Member Reviews
DNF @ 15%
Thank you so much to Avon and Netgalley for providing an e-arc of this. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.
I enjoyed book 1 in this series but for some reason this installment just didn't work for me. I tried listening to this on audio and really didn't care of the narration (I found the heroines voice to be quite grating).
But it was the characters in this that made me want to put this down. I found the characters to be so bland and cliche. We have the absurdly handsome duke that's cold and hard but has a secret heart of gold. And the plain girl that everyone ignores but has so much more to her than anyone can see. Except for the duke that only has eyes for her.
I just couldn't continue to push through a book where I didn't care for or connect to the characters - despite the fun feminist plot.
This was an amazing book! I felt like the characters had so much personality I was never bored. I love how bold the female characters were and how they didn’t let society dictate how they lived. The romance was also great and I definitely recommend this book!!
Sarah MacLean is the greatest. This was such a fun, fast-paced romp of a book, with Adelaide a standout heroine, even by MacLean's high standards. Her chutzpah, vulnerability, and ingenuity made this entry in the series even better than the last!
This is my favorite Sarah MacLean novel to date. Hands down. It's as though MacLean wrote this novel to feed my ID. You cannot convince me otherwise (Sorry Rogue Not Taken, and One Good Earl..., you both had decent runs)
From the opening line, you are immediately immersed into action, and it's non-stop from there - the intensity rarely lets up, as though MacLean was writing an action movie. She is definitely leaning into the tropes. but they are there for plot reasons - it's a road trip romance with only one room (and only one bed). Plus, a race to the finish. Then add in sick bed/caretaking, and a shaving scene. With a sprinkle of hidden identity and woman in pants.
Everyone seems to comment on the Duke's conveyance and how it really doesn't seem appropriate for a race in the country. I keep expecting Sophie and King to show up to give him advice or to sell him some carriage wheels. King can't just be a boring dad waiting to inherit.
However what I love most is how Henry, Duke of Clayborn, sees Adelaide. From the get go. When her job is to blend and hide, he sees her. From Clayborn's standpoint, as the quote in my signed copy says, "It was impossible not to notice her." I just really love how this series is about being seen - sometimes it's about being actually visible/noticed as in Adelaide's case, when her job is to blend. Then in Sesily's case it was being seen as more than the Bombshell that she is, and how she's actually reserved/guarded and a bit lonely, and how Caleb saw that. I cannot wait until Imogen and Tommy. We already know that Tommy notices Imogen (how can you not, when she likes exploding things).
It simply isn’t summer without a Sarah MacLean romance to dive into, and romance readers can always rely on her to bring the summer heat. This sizzling second installment in the Hell’s Belles series takes readers on a Regency road trip with Adelaide Frampton, a thief disguised as a wallflower, and Henry, the buttoned-up Duke of Clayborn.
I have zero chill when it comes to Sarah MacLean. I have been counting down the days until this release all year and it did not disappoint!
Adelaide is someone who is used to being unseen and despite her time with the Belles, she still struggles to feel worthy of being a priority to those around her. Meanwhile, Clayborn has done little else but /see/ her for years. When she steals something that belongs to him, it's the perfect reason to finally learn more about the woman who has captured his attention.
I loved the rollicking plot MacLean wove into this novel—packed with action and danger, while never letting it overshadow important quieter moments between the hero and the heroine. They're both so cautious around each other at first and it was delicious watching them slowly peel back those protective layers to become more honest and vulnerable. Adelaide was a heroine I loved rooting for every step of the way, and Clayborn's absolute feral desire to keep her safe is the hero catnip I needed.
I cannot wait to see where MacLean takes the series next.
Whatever Sarah MacLean writes, I'm going to read, buy, and recommend. She is a shining star in the historical romance scene and writes some of the best fiction I have read. Her characters are perfectly flawed. Her romance is perfectly steamy. Her research is impeccable. Heartbreaker is an excellent read.
I've always enjoyed Sarah MacLean books, and this one does not disappoint!
Adelaide grew up on the South Bank of London as the daughter of one of the most notorious criminals. Went she is rescued from her own wedding, she joins the Hell's Belles crew as the Matchbreaker - a woman who helps women escaped unwanted marriages to bad men. Adelaide is now among high society collecting secrets (and some purses) using what she learned growing up.
