Thank you to Netgalley and Atombooks for the e-arc!

Historical fiction meets Ocean's eleven/Six of Crows.

Set in 16th century Florence, after 6 years away, Rosa returns to the city at the same time as the Pope and the Cardinal, who are both members of the Medici family.  However, having been a Republic prior to the Medici rule, not all of the city's citizens are happy with the their return.

The timing of Rosa's visit may not be completely accidental, given the large sum of money the Medici have managed to gather from the region. For Rosa, being a con artist with a few contacts within the city, it's the perfect opportunity for a once in a lifetime heist....if only she can pull the right crew together, then overcome the many obstacles they will surely face, amidst the growing tension in Florence.

This multi POV story was a fun read, with an interesting cast of characters and action that kept me reading late into the night. Each character's POV gave a different insight into the city and the heist itself, as well as their relationships with the other characters. For some, the plans for the heist aren't the only secrets they're keeping.

It left me wishing there would be a sequel, to see what else this group might get up to after the end.
If you love YA, found families and heists, with a hint of romance, this is the book for you.

This was an enjoyable read, that combined the thrill of a heist in a historical setting.

This was a fun and energetic book, with a cast of likeable and diverse characters. Most of the protaganists had their own stories which were woven into the wider heist plot, though not everyone had their voice heard.

The plot had a strong premise, and read very much like an action/thriller but with history and subgenres of friendship, violence, romance and revenge thrown in.

The portrayal of a Florence ruled by the omnipotent Medici family took us back in time; from the impressive architecture, to the glittering wealth and to the dissent amongst the citizens in the streets.

The heist didn’t happen until quite late in the book. And when it is done, there were a few gaps in the execution of the heist and a lot going on, which did lead to some muddling as to what actually happened. The idea was there, but I’m not sure it fully came across in the writing.

This felt like it was written on a higher level, and as a result, there are times where it lacks depth, or it feels like it would suit the screen better.

Overall, this was a fun and energetic read, that has a good plot and plenty of action. It just didn’t quite click on a deeper level.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Enjoyable heist novel. Interesting characters. I love Florence and renaissance art and enjoyed seeing historical figures mix with fictional ones.

Florence is one of my favourite cities, and Medici Heist has me missing it something fierce. This novel makes great use of the setting, transporting us back to renaissance Italy, and introducing a diverse range of characters from across the city states.
The group that are setting up the titular heist each has a fully realised back story, that twist around and into each other is increasingly complex and celebration ways. Schneiderhan isn’t afraid of making her characters unlikeable, or of bringing in fictionalised versions of historical figures to add to the setting.
The writing is smart and the plot trusts the reader to follow the intrigue, plotting and double-crossing.
I really enjoyed Medici Heist, and look forward to seeing what Schneiderhan writes next. This is going to be an expensive read for me though, because I’ve been looking at flights to Florence since the first few pages!

I found out after I had finished this book that apparently the writer actually is a screenwriter, and suddenly everything made so much sense.

Before that, I was really frustrated with the way we were given an insane amount of backstory on the characters, and also such an extended version of the recruiting process, and so little of the actual heist. Additionally, I was really put off by the way the dialogue was so detailed and well-crafted, and we get so little description of any actions: The disabling of the da Vinci trap mechanism? Well, our boy poured some substance or other on it and made it explode. The double-double crossing twist of getting the gold out of the palace and into none of the antagonists‘ hands? All I can tell you is that it did end up happening that way, but I have no idea how.

What might work well in a movie does not work at all as a book. The heist that we were working toward for so long was probably the most anticlimatic ending I have ever read in a book. Everything was going wrong, and yet our thieves still managed to pull it off, and we don’t get any explanations at all as the readers.

Furthermore, the characters are rather underdeveloped. Sarra and Rosa blend into one in my mind, probably due to their intertwined pasts, and I don’t really understand why Giacomo and Khalid chose the ways that they chose in life. Michelangelo had snarky lines but I could not give you even a vague summary of what his character is like.

All in all, the book simply felt insanely lifeless to me, although the idea seemed rather promising.

Needless to say, this was not for me at all. I was incredibly bored by the plot and not invested in any of the characters and it took me a solid 3 weeks to get through this one.

The only reason why I didn’t rate this any lower is that Olivie Blake exists and I foolishly read two of her books, and that I only give 1 star ratings to books I DNF because of how bad they are.

2/5 stars.

A fantastic and exciting take on the heist theme - with a twist - no gadgets and it's set in Medieval Florence. The target is the Pope's treasure. If you love bank heist stories. plot twists, clever plans, unlikely allies. each with a compelling back story and you're intrigued by the Renaissance setting this book is for you. I loved every bit of it and wish there was more!

The Medici Heist is a YA debut from Caitlin Schneiderhan, set in Renaissance Florence. It’s a really promising premise - a bunch of good-hearted grifters join forces to steal a bunch of indulgences from the corrupt Medicis Pope and Cardinal to undermine their rule and support the republic.

