★★★★☆ 4.0 / 5 (calculated from Amazon, Goodreads & romance.io reader ratings)
| Overall | 8.0 | Romance | 8.3 |
| Characters | 8.0 | Writing | 7.8 |
| Emotion | 7.7 | Heat | 9.5 |
| Ending | 8.2 | Re-read value | 7.8 |
An assassin, a poisoner, one impossible heist, and a whole lot of “we should not be doing this” — Ruby Roe’s sapphic romantasy is exactly as spicy as it sounds.
If you love enemies-to-lovers with a magic system, a found-family crew, and open-door heat that does not let up, A Game of Hearts and Heists by Ruby Roe belongs on your list. It’s the fast, filthy, fun opener to the Girl Games series — two deadly women forced to work together on a heist while pretending the pull between them is just professional rivalry.
Our take: This is a spice-forward romantasy that prioritizes chemistry, banter, and pace over dense world-building. If you come for the heat and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic, you’ll have a blast. If you need an intricate, deeply explained magic system, temper expectations — the world is more backdrop than blueprint.
Quick Facts
| Author | Ruby Roe (pen name of Sacha Black) |
| Series | Girl Games (Book 1 of 4 — reads as a standalone) |
| Published | February 10, 2023 |
| Length | 344 pages |
| Publisher | Atlas Black Publishing |
| Genre | Sapphic fantasy romance / romantasy |
| Tropes | Enemies-to-lovers · Heist · Found family · Only one bed · Secret royal · Morally grey |
| Heat level | Explicit — open-door and plentiful (5/5 spice) |
| Ending | HEA — self-contained with a happy resolution |
You’ll Love This If…
- ✓ Enemies-to-lovers with real bite is your favorite trope
- ✓ You want explicit, consistent spice (with light kink) baked into the plot
- ✓ You enjoy morally grey heroines and a found-family crew
- ✓ You like fast-paced romantasy you can devour in a weekend
- ✓ “Only one bed” and forced-proximity setups make you grin
Avoid If…
- You need a fully fleshed-out, rigorously explained magic system
- You prefer slow-burn or low/closed-door heat
- You want the romance to be more emotional depth than physical tension
- Morally grey, violent protagonists aren’t your thing
Book Synopsis
Scarlett Grey is a disgraced assassin hungry for revenge. Quinn Adams is a medic-turned-poisoner-for-hire and Scarlett’s deadliest rival. For years they’ve stolen each other’s clients, sabotaged each other’s businesses, and — occasionally — fallen into bed together. When the Magician Queen dangles an irresistible deal, the two are forced to team up on an impossible heist.
But nothing about this job is simple. To pull it off, they’ll have to trust each other — no small ask when both women are hiding secrets that could betray the people they love. As the heist closes in, neither Scarlett nor Quinn is sure whether they’re playing to win the score, or each other’s hearts. Two women, two deadly professions, and a romance that could be their downfall.
My Review
A Game of Hearts and Heists knows exactly what it is and delivers it without apology: a fast, spicy sapphic romantasy built on the delicious friction between two dangerous women who can’t decide whether to kill each other or tear each other’s clothes off. Ruby Roe (pen name of Sacha Black) writes banter and heat with total confidence, and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic between assassin Scarlett and poisoner Quinn is the engine that makes the whole thing hum.
The pacing is a real strength — it drops you into the middle of the action and rarely sags. The spice is open-door, frequent, and adventurous (readers flag light Dom/sub, impact play, bondage, and strap), so this earns its “explicit and plentiful” label. The found-family crew around the leads is fun, and the morally grey characterization keeps both women interesting rather than simply likeable.
Where opinions split — and where the mixed Goodreads average comes from — is the world-building. Some readers find the magic system vague and the setting more atmospheric than fully constructed, and a few feel the romance leans more on lust than slow-built emotional depth. Those are fair critiques. But if you go in wanting a propulsive, high-heat enemies-to-lovers fantasy with a heist wrapper, this absolutely scratches that itch, and it sets up a series where each book centers a new couple.