Henry, the Duke of Clayborn, has noticed Adelaide even when nobody else seems to do so. She intrigues him, but he is wary of her learning his own secrets.
They get thrown together, first in competition, and then working together, to save Henry's brother and his brother's love from forces working against them. Along the way, they begin to learn each others secrets.
This is a cute story in which it is easy to like the Duke (I was expecting him to be a little more stodgy from the description) and delight in Adelaide and the Hell's Belle's ingenuity. It's a fun story, with nothing too deep. Definitely a good, light read if you are looking for one!
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Trope: different class, love at first sight, road trip, and opposites attract.
Such a loud and Adventurous book. It was lovely and I had so much fun reading it. I loved Adelaide's character and how strong she was. I loved her purpose in this book helping young ladies escaping unwanted marriages. I loved how she swooped Henry right off his feet and pulled him straight into her world with the race to catch his eloping brother. This book has beautiful tension and hot chemistry. Definitely WORTH reading. I highly recommend.
I absolutely loved this story! It was everything I love in historical romance. There was great banter, fantastic spice, and swoony romance. The plot was also full of action and kept me on the edge of my seat.
The characters in this book totally had my heart. Adelaide was an amazing heroine! She was so strong and feisty. Her father is a London crime lord. After a failed attempt to marry her off, she disappeared and started her life over. She has managed to remain in the shadows while doing very important work for other women in bad circumstances. The Duke of Clayborn was stodgy and stern, but a total simp for Adelaide. I loved how her chaos foiled his order.
I didn’t read the first book in the Hells Bells series (this is the second book), but I will absolutely go back and read it now. I really enjoyed Heartbreaker and highly recommend it!
I am posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.
Wow, what an interesting plot. I love a good action story & Heartbreaker delivers a lot. Addie & Henry are characters I found likeable & that always helps. I loved having the Hells Belles all show up, what a group of ladies! Now I'm waiting on Imogen & Tommy to have their story & HEA. With explosions going off all over London, I hope their romance has lots of bombs too.
Sarah Maclean can always be relied on for providing a good historical romance and this book was no exception! The story was filled with great humor and romance. I found myself invested in all of the characters and their backgrounds. The writing, as always, was great.
"He's a duke, and I'm a thief." Sarah MacLean can write a romance like none other. Her latest series surrounding the Hell's Belles is one of my favorites. Heartbreaker features Adelaide and Henry, Duke of Clayborn. There is a race that turns into a road trip. Only one bed. Only one chair (yes, MacLean has made this a thing and I am here for it). A puzzle box. Disguises. Chases. Secrets. Fights and brawls. And some serious steam.
I love how strong MacLean makes her heroines without losing touch of their softer side and vulnerability. She understands what it is a to be a woman living in a patriarchy and the balance and constant battle that entails. Henry is like no other Duke. He may be aristocracy but knows how to throw a punch and speak out and stand up when needed. He is the perfect match for Adelaide and she for him. I love how he loves her spirit. There is absolute no question of his changing her at any point.
The best part of books in the MacLeaniverse is that you get to visit beloved characters. Sesily and the Belles are found in this book and they are as glorious as ever. I recommend this to any and every reader but will say if you are in the mood for a romance with a bit of adventure then this is the perfect book for you!
The “Hell’s Belles” are back baby!!! Picking up where BOMBSHELL left off, Adelaide Frampton—a proper thief in the guise of a Mayfair wallflower—is in the midst of a heist, in the thick of the notorious Bully Boy’s lairs when she encounters the most unlikely thief imaginable attempting to steal her prize.
The Duke of Clayborn, is the stuffiest Duke in England and a thorn in Adelaide’s side that she is determined to pluck out. But suddenly circumstances have forced the two of them to form an improbably alliance as they race-literally-to Scotland to intercept an eloping couple. The Duke, to insure they make it to the altar and Adelaide to complete a mission for the Belles.
Angst, romance and adventure ensue as secret passions are revealed and villains thwarted, in this humor laced romp that steals your interest from the very first page and never let’s go!
Henry and Adelaide are simply adorable! I loved them both so much and enjoyed every second of this book, which is no surprise really. Sarah MacLean is my go-to author when I’m looking for high romance, that’s a little spicy, a little sweet and whole lot of fun.
