Stolen Hearts

by Michele Castleman

Seventeen-year-old Ella Gatz is alone when the thief enters her father’s mansion on Halloween night. Ella fights the intruder but fails to stop the theft of Her Heart, her mother’s favorite painting. Ella mourns the loss of the only remaining piece of the mother she lost, and when her father, CEO of a security firm, refuses to report the crime for fear of the humiliation he will face at having his security system fail in his own home, Ella determines to hunt down the culprit and reclaim Her Heart.

The only hint to who the thief may be is a long, pink-and-blond hair. Finding her thief will become Ella’s first move in a dangerous game of wits that exposes family secrets and could lead to her family’s financial ruin.

Genres: Young Adult

288 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2024

Reviews

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book that wasn’t exactly what I expected. Definitely note that this one should have trigger warnings for child abuse. The narrator was hard to connect with although I did have a lot of empathy for her. Ella lives with her rich, powerful, and abusive father. She hasn’t seen her mother in years. One Halloween the security team is away when a thief breaks in and steals a painting that was valuable to her mother, almost all she has left, and despite a quick tussle the thief escapes and her father refuses to report it or follow up. Ella has plans in motion and is counting down until her final play, treating life like a giant chess match. The writing style was interesting as was the story overall. It was definitely one that will be sticking with me and made me think.

[Ga.selle (Semi-hiatus) Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When I rounded the corner to the dining room, all thoughts ceased. There, sitting alone at Father’s table as if waiting for Thanksgiving dinner, her hair recently cut and styled to look just like mine, sat the thief. She gazed at me, a wicked grin bleeding across her face."


⚠️Triggers⚠️
includes some references to off-page physical abuse and on-page mentions related to domestic abuse and violence

When her mother's precious 'Portrait of Her Heart' painting got stolen, Ella, all the more vexed at her father's dismissive and nonchalant behaviour, determinedly took upon herself to catch the art thief. Soon she'll discover the truth behind her mother's mysterious disappearance and involvement.

I just want to highlight that it is cute that the author included her cats in her acknowledgements and dedication page. It makes me even curious to see what they look like. 😻😻😻
As for the story, it wasn't what I expected. This is more of a light slow burn 'who-done-it' YA mystery thriller with a little bit of romance thrown in. The MC is written as a rich teenager with a strong, calculative and manipulative streak. A pro chess player, she doesn't care if she also uses people as real life chess pieces ♟️ to get her way. She is born to a rich family with a controlling father and a mother she has lost contact with for nine years. As a result of a broken family, she has grown detached, untrusting, always questioning people's motives for being nice, kind and helpful. As the story progresses though, it is hard not to empathize with her as she discovers the painful and shocking truth about both her parents.
📖 If you:
✔️ like Heist-related mystery suspense/thriller
✔️Like added trivias about famous paintings
✔️are a fan of chess ♟️♟️♟️
✔️Just one POV / strong female character

3.5 ✨

Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for the arc 🖤

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark but fun

Ella’s determined to find the thief who broke into her well secured family home and reclaim the artwork they stole that is her last connection to her mother. Her father is CEO of a security firm and their relationship is complicated, but because he refused to report the theft, Ella has big decision to make when she starts uncovering family secrets.

The story had great representation for younger characters with Ella only being 17, and explored different sexual identities. I loved the focus of the story, always being heavily centered on Ella’s emotional connections to the situations or whatever was being revealed. It made the mystery of finding the thief deeply personal and I quickly got invested in all Ella was trying to achieve. She had such a quirky personality that could change in an instant, but was also so smart and highly determined. There were lots of characters for her to interact with, but the two most focused were Sunny, and her thief.

It was really interesting how Ella and Sunny’s friendship compared to the disruption in her relationship with the thief. With the thief things were daring, playful, cryptic, and really kept me on my toes and wondering how far Ella would get swept up in it all. But Sunny offered grounding and a reminder that Ella had someone she could trust and rely on, no questions asked, who would be her ally. The thief was flighty and I loved how she challenged Ella to loosen up, take charge of her life and break free from the situation with her father. There were shocking moments when extra issues kept coming to light as the mystery continued to unravel way past the stolen artwork!

A great mystery, and a fun story even with the darker elements that were upsetting and all handled with care, but made it clear why Ella was so determined and made the choices she did to find happiness and freedom.

[Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to get an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!

I had very different expectations from this book going off of the genre tags and the description. I found myself being constantly confused and caught off guard by the developments in the story (NOT a bad thing) because the FMC is just a completely unreliable narrator. So many lies and deceptions which only she knew until the very end of the book when the reader would be informed. It was very different from any narration I’d ever read before and I loved it. As you go learning about Ella’s life and what lead her to be that way made her such a complex character which at first glance she doesn’t seem like at all and I could not fault her for her actions. Morally grey is my favourite type of MC!

