Steal My Heart

by Aimee O’Brian

When a fantasy turns into a cold reality.

Lexanne Harris had a plan down to the last sexy detail. Never did she think her attempt to spice up her love life with her boyfriend would involve her in a burglary with a sexier than sin thief whose emerald eyes and serious between the sheets skills are impossible to forget. As a police detective she is expected to stand on the side of the law and fight for justice. But what happens when the lines of justice blur and what’s wrong becomes way too tempting?

The situation might be challenging but Lexanne is determined to get assigned to the case, recover the jewels and catch the culprit.

The question is: What will she do with her sexy cat burglar when she catches him?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Mystery Thriller

226 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2019

About the author

Having lived in both California and Texas, Aimee O’Brian now resides in the beautiful wine country. With her three children grown and experiencing their own adventures, she and her husband are free to explore the world. When she’s not reading, writing, or planting even more perennials in her garden, she can be found stomping through ancient ruins and getting lost in museums.

Reviews

[T. Rosado]

4+ Stars!

This story started with the craziest mistaken-identity meet-cute ever! The book blurb alluded to that and it's what had me excited to read O'Brian's debut. In essence, Steal My Heart was a mash-up of lighter elements of mystery/suspense, police procedural, and romantic comedy. It was a quick and light read with lots of fun and sexy romance and cat & mouse shenanigans. Complete and utter fantasy, but cute and fun, nonetheless. I really did enjoy it.

[i_hype_romance]

I loved this unique heroine and premise! A policewoman who is trying to make her mark in a male-dominated field, and still find time to embrace her femininity, becomes tangled in a RobinHoodesque revenge plot.

When Lexanne settles in for a romantic night in of role playing, she doesn’t expect her boyfriend to be as into her game as he is. Until she realizes that the man currently pleasuring her is a real cat burglar- not her boyfriend.

So now she has an ethical dilemma. The best sex of her life was with a man she should be cuffing at the station- not to her bed.

This unconventional meet-cute was the perfect set-up to the sexual tension between the two main characters. I loved the realistic depiction of the heroine’s struggles against toxic masculinity, and her determination to set her own course both professionally and sexually.

If you love Sarah Maclean’s Bareknuckle Bastards historical romance series, you need to read this!!!

[Kilby Blades]

It's the ultimate case of mistaken identity: a detective with a fantasy to sleep with a burglar. A co-worker-slash-boy-toy slated to dress up and role play as said burglar. And an actual cat burglar who arrives on the scene before the ringer. In the fashion of a true rogue, said cat burglar is only too enthusiastic to play out detective Lexanne's fantasy. And he's so good that--criminal or not--Lexanne can't seem to get him off of her mind.

Yet, she does have a case to solve, one that brings her closer to the elusive cat burglar, even though she doesn't piece together his true identity at first. What begins as a simple search for a jewel thief unearths a deeper story and complex motives that force Lexanne to question who among her cast of characters--including the cops involved in the case--is bad vs. good.

[patrick Lorelli]

This is a book that is fun and if you can get into it from the start and take it for what it is you will see that it is a fun story. The book opens with two police officer playing out their fantasies and this one-night Lexanne is supposed to be the homeowner and her boyfriend is going to play the cat burglar. Lexanne went all out with new lingerie, even having to buy garter belts which she had never done before. She is wanting to make it special. When she heard noises downstairs she thinks it is too early but goes down ant way. Seeing the man all in black including mask she thinks to herself that Mark is going all out as well. It is not until they are in the throes of sex on the dining room table and he smiles that she realizes that he is not Mark. Finished and hearing a noise she goes after the burglar only to not catch up to him. He not only got the girl but also made off with some items from the house, for he was the real cat burglar. Mark upset and wanting to ruin her career realizes that both will be in trouble and that they need to catch the said thief. The rest of the book is fun and has some nice twists to it and this is a good fun story. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Cranky - The Book Curmudgeon]

4 Cranky Stars


What happens when you discover a modern day Robin Hood in your city? What if you just so happen to be the Sheriff??? Well, detective in this case. Lexanne is making a name for herself in the Larceny division in LA. She works hard and plays harder but always follows the rules and obeys the laws until she meets a cat burglar.