To say that I am impatient for more of the Belles is an understatement and I simply cannot wait for our resident bomb-maker, Imogene to clash with a certain handsome inspector in the next one.
This was pretty average. People who enjoy historical romances will probably like this well enough, but I don't think it's anything special.
If Sesily and Caleb’s story was something I’d waited for for years, Adelaide and Clayborn’s story was something I didn’t know I needed. But I should’ve known because few write a historical road-trip romance like Ms Sarah Mac, and with this one again she brings all the action packed, breakneck paced, inn filled realness we’d expect from a chase across the British countryside. There’s a severe shortage of beds on this particular route, which is giving the public exactly what they want. { We start at enemies to lovers town, take a few pit stops at mutual oneupmanship-ville , take a day trip at who did this to you city, and take a detour at I’ll care for you when you’re hurting village, basically hitting all my romance buttons}
Adelaide and Clayborn are as apart as can be, with her the princess of thieves playing at the aristocratic life so she can help the Hell’s belles with their brand of vigilante justice, him the serious and righteous Duke with a pristine reputation. Tangibly opposites, but drawn together like magnets, fitting together like puzzle pieces. Watching each other from afar or clashing together in thievery or chases across the countryside, these two cannot stay away from each other. It is as delightful to see Adelaide open up her heart and trust to Henry as it is to see that there is in fact, more to Henry than just being a huffy aristocrat, a man with a secretly soft center and honor to the bone. All this while getting up to some very steamy shenanigans of course.
Used to going unseen and unnoticed by most of society, Adelaide is a bagful of unique skills and trust issues earned from a rough start in life. Clayborn is that rare Duke with some darkness in his past but a more or less loving upbringing which makes him more well adjusted than his peers, if still dramatic about marriage and babies. Neither of them thinks they’re worthy of great love, and both of them of course are to be proven unequivocally wrong. The author is a champ at subverting well loved tropes while paying due homage to them, and she does it again here. I guessed the big Secret right away, but that did not stop me from crying like a baby at the moment of the reveal. I mean, the lengths Henry will go to prove himself worthy of Adelaide and to protect her, even knowing she’s well equipped to do so herself was enough to get my emotions leaking all over the place.
Of course I can’t speak of this series without mentioning the belles, life of the party and ruin of the patriarchy. This group of fearless and fearsome females gives me life, and seeing Henry slowly making his way into the crew is just plain adorable. These women changing the world, one rebellion at a time, is the stuff history is made of. Duchess is her usual dry and omniscient goddess self and her obsession with invisible lint on her clothing would make Rhys proud. There’s a ways to go for her book yet, I can’t wait for geniusly naughty Imogen and perpetually exasperated copper Tommy to set London ablaze in the next book.
I loved this book! It's so cute and romantic and swoon-worthy. I love Henry and the character development with Adelaide's self-esteem throughout the book.
Book #2 in the Hell’s Belles series. Enemies to lovers, opposites attract, found family and forced proximity tropes.
This 2nd book features the Duke of Clayborn and Adelaide Frampton.
What a horrible life our heroine Adelaide lived being the daughter of a notorious gang boss. Her father Alfie Trumbull 👺 is a violent brute among criminals of the highest core. Enforced by her father, Adelaide at age six 👧 was the finest nipper 🪙🤏 in London.. and by age twenty-one 👩🦰 the greatest thief London never saw! 🙈 But now after escaping him and becoming a member of the Hell’s Belles 💋, she’s the notorious “Matchbreaker” using her skills to help brides avoid the alter.
Lord Clayborn is the complete opposite. Born to nobility 🇬🇧🏰🎩.. he’s an honest, rule abiding, defender of those less fortunate 👨⚖️, glass is half-full 🥃 type man.
Believe it when I say they make the perfect match.. only Adelaide doesn’t believe she’s good enough for a duke.. AND Clayborn is so gone over Adelaide it’s freaking adorable!!! 🫶🏻 These two get in all sorts of sticky situations while trying to race cross country to his brothers elopement in Scotland. Y’all this is one FUN 🎉, rip roaring hilarious 😂, happily ever after!!! 💕💒💐👫 A must read for sure.
