Review - - To Heist and to Hold

To Heist and to Hold

by Christina Britton

Wimpole Street Widows Society - Book 1

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: September 30, 2025

Reviewed by PJ
 

A vigilante widow and a casino owner are both trying to bluff their way to a winning hand.

Heloise Marlowe has always forged her own path. As a former blacksmith and fencing instructor, she wasn’t just going to sit around knitting after her husband died. The Wimpole Street Widows Society, a secret group dedicated to balancing the scales of justice, was a much better fit for her skills. Her newest mission: seduce the owner of the club Dionysus and gain access to the den’s inner workings. She didn’t mind putting her body on the line, but she wasn’t prepared to gamble her heart.

Ethan Sinclaire has worked hard to clean up his club after the betrayal of his brother. But now, rumors are swirling that his club is just as crooked as before. He won’t let anyone destroy what he’s built, so when Heloise starts poking around, he decides to go all in, in hopes that she’ll show her hand. Enjoying her company is the easy part. Keeping himself from falling—that’s a whole different card game.

PJ's Thoughts:

Christina Britton launches her new historical romance series with an intriguing story of mystery, adventure, sensual romance, and unexpected feelings. 

It took me a while to get into the story or feel invested in the characters, not unusual with book one of a series. There's a fair amount of set-up and introductions to dispense with before we really get into the meat of the journey. By the end of the first third of the book, however, I had developed an emotional attachment to both Ethan and Heloise. These two are the heartbeat of the romance in this book, both carrying some deep emotional baggage. Their physical connection is steamy and fast but Britton takes her time developing their emotional connection in a realistic and wholly satisfying way. 

The mystery portion of the book is well crafted with more than a few red herrings and surprise twists along the way. It kept me guessing, settling upon then discarding various theories right up until the big reveal. I love when an author keeps me from figuring things out too soon.

There's a sizeable ensemble supporting cast in this book, with characters from both the Widow's Society and Ethan's gaming club, Dionysus that I'm hopeful we'll see more of in future books. The relationships that are explored in both establishments, both new ones among the widows and lifelong bonds among Ethan and his family/friends/business partners, are instrumental in the individual growth of Ethan and Heloise as well as their romantic relationship as a couple. 

All in all, this was a solid first book in what has the potential to be another romantic, adventure-filled, highly satisfying series by Christina Britton. I'm already eager to discover what she has in store for readers next and who will step into the spotlight in book two.