking them. I couldn’t stand Elliott or Rabbit, Dani (the main character) was clueless, and it’s really sad when the best character is Sunflower the dog (who was the only character I really liked).
I found the whole thing very obvious as well, especially about Archer.
Sadly I was disappointed in this one.
This book should have been a slam dunk for me. I love heist stories, and I’m always looking for new ones.
I wasn’t expecting a magical element to the story which wasn’t really necessary. I think I would have liked it a lot more if it had just been ordinary people doing an ordinary heist. There was also a completely unnecessary love triangle (ugh, aren’t we over those?) and I wasn’t happy with the guy the MC chose, so that didn’t help me like the story more either.
The characters were all quite flat and I had a hard time relating to them, or even liking them. I couldn’t stand Elliott or Rabbit, Dani (the main character) was clueless, and it’s really sad when the best character is Sunflower the dog (who was the only character I really liked).
I found the whole thing very obvious as well, especially about Archer.
Sadly I was disappointed in this one.
October 29, 2024
Wow did this surprise me! It deserves praise and better ratings. The writing style did not fall short, in my opinion. The plot was enjoyable and filled with unexpected/expected twists. We love Dani, Brad, Elliot, and Mia. Sunflower is a nice touch, and is not over-done despite what her name might make you assume. I rather not spoil anything, just please give this a try. The story flows and comes alive with every page. This was exhilarating!
In my most humblest opinion: the novel deserves a better cover design.
In my most humblest opinion: the novel deserves a better cover design.
March 13, 2024
I unfortunately was bored out of my mind with this book. The very beginning where Dani was strong arming a man getting divorced was what had drawn me in. There wasn’t any action until the ending which made this story boring to read. I did switch to audio book to play at max speed to make it through the rest of the story.
I did get this as an arc. Thank you NetGalley for my copy.
I did get this as an arc. Thank you NetGalley for my copy.
February 15, 2024
Selling your mom out to the Feds doesn’t seem like a great way to start a book, but Gwenda Bond makes it work in this fun art heist with a magical twist.
I’m still not totally sure the magical elements of the story really worked or needed to be there, but it’s a fun, quick read with good pacing and a clever premise.
The magic means the story glosses over a lot of the nuts and bolts of pulling off a heist, which is a bit of a bummer, but it does give the story an original spin, and it’s a clever way to reimagine the typical members of a heist team as people whose skills are rooted in magic.
I liked the protagonist and loved her canine companion, and I really appreciated that the story never gets to schmaltzy. In all, a charmer and a great pick for a beach read.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I’m still not totally sure the magical elements of the story really worked or needed to be there, but it’s a fun, quick read with good pacing and a clever premise.
The magic means the story glosses over a lot of the nuts and bolts of pulling off a heist, which is a bit of a bummer, but it does give the story an original spin, and it’s a clever way to reimagine the typical members of a heist team as people whose skills are rooted in magic.
I liked the protagonist and loved her canine companion, and I really appreciated that the story never gets to schmaltzy. In all, a charmer and a great pick for a beach read.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
May 26, 2024
The Frame-Up by Gwenda Bond
Contemporary romance with magic abilities and demon.
Dani Poissant is the daughter of a famous art thief. At seventeen, and fearing the mysterious influence of Archer, Dani worked with the FBI to stop her mother and crew from using their magic to steal. Ten years later, Dani is forced to go back to her mother’s crew to help her steal a painter of Archer that dates back to 1890. She has questions, but so do all those she betrayed. Why would they work with her again or trust her?
The magical elements are intriguing. Dani can reproduce a masterpiece that will fool the experts. Sunflower, the dog was my favorite character.
There are a lot of secondary characters that make up crew with unique abilities as well but needed a list to keep track of everyone. Unfortunately I lost interest at about 25% and it took me a few months to find the time to get back to it. Picking it up again, I was hoping for a unique magical painting switch but the demon manipulation, the FBI, and trying to reflame an old crush felt forced and unfocused for me.
This is the second disappointing read for me by this author. With so much new each month, it will probably be my last.
The ending is happy and successful.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
Contemporary romance with magic abilities and demon.
