Sarah Maclean has to be one of my favourite authors who never seems to disappoint and thank goodness for that. However, this book simply deserves 5 stars and so much more because I really loved both the MCs, the story and the girl gang especially Tom was everything!! Now, I just can’t wait enough to read the next book in the instalment already.

This book has it all! From the jump, Sarah MacLean drops you into the chaotic world of Adelaide Frampton, where there's only one bed, only one chair, only one carriage, and only one duke who matters. The master thief of an all-female vigilante crew, Adelaide is used to being invisible, so when the Duke of Clayborn keeps showing up and 'seeing' her, it throws her off her game. In a deft twist, MacLean imbues our heroine with my favorite MacLean-hero traits. From ignoble beginnings that lead to a life half-lived in shadows, with skills and wits enough to make it on her own, and a deep seated impulse to self-sacrifice to save the people she loves, Adelaide is a force to be reckoned with. Enter immovable object, Henry, Duke of Clayborn. Watching these two knuckleheads figure out how to love each other was a delight. This second book in the Hell's Belles series did not disappoint! Bring on Imogen and the Duchess!

Sarah MacLean has done it again. Of course, by "it" I mean completely captivated me in a whirlwind romance. Heartbreaker has cemented my previous assumptions that I will read anything Sarah MacLean writes. She is the queen of world-building.

I was equally excited and nervous about starting this book, hoping it would stand its own compared to MacLean's other works. It did not disappoint! Adelaide was a feisty heroine that you just have to root for. It was satisfying learning about her background, and how she doesn't fit the stereotypes of the time period. Clayborn was her perfect match--the kind of hero you're enthralled with from the first page.

I absolutely cannot wait for the rest of this series. I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Sarah MacLean for the ARC!

OH MY GOODNESS. Dare I call this my new favorite historical romance? I think I do!

Adelaide is the former princess (read: daughter of the king) of one of London's South Bank gangs who manages to escape the life with the help of Duchess and forms a new family with the Hell's Belles. She's used to blending into the background, so imagine her surprise when Henry, the Duke of Clayborn, notices her and continues to do so despite her best efforts. Adelaide and the Hell's Belles have a mission to put a murderous and abusive peer in prison, but Henry shows up to mess with their plans (unintentionally). His goal is to make sure his brother gets happily married, which is complicated by the interference of the Hell's Belles as well as the Bully Boys gang. Adelaide and Henry take off on a race to Gretna Green to ensure the marriage of Henry's brother and along the way their chemistry becomes undeniable. The depth of the characters and their relationships with each other as well as the action-packed plot set Heartbreaker apart from other historical romances, and I cannot wait to continue reading about the wonderfully colorful world of Sarah MacLean.

I think every Sarah MacLean book is my favorite, and then I read the next one. The Hell's Belles are an absolute delight. I can't get enough of them. Adelaide is a precious brutal angel and I would die for her. I cannot WAIT for Imogen and Tommy's book. More Sarah MacLean, all the time!

Sarah MacLean is a favorite author of mine, so I always have high expectations. When I say she delivered - she DELIVERED! I have anticipated Clayborn and Adelaide’s book since Clayborn’s public setdown of Adelaide in the first Hell’s Belles book. Clayborn and Adelaide’s romance is a perfect combination of sweet and passionate. I loved every second of reading these two fall hard for each other - and boy, do they fall hard.

The timing of this Hell’s Belles series is superb and I will always remember this series as books that reinforced my drive to fight the good fight and make good trouble. Personally, this book was a balm to my tired soul and I hope it is for other readers as well! Sarah MacLean continues to be the best at writing feminist af historical romance and I can’t wait for Imogen’s book - it promises to be quite explosive!

No one writes historical romance like Sarah MacLean. With Heartbreaker, she’s outdone herself once again. If you love a road trip romance, strong women, a good chase, and, of course ONLY ONE BED, read Heartbreaker immediately.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Adelaide is an integral part of the Hell’s Belles, a group of women who quietly make sure powerful men pay for their crimes. Henry, the Duke of Clayborn has been watching Adelaide for a long time, but their paths truly cross when they both go to steal the same item. An exciting chase ensues, and they both hold their own against the thugs chasing them. It later becomes evident that they are both a looking for the same people for different reasons. They challenge each other to see who can catch the couple first, and the race is on.

Adelaide is convinced no one ever notices her, and that’s the key to her success as a lifelong thief. But Clayborn always sees her, and notices every detail about her. They continually challenge each other, and both revel in their constant rivalry.

