The spin-off series we have all been pining for is finally here as Sarah MacLean gives us the long-awaited story of Lady Sesily Talbot and the love of her life American Caleb Calhoun. If anyone has read previous series by Sarah Maclean you will be familiar with these characters (though if not you might lose a bit of the overall beautiful effect of the story but not much) and have been dying to see them finally get their HEA like the rest of us. Sarah Maclean has the beautiful talent of creating strong, sassy and believable historical heroines that leave you wondering just how much of history is wrong about the females of the past and wishing that we could truly go back and find out if some of these women existed. Sesily once thought she was going to find love with Caleb but when he returned to America leaving her heart broken she decided that instead of having any man in her life she would dedicate her life to a greater cause. Caleb returned to America when he knew that the desire he felt for Sesily was becoming too much to resist but he left his heart with her, so returning and finding her putting herself into dangerous situations means he has to protect her. As these two spark off one another and find a way to coexist, they slowly begin to see that life together would be much more fulfilling that life apart, if only the dangers stalking them would let them be. I love the sexy and sassy romance between these two and the way that Sesily is portrayed as not only the hero of her own life but Caleb’s hero as well. Caleb was a strong and protective alpha male, but he slowly began to understand that Sesily truly could take care of herself and he gave her the freedom she needed and instead stood at her back. Sesily was a brave, determined, and brilliant heroine, truly a woman well before her time and I loved getting to know her. The passion between these two was amazing and I loved watching them light the fire once they finally began to accept that there was no fighting it. I am dying to find out what comes next for Sesily and her friends and see who falls under love’s spell next. Sarah has struck gold once again with her Belles.

Sesily (aka "Sexily") is part of a group of rebellious society women who take matters into their own hands to see that powerful men are taken down for their abuses. She's devoted herself to her band of justice seeking friends, the Hell's Belle's. But when Caleb, the American, re enters her life he's too much to resist because he was the one-who-got-away.

This is a fun romp but can't be taken too seriously as a historical novel because it's really so contemporary in it's tone. That said, the characters are likeable and it's a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC for an honest review.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Not my favorite, it was kind of meh for me.

It started really slow, but picked up . I liked the couple and they had great chemistry but i was distracted because I really felt like it was a contemporary novel...set in historical times.

In fact..the Lady Vigilante group felt like a historical version of sex in the city...with this main character being Samantha I guess?

I think the story would have flowed better if it had been set in modern times because even for a fictional romance, it was a bit unrealistic.

BUT i did like the role reversal of the standard : rake saves the girls and she tames him. It was interesting seeing the lady as the rake ( even if the hero was a bit...whiny). lol

I gave it 3 stars.

Thank you Net Galley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

FINAL DECISION: An incredible disappointment. The book was a slog to get through and there was no chemistry between the hero and heroine unlike in the prior series where they appeared. MacLean has been a disappointment for her last several books. I hope she gets back to what made her books magical.

THE STORY: Two years ago Lady Sesily Talbot was rejected by Caleb Calhoun, but she also gained the friendship of a group of women who have mysterious intentions (no spoilers!) Sesily's scandalous activities have a purpose. Caleb has spent years trying to avoid the sister of his best friend and business partner. The American has his own secrets that keep him away from the frustratingly attractive woman who he can't forget.

OPINION: This book is a mess. It feels like a collection of "choose your own adventure" romance tropes and sayings rather than a well-constructed story. It took me a long time to write this review because it was almost impossible to be interested enough to get through the book and then to have to write such a bad review for an author that I have loved for about a decade.

The first problem with this book is that there really isn't any reason for these two to be apart. We are teased with the idea that there is some huge reason why two single people who clearly have the hots for one another don't get together. Because Sesily is not constrained by the "proper" woman behavior of her day and Caleb is an American who doesn't seem to adhere to societal restraints himself, there really isn't an external conflict keeping these apart. Instead, the story relies on Caleb two years ago having pulled away from his growing attraction to Sesily because of "something". Unfortunately, that reason ends up not being satisfying and seemed really contrived.