Dani Poissant is the daughter of a famous art thief. At seventeen, and fearing the mysterious influence of Archer, Dani worked with the FBI to stop her mother and crew from using their magic to steal. Ten years later, Dani is forced to go back to her mother’s crew to help her steal a painter of Archer that dates back to 1890. She has questions, but so do all those she betrayed. Why would they work with her again or trust her?
The magical elements are intriguing. Dani can reproduce a masterpiece that will fool the experts. Sunflower, the dog was my favorite character.
There are a lot of secondary characters that make up crew with unique abilities as well but needed a list to keep track of everyone. Unfortunately I lost interest at about 25% and it took me a few months to find the time to get back to it. Picking it up again, I was hoping for a unique magical painting switch but the demon manipulation, the FBI, and trying to reflame an old crush felt forced and unfocused for me.
This is the second disappointing read for me by this author. With so much new each month, it will probably be my last.
The ending is happy and successful.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
February 23, 2024
(2.5/5 stars) I genuinely wanted to like this book!! A heist? Magical realism? A romance? All the ingredients to be a slam dunk were there and yet... this book fell so flat for me. I couldn't get into it at all - I kept waiting for things to get exciting (which one would expect with an impossible heist) but alas! It took me DAYS to get through this, and I expected it to be an afternoon of "I can't put this down!" The chemistry just wasn't there for me between the characters, and the writing didn't excite me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now!
March 16, 2024
4.5 stars, rounded up
Have magic, do heists.
Okay so, it’s an art heist, but it’s a magical art heist with a found family of really good characters. And it has a border collie, and a romance, and women getting the justice they deserve. I’d call this a feel good, especially if you love seeing female characters taking back their power. The heist itself was detailed and clever. I really enjoyed how the author kept the novel’s plot fast moving, while gradually filling us in on Dani’s past and family. The characters in this are so fun, and I really cared about them. I truly hope there is a sequel for this book because I LOVED these characters! Obviously the dog but also Dani, I felt for her so much. And I want to see more of Rabbit and Mia and Elliot and Liz and of course Sunflower🐶. I would love to read a sequel, or many sequels! I would love if this book was adapted into a tv series!
Okay so if you like heist books or magic or magical realism and found family tropes, this is a great book for you. I do not know why this is firstly billed as a Romance book, because I would argue the romance is a very small part of the book. The story is really about Dani reuniting her family and figuring out who she is and what she wants in life.
The pacing of this novel was really good. If you are interested in true crime, this story attributes a lot of famous art heists to magic which makes it really fun. Have magic, do heists amiright? The only critique I have is that the romance felt a bit underdeveloped to me. But I still wanted them to get together and I liked their chemistry.
I’d recommend this to anyone who loved the Charmed tv series, the Supernatural tv series, or Baby Driver(2017). I’d also recommend this book to anyone who took art history courses and now has a lot of seemingly useless knowledge stuck in their brain.
Trigger/Content Warnings: blood, murder off script, guns, sexual assault (historical, off script), parental neglect/abuse, brief violence, brief self harm, swearing/course language, and alcoholism.
*no animal abuse, no animal death*
Thank you to @netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Have magic, do heists.
Okay so, it’s an art heist, but it’s a magical art heist with a found family of really good characters. And it has a border collie, and a romance, and women getting the justice they deserve. I’d call this a feel good, especially if you love seeing female characters taking back their power. The heist itself was detailed and clever. I really enjoyed how the author kept the novel’s plot fast moving, while gradually filling us in on Dani’s past and family. The characters in this are so fun, and I really cared about them. I truly hope there is a sequel for this book because I LOVED these characters! Obviously the dog but also Dani, I felt for her so much. And I want to see more of Rabbit and Mia and Elliot and Liz and of course Sunflower🐶. I would love to read a sequel, or many sequels! I would love if this book was adapted into a tv series!
Okay so if you like heist books or magic or magical realism and found family tropes, this is a great book for you. I do not know why this is firstly billed as a Romance book, because I would argue the romance is a very small part of the book. The story is really about Dani reuniting her family and figuring out who she is and what she wants in life.
The pacing of this novel was really good. If you are interested in true crime, this story attributes a lot of famous art heists to magic which makes it really fun. Have magic, do heists amiright? The only critique I have is that the romance felt a bit underdeveloped to me. But I still wanted them to get together and I liked their chemistry.