This book hits so many tropes/plot points that I adore! The highlight is that Adelaide and Henry are together on the page for almost the entire book. Getting to see them constantly up close and together as their feelings develop is a treat. It also helps that their super steamy chemistry jumps off the page in every scene. And, one can not overstate the repeated appearance of Only One Bed.

Hell’s Belles is a series that keeps getting better and better. If you have any inclination towards historical romance, you can’t miss Heartbreaker. I can’t wait for Imogen and Tommy’s book, I know it will be explosive!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A twist of fate has taken Adelaide Frampton from London's slums to ton society. Her public wallflower persona keeps her plain and unassuming so that no one realizes she’s the one called "Matchbreaker." Adelaide may not be who she seems, but Henry, Duke of Clayborn definitely notices her! The two race to catch his eloping brother, while dangerous foes give chase and strong feelings emerge.

This is the second book in the Hell's Belles series. I think it's helpful to read book one, as it establishes the female "gang" and this story picks up with events related to the end of the last one.

Heartbreaker was just a heck of a lot of fun! Adelaide and Henry were great characters, and I loved the "catch me if you can" vibe. The plot was woven in well with the character development, peeling back layers of vulnerability while still letting each be tough (physically and emotionally). Their banter and chemistry were wonderful…and, of course, there was only one bed for a good portion of the journey.

Tropes: Anti-Heroine, Class Difference, Opposites Attract, Road Trip, Forced Proximity, Nursed to Health

Steam: 3

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #Heartbreaker #NetGalley

Another fearless, competent, take charge heroine from Sarah MacLean, and a hero who falls hard for her. The Duke of Clayborn and Adelaide Frampton are forced together to find his brother who has run away with the woman he loves. Both have secrets that as they slowly build trust, reveal themselves.

This is a lush, romantic read. Thank you Avon for the ARC to read and review.

(Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this E-book in exchange for an honest review.)

Another fabulous installment of Hell’s Belles! This series is fun, steamy, and heartwarming, centering around an underground network of rebellious women taking down the patriarchy of Victorian London, as well as the stubborn, forward-thinking gentlemen who love and fight alongside them. There are a lot of things I like about this series so far: the strong and supportive female relationships, the chaotic feminist energy, the protective men who fall over themselves worshipping the women they love, and the high-quality Victorian spice (I mean, who doesn’t love all those things?)

Henry Carrington, Duke of Clayborn, isn’t the most unique of characters, but he’s just so outrageously romantic you can’t help but fall in love with him. He’s a bit uptight at first, as dukes in these books typically are, but as he follows Adelaide in a race across Britain, his caveman side emerges and we get to see him throwing hands to protect his woman and defend her honor. He is eventually revealed to be a bit of an animal in the bedroom, despite the injuries he sustained fighting alongside her, the ruggedness of which is always just… so, so great. And when Adelaide’s “pretty woman who doesn’t know it” syndrome comes to the forefront (a bit frustrating even though it makes sense in this story, given her background), Henry is quick to shower her with praise and love and adoration and physical affection.

I like Adelaide’s story, too; she’s generally regarded as a Mayfair wallflower but quickly shown to be made of stronger stuff (all thanks to her past as a legendary South London pickpocket). I found her to be a bit more of a lackluster heroine compared to Sesily in the previous book, but her dynamic with Henry during their more intimate moments was one of the strongest parts of the book.

As for what didn’t work for me: the historical inaccuracies in this series can be a bit distracting. There’s a bit of anachronistic Bridgerton energy here, the world reading as an over-the-top feminist utopia with occasional virtue signaling that can be a bit much at times. The pacing of this book is also a little off, with a high inner monologue-to-action/dialogue ratio and lots of repetitive phrasing (“licking into [one another’s] mouths,” sentence fragments, etc.), so it took me a while to get into the book despite the ample number of action scenes throughout.

Overall, this was a fun book and I will definitely read Imogen and Tommy’s story when it comes out next year! If you can suspend your disbelief and lean into the energy of premise, you will likely enjoy this series.

| Heartbreaker Arc Review |
By Sarah MacLean

The Princess of Thieves and Duke Clayborn have stolen my heart. Heartbreaker is absolutely adorable and everything I could’ve asked for in a historical romance.

This story follows Adelaide, the daughter of one of South London’s most notorious criminals and expert pickpocket, as she and Hell’s Belles hold the aristocratic men of Mayfair accountable for their wicked deeds. Adelaide is incredibly smart, cunning, and crafty and believes that her ability to go unnoticed is her greatest asset. Little does she know, she’s captured the attention of the Duke of Clayborn, and he is unable to resist this woman who both frustrates and fascinates him.
Our lovers find themselves in a high speed race across the countryside to save the duke’s brother and his intended bride, but end up with only one bed and a load of tension.

