I'm officially hanging my head in "I can't believe this was my first Sarah MacLean book" shame. HEARTBREAKER was a yummy-tension-filled delight from beginning to end.

I was really hoping to love Adelaide's story more, but it just felt too modern. The characters are invigorating, but not believable in the setting. The book starts off a little slow; it feels like the same scene is repeated from inn to inn. The later part of the book moves much more quickly.

I would not recommend this book as a standalone. And despite my slight disappointment in this story, I am very much looking forward to Imogen's book.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Release Date: August 23 2022

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Adelaide has the perfect cover as a society wallflower during the London season. Secretly she is the matchmaker. She uses her skills as a thief to help other debutants avoid the alter should they choose. Henry, Duke of Claybourne, has lived his entire life following the rules. Impossibily, unpractically perfect. When Henry and Adelaide are forced to endure an extended carriage to stop a wedding, they can help but reveal a connection. When Henry’s secrets come to light, what will Adelaide do?

I absolutely loved this book. I have never read a @sarahmaclean book that I haven’t loved. This is the second in the #hellsbells series. Henry was such a fictional crush. I love straight laced hero’s that become unteathered over the heroine. Highly highly recommend!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

#Bombshell #Heartbreaker #SarahMaclean #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #avonbooks #harpersvoyager #steamyromance #netgalleyreads #highlyrecommendedbook #regencyromance

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.