This book was highly anticipated on my part. The vignettes we got of Tommy -- a detective with Scotland Yard -- and Imogene -- an explosives expert with the Hell's Belles -- in previous books in this series promised an "explosive" love story. Imogene excels (and delights) in irritating the good detective and he is exasperated by her unconventional nature and ability to solve his cases. Irritated to love is one of my very favorite tropes and this book has it in spades. I enjoyed the battle of wits and love story. My one critique is that the "she's not for me" argument Tommy has with himself got a little cyclical. As did his determination that she tell him what she's up to regarding the main mystery of the book. Parts of the action require suspension of belief, but I have no problem with that if it means that there's a world where a female A-Team defeats the patriarchy and falls in love along the way.

My thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Sarah MacLean for access to an e-ARC in return for a review.

This is Imogen and Thomas's story. As usual, lots of fun and danger, uncovering corruption among the wealthy and powerful. The strongest book of the series so far, in my opinion.

Hells Bells continuous...Knockout is likely to bring an instant smile to your face. All the characters are familiar and lovable. I was so excited to finally read Tommy's and Imogen's story. It did not disappoint. The saga continues with things getting blown up and Hells Bells being at the scene; always willing to lend a helping hand.

So... it's been less than 24 hours since I was approved for this ARC. I knew I should wait. It doesn't come out until August. I knew I should savor this latest installment of Hell's Belles, and enjoy a chapter or two for the next few weeks. Turns out I have no chill when it comes to Imogen Loveless and Tommy Peck. They have no chill either, and I think that's why I can't even feel guilty about swallowing this book whole.

They just wanted each other so badly and Imogen is just so perfect and Tommy knows it and this is one of those instances where I'm totally okay with the fact that you need to read the first 2 books before jumping into Knockout. Men obsessed with strong, whacky women is my thing, and this book just radiates that. Don't read this book for the political intrigue or the mystery. That's not what this series is about. Read this because Tommy is obsessed with Imogen and Imogen is obsessed with Tommy (and explosives).

This is a wonderful historical fiction with characters that are well written and empathetic.

I was a bit leery of a romance with a cop main character, but I should have known I could trust Sarah MacLean not to write copaganda, but instead write a nuanced character and story that grapples with justice, corruption, power, and social class.

Both Imogen and Tommy are written so well and I adore them (and this entire series). Both the character's personal insecurities and arcs were so well written and pulled all the right heartstrings. I loved how both Imogen's feels of being "too much" and Tommy's feelings of "not good enough" were handled and resolved so well.

I love the research and depth that MacLean adds to every story - it makes them realistic without losing the warmth I crave from romances. She balances the A and B plotlines so well that they weave so well together and paces the whole book so well (that I read it in one sitting).

I cannot wait for the next book, and Duchess' story.

Lady Imogene Loveless would rather be blowing things up in her laboratory then dancing at balls or pursuing other ladylike activities. Part of the Hell's Belle's crew, dedicated to bringing down corruption and standing up for mistreated people in mid 1800's London, Imogene's skills come in handy as the Belle's investigate a series of explosions across London. Enter Thomas "Tommy" Peck, the hottest detective in Scotland Yard who is also trying to investigate the same explosions.
Now I feel like a lot of the build up to this romance must have happened in previous books because Imogene and Tommy spend nearly the whole book annoyingly lusting after each other. I personally do appreciate some build up in my romance novels and it was just totally lacking here. For the first 3/4 of the books, anything not involving the Belle's was honestly kind of a drag. There is very little development their relationship to explain why the two are so obsessed with each other. I also found Tommy's obsession with protecting Imogene to be tiresome and out of place in a book about 4 badass ladies...I feel like Imogene would have been turned off at him constantly harping on this.
However, when Tommy and Imogene are finally working together to bring down the bad guys it is a bit redeemed, but honestly the romance aspects of the book were meh for me.

I love Sarah MacLean and this one did not disappoint. This is part of the Hell’s Belle’s series, which is loosely based on/inspired by a real life all female gang called the 40 Elephants, who operated in London in the 19th century. The Hell’s Belles use their power for good, aiding women and children and ensuring the men and systems who oppress and harm them face justice. Imogen is their explosives expert. She’s also been deemed strange by most of society. (What with the dynamite and bombs.) Desperate to keep her under control her brother hires detective Thomas Peck to watch her. Peck is straitlaced and serious, Imogene is sunshine and fireworks. Naturally they fall head over heels for one another. They have to overcome their vastly different backgrounds and self doubt, but as always MacLean does a wonderful job of showing us their transformations. I really think Imogene might be my favorite of MacLean’s very long list of fantastic heroines. Imogen is funny and kind and really secure in who she is. She knows people think she’s weird and she’s mostly ok with that. She’s given up expecting the world to see how special she is, but once Peck gets a peek he can’t get enough. His desire to love her exactly as she is is and encourage her brilliance is delightful.