While house sitting for a prestigious and extremely wealthy family Mr. Catman himself foils her fantasy. Now she finds herself breaking laws and bending rules to catch her man, in more ways then one. What happens if she doesn't want to arrest him?


This is a very sexy modern day version of Robin Hood. I loved the authors use of comedy with a serious undertone. I fell in love with the characters and the storyline is wonderful. I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Samantha || Fictionally Sam]

This is was such a fun read! Lexanne is a detective for the LAPD and after a strong case of mistaken identity where she mistakes a thief as her lover—Lexanne finds herself on the case to solve a row of heists before her secret gets out.

Steal My heart was the book for our anti-hero bookclub read this month, and this was such a fun one to read and discuss about last night! Aimee nailed it with the fun cat and mouse-esque chasing between Lexanne and the Thief; to the point where I couldn’t stop reading because I wanted to see what would happen next and who would do what. Our thief loves risk and the amount of times I risked getting caught reading at work was astronomical because I so thoroughly enjoyed the romance in this book.

Now excuse me as I run around and add a crap ton more heist romance books to my TBR because I need more! Especially if they are anything like our thief and Lexanne!

[Anja H.]

*3 CAT-BURGLAR STARS*

Well hell, I enjoyed this way more than I anticipated!
Even though this was full of tropes, and even a bit of insta-love, or, well, insta-lust, which I usually hate. The first chapter was totally ridiculous but it got a lot better after that.

The story was well thought-out, albeit a bit rushed at the end in my opinion.

[Donnajo]

I voluntarily read a advanced reader's copy of this book for a honest opinion

Steal my Heart by Aimee O'Brian a new to me author that I look forward to checking out more books by. A spicy romantic suspense that pulled me in from the first chapter and wouldn't let go. Great storyline and characters.

[Emma L]

From the first chapter of this book, I was committed to reading this all to the end. Lexanne and her boyfriend are playing out a fantasy however a real burglar comes in and Lexanne interacts with him unknowingly. It is spicy and a good read of which made me smile and I was rooting for Lexanne to uncover the real burglar.

I am keen to seek out other books by Aimee O'Brian.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

[Cariadne]

First off, a person could grouse about the stupidity of the characters and how they cavalierly put themselves in serious legal doo-doo, but that's not the point of this kind of story. You suspend belief and go with the fantasy to get to your HEA.

Despite the flaws in the story, I was entertained by Aimee O'Brian's writing and would likely read something from her again. Thanks to NetGalley for helping me discover a writer I've never read from before.

[Meg]

Lexanne Harris and her boyfriend Mark Finney are detectives with the LAPD, currently working to solve a string of high-end burglaries. In an attempt to spice things up, they’ve shared fantasies with one another, and Lexanne’s fantasy involves an encounter with a cat burglar. They’ve planned out all the details for a night where Lexanne is house sitting for a house full of jewels and arts. On the intended night, when he appears creeping in wearing all black, it’s the hottest night she’s ever had. Until she realizes… it isn’t Mark. She’s slept with an actual cat burglar…and she wants more.

This was our pick for our anti-hero book club this week. The chemistry between Lexanne and her criminal kept me turning pages, desperately wanting to hear more. I’ll admit that one of the reasons I liked it was that the cat burglar is not a classic horrible human anti-hero, just one who likes a little risk. He’s sexy and potential dangerous, and his criminal methods are just enough to make someone on Lexanne’s side of the law feel like she’s crossing a forbidden line. I love a book with thieves and heists!

Thanks to @bluestockinglaura for recommending this to all of us! Can’t wait to see everyone and discuss it tonight before we all fall off the Bridgerton ledge this weekend. It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen your wonderful faces (three weeks is a long time)!

[Sheena ☆ Book Sheenanigans]

Rating: ★★✬☆☆ (2.5/5 Stars)
Title: Steal My Heart
Author(s): Aimee O'Brian
Character(s):
― Lexanne Harris:
― Gideon Holt: Brunette, Green Eyed
Setting: Los Angeles, California
Tag(s): Romance, Contemporary, Erotica
Content Rating: R
POV: First Person (Heroine)
Smexy Level: Hot
Favorite Quote(s):
― “Star-crossed lovers— surely happy endings are allowed even for lovers on opposite sides.”
Overall Opinion:
Let's be honest, who didn't fall in love with the blurb? I thought it was an interesting concept and I immediately had to grab this book. Generally speaking, the book was decent and there was a good amount of the oh so steamy scenes. To be frank, I didn't expect "Steal My Heart" to have so many of them. Overall I good read but nothing to brag about.