I’d recommend this to anyone who loved the Charmed tv series, the Supernatural tv series, or Baby Driver(2017). I’d also recommend this book to anyone who took art history courses and now has a lot of seemingly useless knowledge stuck in their brain.
Trigger/Content Warnings: blood, murder off script, guns, sexual assault (historical, off script), parental neglect/abuse, brief violence, brief self harm, swearing/course language, and alcoholism.
*no animal abuse, no animal death*
Thank you to @netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
February 5, 2024
3.5 stars
The nitty-gritty: Magic, art forgery and heists make up the plot of Gwenda Bond's latest, a fun mash-up with mixed results.
I ended up having a lot of fun with The Frame-Up, despite a few issues with pacing and some of the world building elements. Gwenda Bond has written a magical heist story with a few unexpected surprises, and while it’s heavier on heist and lighter on magic, I ended up enjoying most of it.
Danielle Poissant comes from a family of art thieves, and is in fact one herself. She’s also a master forger, having learned from a young age how to copy famous paintings. Her replicas always fool even the most trained eye due to the fact that she uses a sort of “persuasion” magic in her art that makes people believe they are looking at the real thing.
But ten years ago everything changed when Dani agreed to help an FBI agent catch her mother during one such heist. Maria Poissant went to jail, and Dani was shunned by the rest of the crew—Rabbit, Mia and Elliott—when she betrayed her mother. None of them has spoken to her since then, until Dani is approached by a man named Archer, who wants to enlist her help stealing a painting from a highly secure private collection, a collection that’s about to hit the auction block. Dani knows she can’t pull off such a complex heist on her own, so she decides to ask her old friends for help.
Rabbit, Mia and Elliott reluctantly agree to help steal the painting, but Dani soon realizes this job is going to be much harder and more dangerous that she first thought. For one thing, there’s Archer, who used to be Maria’s partner (awkward). And when Dani sees the painting she’s supposed to steal, she’s shocked to discover it’s a portrait of Archer himself. Not only that, but it seems to be imbued with powerful magic, connected in odd ways to the rest of the collection. Why does Archer want the painting so badly? What’s Maria’s involvement? And can she trust her crew? The clock is ticking—Dani has only nine days to plan and pull off the heist.
So that’s the gist of the story, although there is a lot more going on, maybe too much. One reason I didn’t rate this higher is that the first half of the book comes across as scattered, with too many side plots, too many characters, and not enough focus on what’s really important: planning the heist, and how Archer fits into the story. One side plot in particular was completely unnecessary, in my opinion, where someone tries to steal a different painting from the collection right before the auction. Bond has a lot to cover in that first half, though, which may be why it felt so slow. She’s laying out her magical world building, giving us the backstory on how Maria ended up in jail, and introducing a bunch of characters. There’s also a romance side plot involving Dani, Elliott and Brad Hackworth (who just inherited his dad’s valuable art collection and is the one holding the auction). The romance was almost a throwaway, though, and I’m wondering if the story would have been better without it (although based on the cover, the publisher is probably trying to market this as fantasy romance). Still, if you’re here for the romance, I doubt this book will scratch that itch.
Some of my favorite elements weren’t explored enough for my taste and I just wanted more. For example, the magic. Bond doesn’t go too deep with her explanations, and the characters’ magic abilities seem all over the place. Dani can “influence” what people see through her art (which is a cool idea!). Rabbit is good with electronics and can turn surveillance cameras on and off and some other techy stuff. Mia doesn’t have magic at all. And then there’s the art collection, which has it’s own strong magic, the purpose of which is never really explained. I also loved the scenes that show Dani painting her forgeries and the process of planning a heist (they basically switch the forgery with the real painting). Many of these scenes gave me an Ocean’s Eleven vibe and were very well done, but they were often buried under unnecessary filler. I have to give a shout out to my favorite underutilized character in the story, Dani’s border collie Sunflower (named after the Van Gogh painting!), who is hyper trained and a very good dog, but unfortunately feels more like a prop that anything else.