Romance Profile
| Pairing | Scarlett (assassin) & Quinn (poisoner) — F/F |
| Trope engine | Enemies-to-lovers + forced proximity |
| Burn speed | Fast — they’ve already got history |
| Conflict | Rivalry, secrets, and divided loyalties |
| Payoff | Explicit, high-heat, with an HEA |
Emotional Profile
- Tension & heat — the dominant note; hate-to-love sparks fly
- Banter — sharp, witty, constant
- Danger — assassins, poison, and a high-stakes heist
- Belonging — a found-family crew gives it heart
Content Warnings
- Explicit on-page sex, including light BDSM (Dom/sub, impact play, bondage)
- Violence, assassination, and poisoning
- Morally grey protagonists
- Betrayal and deception between leads
Book DNA
| Setting | New Imperium — an urban-fantasy world of guilds and magic houses |
| Tone | Fast, flirty, dark-edged |
| Pace | Quick — action from the first chapter |
| POV | Dual, first person — Scarlett & Quinn |
| Steam | Explicit and plentiful (5/5) |
| Vibe | “Two enemies, one goal: steal each other’s hearts” |
Similar Books You Might Enjoy
- A Game of Romance and Ruin by Ruby Roe — Girl Games Book 2, more of the same magic and heat
- Her Pretty Knight by Mariah Rae Birch — steamy sapphic fantasy with a witch and her lady knight
- The House of Crimson Hearts by Ruby Roe — same-universe sapphic paranormal romance
- Crown of Light and Shadows by (Courts of Aetheria) — enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance
- Six of Crows-style heist energy, but make it sapphic and spicy
For more like this, visit our enemies-to-lovers lesbian romance roundup.
About the Author
Ruby Roe is the pen name of Sacha Black, and she writes lesbian fantasy romance with plenty of magic and plenty of heat. She’s known for propulsive, spice-forward romantasy and interconnected fantasy worlds — the Girl Games series shares a universe with her House of Crimson Hearts and Kingdom of Immortal Lovers books. When she isn’t writing, she can be found at the gym or planning her next travel adventure. She lives in England with her wife, son, and two Ragdoll cats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is A Game of Hearts and Heists a standalone?
Yes. It’s Book 1 of the four-book Girl Games series, but it tells a complete, self-contained story with its own happy ending. Each subsequent book centers a new couple, so you can start and stop here if you like.
Does A Game of Hearts and Heists have a happy ending?
Yes, it delivers an HEA for Scarlett and Quinn. The couple’s arc resolves happily within this single book.
How spicy is A Game of Hearts and Heists?
Very. It’s rated explicit and plentiful (5/5 steam) — open-door sex throughout, including light BDSM elements like Dom/sub dynamics, impact play, and bondage.
What tropes does it include?
Enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, only one bed, heist, found family, a secret royal, and morally grey heroines.
Is it fantasy or contemporary?
It’s fantasy — a romantasy set in an urban-fantasy world of guilds and magic houses, with assassins, poisoners, and a magical heist at the center.
Do I need to read the series in order?
Not strictly. The Girl Games books are interconnected standalones, each following a different couple, so you can read them in any order — though publication order gives the fullest world context.
Is the world-building complex?
Not especially. The magic system and setting are painted in broad, atmospheric strokes rather than deeply detailed. Some readers love the light touch; others wish for more depth.
Who will enjoy this book most?
Readers who want a fast, high-heat sapphic enemies-to-lovers romantasy with banter, danger, and a found-family crew — and who don’t mind the world-building taking a back seat to the romance.
Final Verdict
A Game of Hearts and Heists is a confident, spicy sapphic romantasy that wins on chemistry, banter, and pace. It won’t satisfy readers hunting for intricate world-building, but as a high-heat enemies-to-lovers heist romance with a found-family heart, it’s a genuinely fun ride and a strong series opener. 4.0 / 5.
Where to Buy
Buy A Game of Hearts and Heists on Amazon
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