This book was filled with tons of fun action and I thoroughly enjoyed following Adelaide and Henry as they fall in love and learn to trust one another. Their love is so pure and wholesome, it made me all fuzzy inside. Oh and the spice is impeccable. If you’re a fan of Historical Romance, this book is not to be missed, and I look forward to the next Hell’s Belles novel from Sarah MacLean.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘚𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘩, 𝘈𝘷𝘰𝘯, 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘝𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘦-𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

mistakenly requested this book without realizing it wasnt the first in a series, decided to read it nonetheless and i am SO GLAD that i did. macleans writing is so refreshing and the way that shes found a way to add a feminist touch to her historical romances is absolute perfection. ive now read 6 more of her books and cant wait to read more. sesily forever

Overall, this was a good story, with fresh plot lines.
Spoiler Alert:
The story opens with the heroine sneaking into a warehouse to steal some secrets. She comes across a man who insists that one of the items she steals is his and he chases her across the bad part of London, themselves being chased by thugs of the gang who own the warehouse. The man she meets is the Duke of Claybourne, and at first, I assumed he was a spy-type person like her. But he isn't. He is a duke with non-Duke-like skills. The heroine kisses him before she escapes from him. She has seen him at balls and parties over the past six years as the cousin of a duchess. But she isn't a relative at all. She is the daughter of a gang leader who considers himself the king of theives. In short, he is a mafioso, regency-style. As the story progresses it is a fresh telling of "a poor girl loves a duke". They embark on a cross country trip, chasing the hero's younger brother as he goes to Gretna to get married. But they are chasing his younger brother to protect them, not prevent the marriage. It turns out that the younger brother's intended has a Marquess father that killed his business partner, his daughter saw it and is the only witness and they are trying to protect her so he can be brought to justice. What a mouthful!!
So most of the story is is traveling and meeting the members of a secret feminine society. These are some scary women!
I enjoyed this story, I enjoy this author, but this story was filled with too many words. I found myself repeatedly having to look for the story among a lot of unnecessary words and paragraphs. I would read one part of the story,then 2 or 3 pages of comment that did not add to the story and try to find where the story started back up. It was just a bunch of verbage. My advise is to find some proof reader or editor that can cut some of the excess from the story. While the story was good, it could have been better with a lot of excess words cut out. For this reason, I am giving this book 4 stars. But there are so many more positives about this story. The characters are likeable, there are a lot of players in this book, but most are integral to the story. It was well written and I was able to be immersed into the story. I still recommend reading it, but advise not to get stuck in the excess words.

I love Sarah MacLean! She’s my favorite Historical Romance writer. The Hells Belles series is turning into my favorite! In book 2 we meet Henry and Adelaine. He’s a Duke Ofcourse. She’s a MatchBreaker! Sounds like a fantastic job honestly. In her past she was a Mafia (cut purse) Princess getting ready to enter into an arranged marriage. Fast forward a few years and she has joined the Hells Belles. A group of women fighting for equality and justice.
Henry is just trying to get to his brother before the MatchBreaker.
There are carriage races, robberies, shootouts, and explosives! The heat between Adelaine and Henry is 10/10, so steamy! I love their banter, sarcasm and wit. Henry doesn’t try to stifle her. He just wants to be along for the ride. I forgot to mention, ONE BED!!
I love Sarah’s kick arse heroines and “den of sin”
I can’t wait until Imogene!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

Road trip! The second installment of Hell's Belles was great! An improvement on the first in the series (which was also quite good). Fun premise - a group of women taking down the rotten men of the ton. There was some repetition in the "I'm not worthy of him" from Adelaide and the "My secret is so terrible" from Henry, but aren't we all a little insecure in love? The spice was nice and spicy too! Looking forward to number three with blithe Imogen and grumpy Thomas Peck.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

Adelaide is a thief, the best pickpocket in all of London, in fact. And Henry, the Duke of Clayborn, has secrets to hide. They end up competing on a race toward Gretna Green. I loved them both and this story so much.

This one hit me in the political feels. It may be a historical romance, but the way it talked about powerful men, politics, and control of women felt so current. I can't even tell you how many quotes I highlighted. And the ending clarifies the parts that draw on history.

I love the action in these Hell's Belles novels. I think that's the magic of this series. I want to be one of a group of women who come together, blow things up (I can't wait for Imogen's book IYKYK), and create change by holding the powerful to account.

This book has everything: action, romance, steam, found family, and amazing characters.