I enjoyed learning about the backstory and motivations of some of the characters but don’t feel this happened across the board for everyone involved in the heist - for example we don’t really find out why Michelangelo sacrifices his safety and patronage for the Republic, but he does!

The feeling that focus and explanation was sometimes missing was a theme for me throughout the book. I thought Sarra the Tinkerer would be a key character and that her contraptions and inventions would be a key part of the heist - but we never see her make any contraptions and are only told she spent ages making something in a passing sentence, which is a shame.

We don’t actually find out the overarching plan for the heist until the debrief after it comes off, including a massive pivot when the plan almost goes off track. It meant I was a bit confused about what actually happened, I was left with the feeling it might have come across easier as a screenplay with more visual clues.

The burgeoning relationships in the story are sweet and it was nice to see trust grow between the characters which helped them process difficult pasts. There was also an element of found family which is always a sweet trope, though it didn’t feel like the heist gang spent a huge amount of time together.

Overall the Medici Heist was a fun romp through Renaissance Florence and I’m sure it’ll find a solid audience with its action-packed but sensitive story. Thank you to Little Brown Books and the author for a #gifted advanced readers copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Caitlin Schneiderhan is described as a “genre-loving” writer who works in the writers room on the Netflix hit Stranger Things. In her debut Medici Heist, she draws deeply on the YA found family approach of that property to deliver a group of feisty, theiving teens living in fourteenth century Florence.
As the name suggests, this is a heist novel and Schneiderhan clearly understands the rules and tropes of the ‘heist’ genre. She has a team made up of the brains, the tech expert, the brawn and the expert in disguise. She has an impossible mark (the powerful Medici family). And she has plenty of twists and cliffhangers. But as a result, and despite the setting, this can’t help feeling just a little bit boilerplate.
Medici Heist will certainly appeal to a YA reader audience, keen to relate to one or more of the teenage archetypes. But adults looking for something a bit more meaty in terms of crime fiction set in Medici Florence would be better served with the books of DV Bishop (starting with City of Vengeance).

Sharp witted conwoman Rosa Cellini arrives in Florence the same day that the Medici Pope, Leo X returns to take up the reins of power. This is by no means a coincidence. The new Pope is extorting a mountain of indulgence money from the people of Florence to bolster his power and Rosa has a plan to take it back.

To pull off the Renaissance's greatest robbery, she'll recruit a team of highly skilled misfits to execute the job. But as the authorities draw closer and the Medici noose tightens, old secrets and tensions surface. What began as a Robbery could be the key to saving the city itself.

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year and I have to say it sadly did not live up to the expectations. Although, I enjoyed the story and the general plot the tale itself felt unfinished and so much detail was just glanced over which was disappointing considering the premise of this being a great heist novel.

The characters felt like they had no real development or substance to them. When you start the book they are already established leaving you purely on the ride for the heist and only giving you bits of information about each of them individually as you go along. One element I found interesting was the addition of a side character that only has 2 chapters dedicated to them but was there as what felt like an observer. They deserved so much more than the 2 chapters because having them in the book so little almost felt unnecessary to the story.

The disappointing factor for me was 90% of the book was planning the heist with 8% being the execution of it and 2% being the ending and finding out how they managed it. This book definitely could have spent more time on the heist itself as in all the chapters with the planning of it you don't really get any information on how they are going to do it you mainly just get moments where each character is maneuvered into their respective elements/positions for it to work and the hiccups they encounter that could make the plan fail. It was also a shame that so little time was spent revealing how the end of the heist was pulled off.

This had so much premise but just didn't hit the mark, however, it is still an entertaining read.

What a great summer read! I love historical novels but this was a little out of my usual genre - a heist novel set in Renaissance Florence! I loved the two main female characters and the well-drawn support, including a Tunisian thug trying to escape a Genoan crime lord, an old apothecary known as a witch, and a conman called Giacomo. The historical detail and the setting were great, and it was a very satisfying heist novel. Really well written and lots of fun.

Florence in 1517 is ruled by the wealthy Medici family, but many of the citizens still remember when they were a republic. Young con woman Rosa Cellini has plans for the Medicis, and their puppet the Pope. Plans that involve the huge pile of money the family has been extorting and hoarding from the people. To pull off such a great heist she will need an excellent team, and only the best will do, but the best don't get along together. Can they put old tensions aside for such a large job?

This book is billed as a swashbuckling riot, bursting with action and snark. It's certainly a lot of fun, but I found it fell a little flat in places too.

There is a lot going on in this book, what with the main heist storyline at the centre and then the side storylines for each character. Unfortunately with such a large cast of characters that meant that there wasn't a lot of space for details and development, leaving the characters seeming lacking at times. We didn't really find out about a lot of their motivations until more than half way through the book, and even then a lot of it was glossed over. With such an ecclectic cast there was an opportunity here to really bring them to life and inject some spark into the story, which I think could have taken this to another level.

