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!

6 star all time favorite

Sarah Maclean did it again and it was amazing. I adored reading about Adelaide and Henry. Their romance was magical and amazing.

Truly just a blast i loved the road trip setting and how ti all played out as well.

This has some of the hottest sex scenes I've ever read, especially for a regency romance. There's praise kink, face sitting, and spanking! Adelaide and Henry have a lot of fun, sexy banter and many swoon worthy moments together.

It did take me a couple chapters to fully immerse myself in this but once I had I was engaged and invested. I'm impressed with the way Sarah MacLean weaves her romances with her other plots, leaving me interested in them all. I think my favorite thing about this book might be the fact that it's intimate and close. We spend a good portion of it with our two heroes in one room together. I had a good time reading this and I adored the way the romance unfolded.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

100% the hero is the best part of this story. Henry is literally like a knight in shining armor standing by his warrior queen. We love to see it.

So Heartbreaker is pretty much the same as Bombshell. The Hell's Belles are taking down bad men and trying not to fall in love at the same time. That's basically the gist of these books. I like the concept of the Hell's Belles in theory, but honestly, the execution is kind of lacking. I can't read more than a few lines of these women talking about their mission without wanting to roll my eyes. The feminism is so heavy handed in this series that it's borderline annoying and also borderline misandry. I don't remember MacLean's books being so in your face with female empowerment. I'm all for women ruining horrible men and saving innocent women but why make these women sound like a college kid after reading their first feminist theory book. Duchess is the worst of all the women, by the way. In a way i can't wait for her book because I have a feeling it will be second chance romance but I also don't want it because I kind of hate her. Every line she says or is said about her is so cliche, like a line out of a man hating, white feminist nonfiction book.

It is kind of ironic that I thought Henry, the hero, was the best part in a book about a powerful group of women taking down the patriarchy. Who would've thought that would be possible? He was just so sweet to Adelaide. The man practically worshipped at her feet and wanted to tear apart anyone who ever wronged her. During their more romantic parts, Henry would even praise Adelaide for literal pages. He is like a Talia Hibbert hero but make him a duke in the 1830s. My dream man!

I liked Adelaide, but someone needed to tell her that no one likes a martyr. She had one of the worst martyr complexes I've ever read about and it's one of my pet peeves in a character. Adelaide was so willing to throw away her future so easily just because she's a thief. She talked about herself like she was some horrible criminal and it just got on my nerves. But her martyr complex really only came into play at the end so she wasn't bad for most of the novel.

Overall, I want to love these books, I really do. I just can't get behind the Hell's Belles as they are right now. Maclean tries so hard to make the women admirable badasses but she just tries too hard. At least Henry was there to make it all better.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Heartbreaker was a great book about the love story of a duke and a thief. The couple was amazing and you could really feel the love they had for each other. This hero is definitely my favorite Sarah MacLean hero so far and I loved how he looked at our heroine. Our heroine did not believe that she was wordy rod our hero, but true love always win.

4.5 stars

Sarah MacLean continues to knock it out of the park with the second in her Hell’s Belles series.

Adelaide was raised in a crime family with no expectations besides helping her crimelord family make powerful connections. A chance encounter led her to London’s elite society where she helped the Duchess and her friends take down powerful and corrupt men. In her spare time, she moonlighted as the Matchbreaker, an unknown woman who made a business out of dismantling engagements. Unexpectedly, she found herself in a race against time with the Duke of Clayborn to locate two young lovers who went on the run.

Oh my, where even to begin? Bombshell was such a special book and I was nervous that Heartbreaker wouldn’t live up to it, but it was just as special as Bombshell! MacLean crafted her characters with such depth that it was impossible not to revel in their development and love. Adelaide and Henry, the Duke of Clayborn, had a fiery passion with a quiet vulnerability that demonstrated how they completed each other. Besides an engrossing romance, MacLean will win over readers with a smart conflict that puts Adelaide and the Hell’s Belles at center stage.

Mary Jane Wells is a national treasure. If you have the option to listen to a book narrated by Wells, jump at the chance. As expected, Wells’ performance made MacLean’s world and characters more whole and I often found myself rewinding some passages to ensure I didn’t miss a single word.

Heartbreaker is a stellar addition to the Hell’s Belles world, and makes for perfect rereading material!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
HEARTBREAKER is the second installment in the Hell's Belles series by Sarah MacLean. While it can easily be read as a standalone with little to no confusion, I highly recommend reading BOMBSHELL first, as the storylines are interconnected.

Read in a single sitting, I couldn't put the book down. I always look forward to devouring Sarah MacLean's novels, because of how happy they never fail to make me feel. Warm, entertained, and amused.

The ballroom wallflower or the infamous matchmaker, which is the real Adelaide Frampton? Beneath the façade of a meek and awkward, Plain Jane, Adelaide hides her calculating intelligence. Aiding her fellow young maidens when it comes to the perils of the marriage mart, stopping the marriages before they make it to the altar.