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub. 8/23/22
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Happy Happy release week to @sarahmaclean Adelaide and Henry!!! Truly, reading a new Sarah MacLean novel is always one of my favorite annual activities, and this year’s offering was👩🏼🍳😘👌🏻 immaculate
As always, the things I loved about this book are ✨plentiful✨ and were I to attempt to wax poetic on the badassery of the Belles (hello Valkyrie references, I can spot the KC allusion a mile away!!) the several—arguably weaponized— utterances of “Good Girl,” or the utter deliciousness of Henry & Adelaide’s banter i would RAPIDLY run out of room😂 so for this particular review, I’m only gonna wax poetic about how masterfully Sarah crafts her series arcs & worldbuilding
Bc often ppl think world building is just a fantasy thing, but like when I pick up a book in the SMCU (aka Sarah MacLean Cinematic Universe) there is an ~immediate~ vibe switch😎 its such a heady rush!! There’s a certain tone to her writing that feels really exhilarating, like even if you’re just chillin in a ballroom SOMETHING is going to happen and its gonna change your life. I think especially rn when the world feels pretty heavy, that feeling of vast positive potential is so delicious.
And l think some of that probably stems from the fact that Sarah has been masterminding the twists and turns of this series since Daring and the Duke back in 2020— i love hearing her talk about her writing process, and the way that she builds out all this stuff is not only *fascinating* to hear, but it means that with each installment in a series the world is richer, the stakes are higher, the plotting is trickier and the reveals are even wilder😍 Helle’s Belles has been such a treat from the start— I loved revisiting Caleb and Sesily and seeing peeks of them in Heartbreaker was ✨incredible✨ AND YET she levels up with Heartbreaker. I adored Adelaide and Henry’s romance so much, ty Sarah for gracing us with your beautiful brain💞
INCREDIBLE!!! Heartbreaker by Sarah McLean is book 2 in A Hell's Belles series and I so loved this book. I have been reading Sarah’s book for years now and she never disappoint. One of the best authors of today and I truly mean that. I can’t tell you how excited I get when sh has a new release and Heartbreaker was just so incredible… you have to read this book. I found it to be easy to read, original, had the real feel of the regency era, wonderful characters, vivid description, very well written and just an exciting read. Can you tell how much I loved this book. This story has London’s best pickpocket, a duke who is anything duke like, stealing from her own father, secrets, a chase & being chased, being able to become invisible, a fighter, a carriage accident, a brother that is running to Greta Green, a daughter who knows her father is a murder, disappearing, not realizing how beautiful she really is, scandal if caught, 4 ladies who fight for the right, explosions and falling in love even when they do not want to. Yes… I am very highly recommending you read this book. As I said it is INCREDIBLE!!!!
***This book was gifted to me and I am voluntarily reviewing.
This book 2 in the Hell’s. Bells series, but I had not problem reading it without having read the first one. There’s a sassy, independent heroine with her equally fierce lady friends pitted against a a Duke with a fiercely protected secret and heart.
Adelaide and Henry, the Duke of Clayborn are racing against each other: one to stop a wedding and one one yo make sure it happens. There’s a reason Adelaide is know as the Matchbreaker and it isn’t long before Henry catches on and catches up.
As the wagers of their cat-and-mouse game heat up, so does the danger and the chemistry between the two. Forced to work together, the two must start to trust each other with their secrets-and their hearts-if they are to save the ones they love.
Adelaide reminds me so much of Poppy (from Jennifer L. Armentrout’s From Blood and Ash high fantasy romance series). She’s protective, loyal, and stabby when needed. Her interactions with her friends are the epitome of found family and respected her as a character for everything she had to overcome. She isn’t afraid to speak up when needed and protect those she loves, even to her own detriment,
I was not expecting the Duke to act the way he did in *that* scene (hello praise kink!). Not only that, but his backstory was heart wrenching! He’s a total Alpha male in all the best ways. It was very much a “touch her and you d!e” trope. While he struggled with Addie’s independence and ability to protect herself, he comes from a good place.
While the intimate scenes are spectacular, my favorite scene is towards the end in the church (no spoilers!). It always makes my heart flutter when the love interest calls the other love or darling or something just as sweet.
If you like frenimies-to-lovers, only one bed, dramatic danger scenes, ample spicy scenes, and fantastic, heartfelt characters, this book is a must-read!