Monsters come in many forms.Some want shiny new toys to play with—others want blood.Mona Walters dreams of adventure, of a world beyond the shoreline she’s confined to. She yearns for vibrancy in her dull, mundane existence, but succumbs to the bleakness.Until the necklace her sister wore the night she was brutally murdered shows up on her door wrapped in a neat bow, fueling her to run away and … her to run away and seek out the person responsible for stealing her sister’s life.
Mona wished for more—for color in her gray world.
What she didn’t realize was just how much more she would get.
And that the world outside her own was soaked in red—blood red.
The world she dreamed of is made of nightmares.
A rich, influential world of two brothers—and once they have her in their sights, they plan to keep her there.
Her father kept her secluded for a reason.
Be careful what you wish for.
There’s a thief out there, and he’s coming for Mona’s heart.
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I’m not sure I’ll ever look at the Disney flick Moana the same way again!
Mona and her older sister, Clara, grew up on an island run by their father. Their congregation is viewed as a cult and the sisters aren’t blind to how corrupt and hypocritical their father’s preachings and rules are. They know that the world outside of theirs is a world of many wonders and despite how much their people fight against that influence, despite the punishment for even having such thoughts, these sisters can’t wait to escape the island and discover the world beyond. They were born for adventure and the island just can’t hold them. When Clara disappears and then shows up murdered, it was never more clear that Mona’s life would never be the same again.
It’s a cult. With a cult mentality. There’s even a character (Eli) who wholly believes in ‘the word’ and tries to inhibit Mona’s quest for freedom
Secrets galore. Who murdered Clara? Mona’s desperation and determination for answers leads her into the arms of Colt and Cash
I’m still not sure which of the brothers Mona is with… Colt? Cash? Both?
If you’re a fan of fairy tale retellings, I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of this one!
Heart Thief is a dark retelling of the fairytale Moana (note to self: Disney movies lie!!). Honestly I went into this story blind, as I only knew the Disney version (see above note to self). We have our Heroine Mona, who lives in a cult on an island. And while it is an island, she isn’t allowed to go in the ocean or learn to swim. Her older sister Clara escapes and leaves the island. Which is great and all…until her body is found on the island’s shores with her heart removed.
Years later Mona is still stuck on the island when she gets help escaping the night of her 18th birthday. She washes ashore on the property of the Ward brothers, who have a history with Clara. While Mona is searching for answers and for the “Heart Thief,” she becomes closer to both of the twins, Colt and Cash.
Dark and deviant, it delves into the world of the cult while keeping the romance and connection of the three as the forefront of the story. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested and turning the page. My only criticism is the shortness of the story – I wanted so much more.
Rating:
Awesomely dark retelling of Moana!
I never read Moana or saw the movie, but I did check out some YouTube videos on the differences between the Disney version of Moana and the real Polynesian story. A lot of that centered around the demigod Maui. In this story there are twins Cash and Colt. Colt is known around town by the nickname demigod since he was in high school.
The story begins with a twelve year old Mona who lives on an island which is run by her father who is pretty much a cult leader to the people on the island. He is strict with the laws he creates and a lot of the laws are intended to keep the islanders afraid of the outside world. They are on an island but can’t go in the ocean, so can’t learn to swim.
Though they get supplies from the mainland, only a few of the islanders are allowed to leave and only to get the supplies. Anyone else caught trying to leave gets punishment of one year in Mona’s fathers dungeon and after that has to be cleansed since they are not pure (you don’t want to know what is involved in that, believe me). It has always been women that try to leave because the men pretty much have it made. They can have more than one wife and treat their women how they want. Mona’s father is shown to be abusive to his wife and daughters.
Mona’s sister Clara left the island after talking to Mona and giving her a heart necklace with a C on it to have her close to Mona’s heart. Clara wore a similar one with an M. However, Clara is found dead with her heart missing a month later on Mona’s birthday and Mona finds out on that day when mainland police come to inform the family. When Mona turns eighteen, she can no longer stand the rules and laws and escapes to the mainland.