[CR]

The book cover to this one was nothing special to me. I felt that it looked like every other romance book out there and it didn't bring anything new to the table. The opening to this story however was WOW.

I think the author could have used a little more story before throwing me into a sex scene. The writing style and pacing flowed very well and although I felt like I didn't need to finish it in one sitting I did feel the compelling urge to finish it.

None of the characters really stood out to me. They were fully formed and they each had their own voice but I didn't feel a draw to any of them. My favorite character was the best friend Cassidy. I really enjoyed her humor and she really lightened the mood for this story overall.

The storyline/Plot was very smooth but slightly predictable. I felt like I knew what was going to happen before it did. I would have liked more mystery and surprise. The ending to this one ended up in a nice little bow with everything tied up. I really enjoyed the ending and I think it was perfect for this story.

Overall, this one started out a little rough with an in your face sexual encounter but after that it ended up being a very delightful read! I think that I would check out this authors other titles. I would also recommend this title to those who want instant gratification in their stories.

Steam Rating: 🧨🧨🧨
My steam rating for this one is 3 Firecrackers for mediocre sex scenes.


Go Into This One Knowing: Clean Sexual Encounters

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews]

Steal My Heart starts right off spicy, with a hot sex scene. The premise is interesting. A cop, Lexanne, housesitting a mansion intends on playing love games with her boyfriend, Mark, another cop, but things go really wrong. The masked man she sleeps with happens to be burglarizing the home. When he gets away, and she discovers her mistake, she vows to catch him.

She loses her boyfriend and ally who promises to cause great trouble for her—knowing her dirty secret. She discovers who the burglar is, but there’s a serious complication. She is determined to get her guy, as a cop, but… the man has redeeming qualities.

Getting deeper into the investigation, Lexanne discovers that there is more to the story, more than meets the eye. Who is the real bad guy? This complication ups the tension, especially as we get to know Gideon, the cat burglar, and can’t help but to like him. Lexanne, also a likeable character with a tragic past, likes him too, and this is a serious problem for her future as a cop, and a position she had to fight for. Ambiguities threaten to change her and destroy her career dreams.

This is a fast-paced story with physical details that do well to make us see the world of the upper-classes or if of a different kind, make readers feel the chemistry between a hard-working female in a male-dominated job and the very attractive man she is supposed to stop.

Lexanne’s impossible final decision keeps the pages turning. Recommended for those who like suspense and a hot romance weaving its influence around an interesting story.

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf]

Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

Who knew that doing a bit of house-sitting in a very wealthy neighborhood could be so sexy — or go so wrong at the same time? A bit of fun, fantasy role-playing with the man in her life should have been a spicy, sexy experience. And what she encountered was certainly all that and so much more… but instead of the pretend cat burglar/real boyfriend she got the real deal. And he got away with more than an unexpected sexy encounter, he also left with the contents of the safe.

Now, Detective Lexanne Harris has more than the obvious reason to track down a notorious cat burglar. Her pride, her job is on the line – but still, the memories linger and those memories will soon turn into a reality with unexpected results.

I had fun with STEAL MY HEART. It’s a short journey but it’s packed full of sexy encounters, an anti-hero to love, more than a few twists and turns, as well as a couple that while many would see as so wrong actually are so right for each other. Suspend logic and everything you know from watching SVU and simply have fun with this story. Sometimes the bad guys aren’t so bad after all. *grin*

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

[Janine]

Sexy and fun and, OMG, I’ve fallen for the cat burglar.

A cat burglar is targeting the wealthy of Los Angeles which makes Detective Lexanne start to fantasy about having sex with a cat burglar. Detective Mark Finney was up for the challenge of making that fantasy come true. But the night they planned the rendezvous, the real cat burglar entered the home that Lexanne was house sitting at. Lexanne doesn’t realize it’s not Mark and played out the fantasy all the way. Then, Mark shows up and Lexanne realizes she just made the biggest mistake of her life.

