6 stars

This was a perfect romance for me. I am a huge, HUGE, Sarah MacLean fan. In my eyes, every single one of her books is worth reading.

I love how REAL her stories feel, the tension, the wanting, the yearrrrnnniiiiing, is all drawn out just the perfect amount to get and keep you invested in this couple.

From the moment I first read Tommy and Imogen's first on page scene, I have been waiting for this book, and it did not disappoint in any way!

Listen, if you are looking for a hero who only has eyes for the heroine, who adores and admires everything about her that she is slightly insecure about, who literally will break down a door, run in front of a carriage, AND carry her from a burning building all while feeling like she deserves better than him, Tommy is your man.

He worships Imogen, and she so clearly takes every moment to build him up, praise him when she knows he needs it, and best of all, never doubts his most ardent feelings for her.

The background plot was very well done as well, but if I'm being serious, I was so invested in Tommy and Imogen's romance that it could have been a mystery looking for a missing piece of cake and I wouldn't have minded a bit.

Without a doubt, one of the BEST romances published in 2023. Absolutely perfect.

I received an ARC for review.

I am relatively new to the historical romance genre, which means that I've read a LOT of books in a short time. Hell's Belles stands out as one of the best written, sexiest, funniest, and most fulfilling series out there today. Knockout is Imogen's story. Imogen is small, curvy, brilliant, and a dab hand with explosives. Thomas Peck is on the rise at the newly formed Scotland Yard, and refuses to be baited by this chaotic sister of an earl who is, in his mind, so far out of his league. But Tommy and Imogen are both committed to justice being served, and if they have to spend too much time together to get it done, so be it. Threads continue from the previous books in the series, but each one stands alone as its own narrative, with recurring tropes like heroines especially happy in the midst of mayhem and heroes who tend to growl a lot. In addition, Sarah MacLean uses mindful language to describe her characters (ie white is called out as a descriptor, not the default), which is refreshing to see.
Recommended for fans of feisty feminist heroines.

Sarah MacLean writes some of my favorite historical romances and 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐎𝐔𝐓 (Hell's Belles #3) (PUB 8.22) is in the running as a favorite. I say that everytime. I have no chill and mainlined my early copy (thanks @avonbooks ) in a matter of hours.

Imogen is a vigilante who gets her hands dirty with explosives and experiments. She is unbridled chaos.
Thomas is a buttoned up detective at Scotland Yard who is convinced his lower class makes Imogen off limits.
Together they are explosive- literally & figuratively.
Trapped in a brothel, bodyguard, class-difference, injuries and nursing, mystery, action, and a curvy heroine- I was here for all of it!
The banter, the tension, the story and their romance had me unable to put it down.

My favorite component was how unwavering Imogen is in her convictions. She knows what she wants and goes for it without caring what anyone else thinks.

You can read this as a stand-alone but don't miss the first two in this "series"- 𝘉𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 and 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳.

Knockout is worth the wait. Imogen and Tommy sparkle from the page. I love how flustered and determined Imogen leaves Tommy, and how confident and re-affirmed Tommy leaves Imogen. Hell’s Belles is one of my favorite historical romance series, and Knockout does not disappoint. Definitely check this one out.

Bam. *explosion noise*. I'm there for these two. It you love mutual longing/mutual saving with a healthy dash of getting over past relationship trauma and family healing, you need Knockout. I wish Hell's Belles could go on forever, and I cannot wait for the next one. It's set up spectacularly. All the stars.

If you like grumpy/sunshine relationships, months of pining, badass curvy heroines, heroes with beards and thick thighs, and explosions, this one's for you.

Tommy, a detective, and Imogen, a vigilante and part of the Hell’s Belles, have been circling one another since they met fourteen months ago. Both are investigating a series of explosions in the East End targeting vulnerable women pushing back against society. They’ve been attracted to one another from the get-go, but Imogen is unsure whether she can trust someone who works for the corrupt police, especially as she grows certain they are tied to the crimes. When Imogen realizes that putting herself on the marriage mart (temporarily) could help the Belles get to the root of who is committing these atrocious crimes, Tommy offers his services to her brother to be her guard. Imogen is often in dangerous situations due to the nature of her connection with the Belles and her love of explosions, and while she can hold her own, Tommy has rescued her a time or three. Guarding her will also serve as an opportunity to find out what she knows that Tommy doesn’t. While Tommy doesn’t make the best guard (Imogen does what Imogen wants), the close proximity has these two with their hands and mouths all over one another. And when ultimately they realize their feelings are the real thing, Tommy struggles with accepting that as someone working class, he is worthy of the upper class woman he views as a goddess. But when Imogen steps up and saves Tommy when his own men turn on him, the two learn to fully trust not only each other but that the love between them can withstand anything.

This is a beautiful and sexy story that had me in my emotions. I love how much this series shows found family, even with people like Tommy who have a close family of their own. There is always room to welcome more love in your life and you are always worthy of it. I also thought the discussion about the corruption in politics and the justice system feels timelessly relevant, and about how even good people in these sectors are complicit. Tommy’s deep belief in justice shifting its meaning over the course of the book was interesting. And Imogen is so cool! She’s fearless, intelligent, and has a big heart. Any girl who has ever felt like “too much” will see themselves in her and it’s heartwarming to see her with friends and a love match that like her just as she is - or want even more from her!

Knockout is a great addition to the Hell’s Belles series. Imogen is smart and a little wild and does what she needs to do. I’ve read many bluestocking novels, and Sarah does it so well. You never get the impression that Imogen compromises herself just for a relationship. And speaking of, Tommy is a delight. I love a man that only wants to love their partner for who they are, and Tommy does that.
I can’t wait for the next book!