Henry, the Duke of Clayborn, is a stringent rule-keeper, walking the fine line of the Ton, never making waves. His impeccable reputation is more important than the salacious gossip of the matchmaker, as she yet again thwarts one of his peers.

A forced proximity plot device is utilized, much to the entertainment of this reader, and the frustration for poor Henry. On a cross-country journey, filled with highwaymen, inns, secrets and lies, hunting down a couple eloping. Adventurous action, heart-pulsing tension, and budding romance, what a journey it was!

I was absolutely entertained by Adelaide's duplicity, especially with the juxtaposition of Henry's personality. I was amused with the turn of every page. The witty banter, the push-pull tension as Henry fights the draw he feels for Adelaide.

Highly recommended to fans of Sarah MacLean. However, I do warn that the author's more modern take on the era may not be the cup of tea for those looking for an old-school historical romance novel.

I loved the 1st 2 books in this series. Continuing the theme from Bombshell, we have this amazing group of women working together. This is very much a feminist historical romance, celebrating the power of women!!

I love the interaction between Henry and Adelaide as they try to acheive their separate agendas & it’s so refreshing to see relationships that are equal. Although I’m not sure it was possible at that time, is it wonderful to read this as a possibility.

I can’t wait to read the next book!

Thank you to Avon/Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another MacLean hit! Adelaide and Clayborne’s story was so unexpected. I never imagined their story would be told over the course of a road trip with multiple there’s only one bed scenes. The plot moved quickly and the spice was on point. I have wanted to read their story since Bombshell and it did not disappoint!

I love a group of strong kick-ass women that investigate and take down the patriarchy from the inside.

As Adelaide is in the middle of a job she keeps running into the Duke of Clayborn. Their competition to get to their quarry first turns into a one bed, one chair situation.

He has his own secrets and she is definitely hiding a lot. But love finds a way or is that life. Her Dad is a scary guy though.

Total historical steam! Like one room taking a bath steam!

I need to read Bombshell!! Also the setup for the next book sounds great! I loved Lady Imogen Loveless! She's already got that poor detective discombobulated. 

Thank you avonbooks and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

This story was GLORIOUS, and Clayborn was the MOST romantic hero! Swoons forever!!

Adelaide Frampton grew up a princess of thieves, from the wrong side of the river. Her circumstances unexpectedly changed 5 years earlier, when The Duchess helped her escape her situation, and make a new life for herself. She's enjoyed the missions she and her fellow Belles have undertaken, and how they've brought low the wicked, titled men, who most deserve it. The ones who no one else is willing to take on. She's still a thief, but now she steals secrets, and puts them to good use.

Henry Carrington, Duke of Clayborn, lives an impeccable life. He is above reproach, and works hard to keep it that way. So, when the infamous Matchbreaker, thinks to threaten his younger brother Jack's nuptials to his beloved, Henry must intervene. What he doesn't expect is for the Matchbreaker to be Adelaide. A woman who runs around town acting as though she's invisible, though he's never been able to do anything BUT notice her.

Henry and Adelaide were magic together, and their connection was RED HOT, much to both of their chagrin. They begin as adversaries, but of course that doesn't last long. And their descent into true, unbreakable love, and partnership, was a complete and total delight! They could not get enough of each other: mind, body, heart, and soul. I was 100% here for it! Henry was the most romantic of heroes, and Adelaide needed someone to completely adore her before she could believe she was deserving of such devotion.

The Belles were AMAZING as always, and GAH! I can't wait for the next book, which will be Imogen and Tommy. Explosions will be occurring, for sure! Some of Adelaide's thieving compatriots were hilarious too, including a couple innkeepers, and of course Lucia the Highwaywoman, and her men!

I adored Bombshell, but I think I loved Adelaide and Clayborn even more! It was such a beautiful story about knowing your worth, and knowing who loves you, who has your back, who you can trust, and finding that all those people are intertwined in the life you're already living. I highly recommend it to any romance lover, but especially historical fans!

Adelaide is the daughter of a notorious crime lord. The worst of the worst. She had a terrible childhood, forced to be an expert pickpocket or there would be hell to pay. She finally escapes this life with the help of Duchess and the group of women known to Britain as the Hell's Belles. With a vast network of informants, they help women avoid horrendous men among the aristocracy. Adelaide is the Matchbreaker. She poses as the Duchess's cousin, going unnoticed amongst the Ton, gaining information and helping women avoid matches to terrible men. Henry is a Duke with a secret. A secret Adelaide just stole from her father. When Henry's brother takes off for Gretna Green to marry the woman Adelaide must protect, a road trip follows. Here is where the story lags for me. A lot of over-the-top gushing insta-love. Henry has more energy of any human in existence after surviving broken bones and a five-day coma! Much is made of Adelaide not wanting to ruin Henry with her low-born past. I give it the fourth star because of the flip of the women being the bad-asses, saving the day. Fist fights, knife fights, gun fights, and gang wars. I'm really looking forward to explosive expert Imogen and her Detective.