Content warning - This book does reference to domestic/child abuse, off page, but is hinted at/reference to frequently throughout the book and does give off a very tense atmosphere

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and the author for making this available on NetGalley for an honest review.

First of all: this book is partly dedicated to the author's cats, and frankly, I think they should have included pictures. I want to see Salt An, Peppa and Frederica Bimmel.

I think when you read the blurb and the tags for a book, you automatically make some assumptions about the plot. This book didn't match any of my assumptions. It was almost impressively how different it is from the fun thief romance shenanigans I visualized.

You know those narrators who are so unreliable, they basically lie to your face in first person POV? Ella Gatz is one of them. This occasionally made for a confusing or frustrating reading experience, but interesting at the same time. This girl is a chess prodigy, and she's playing 3D chess in real life with real people as pawns. I had some pretty wild theories for where the plot was going, and none of them were right (still kinda sad about one of them), but it came with its own wild plots instead. Ella is a complex and maybe a bit morally grey character who is NOT a reliable narrator by any means, but you can see the childhood that led her to become this person, and she's a great character.

I do need to mention that this book deals with domestic abuse in a significant way. It's pretty "closed door" and more implied than explicit in description, but it gives the whole book a threatening, tense air.

The protagonist is sapphic asexual, and there are multiple sapphic side characters.

[aspeccharactersoftheday]

Ella Gatz from Stolen Hearts is asexual!

https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an unputdownable offering from Bold Strokes Books, with a vortex of a plot that held me trapped in its whirlpool currents of heist mystery and Bildungsroman.

Ella is everything I want in a main character: spiky, unreliable, gullible, crazed yet composed queer skeptic prodigy.

The narrative structure of 'Stolen Hearts' - full of omissions and obfuscation - is provocative, holding space for both tenderness and misdirection.

Castleman's complex pairing of Ella and 'her thief' is at times tortuous, but always clever and wonderfully suspenseful.

This is a tremendous twisty blindside of a book, which had me engrossed throughout. Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

[Roan Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stolen Hearts follows Ella Gatz’s story and her countdown to a mystery date. Ella Gatz is a 17-year-old student who is the only witness to an art theft on Halloween night. When her mother’s favorite piece is stolen and her father refuses to report it, the onus of finding the thief and painting falls on Ella. Ella serves as the narrator for the book and is quite unreliable. She also leaves out bits and pieces which paved the way for many twists and turns throughout the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially the latter half which is when the pieces all begin to fall into place. If you’re looking for an easy, quick YA read with several unraveling mysteries and queer representation woven throughout, this is the book for you.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with this ARC through Net Galley.

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this one unfortunately! I liked most of the novel a lot; it was clever and there was some good writing. I was invested in the story and wanted to know where things were going to go. It was a page turner. The way chess was used as a narrative device throughout the novel was neat, and I think it was well done. I think the author is good, but this specific novel could use some more work.

My Rating: "C+"
GoodReads: 3-stars

On the flipside I found that I was left with a lot of questions at the end of the novel, and not in a good way. There were a lot of elements to this novel where I was waiting for the explanation/reveal but it never came. I can’t give specific examples without it being a massive spoiler, but there are several main plot points that never delivered. Unfortunately, these were the things that I was so invested in which resulted in me being unable to put down the novel, so that was a double disappointment. I also had trouble figuring out a lot of characters motivations for their actions which was an issue when trying to connect with the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.

[Sapphic Bookshelf]

Stolen Hearts is a YA Contemporary novel I enjoyed.

{A thief steals a sentimental painting and Ella is determined to find out who did it}

This story took me a little bit to get into, but I really liked it. There’s an emotional disconnect to the main character due to the writing style that I think is intentional given the trauma the poor girl has endured. (Trigger warning for child abuse) But I was really rooting for Ella.

I know nothing about chess, but I found it fascinating how much information she knew about not only the game but could recite famous chess matches move for move in her head. Ella approached life like one giant chess board and I’m glad she got her checkmate in the end.

There’s a hint of a love triangle going on in this book, and I’m happy with who Ella ended up dating in the end. They were so cute together and I’m hoping for many happy years for them! 😅

Pub Date: Out now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for a copy of this eARC.

[Nicole Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Stolen Hearts” by Michele Castleman is a gripping, unpredictable YA mystery that defies expectations and keeps you on the edge of your seats. This is not your typical fun, light-hearted heist novel—it's a deeply layered story that combines psychological tension and emotional depth. With an unreliable narrator at the helm and unexpected twists at every corner, “Stolen Hearts” is perfect for readers who love morally complex characters and enjoy being kept guessing until the very end. Be aware that this book does show parental abuse/neglect, so make sure to check content warnings before reading.