Afterwards, Lexanne can’t seem to get the burglar out of her mind. It’s pretty early in the book when she finds out who it is, investor Gideon Holt. She falls for him and they hook up multiple times during the book. It’s career sabotage for a police officer, but she can’t help herself. Gideon’s reason for stealing from his clients will surprise you in the end.

I wish this book was longer. I really enjoyed it and wasn’t ready to put it down. There were a lot of twists and turns in this book that kept me on my toes. This is the first book by this author and if she writes other books like this, I will definitely be reading more of her books.

[Abby]

An arc copy way provided by netgalley

OMG!! 5+++++ stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely loved this book!
It was on the shorter side but it was perfect!
Lexanne Harris,
Is a detective who grew up in the lower class neighborhood. She has been building her career and trying to make a name for herself in a mans field. She is house sitting for a rich, very rich family and found that the prefect cover for her one fantasy.
She had it all planned out scripted and everything. Sure it wouldn’t be the real thing but she was optimistic. It all went wrong in a blink of an eye but it was sooo right!
She needs to break a case and prove she can. All the while she needs to get her desires out of her mind.
She has a suspect the SEXY Gideon Holt who is very very rich and has years of revenge built up. He is trying to make things right for the people who were or are close to him.
They both are moving outside of the law.
They are the perfect example of how opposites attract. This is a sexy story that I could not set down!! It’s a must read! I will be following this author.

[Paula]

Aimee O'Brian is not an author that I have read book written by often. Steal My Heart has the most unusual premise, which is for sure; a night of fantasy gone completely wrong. From the beginning I felt bad for Lexanne and quite disliked Mark. Getting the Brentmoors’ jewels back becomes the entire reason for Lexanne to want to find the mystery man.

A police detective and a crafty cat burglar story that had me thinking of Steve McQueen in the Thomas Crown Affair; not so much in looks but in attitude. From one hot encounter to police procedural then back again. This story takes the reader as well as Lexanne on a wild unpredictable search. Things are not always as they seem as ethics of right and wrong are called into question. I must say the ending had the ethics and the right guy winning the girl for me to say Hurray!

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Eclectic Review]

"I heard the soft slide of a window frame and glanced at the clock. He was early. I sucked in air even as I shivered in the slight breeze. Time for action."

What's a girl to do? She slept with the wrong man...literally.  Expecting a sexy one-on-one masquerade night with a fellow police officer, Lexanne hooks up with a real cat burglar. The one her unit was trying to catch.

The opening scene is hot and steamy and drew me in immediately. It was interesting how the author explained the burglaries and how Lexanne discovered evidence of who the real cat burglar was.

The chemistry of the main characters is what kept me reading even though some of Lexanne's choices as a detective irritated me a few times.  A fun read full of secrets and sex.

Thank you to Ms. O'Brian for giving me the opportunity to review this book with no expectation of a positive review.

[Laura D]

There is a cat burglar stealing from the rich. Detective Lexanne and Finney are on the case. While Lexanne is house sitting for a wealthy family they decide to act out a fantasy of hers..... hooking up with a cat burglar. She goes all out, new sexy nightie, garter belt and crazy heels. Then Finney shows up early and dressed in all black mask included. She literally throws herself at his mercy. It is the hottest sex of her life. Then when the deed is done she hears something and her cat burglar smiles at her and it is not a smile she knows. The he is gone and Finney walks in and she realizes she has slept with the actualy burglar. Now she has to recover the stolen items from the house she was protecting and she has to catch her man. This is a fun read.

[Dana Busenbark]

Who is Mark Finney? What I he doing at 3:00 am? Who is Lexanne Harris? What is she doing this night? What happens that she thinks Mark has arrived early? Who is Cassidy Kramer? What do each of these three people do for a living? Who are Gideon Holt & Ava? After the incident where Lexanne is housesitting, what happened had me rolling my eyes, shaking my head, and still chuckling with a smile. Things were not all quite as they seemed in this book. My, oh my... read and see what I mean.

RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.

[LolliMolly ⫷fiction addiction⫸]

This was a really fun read!