I did enjoy the introduction of the other significant women who will appear in the series. Their stories were intriguing, but like many first books in the series, too much time was taken up with developing these new characters. In this book, the introduction of new characters detracted from the main romance. Perhaps this flaw wouldn't have been so obvious if the book doesn't also stuff in updates from prior series as well. We get an update on all the Soiled Ss. While I generally am happy to read more about other characters, I kept thinking ... when is this story going to progress. Unfortunately, there wasn't really any interesting plot or conflict, or romance to keep this book going.

I also thought that some moments were highlights, such as when they first kissed. The language and the moment were perfect. This book, however, suffers mightily from being contemporary with a thin veneer of history. I'm not picky about such things, but I read chapter after chapter and thought whether the same story could be EXACTLY the same word for word in a modern story. MacLean is often guilty of putting excessively modern sensibilities (language, attitudes, situations) in her historicals recently, but usually, there is an interesting grounding to history (such as the ice business in the Bareknuckled Bastards series). This story, however, lacked that base and thus it felt more ahistorical than normal.

Endlessly disappointing.

WORTH MENTIONING: There are plenty of references to other MacLean books for long-time readers to discover.

CONNECTED BOOKS: BOMBSHELL is the first book in the Hell's Belles series. The hero and heroine of this book, however, appear in the Scandal & Scoundrel series (most significantly THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS).

STAR RATING: I give this book 2 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

I love Sarah MacLean and I was so excited when I heard about this new series. I put off reading it for so long because I get nervous reading books I'm excited for (it doesn't make sense, I know). Anyways, I finally read it and felt a little let down. It wasn't bad by any means, and I enjoyed it, but it didn't live up to my expectations. Sesily has been a favorite since she was introduced years ago, and I am so glad we finally got her story!

I've become obsessed with Sarah MacLean over the past year, so I'm sad to say that this was just an okay read for me. The first 50% of this was sooooo slow, I was tempted to DNF it multiple times. I was so excited to read another feminist historical romance with strong badass heroines, however there was too much telling and not showing for me to really see their strength and character. I didn't always feel the chemistry between Sesily and Caleb, but I was still living for the angst and really fell for Caleb as a hero. I also feel like this story lost me once the far-fetched plot twists hit in the second half. Regardless, this is still a Sarah MacLean book so I still loved the writing style and will continue to pick up everything she writes in the future. Also, especially with how slow of a build this was and some of the more intricate plot setting, I am much more excited to pick up the rest of the books in this series.

And I just have to say - this is still probably my favorite historical fiction cover that released in 2021. I mean the stepback-esque back cover? STUNNING.

I listened to this story over my winter break and I have to say, the reader for it brought the story to life in ways I haven't seen in audiobooks. She brought each character to life with their own accent and inflections and the personality traits of each character just made this one a WOW in my book.  The story itself was fun, flirtatious (just like our heroine), and full of action and adventure.  She works in the shadows with a few other ladies to bring down the more cruel of the male ton society members and when her own crush crashes in on one of her missions she is left with no other choice then to kiss him.  He left England to get away from her, his own temptation, and to hide from his past, but the upcoming birth of one of his good friends, and business partners, brings him back to England and back into the allure and frustration that is Sesily Talbot. These two were so much fun and got into so much trouble together, and when the sparks flew they exploded. Loved it (and REALLY loved the audiobook of it) and cannot wait for more.

I won’t lie… I was so scared to read this book, that I dragged my feet and I really shouldn’t have. But the expectations were so high for Sesily and her American, and us readers had been waiting for so long for their story. That being said, Bombshell delivered a really great book. While there are definite moments where you want to shake Caleb to bits for his stubborn refusal to reveal details about his past faster. The pace at the end is a bit of a whirlwind for all the conflict resolution and HEA. The world building and side character development in this book are A+++. I am so beyond in love with this “girl gang” and can’t wait to read all of their individual backstories. Overall, this is a 4 star read and a solid start for a new series for MacLean.

Sarah MacLean, as always, has my heart. Her ferocious heroines are not just feminist as a word for “strong” or “not like other girls,” but are actually feminist to their core, to their backgrounds and complex inner selves and the things they want and the way they act on the page.