The plot itself is fun, the characters are constantly in danger and you just have to trust that things will work out in their favour. I did like that Schneiderhan kept some of the intricacies of the heist a secret until the end, that definitely helped to build the suspense as a reader. There's no shortage of action, and it is quite a page turner of a read.

I enjoyed the read, but did feel that a little more detail and character development could have elevated things further.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this book on NetGalley I though this was exactly my cup of tea and was thrilled when I received my ARC. I love historical fiction, stories with impressive heists and complex characters. I have seen plenty of positive reviews though and hope the book is a success. Just not for me, sadly. I really struggled to get into this book and it took me a while to get used to the writing style which felt very modern and not entirely what I expected from a historical novel. The pacing was a bit slow and I didn't bond with any of the characters. I had to push myself to finish it which is a shame because I had high expectations for this book.

Medici Heist is the debut novel from Caitlin Schneiderhan, a writer famous for her work on the TV show Stranger Things. In this novel she takes the reader on an adventure through Florence in the 1500’s.

There is political intrigue, religious turmoil and plenty of heist shenanigans to keep the reader engaged in the story. This is actually my first time reading a novel set during the Italian Renaissance so it was really interesting to learn tidbits about the setting. The author even includes references to (and cameos from) famous historical figures like Michelangelo. This allowed the book to engage with real events whilst also allowing the fictional characters to shine and create their own stories.

I think that the characters in this book were a sweet found family. Like in many heist novels, they are drawn together by outside forces but they find kinship. Although at times I did find it hard to distinguish between some of the voices of the characters, I still enjoyed learning about their backgrounds and seeing the genius they brought to the heist.

In terms of plot, I enjoyed seeing how the actual plan of the heist unfolded. There are plenty of surprises and ‘oh, now I get it!’ moments which is what you want from this kind of story. But the pacing of the novel was quite slow. If you give it time the story will suck you in but it may take you a while to get to the action.

Unfortunately, my main complaint is that I didn’t love the writing style. There are moments like in the first chapter where the prose and description is strong. However, you can tell that the author comes from a script-writing background. Her dialogue is sharp but the other elements of writing were weak at times. But I’m sure that this is something that will improve with time and practice!

I thought that this was a fun and entertaining story about heists and thieves who want to ‘eat the rich’ by taking their fortune. If you like stories about underdogs banding together or heist narratives like Thieves’ Gambit, give it a try!

Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan

An exciting adventure in XVI century Florence, very well written fictional characters complemented by historical elements of the life in Florence and the Medici.

I absolutely loved this book, the writing style is superb, the characters are so well presented and the plot develops at a perfect pace.

Will be keeping my eye on Caitlin Schneiderhan for future books, can't wait to see what she does next.

A great plot but for me it just didn't work. Maybe I was just reading at the wrong time - on holiday in Venice. I think I might have enjoyed it more reading it in big chunks as there are so many characters to remember. I'm sure many readers will enjoy it. I think it would work as a TV miniseries.

A found family, a girl set on revenge and a heist of the century! This book had me gripped from the moment I read about Rosa. I could not put it down even if I tried. Beautifully written and one that continues to keep the reader guessing, this is a book for people who love Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo or even the movie Lift with Kevin Hart.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC for my honest review.

I’m afraid I really struggled with this novel. Too many characters each with a compelling back story, but it was hard to keep track of them , they drifted in and out of the story, with what seemed to be aimless and pointless endeavours.
Normally, I like to feel invested in characters, care about what might befall them, but they didn’t seem to exude any warmth, and they weren’t really likeable. When people are put into high risk and high stake situations, they are expected to work closely together for a common goal, but this story didn’t seem to gel, I couldn’t bond with them.
For a story set In Renaissance Florence, the writing seemed too modern, too knowingly, not authentic in terms of religion , we didn’t really get to grips with the richness of the society at that particular time either.
I’m afraid this book was not for me, on the completion of reading it, I had the attitude that I couldn’t have cared less whether the heist was successful or not. A two star rating.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, Little, Brown Book Group UK for my advanced copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review.
I will post a copy to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

Addictive and fun, reminds me a bit of Six of Crows, but set in beautiful Italy. Definitely recommend if you enjoy Leigh Bardugo!

If you don't like the Pope robbing people and you would like to teach the Medici family a lesson then who better to do than Sarah and her gang.
What an eclectic bunch of misfits can do with a bit of guidance and planning is amazing. Getting Michelangelo involved is great.
All involved have a history of fraud/robbery/violence......but can past differences be put aside to pull off one of the hardest heists of all times?
Florence is a tinder box waiting to explode, can this gang help them do that. Touch and go all the way, action packed and all seems to be doomed to failure, a roller coaster ride will set your pulse racing........

I really enjoyed this story. The description sounded excellent and it was great to read. The historical aspect woven into the story was interesting and the characters really well written. Would totally recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book