Our female MC is a detective tasked to solve a string of burglaries. The problem is, she accidentally got it on with the masked cat burglar, and now she has to figure out a way to solve the case without giving away that she knows the culprit in a biblical sense and ruining her career and reputation and while struggling with her lingering attraction to the bad guy.
I really enjoyed reading this one. My only complaint was that the ending seemed a little rushed and seemed like an afterthought. like oh, here's how the case was solved, btw. the end

Even so, I'd still recommend this for a light, fun little mystery read.

[Samantha]

Steal my heart is a cop and bad guy romance but it has a twist. What it you’re breaking the law for the right reasons? Lexanne is a cop and she’s damn good at her job. However she’s made some poor choices that have left her chasing after the bad guy to figure out who he is.

He’s a good guy doing bad things for justice. Will she be able to look past it or will she turn him in? It was a good book, exciting, hot, and you can’t help but fall for the cat burglar too! Gideon has his secrets and she will have to play the game. Just enjoyed this one.

[Bookfiend88]

This book is a fun cop and robber story. You definitely need a little imagination to get through the story but it's a well paced, well written tale. The chemistry between the characters is steamy and sexy. I didn't like how the story, ended however. I felt as if the actions of the characters were excused in the name of payback. This book gets four chilli peppers of hotness.

I received a free ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Tule for the ARC.

[Melissa]

Steamy romance with some twists and turns. I liked the overall story but it did tend to drag on at times. The chemistry between the two main characters is definitely what holds this story together and makes the book worth the read.

[Devon]

Great book!

[Anne Carty]

This review was first published on http://www.foreverthewanderer.ie/stea...

Gifted | This book was provided by Xpresso Book Tours in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First off I was really excited to get into this book because it sounded very different to normal contemporary romance novels. Right from the beginning you get the sense that this is going to be a hot and steamy book with many many spicy scenes littered throughout the pages.

This story was a very unique and different but it fell short on execution. At the time of reading this story I enjoyed it but once I finished this book and sat down to think about this story and conjure up my thoughts for this review I realised there were some problems with this story that didn’t sit well with me.

Steal my heart was a very fast paced story. It didn’t give a lot of time to building up the story and just threw us into the story without knowing the characters.

In the synopsis it talks about Lexanne trying to solve these crimes but there is barely any investigation throughout this story even though she’s a police officer which really annoyed me.

The ending came very very quickly and it all wrapped up neatly with a little bow but didn’t really give me any of the answers that I wanted.

Although this story is a quick read that can definitely get you out of a reading slump it’s not the best book that I have read. I enjoyed this story as I read it and flew through it so if you’re looking for a quick and easy read Steal my heart is the one for you.

[K.J. Sweeney]

This is quite a short little romance, but don't let that fool you into thinking that there's nothing here, far from it. I will admit that I read this in pretty much one sitting, but sometimes so instant satisfaction is just what I'm looking for.

What is a little unusual about this one, is that we only really get things from the point of Lexanne, in fact she doesn't even know who her mysterious lover is until a few chapters into the book. In many ways, the idea of accidentally having sex with someone, thinking it was someone else could be quite creepy. Fortunately, the mystery man is quite the gentleman and clearly doesn't fully realise that she thinks that he's someone else. It also helps that the man she had intended to sleep with is a creep of the highest order.

Although our couple do meet each other and get together, when they know who each other are, there isn't really a lot of time for them to get to know one another. It doesn't really matter, the chemistry is there and the connection between them doesn't come across as forced or contrived.

Steal My Heart is a fun romance, ultimately satisfying and exactly what I was in the mood for.

[Laura]

Looking for a romance plot you've never read before? This is it!

When Detective Lexanne Harris accidentally acts out her most prurient cat burglar fantasy with an actual cat burglar (*gasp*) she must find a way to rectify the situation.

That means getting herself put on the case and recovering the stolen items before the wealthy couple she's house sitting for returns home.

What ensues is a strategic game of cat and mouse, where both parties assume they are the cat. As Lexanne digs deeper into the case, right and wrong become a murky mix. If she catches her burglar, how will she choose between justice and love?

Witty, sexy, and indulgent Steal my Heart is a Friday night kind of book. To be read with a glass of red wine and a bar of dark chocolate.