Sesily and Caleb may not be my *favorite* MacLean couple, but only because the bar is so high. Nevertheless, I now have a physical copy of the book and many rereads in my future. I can’t wait for the next installment of Hell’s Belles.

I received a digital advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Maclean that’s all I need to say. This is an amazing book passionate hero and passionate heroine. Miss Maclean writes these amazing women that just are strong, and resilient. She’s very much the historical romance writer of our day.

This was such a fun book full of angst, romance and humor. Now I have not read the series where we meet the hero and heroine but I feel like this is a great tribute to the fans who could not wait for their story. Cant wait for the next book in the series!

This hit all my buttons - sexy, swaggy and swoony!! Who says that all historical women were victims? I loved that the hero completely accepted the heroine for who she is.

Can’t wait for the next one!!

Such a unique take on the historical romance. I really loved the characters, both main and side. The side characters were even more interesting and I cannot wait to read about their lives in the rest of the series.

Overall really enjoyed, but what kept it from being a 5 star for me:

1- talked a lot about the past, which I had super recently read about in the direct companion book to this one. (Not anyone's fault, but I read that book specifically to be able to read this one, so it felt redundant to keep repeating info I'd just learned.)
2- The ending was too rushed. Going from learning about Caleb to the end was kind of jarring and I don't think I got a ton of time to get used to it.

***ARC Provided by the Author***

I struggled with this title. There were parts of it that I enjoyed, but overall I just found it to be dark and it didn't feel happy, rather sort of awful.

I enjoy dark romances, so that was not the problem...I think it was the overall feeling of...tragedy...for lack of a better word in this one that made it really not work.

I finished it, as I wanted to see how it ended, but I am not able to recommend this title.

A historical romance that has a rebellious heroine who could care less about what others think of her and her choices to not be a proper woman and follow the rules that society has set for women. During the time period in which this story is set it is highly frowned upon for a woman to be anything but a respectable young woman that will be a obedient and accepting wife.

Our heroine, Sesily, has amazing confidence that allows her to stand up for herself. She isn't afraid to speak her mind and out men- specifically Caleb- in their place. She is a fierce and strong women that has made waves in society and she is proud of it.

The Hell's Belles (Sesily, Adelaide, Imogen, and The Duchess) step out of the conformities that society has set for them and it's amazing. They use their "faults" that society sees in them as a strength and don't let themselves be walked over for them.

This story uses one of my favorite tropes that I never see enough of which is her sister's close friend to lovers. Not to mention the use of both Caleb and Sesily being in love with the other person but never pursuing it due to thinking the other doesn't feel the same.

The romance within this story was truly wonderful and so was the bond between Caleb and Sesily even before things got deeply romantic between them. The slow burn pinning was so well done, and when they romance really blooms I couldn't get enough of it. I am a sucker for moments in the rain and this book definitely didn't disappoint. That scene was one of my favorites.

I truly can't wait to read more about the Hell's Belles and read the other women's stories. Adelaide's is next and I'm so very excited for it. I'm excited for both The Duchess and Imogen's books as well. I can't wait to see what all plays out for all the women in the Hell's Belles.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this ARC.

I read a good amount of Sarah MacLean, so I know what to expect with her romance books. Bombshell was pretty in line with my expectations: in some ways it was very compelling, and in other ways utterly ridiculous.

I know Sarah MacLean likes to write bad-a$$ girl romances, and I deeply appreciate that, but I think sometimes she crosses the line from conceivable to historical-punk-fever dream. Is that a bad thing? I'm not sure.

I think if the pacing had been brisker, I could have overlooked the flaws in the plotlines, but I found my attention dragging a bit though the middle. Even though there was plenty of action, it felt a bit long at times. I did enjoy the pining and the chemistry, though I wish they just communicated better all along.

A fun read that kept me wanting to read more, but with lots of plot holes and ridiculous antics.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

Crazy fun and romantic. The banter was superb and had me smiling and giggling. I am definitely going to like this next series.

This was the first Sarah MacLean book I've read, but it won't be the last! I would definitely recommend trying this great Historical Romance!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.