But now for the good stuff. Once we find out who (or what) Archer actually is, the story really takes off, and the second half of The Frame-Up delivers big time. Dani ends up finding an old journal written by a great-great ancestor that explains Archer’s true nature and how he’s connected to the portrait of himself—and therefore, why he wants it so badly. I loved these epistolary sections, written in 1894 by a French woman named Maeve, and I sort of wish they had been a more central part of the story. Dani has an interesting connection to Maeve, and honestly, I would have loved to know Maeve better, she was such a fascinating character. The final scenes involving the heist and what happens to Archer were both funny and thrilling and definitely worth the price of admission. And despite some of the earlier confusion and the odd love triangle with Dani, Brad and Elliott, I loved the way Bond resolved all her different plot points. I don’t think this is the start to a series, but who knows? There’s enough material for an interesting sequel, in my opinion, and yes, I’d definitely read it.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
The nitty-gritty: Magic, art forgery and heists make up the plot of Gwenda Bond's latest, a fun mash-up with mixed results.
I ended up having a lot of fun with The Frame-Up, despite a few issues with pacing and some of the world building elements. Gwenda Bond has written a magical heist story with a few unexpected surprises, and while it’s heavier on heist and lighter on magic, I ended up enjoying most of it.
Danielle Poissant comes from a family of art thieves, and is in fact one herself. She’s also a master forger, having learned from a young age how to copy famous paintings. Her replicas always fool even the most trained eye due to the fact that she uses a sort of “persuasion” magic in her art that makes people believe they are looking at the real thing.
But ten years ago everything changed when Dani agreed to help an FBI agent catch her mother during one such heist. Maria Poissant went to jail, and Dani was shunned by the rest of the crew—Rabbit, Mia and Elliott—when she betrayed her mother. None of them has spoken to her since then, until Dani is approached by a man named Archer, who wants to enlist her help stealing a painting from a highly secure private collection, a collection that’s about to hit the auction block. Dani knows she can’t pull off such a complex heist on her own, so she decides to ask her old friends for help.
Rabbit, Mia and Elliott reluctantly agree to help steal the painting, but Dani soon realizes this job is going to be much harder and more dangerous that she first thought. For one thing, there’s Archer, who used to be Maria’s partner (awkward). And when Dani sees the painting she’s supposed to steal, she’s shocked to discover it’s a portrait of Archer himself. Not only that, but it seems to be imbued with powerful magic, connected in odd ways to the rest of the collection. Why does Archer want the painting so badly? What’s Maria’s involvement? And can she trust her crew? The clock is ticking—Dani has only nine days to plan and pull off the heist.
So that’s the gist of the story, although there is a lot more going on, maybe too much. One reason I didn’t rate this higher is that the first half of the book comes across as scattered, with too many side plots, too many characters, and not enough focus on what’s really important: planning the heist, and how Archer fits into the story. One side plot in particular was completely unnecessary, in my opinion, where someone tries to steal a different painting from the collection right before the auction. Bond has a lot to cover in that first half, though, which may be why it felt so slow. She’s laying out her magical world building, giving us the backstory on how Maria ended up in jail, and introducing a bunch of characters. There’s also a romance side plot involving Dani, Elliott and Brad Hackworth (who just inherited his dad’s valuable art collection and is the one holding the auction). The romance was almost a throwaway, though, and I’m wondering if the story would have been better without it (although based on the cover, the publisher is probably trying to market this as fantasy romance). Still, if you’re here for the romance, I doubt this book will scratch that itch.
Some of my favorite elements weren’t explored enough for my taste and I just wanted more. For example, the magic. Bond doesn’t go too deep with her explanations, and the characters’ magic abilities seem all over the place. Dani can “influence” what people see through her art (which is a cool idea!). Rabbit is good with electronics and can turn surveillance cameras on and off and some other techy stuff. Mia doesn’t have magic at all. And then there’s the art collection, which has it’s own strong magic, the purpose of which is never really explained. I also loved the scenes that show Dani painting her forgeries and the process of planning a heist (they basically switch the forgery with the real painting). Many of these scenes gave me an Ocean’s Eleven vibe and were very well done, but they were often buried under unnecessary filler. I have to give a shout out to my favorite underutilized character in the story, Dani’s border collie Sunflower (named after the Van Gogh painting!), who is hyper trained and a very good dog, but unfortunately feels more like a prop that anything else.