Another amazing book by one of the queens of romance. Bravo and eagerly anticipating the next in the series!

This is a unique historical romance with a heroine like no other. Adelaide Frampton grew up in London's dangerous slums with an even more dangerous father who ran a vicious gang. To say that he was not a protective dad was an understatement - he was one of her biggest dangers, and put her to work stealing by age 6. She learned to dress and act so that she went unnoticed - one of her most important assets, along with her courage, always being armed, and on high alert. She is a member of the Hell's Belles, a group of intrepid women who help other women in danger.

Henry, the Duke of Clayborn, shows up when she is 'retrieving' something from her father's office at his headquarters in the slum where he runs his gang of murderers and thieves. Henry is there for the same reason as Adelaide - to recover something that was stolen by her father's gang, something very important to him. Henry is shocked when he recognizes Adelaide - he is more used to seeing her at dinner parties given by titled people - always quiet and unobtrusive. She is a master at blending in and being invisible. Adelaide ends up stealing both items, his and hers, and escapes, but Henry has not given up on retrieving his puzzle box. It holds a secret that he wants to keep sealed away. He also wants to figure out the puzzle that is Adelaide now that he really sees her.

There is a complex plot to this story, but what really thrilled me was the women of the Hell's Belles - women who help other women in the Victorian period, a time when women had about the same legal standing as children. Some of the characters in this series were previously introduced in two other series - the Scandal and Scoundrel series and the Bareknuckle Bastards series. I don't think it is necessary to have read the earlier series to enjoy this one.

My thanks to publisher Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the advance reading copy. These are my own opinions of the book.

“Do you hear me, Adelaide Frampton, Addie Trumbull, Matchbreaker, fucking chaos—I don’t want any of it if it ends with me loving you from afar.“

I don’t believe I’m spoiling anything with that quote but is there anything more romantic and simultaneously hilarious? THANKS SARAH now I will not settle for anything less than someone proclaiming their love to me by calling me “fucking chaos.” Goals.

There is a lot of funny writing in this book, and some very snappy and sizzly dialogue. Imogen made me LOL several times (“I like chemicals.”) and I can’t wait to see what she gets into in her installment.

I just love a romance with a heavy dose of feminism:
“‘…I would spend my life erasing the memories, if you would let me.’
She shook her head. ‘I don’t want them erased.’
‘No?
‘No. Henry. Don’t you see? They are fuel.’”

I have a physical copy of the first book in this series and I haven’t read it yet- I definitely see how they’re tied together but I don’t think it’s crucial that you read these books in order.

I have two minor quibbles:
1. Adelaide’s “spectacles” are mentioned repeatedly throughout the book, and yet are not featured on the cover. Boo.
2. A little overboard on the “protagonist believes she is worthless” thing. I mean it’s an important part of the story but I feel like it just got explained to death.

Anyway it’s late and this review is mostly nonsensical but if you like romances, add this author to your list because there’s steam, humor, and badass women.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the review copy!

This book was so good. I loved the first book in this series, and being able to see the story of the Hells Belles continue through a different characters point of view was really nice. I never wanted to put this book down, much like the first one. The way that Sarah MacLean writes draws the reader right into the story. I'm really excited to see what is to come for the other characters in the next books. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book.

Everyone knows that I am a true blue Sarah MacLean fan. I think more about the MCU (the MacLean Cinematic Universe, for the uninitiated) than anyone has a right to and I credit Sarah with welcoming me into the romance genre and community. And so I loved this book, because it was a new Sarah MacLean novel and any chance I have to read anything Sarah has written for the first time is a blessing.

This book started off a little rocky for me - it's somehow both slow and action-packed at the same time, and I find Sarah's new more mysterious writing style challenging to cut through. But then, about 2/3 of the way through, everything fell away and it became one of the most romantic romance novels I have ever read. There was a delicacy that I found so unexpected and overwhelming. I swooned and I remembered why I read romance and why love and community are the most valuable thing we have. I gobbled it all up.

I do feel like sometimes Sarah gets so caught up in the badassery that some more nuanced feminism and characterization gets lost (especially in this series). I'm actually interested in flawed heroines, and it seems like sometimes she's more interested in badass heroines who have no weakness. All of that being said, I adored the way sex was handled in this book - as though it were important, and not a throw away for either of them.

So while this doesn't reach the levels of One Good Earl Deserves a Lover or Brazen and the Beast, It's a Sarah MacLean novel, and a damn good one at that.

CW: force marriage, gun on page

I think this one was interesting with Adelaide being a "heartbreaker" (its not really what you think). I think how Henry and Adelaide reason's for working/getting together was fun. Preventing runaway marriages in Gretna Green for historicals in general always are! Middle was a bit slow but keep at it. This was still a good read for me.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.