The protagonist, Ella Gatz, is a 17-year-old chess prodigy who serves as the book’s unreliable narrator. From the very first page, it's clear that Ella is playing her own game, keeping secrets and manipulating not just the people around her but also you as you’re reading the book. The more you learn about her, the more you realize just how deeply scarred she is by her past—particularly her childhood marked by domestic and emotional abuse. Castleman expertly weaves these darker themes into the story without making it feel heavy-handed. While the book maintains a quick, engaging pace, there's an undercurrent of tension and unease throughout, largely due to the trauma Ella has experienced.

Ella's unreliability as a narrator adds an intriguing layer to the storytelling. As the plot unravels, you’re never quite sure what’s real and what’s part of Ella’s deceptions. The twists come fast, and they’re hard to predict. Every assumption you might make is flipped on its head, especially as you try to piece together the mystery of the stolen artwork and the secrets within Ella’s life. Her complexity makes her a fascinating character to follow—she’s morally grey, deeply flawed, and yet you can’t help but sympathize with her.

The story is also rich in LGBTQ+ representation, with Ella identifying as sapphic asexual and several other sapphic side characters. This adds a refreshing dimension to the book, enhancing its diversity without overshadowing the main plot. The romance takes a backseat here, but the exploration of identity and relationships still plays an essential role in defining who Ella is. I loved the representation in this book, and readers may be able to relate to the different characters throughout the book.

One of the standout elements of “Stolen Hearts” is its narrative structure. Castleman uses Ella’s tendency to lie or omit details as a clever device to keep you in suspense. This unconventional storytelling approach may be jarring at first, but it makes for a unique and thrilling reading experience. As the mysteries begin to unravel, the second half of the book picks up steam, delivering satisfying payoffs for all the twists and turns.

“Stolen Hearts” is an easy yet thought-provoking read, perfect for fans of fast-paced mysteries with unreliable narrators. If you enjoy stories where nothing is as it seems and love uncovering secrets buried within the characters’ pasts, this is the book for you. Michele Castleman has crafted a multi-layered novel that is as much about psychological manipulation as it is about art theft, with enough twists to keep even the most seasoned mystery readers on their toes.

[Diah · Rating 3 out of 5]

digital ARC was provided by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

So, I found it funny that after I finished Icarus, a story about a thief, I came across a story about someone whose possession was stolen. It kinda the opposite, but sadly, this one's a confusing one to read and review.

Ella had an altercation with a thief who stole her mother's beloved art. Said mother was 'away' in a facility because she tried to hurt Ella the same way she hurt themselves, and now Ella lives with her abusive dad. Rich, but abusive. And now, Ella swore to get the art back.

Why? I asked. Oh, because Ella missed her mom.
Why? She has little memory of her mom, and even then it was muddled with her dad's story on how deranged her mom was and all.
Anyway, that's just one thing I couldn't get from the story. The motivation, for everything.

The blurb and synopsis made me think that I would get a cat-and-mouse chase with strategies from Ella and the thief, and for a while there was; but then, to me at least, it took a weird turn and ended up where the story ends. Not necessarily bad, but just... weird. Maybe the marketer need a better proofread for the synopsis?

Apart from the art thingy, which frankly, didn't interest me, Ella had to deal with her dad, security, school situation-stuffs that couldn't even help me to understand Ella. She was resourceful and smart and at least for an almost 18 year old, she was mature enough (but not enough).

In the end, I didn't really know where the book kinda went and just read along. Writing's not bad, often I felt Ella's anger (as a girl myself), and there's that. Could be repackaged (thus, edited more) as a YA thriller, might be more interesting.

[Rach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a game of chess this is a tale with a long end game plan. Ella a soon to be 18 year old on the hunt for not only answers but also objects that have been stolen from her home that were precious to her and her memories of her mother. There are many twists and turns as the story unfolds. Ella is quite hard to like as the narrator as she is closed off, full of rage and unfortunate trauma. There is a trigger warning prior to reading which I would advise do take note as referenced throughout. There is also Ace representation which at times could lead to some form of love triangle but more suggested than actual. She is on the hunt for a thief which leads to a lot more than she expected. I have to be honest it was an interesting read but personally felt it was very slow and at times felt like a chore to read. If you like a long drawn out hunt for answers, references to chess then this is most likely for you. Thank you to NetGalley for an opportunity to read this and provide an honest review in exchange.