But now for the good stuff. Once we find out who (or what) Archer actually is, the story really takes off, and the second half of The Frame-Up delivers big time. Dani ends up finding an old journal written by a great-great ancestor that explains Archer’s true nature and how he’s connected to the portrait of himself—and therefore, why he wants it so badly. I loved these epistolary sections, written in 1894 by a French woman named Maeve, and I sort of wish they had been a more central part of the story. Dani has an interesting connection to Maeve, and honestly, I would have loved to know Maeve better, she was such a fascinating character. The final scenes involving the heist and what happens to Archer were both funny and thrilling and definitely worth the price of admission. And despite some of the earlier confusion and the odd love triangle with Dani, Brad and Elliott, I loved the way Bond resolved all her different plot points. I don’t think this is the start to a series, but who knows? There’s enough material for an interesting sequel, in my opinion, and yes, I’d definitely read it.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
November 5, 2023
*3.5 rounded up
The heist bits were great but the romance really annoyed me because everything was like “because of COURSE their love is inevitable” when I just did not see a reason for them to be together when they had no chemistry 💀
The heist bits were great but the romance really annoyed me because everything was like “because of COURSE their love is inevitable” when I just did not see a reason for them to be together when they had no chemistry 💀
April 10, 2024
The Frame-Up
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Gwenda Bond
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Random House Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Dani Poissant is the daughter and former accomplice of the world's most famous art thief, as well as being an expert forger in her own right. The secret to their success? A little thing called magic, kept rigorously secret from the non-magical world. Dani’s mother possesses the power of persuasion, able to bend people to her will, whereas Dani has the ability to make any forgery she undertakes feel like the genuine article.
At seventeen, concerned about the corrupting influence of her mother’s shadowy partner, Archer, Dani impulsively sold her mother out to the FBI—an act she has always regretted. Ten years later, Archer seeks her out, asking her to steal a particular painting for him, since her mother's still in jail. In return, he will reconcile her with her mother and reunite her with her mother’s old gang—including her former best friend, Mia, and Elliott, the love of her life.
The problem is, it’s a nearly impossible job—even with the magical talents of the people she once considered family backing her up. The painting is in the never-before-viewed private collection of deceased billionaire William Hackworth—otherwise known as the Fortress of Art. It’s a job that needs a year to plan, and Dani has just over one week. Worse, she’s not exactly gotten a warm welcome from her former colleagues—especially not from Elliott, who has grown from a weedy teen to a smoking-hot adult. And then there is the biggest puzzle of why Archer wants her to steal a portrait of himself, which clearly dates from the 1890s, instead of the much more valuable works by Vermeer or Rothko. Who is her mother’s partner, really, and what does he want?
The more Dani learns, the more she understands she may be in way over her head—and that there is far more at stake in this job than she ever realized.
My Thoughts: This is a multi-genre book. It has a bit of romance (more back burner type/sub-plot), a little mystery, and a little fantasy. The premise was unique and the cover was breathtaking, I really had high hopes for this story but it fell a little short in execution. I think we could have developed the characters more and more on the heist. The world building was lacking, there is a whole world of magical realism that this could have gone into. The world building could have not been done and the focus on art thieves could have really been explored. Art heists is a lucrative writing journey and I was really wanting more out of this. However, I will still read Bond’s future books as she is a great writer that I usually enjoy.
The story was narrated by Dani, from her perspective. I believe the star of the show was sunflower, Dani’s dog. Super smart, beautifully described, and more of a guardian angel than a dog. It was also easy to connect to Dani, you could feel for what she has been through, even though she is a 100% grifter. There also pop culture references sprinkled throughout the story, which I loved. Then we have the supporting characters of Curator, Elliot, Mia, and Rabbit. I did not feel the connection between Elliot and Dani, anymore than I did between Dani and seller (I listened to this book a little while back and just behind on my reviews and cannot remember his name). I felt like the romance was the sub-sub-plot and the mystery was the sub-plot. The story had potential and I think we could keep the page count the same and just developed the characters a little more.