She meets Colt and Cash who have ties to her sister and hate the people on the island. She wants them to help her find out what really happened to her sister and where Clara’s heart is. While staying with Colt and Cash she develops feelings for Colt and he for her. As she gets more confidence from being away from her father’s island she also decides that she wants to free the people there. I won’t go into more of the story because it is very good and you should experience it for yourself. This is a steamy dark romance and like the blurb says there is blood, so it is not for the faint of heart. Though I really liked it.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
Ker Dukey can write. Heart Thief is no different. We follow Mona who is essentially a prisoner on an island that her father runs. After the death of her sister she is determined to solve the mystery of her murder. On this journey she finds the Ward brothers. The attraction is instant and intense. I recommend this who enjoy their romance with a bit of darkness.
Kept secluded by her father Mona dreams of the day she can leave the island. When her sister dies she’s determined to find the person who stole her heart.
While searching for justice for her sister, Mona encounters two wealthy brothers who might have information about her death. They are outsiders known by her father to be evil. Outsiders are forbidden on the island. A divide was made to keep outside influences away from the island.
Overall:
The story consisted of three points of view: Mona, Colt, and Cash. This is a dark romantic read with a sensitive topic. There were some vividly violent crime scenes. There were a few sex scenes.
The storyline was original. I liked the concept. Ker Dukey made it her own by alternating the typical cult type of storyline with an interesting and clever premise. The story held a mysterious aspect to it that had me reaching for more. Definitely a page turner. It was a quick read.
STORY:
I did not read this book when it first came out because I don’t like fairytale retellings. Luckily, a friend convinced me that there wasn’t anything fantastical or paranormal about HEART THIEF, so I gave it a chance … I’m so glad I did! If this is based on a fairytale, I don’t know which one (which is a good thing for someone like me)!
HEART THIEF is about a cult/sect that keeps its members isolated on a secluded island. The main character is the leader’s daughter, Mona, a fierce, strong-willed young woman who has always known there was more off the island despite what she was taught. Unlike other stories with similar premises, there is a lot more going on in this one. Mona’s sister was murdered after fleeing the island, and Mona is determined to get answers. When she meets two powerful, sexy brothers, Mona gets much more than answers!!!
HEART THIEF is sexy, succinctly told and kept my interest from start to finish!
PROOFING/EDITING:
The only negative about this book is that it needs to be proofread. First, there were sentences with missing words like, “Please, Mama, don’t force me stay.” I also couldn’t help noticing that dialogue was often done incorrectly with words capitalized that should’ve been in lowercase and the wrong punctuation used (for example, “But you said it makes me look glamorous.” She sulks.” should have been, “But you said it makes me look glamorous,” she sulks.”). Although told in present tense, some sentences were in past (for example, “A pipe protruded from the ceiling.” and, ”I didn’t meet Clara here,” I informed her,”) and some sentences were written in both past and present tense (for example, ”Eli knew I’m not ready for marriage.”). God was spelled in uppercase even when it shouldn’t have been (for example, “Godly” and “demi God” which should have been demigod), plus numerous grammatical and punctuation rules weren’t followed. For example, not using the FANBOYS comma rule, not adding commas after the word OH when saying things like, “Oh my God,” not always putting commas around the word TOO in the middle of a sentence, and omitting commas between adjectives in lists (for example, “sweet sugary forbidden treats”). There were also typos such as always using FURTHER even when it should have been FARTHER, using INTO instead of IN TO, ONTO for ON TO and UPFRONT when it should have been UP FRONT.
Since I read so many books by Dukey, I also notice repetition in her books. For example, I many (or maybe all of her books) say, “Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum” AND/OR, “Thud. Thud. Thud” at least once!
Heart Thief by Ms Dukey is part of The Sinister Fairy Tales Collection and WHAT. A. READ!!!
I’ve had this book on my Kindle for a little while having been in a serious reading funk.
The plot and setting was certainly different to my usual read but most unexpectedly brilliant. This book captivated my imagination with its suspense right from the off. Loved it!!!