I go back and forth on Maclean so hard, it feels like every second book is a home run and the interim ones are duds. Luckily for me this is a hit. We have all been waiting for tommy to go boom for 2books now and it did not disappoint. Plenty of longing, plenty of explosives, plenty of sass. Here for Imogen and tommy all damn day.

Sarah MacLean is at the top of her game— I just can’t get enough of Imogen and Tommy! Brave and brilliant Imogen, our resident chemist and explosives guru, is drawn to towering, bearded and famous Inspector Peck, one of the very few inspectors with a conscience in 1840s London. In a turn of events, he takes on the role of her bodyguard, yes that’s right, weaving his way rather nicely into the epic Helles Belles crew that has assembled over MacLean’s series thus far (we even get a Bareknuckle Bastards crossover!).

Sarah MacLean has a gift for writing witty dialogue, characters that pop off the page and found families, in this case a girl squad we all can root for: Sesily, Adelaide, Imogen & the Duchess. In this story I found that her research, too, as noted at the end, was wonderful. Her attention to detail, whether in regards to explosives or police corruption, or the ways of life in Shoreditch, give the story an extra edge, an added layer I so enjoyed in Imogen's story.

Tommy had no idea what was coming for him in Imogen— I felt the same with Knock Out.

Knock Out is one of my top 5 reads of the year and I can’t wait to read the Duchess’ book next (that ending left all of our jaws on the floor right?!). Now if I can just wait until next year…

Thank you #netgalley for an ARC of this book!

What a fun romp! Another satisfying and thrilling entry into this excellent series. This is my favorite book in the series so far. Can't wait for Duchess's story!

So good! I love this series by Sarah MacLean and the third entry does not disappoint. Lots of explosions - of the physical variety and the TNT type. Another great installment...looking forward to the Duchess's book!

Well, there was absolutely no way I wasn't going to drop everything to get my greedy eyeballs on this book once I was approved.

I have loved Imogen and Tommy since we first saw each of them. Imogen is witty and clever and so so so undervalued by everyone (excluding her Belles). Tommy is crunchy and stern and so so so good. Together they are captivating and chaos and chemistry. I couldn't get enough and I am delighted that they have been smitten with each other from the start.

Plot wise, there are a lot of loose threads still hanging from the previous books and this one starts the trimming. It's fast paced and filled with explosions of all sorts. I loved reading them figure things out and there's one scene between Tommy and Caleb that was sort of the best. And don't let me forget about the cameo from Hattie and Whit. (I'll just be over here waiting for more of Felicity and Devil.)

Overall, this group is one of the best and I think I'll read them forever. Never mind that the set up for Duchess's book is UNFUCKINGREAL and now I have to wait a year or more for it.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the digital arc free of charge**

Lady Imogen Loveless enjoys explosions: the sound of them, the chemistry behind them, the clues she can find from them. She might be "peculiar" or "too much" in the eyes of the ton, but the Hell's Belles value her knowledge and skills (and friendship). So it's no surprise to find her investigating the aftermath of an explosion that leveled a dressmaker's shop supported by the Belles -- a shop that hid a secret women's health clinic. Imogen won't stop gathering the clues that point to powerful men behind a series of similar explosions in the East End, not even when her brother the Earl of Dorring wants her to focus on finding a husband, and not even when she strikes sparks against Detective Inspector Thomas Peck of Scotland Yard.

Tommy knows the Belles are trouble, especially the chaotic but oh-so-lush and tempting Lady Imogen, but he also knows that their information network is unparalleled and that they undoubtedly have clues he needs to solve these crimes. Unfortunately, he's not getting much support from his higher-ups at the Yard. Instead, he's asked first to find a "runaway" Lady Imogen Loveless, then to guard her, a far more difficult task. He has always prided himself on his control, but Lady Imogen is likely to blow up his entire world.

I have been looking forward to this book since the first book in the Hell's Belles series, Bombshell. I've loved Imogen's unassuming but subversive and funny character from the start, and in this book, she's the whole fireworks show: dazzlingly brilliant, unstoppable, and delightful in her wit and intelligence. No wonder #TommyGoesBoom! She ranks at the top of my list of MacLean heroines, along with Henrietta Sedley (from Brazen and the Beast) -- someone with plenty of intelligence, sense, and self-confidence, who recognizes that others might think her too much but who is unwilling to make herself smaller to fit in. She absolutely rocks!

Tommy, as readers from the previous two books in the series, is completely GONE for Imogen, even if he won't let her undermine his self-control. But the more he interacts with her in this book, the more he understands who she is behind the incendiary front, and the more his control crumbles. His character arc is a very satisfying one, and their HEA will rock your world.

I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but MacLean knocks it out of the park with this one. 5 frizzling, firework-burst stars!

Thank you, Avon/HarperCollins and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Have we been waiting for Tommy and Imogen since book one? Yes. Did we drop everything to read this when we got the eARC? Also yes. Was it worth it? We have no regrets!