I know that a lot of reviewers/readers DNF at various parts of the book. I finished this book, I had a hard time with the digital book so I borrowed the audiobook from the library and was able to get through that relatively quickly. Not a bad book, I enjoyed reading it. I just think it could have been more. I think if you go in knowing that is a mix-genre book, it would be a good lighthearted palette cleanser.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Gwenda Bond
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Random House Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Dani Poissant is the daughter and former accomplice of the world's most famous art thief, as well as being an expert forger in her own right. The secret to their success? A little thing called magic, kept rigorously secret from the non-magical world. Dani’s mother possesses the power of persuasion, able to bend people to her will, whereas Dani has the ability to make any forgery she undertakes feel like the genuine article.
At seventeen, concerned about the corrupting influence of her mother’s shadowy partner, Archer, Dani impulsively sold her mother out to the FBI—an act she has always regretted. Ten years later, Archer seeks her out, asking her to steal a particular painting for him, since her mother's still in jail. In return, he will reconcile her with her mother and reunite her with her mother’s old gang—including her former best friend, Mia, and Elliott, the love of her life.
The problem is, it’s a nearly impossible job—even with the magical talents of the people she once considered family backing her up. The painting is in the never-before-viewed private collection of deceased billionaire William Hackworth—otherwise known as the Fortress of Art. It’s a job that needs a year to plan, and Dani has just over one week. Worse, she’s not exactly gotten a warm welcome from her former colleagues—especially not from Elliott, who has grown from a weedy teen to a smoking-hot adult. And then there is the biggest puzzle of why Archer wants her to steal a portrait of himself, which clearly dates from the 1890s, instead of the much more valuable works by Vermeer or Rothko. Who is her mother’s partner, really, and what does he want?
The more Dani learns, the more she understands she may be in way over her head—and that there is far more at stake in this job than she ever realized.
My Thoughts: This is a multi-genre book. It has a bit of romance (more back burner type/sub-plot), a little mystery, and a little fantasy. The premise was unique and the cover was breathtaking, I really had high hopes for this story but it fell a little short in execution. I think we could have developed the characters more and more on the heist. The world building was lacking, there is a whole world of magical realism that this could have gone into. The world building could have not been done and the focus on art thieves could have really been explored. Art heists is a lucrative writing journey and I was really wanting more out of this. However, I will still read Bond’s future books as she is a great writer that I usually enjoy.
The story was narrated by Dani, from her perspective. I believe the star of the show was sunflower, Dani’s dog. Super smart, beautifully described, and more of a guardian angel than a dog. It was also easy to connect to Dani, you could feel for what she has been through, even though she is a 100% grifter. There also pop culture references sprinkled throughout the story, which I loved. Then we have the supporting characters of Curator, Elliot, Mia, and Rabbit. I did not feel the connection between Elliot and Dani, anymore than I did between Dani and seller (I listened to this book a little while back and just behind on my reviews and cannot remember his name). I felt like the romance was the sub-sub-plot and the mystery was the sub-plot. The story had potential and I think we could keep the page count the same and just developed the characters a little more.
I know that a lot of reviewers/readers DNF at various parts of the book. I finished this book, I had a hard time with the digital book so I borrowed the audiobook from the library and was able to get through that relatively quickly. Not a bad book, I enjoyed reading it. I just think it could have been more. I think if you go in knowing that is a mix-genre book, it would be a good lighthearted palette cleanser.
January 31, 2024
3.5 rounded up
An entertaining supernatural heist romance featuring a spunky con artist, her sidekick canine and the complicated relationship she has with her mother. If you like Ocean's Eleven style impossible art heists and books like Kelly Siskind's Don't go stealing my heart that also have some witchy/magical elements, this one is definitely a must read. Good on audio as well narrated by Shannon McManus. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
An entertaining supernatural heist romance featuring a spunky con artist, her sidekick canine and the complicated relationship she has with her mother. If you like Ocean's Eleven style impossible art heists and books like Kelly Siskind's Don't go stealing my heart that also have some witchy/magical elements, this one is definitely a must read. Good on audio as well narrated by Shannon McManus. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
February 4, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for sharing this ARC with me!