I’m intrigued to read more from this Author. Heart Thief was my first book by Ms Dukey but certainly not the last.
Heart Thief is the last book of the Sinister Collection and what an ending it is. Even though all of these books are separate books I highly enjoyed reading them in order.
Heart Thief is an MFM story that is twisted, sexy, and a little sick. I loved it.
This story of Moana is dark, twisted and has some triggers. I loved it!
I’m having a hard time reviewing this one without spoilers so this is all.
Received an ARC for an honest opinion. At first. I thought Heart Thief by Ker Dukey was going to be a take on The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe which had me excited, but then I soon realized I was wrong. This was a retelling of Moana. It’s most definitely NOT the Disney version. Mona ends up in a menage a trois with twin brothers Cash and Colt. Mona wants to know what happened to her sister when she left the island. The ending felt a bit rushed, but I would consider this a poolside read.
Yvette, Book Haven Book Blog
Heart Thief is a twisted fairy tale with a sinister story line. Mona is a young lady who longs to be free. She wants to explore more places than just her home. Being raised in a very strict environment makes this damn near impossible. Being the strong willed feisty young lady she is she overcomes the odds. She has experienced great loss and is determined to find the answers she so deserves. Enter our hot twins Colt and Cash. There is more to them than meets the eye. They become quite taken with the little island beauty, and begin to show her all the things she has missed out on in life.
Now the little twist and turns that are woven within these pages will have you begging for more. I read this in a sitting just because I needed to know just what in the hell was going to happen. The story is fast paced and flows quite nicely. This is definitely one of my favorite stories in this collection.
This was a nice dark suspenseful read. Full of twists and turns.
Mona is left seeking the truth of her sister’s disappearance and avoiding all costs in staying with her family cult ways, secluded in their island away from everyone.
Mona is brave and knows exactly what she wants! When she finally discovers the truth she avenges her sisters disappearance and everyone else who has suffered on that island!
I went into this blind not realizing which Fairytale this was about. I love the dark twisted ways of this rendition!
I have to say, this was an engrossing read. Before I realised it, I was already half way through the story. It took a little while before I figured out which fairy tale this was retelling. And when it clicked, I should have realised sooner! This was a surprising tale with great characters. The Ward Brothers were brilliant. You weren’t too certain of them and their connection to Mona’s sister Clara. Colt is more reserved and does not like Mona or anyone from the island. Cash is a little more open and he has an interesting connection to Clara. Mona is a strong and curious young woman with strong convictions. She doesn’t agree with her father’s rules and wants to find something better. But not just for herself, for the others on the island too. Not to mention justice for her sister. The three of them band together to uncover who the heart thief is and I didn’t figure out the heart thief until they revealed themselves. Ker Dukey did a great job in keeping me guessing. I think I would have liked the story to be even longer but maybe I’m just being greed.
Holy wow!!! Ker is a master at her craft. This was what I like to call dark and delicious. I’ve seen it likened to Moana but this is no Disney fairytale. I loved the plot and the characters. This book is so well written I was awestruck from the beginning.
Heart Thief is a captivating read with some dark sexual elements and violence. It’s the first Ker Dukey book I’ve read and it won’t be the last, the writing flowed smoothly and the plot was excellent, with lots of unexpected twists and turns. Mona was a headstrong young girl, barely an adult and terribly naive as a result of her cloistered upbringing. Desperate to fly free from the island before her wings were clipped permanently and servitude was her only future.
We don’t meet Cash and Cole until half way through the book, which is already a fairly quick read. This meant that I didn’t feel like I ever got to know either of them, and the ‘romance’ part was far too rushed. I just couldn’t connect with them and didn’t really buy into their feelings for one another. The focus was very much on the suspense element of what happened to Mona’s older sister, but this didn’t leave any time for developing and convincing me of their feelings for one another. I think if the book had another 8 chapters or so, where we got to know the men and saw them spending time with Mona, this would have been somewhere between a 4 and 5 star read.
Overall I would still recommend the book. Whilst it may lack the depth that I prefer a story to have, it is still an exciting and well written retelling of Moana.