Look, we love a starchy law and order type, and Thomas Peck is a Scotland Yard detective who likes everything by the book. Imogen, on the other hand, is basically chaos incarnate. She's a chemist who likes to blow things up and works with a vigilante girl gang to bring down the powerful and corrupt. Basically, this pairing is our catnip.

The book is way fun, as Imogen makes Tommy dance to her tune as they separately-but-together pursue an arson investigation. There were parts we absolutely LOVED, like when Imogen saves Tommy from a watery grave and they have to take shelter in a brothel. Was it perfect? Maybe it was a victim of our hype, but we were just a little disappointed that Tommy ended up not being quite the starchy hero we expected. We do think it's important that you read the first two books in the series before starting this one, because otherwise you won't have the foundation to believe in the love story, which feels as though it starts in the middle. (The meet cute and first few encounters definitely happen in Bombshell and Heartbreaker.)

But look - if you want a thicc bearded hero who just CAN NOT resist the "too much" heroine, a supportive girl gang, and the sexiest fugitive chase of all time, you should totally pick this one up.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the book.

Y’all, when I tell you that this book was one of my most anticipated of the year and I was ANXIOUSLY awaiting its arrival on my Kindle, what I really mean is I NEEDED ME SOME IMOGEN AND TOMMY SO, SO BADLY.

Imogen Loveless is the explosives expert of the Hell’s Belles, you’ll have met her in the first two books in the series. She’s the sister of an Earl, a genius, and her penchant for things that go boom has thoroughly vexed Detective Thomas Peck. She seems to show up wherever there is trouble and he can’t get her out of his thoughts. Thomas Peck has managed to raise himself from the streets of London to a well-respected detective with Scotland Yard. He’s orderly, composed, and follows the law. His association with the Hell’s Belles has led to a few high-profile arrests and now his investigation into a series of building explosions seems to coincide with their interests. He’s determined to find out what they know, how they know it, and to keep Imogen safe.

This book was so much fun. So exciting. So sexy. So damn romantic. Pretty much everything I was hoping Tommy and Imogen’s book would be. Imogen is just as smart and fearless as I expected. But oh wow, my sweet, bearded Tommy. He may start out staid and orderly, but his passionate unraveling begins the moment he carries Imogen out of the rubble of the first building. In fact, this book should be titled The Passionate Unraveling of Tommy Peck. He becomes her self-proclaimed protector and guard. He rescues her numerous times, he can’t help but be near her; it’s like she’s the sun he is just a big, gorgeous man pulled in by her brilliance. They are opposite in every way, and he knows whatever they have won’t be long-term, but he’ll indulge in her presence until it’s time to give her up.

There is quite a lot going on plotwise, as you can imagine. Associates of the Belles are being targeted and they’ve narrowed down a list of the men responsible. They just need to find out who is being hired to set the explosions. They have their suspicions, but that means as much as Imogen wants to trust Tommy, the truth might be something he won’t want to believe.

This is one of those books that you won’t be able to put down until you’ve read the last word. I was not only caught up in the progression of the main characters’ relationship, but the mystery as well. The pacing keeps readers engaged, even in the quieter moments, when this couple is learning about each other and giving in to their amazing chemistry, I knew that it wouldn’t be for long before they would be running from assailants, dodging speeding coaches, and pulling each other out of burning buildings. The sex scenes are hot, hot, hot, which I expected, but also quite tender. Two people from different worlds are drawn together and find safe spaces and understanding in each other’s arms.

All of the Belles and their loves make appearances, as well as at least one couple from a previous book. While the HEA is solid and perfect for this couple, readers will be left with a bit of a cliffhanger for the next book. And I can 100% tell you Duchess’s book is sure to be EPIC. OMG. I don’t know why I didn’t see this trope coming, but I did not and now I am so excited for the next release.

Grade- A

I loved this latest installment from MacLean! It felt new and progressive, without losing any of the swoon factor!

Oh, how I have been waiting for Imogen and Tommy's story, and oh, how this was even better than I hoped!

If you're already a fan of the Hell's Belles, you know what you're walking into. Gleeful chaos, taking down the corrupt and misogynistic men who run Victorian England, and delicious romance. We've got Imogen, a brilliant chemist and explosives aficionado, and Tommy, a deeply honorable detective who is, at this point, pretty much a 24/7 headache in the form of a (very handsome) man. They needle each other, they're super into one another, things get steamy. We've got one of my favorite tropes ("maybe if we act on our feelings JUST THIS ONCE it'll get things out of our system!") and the perfect balance between the investigation storyline and the wonderful push-pull of the romance.

If you like Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, and/or The Law According to Lidia Poet (aka, you like women in fabulous gowns chasing down baddies while accompanied by an exasperated guy who also finds the whole situation frustratingly attractive), this one's for you.

Plus, the cliffhanger at the end? I cannot WAIT.

I am DELIGHTED to read #TommyGoBoom. This was such a fun addition to the series, and maybe my favorite so far. But who knows, that cliffhanger with the Duchess at the end was WIIIIILD.