[Mysia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️

🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 6
Atmosphere: 5
Intrigue: 4
Narrative: 5
Build-up: 5
Originality: 5
Wow Factor: 4

I found this book to be surprisingly fast-paced—so much so that I spent most of it confused, and honestly, I still don’t fully understand what it was about. There seemed to be too many competing ideas: themes of abuse (I think?), crime, a thief, chess references, and a mother who might be a villain or a victim… maybe even both. It’s still not clear.

If I hadn’t needed to finish this, I probably would’ve put it down within the first 30 pages. Even at 86% through, I was still unsure of what I was reading. The story had too many moving pieces and the pacing was so quick that I never felt like I could catch up. Even when the book reached its climax, I was left puzzled about how everything fit together.

That said, I did appreciate the depiction of her relationships with her mom and with Sunny—that emotional thread added some depth. But beyond that, I struggled to connect or find much else to love.

[Amanda Lester · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to first thank Bold Stroke Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read Stolen Hearts by Michele Castleman, in exchange for my honest and true review. First off, this book was not what I thought it was going to be when I started it. It is tagged as a romance, while there is a romance there, it is not a romance story. The story follows Ella, whose father is the head/owner of a prestigious security firm. While Ella is home alone, a thief breaks in and steals a painting that is irreplaceable. Ella's father won't report the theft or look for the painting so Ella takes it upon herself to find the stolen painting. Ella is a Chess prodigy and the entire book is a giant game of chess.

The book is full of multiple misdirections, some we didn't have a clue about until it was finally revealed. Expect to have questions throughout the entire book. It all does come together at the end, albeit not exactly how I thought it was. I gave this book a strong 3.5 stars.

[Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to thank NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Stolen Hearts tells the story of Ella, a teenager who seems to have it all, though appearances can be deceiving. She embarks on a quest to recover a stolen painting from her home, with only a few days to uncover the thief and reclaim "her Heart."

While I felt the story had significant potential, the execution left me unconvinced. In an attempt to introduce twists and unexpected turns, the complete development of certain characters was neglected. For instance, Erica and Sunny had some intriguing backstories, but not enough detail was provided to give them real depth.

Overall, the plot was enjoyable, especially if you're into mysteries and family drama. It’s an interesting read, but I wouldn't revisit it, even though I did enjoy certain parts.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stolen Hearts follows Ella Gatz as she tries to unravel the mystery of an art theft in her home while her family secrets unravel around her.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. At no point did I know what was going to happen next, but I thought it was cool that we were essentially following Ella trying to attack life like a giant chess game. I also love when books have chapter titles!

The characters were all a little unreliable, which added to the intrigue, but I felt like it took away from my attachment to any of them. The plot was a little slow at times, but the mysteries kept me interested.

[Rona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ella is on her own when someone steals her mothers favourite painting.
She struggles with the theif but they get away.
She is upset but her father won't report the theft.
I am not sure what I really thought of this book. It wasn't what I expected from the description.
Just to say there are mentions of trauma. Also physical and domestic abuse.
I didn't like the book as it went on. I thought it would be a kind of cat and mouse but it wasn't really
It turned out not to be my thing.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

The twists and turns in this book drove me crazy but in a good way. It starts fast and just keeps going as you see the characters move throughout the book to see where it all ends up.

It reminded me a lot of Veronica Mars as you see the main character grow throughout the book as they try to survive. The author handles the trauma well and I felt they handled it well to make their way to the end.

Thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Kirstyn (readwithkirstyn) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stolen Hearts by Michele Castleman is a heartwarming romance that captures the magic of unexpected love. The story follows two characters as they navigate their personal struggles and find solace in each other, creating a compelling emotional connection. Castleman's writing is engaging and descriptive, bringing the characters and their journey to life. With its blend of tenderness and passion, this novel is a delightful read for anyone who enjoys heartfelt romantic tales.

[W.J. Cintron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. I struggled to stay engaged in the story. I found the writing to be quite amateur and in need of revision. Many details were unnecessary and distracted me from the main story. People who don't understand Northern English words or slang won't be able to read it. The vocabulary used throughout the book, is typical from that area, which is more complicated and limits the audience from the book.
The premise was good but the execution lacked in many ways.

[cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was... alright. honestly, it took me a while to get invested in, but when i did, i started truly rooting for the main character (ella). she was definitely an unreliable narrator imo and one of the reasons why i couldn't fully connect with the book. i liked the sapphic/ace representation though!

overall, not a bad book, but in the end kinda weird. i don't know what else to say, really.

[_bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Woohoo for the fact that this book takes place in Michigan and asexual representation alongside sapphic representation.The rest of the plot and the twists involved went off the rails for me a little bit, as I struggled with the motives of the characters.