I’ve said it a bunch of times before and I’ll say it again, I love this Sinister Fairy tale Collection. These authors each came out bringing their A game and has just left me in aw. Ker Dukey is no different with Heart Thief. This dark retelling of Mona includes a cult. Who doesn’t love a good cult?
Dukey delivered a raw, gritty, steamy read! She had me turning page after page needing more and more. She gave us a dark, twisted retelling of Mona that was just amazing. Heart Thief was a quick read that was about breaking free and living your own life. Ker Dukey gives us just what we want when we read her words.
Heart Thief is a great addition to the Sinister Fairy Tale Collection and another fantastic read from Ker Dukey!
Good god…this book has just reminded me, for the millionth time, exactly why I adore Ker Dukey. Everything about this book is absolute perfection. From start to finish, you are whisked away on a dark, exciting journey, that does more than just keep you up at night, you MUST finish it and page after page, you just fall more in love with the story.
The characters are brilliantly created, filled with detail and personalities, all unique to themselves. You become connected with our main character, and her search for life, and death, as she tries to find her sisters killer. I was hooked, the moment I met her, and needed to know how she was, along her life-changing journey.
The world is excellent, and has really been brought to life, by Dukey, making you feel as though you are right there, living the story with her. Plus, the pace of the story really matches every moment. It is written so bloody well that it feels real.
I must say, I loved every single page of this book and am already wanting to read it again. It is absolutely brilliant, and a MUST HAVE!
3.5 stars
Wow, I haven’t read Ker Dukey for a while now but always wanted to go back to her stories. I’m so glad I chose this one. 🙂
I absolutely enjoyed this retelling of a fairytale with dark and sinister twists. The combination of deprivation, greediness and steamy elements made this story an interesting and captivating read.
However, I had trouble connecting this story to the actual fairytale. And the ending was not really believable enough for me. For this ending to work for me, I need more chemistry between two of the main characters. I don’t want to spoil here, so I don’t name them. But IMO the story is lacking little things here and there to make the ending work for me.
This raw, dirty and edgy book is a page turner, leaving you begging for more!
I absolutely and thoroughly enjoyed this story. I think this is my favourite yet of the Sinister fairytales. Heart Thief by Ker Dukey is the retelling of Moana but for an adult reader it’s so much better. It as the same premise of a daughter forbidden to leave the island but she does anyways and with it she finds her true purpose in life and her destiny. Mona is such a strong hero one in this story. She is fierce and determined, she wants to find out why her sister was murdered and why they stole her heart. Along that journey she meets Colt and Cash, two delicious brothers who love hard and fast. Together they find their place in each other’s life as well as rid the world of some terrible men along the way and free the island people. Such a unique story, it was dark but not terribly so but it was amazing and I was captivated from the very start. Definitely five stars!!!
Heart Thief was a shockingly incredible read. I say shocking because this book shook me to my core! It’s extremely Dark and has Disturbing content. There was a passage that was especially hard to read. I imagine that everyone who read this book was probably a bit sick after reading it. The storyline itself was phenomenal! The book is just full of twists and turns and terrifies and seduces the reader. Heart Thief is a part of the Sinister Fairy Tale Collection, it’s a dark retelling of Moana that will be hard to forget. Out of all the books in this collection, this is most sinister. This book has a cult and shows you just how disturbing that lifestyle is for Mona. Mona is a wonderful character. I loved how strong she is, she dreams of more for her and her people. You feel everything she feels and her hopes and dreams so strongly. My heart broke for her several times, I wanted to help her and protect her. She meets the Ward Brothers and they had my heart from the get-go! Colt and Cash are shell shocked when the meet mona, she turns their world upside down and brings light to the darkness. They were intoxicating and so refreshing! I couldn’t have loved this book any more than I do! It’s a rollercoaster, puts your emotions through the wringer but it also gives you peace at the end. Dukey never fails to deliver a read that leaves a lasting impression, she pushes boundaries and leaves you dying for more of her books! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.