Honestly, this series just gets better and better. Sarah MacLean's second Hell's Belles book evolves opposites attract (she's a thief turned do-gooder, he's a duke) into a partnership of equals that is just delicious.

Heartbreaker is one hell of a good time. It's action, adventure, and romance with pacing to match in a race to get to the Duke's brother before he marries at Gretna Green. While so many books rely on rivalries among women to propel a romance, I love seeing that energy put toward righting social wrongs and doling out a little vigilante(ish) justice on entitled aristocrats.

The romance is satisfying as ever and MacLean slows her roll just perfectly with only one room left at the inn. The set up for the next book (assuming its Detective Inspector Tommy Peck and Imogen) is already promising Miss Scarlet and the Duke vibes. I'm so there.

If you're someone who likes cloak and dagger adventure, one-room proximity, sexy carriage rides, a female vigilante group who is out to destroy feckless peers, a well-respected duke with secrets, and a heroine who is as good at pickpocketing hearts as she is pockets, then boy, oh boy, is this historical romance for you!

Adelaide Frampton is the daughter of a prominent gang leader. She makes her escape on what was supposed to be her wedding day and joins the Hell's Bells, where she floats around Mayfair ballrooms like a wallflower: tall, bespectacled, and unnoticed by all. (Or almost all.) She's also a skilled thief. A master at remaining unrecognizable, which is why nobody knows she's the Matchbreaker, a veiled individual who helps women break matches and avoid marriage.

The Duke of Clayborn has spent a lifetime safeguarding his reputation. Protecting a secret. He's determined never to marry, to pass his title to his brother. Now, Adelaide, a woman who has never been invisible in his eyes, has not only stolen his darkest secret from out of his own two hands but has set out to stop his brother's wedding at Gretna Green.

And he can't let either of those things fly.

So, what starts out as a caper turns into a cat and mouse race to altar that's populated with inns, highwaymen, explosions, and tender feelings that catch them both off guard. The question soon becomes who is stealing who's heart? And will they be able to overcome their demons enough to accept they're worthy of love?

I loved the action in this book. It's more high-sweeping and fast-paced than it is character-driven, but that's okay because there are still plenty of romantic overtures between Henry and Adelaide. They're the epitome of a Hype Couple, if such a thing exists. I'm not sure who protects who best, or who tries to encourage the other's worthiness of love more, but it's the sort of thing that melts the heart because they're both willing to sacrifice to give the other the happiness they deserve. Their chemistry is sizzling, too. Which is a perfect complement to all the steamy scenes they share.

I had a lot of fun with this one. It was cheeky. Suspenseful. Romantic. And surprisingly poignant. I also love reading about groups like the Hell's Belles who cut greedy, powerful men down to size. Hit 'em where it hurts, ladies!

Was this Victorian era accurate? Not really. Did that alter my enjoyment of it? Not one bit. That said, I'm really looking forward to Imogen and Thomas' story--I think they're going to be DYNAMITE together. (Pun intended.)

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. I loved every word, every second, and I never wanted it to end. I love MacLean's historicals - the women are always a little older, not 18 year old girls making their debut, but women of a certain age, considered spinsters, who are fierce and bold and making their own rules for the world. Heartbreaker, the second book in the Hell's Belles series, may now be my favorite MacLean book, replacing the long reign of Nine Rules to Break.

Adelaide is a cutpurse, a thief, joining the Duchess's team of smart, strong women meting out justice in Mayfair. The Duke of Clayborn is a duke with a bent for justice, a mean right hook, and eyes for the red headed beauty who goes unseen in all the ballrooms... unseen by everyone but him. I LOVED LOVED this book. The steamy parts are *A+ STEAMY* and there are moments of heart and feeling that were so vulnerable and aching I couldn't help but cry. And there's a fun race across England to catch some people, with a stay at an inn with *only one bed.* SWOONY SWOON SWOON. Please read all of MacLean, starting with Love by Numbers, so you can end up here, at Heartbreaker, living your best reading life. You'll thank me for it.

This ARC provided by NetGalley, Harper Voyager, and Avon in exchange for an honest review. Heartbreaker is out August 23, 2022.

#heartbreaker #sarahmaclean #hellsbelles #romance #bookreview #bookstagram #romancelandia

Loved! While some of her latest books have been hit or miss for me, McLean wins the this one and the previous. Irreverent and just plain fun! I could very much see this series being picked up for tv/movie adaptation. And for everyone saying that the premise of a women's gang is not believable, please check out Sarah's posts about gangs in Victorian England! Will be happy to sell/recommend