This book was fine. The book's premise was interesting and while I was deeply intrigued with the idea of it, it fell flat. It took too long for me to understand what was happening because we jumped into things without any build-up. I found it hard to connect to any of the characters because things weren't clear in how they were written for me to follow along and actually care. While I didn't connect with it, it was a quick read so if magical realism is something people are interested in, this could work for them!
This book was fine. The book's premise was interesting and while I was deeply intrigued with the idea of it, it fell flat. It took too long for me to understand what was happening because we jumped into things without any build-up. I found it hard to connect to any of the characters because things weren't clear in how they were written for me to follow along and actually care. While I didn't connect with it, it was a quick read so if magical realism is something people are interested in, this could work for them!
January 7, 2024
Kept going back and forth between 3 and 4 stars for this one so we'll call it a solid 3.5.
Review contains some broad spoilers.
In The Frame-Up, the disgraced daughter of a master art thief has to get her mother's magical team back together to pull off the heist of a lifetime. I enjoyed this overall and would recommend it to anyone who usually enjoys stories with just a sprinkling of magic thrown in, but my main reasoning for giving this an average rating is that I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't sure what kind of story it was trying to be.
There were several elements at play that I felt like the author only halfway committed to. The magical world was never really expanded upon beyond the initial explanation that some people possess magical abilities, and the abilities chosen by the author felt strange—for example, there's a character who can manipulate electronics, which stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the others (who had much more emotional/psychological abilities) and felt like it was thrown in there just as an easy way to get them through the security systems in the places they're stealing from. There was also a love triangle going on, and yet there weren't any particularly romantic scenes included other than one-liners about people kissing. Again, it felt like that was thrown in out of some sort of obligation to keep readers' interest rather than a genuine desire to make this a romance book.
Because the magical or secret world wasn't built out very thoroughly, when the existence of demons was suddenly revealed in the middle of the book, it felt like that didn't at all belong in the same world as the rest of the story. If the author had wholly committed to that concept and made this whole plot about generations of women fighting to destroy a demon that was trapped in a painting, that would have been an EPIC historical fantasy book. I would have been all over that. Instead, it was paired with this magical world that had its own completely different tone/vibe, like this was two books squished together struggling to compete with each other.
All of that said, The Frame-Up still kept me pretty entertained, even if there were some points where the pacing dragged a little bit. I liked the protagonist, Dani, and her dog Sunflower absolutely stole the show.
Big thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. The Frame-Up is out February 13th!
Review contains some broad spoilers.
In The Frame-Up, the disgraced daughter of a master art thief has to get her mother's magical team back together to pull off the heist of a lifetime. I enjoyed this overall and would recommend it to anyone who usually enjoys stories with just a sprinkling of magic thrown in, but my main reasoning for giving this an average rating is that I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't sure what kind of story it was trying to be.
There were several elements at play that I felt like the author only halfway committed to. The magical world was never really expanded upon beyond the initial explanation that some people possess magical abilities, and the abilities chosen by the author felt strange—for example, there's a character who can manipulate electronics, which stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the others (who had much more emotional/psychological abilities) and felt like it was thrown in there just as an easy way to get them through the security systems in the places they're stealing from. There was also a love triangle going on, and yet there weren't any particularly romantic scenes included other than one-liners about people kissing. Again, it felt like that was thrown in out of some sort of obligation to keep readers' interest rather than a genuine desire to make this a romance book.
Because the magical or secret world wasn't built out very thoroughly, when the existence of demons was suddenly revealed in the middle of the book, it felt like that didn't at all belong in the same world as the rest of the story. If the author had wholly committed to that concept and made this whole plot about generations of women fighting to destroy a demon that was trapped in a painting, that would have been an EPIC historical fantasy book. I would have been all over that. Instead, it was paired with this magical world that had its own completely different tone/vibe, like this was two books squished together struggling to compete with each other.
All of that said, The Frame-Up still kept me pretty entertained, even if there were some points where the pacing dragged a little bit. I liked the protagonist, Dani, and her dog Sunflower absolutely stole the show.
Big thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. The Frame-Up is out February 13th!
January 18, 2024
Bond's newest book is a contemporary romantasy. Its also a well-written heist story with a parents are garbage thread. The mix of all these elements left me with a satisfyingly entertaining read. Thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.
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