5/5
Pyrotechnics obsessed Imogen Loveless and inspector Thomas Peck confront mystery and danger in this explosive addition to Sarah Maclean’s Hell’s Belles series. Maclean delivers a whip smart dynamic between her two leads centered around a spirited group of women taking charge in bringing about justice. A deeply satisfying addition to the series that feels as chaotic as its main heroine. Knockout packs a punch and will leave you craving more from its author. Truly one of the best romances of the year!

Imogen loves explosions and she loves being the one behind explosions. What she does not love is others blowing up buildings housing those helping women. Tommy, a Scotland Yard detective, is also trying to figure out who is behind the explosions but his only clue is Imogen’s presence soon afterward. He does not believe she is behind them, but knows she is likely his fastest way to getting answers. He soon realizes she is in danger and places himself in the position of her body guard much to her frustration. The two are now in close proximity constantly allowing them to act on the attraction that’s been below the surface during each of their previous interactions and fall in love.

I absolutely adore Sarah’s books. This is the third book in the series and I highly recommend reading the first two before this one as Tommy and Imogen’s meet-cute and earlier interactions were documented in those books. I loved the banter between Imogen and Tommy. I loved their internal thoughts betraying their feelings before they wanted to admit them to themselves let alone to each other. I loved seeing wonderful characters from the previous books, both in this series and in the expanded MacLainiverse, as well as meeting new characters like Tommy’s delightful family. I won’t spoil anything but the end of the epilogue does tease the Duchess’s story and I did a little delighted gasp at the last line.

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

Instagram post coming closer to publication.

This was fantastic! Maclean reaches even greater depth than usual in this one, the emotionality, character & relationship development, & plot are all compelling. Maclean gives us a police officer romance that us handled with sensitivity & which actually confronts the power & oppression systems at work within any law enforcement agency, & the culpability of all who participate in the systems. Well handled. Additionally the chemistry between the characters was palpable, even explosive, & the dialog was witty.

This is my favorite Hell's Belles book so far, it had so much of what I've come to love in a sarah maclean book. There were explosions, chemistry, steamy scenes, and a good detective plot. I have been waiting for Imogens and Tommy's book since they were introduced, and they did not disappoint. Imogen is one of my faves, a heroine that goes around making explosions, blowing things up, and bringing justice with her group of best friends. Tommy is the gruff, bearded rule-following detective, or at least he is until his world entwines with Imogene, and he becomes a protector/bodyguard.

I liked that this book had the best type of chaos. From the schemes to the explosives to the craziness that was the last 10 percent, I was really immersed in this world. I love when women in historical romances go after what they want and don't care what anyone else thinks, and that's Imogen. The chemistry, banter, tension, and steamy scenes in the book were great. There was stuff about the mc's class differences which I didn't really enjoy especially with Tommy constantly thinking he wasn't good enough for Imogen. There was also diversity in some of the other characters, which I appreciated. I loved seeing the other Hell's Belles couples and their found family, and I'm excited for Duchesses' book, especially after that ending.

Thank you, Avon for this arc for an honest review.

So cute, what a great end to the trilogy! I’ve been looking forward to Imogen and Tommy’s book for a while, and though this was such a great conclusion. I can’t wait for Duchess’s story next!

A technical knockout from Sarah Maclean! This book has everything I need from the MacLeaniverse canon. Gruff, grumpy hero with an honorable streak a mile wide, a heroine comfortable in her own skin even if no one else understands her, action and mayhem through Victorian London, spicy fun times that sizzle on page, and a satisfying HEA. Poor Detective Inspector Tommy Peck is in over his head, but loves every moment of challenge Imogen gives him. In my head, he's Roy Kent (from season one and two, not the mess that was season 3) with the body of a Hemsworth, grunty and taciturn but surprisingly self-aware and also the size of a house. TM MacLean Hero. And Imogen Loveless (name is destiny) might just be my favorite MacLean heroine yet! She is a beautiful combination of everything I loved about Pippa (One Good Earl Deserves a Lover) and Hattie (Brazen and the Beast). She is intelligent and scientific but confident and full of mayhem. I absolutely love the larger conceit of this series of women bringing terrible men to justice. And the last paragraph of this epilogue had me gasping out loud and cursing the next year before we get Duchess' book. Classic MacLean!

I was SO excited to read this ARC and just couldn’t resist finishing it ASAP! I am a longtime Sarah MacLean fan and so I was thrilled to receive this ARC from NetGalley.

And I REALLY loved Tommy and Imogen. First of all, let’s talk about Imogen. She is an all-time heroine in my opinion—her interest in explosives is so unique and endearing. It serves beautifully as her central trait in the story on both a practical and metaphorical level. And I just loved her personality?? Despite being a virgin heroine, she is definitely the initiator in her relationship with Tommy—at least on the 🔥🔥🔥 front. Her openness to him from the beginning just really worked for me as a reader; a sexually bold heroine is my kink in general and Imogen added a further lovely twist to this (thankfully) increasingly common histrom archetype. Her openness towards Tommy felt simultaneously erotic and emotional; she didn’t really have any walls up with him and that just drew him to her. More than anything, this dynamic delivered the #TommyGoBoom effect for me. Tommy just can’t get over the fact that THIS WOMAN wants him and isn’t making it a secret. Even with her love of explosives, Imogen has this vulnerability that reminded me of a vintage MacLean heroine in the best way. If you love MacLean’s Callie and/or Hattie, you’ll be obsessed with Imogen.

And I straight-up adored the cross-class romance between her and Tommy. I thought the narrative tension in this dynamic was really taut, especially in a genre where a) it’s still way more common for the heroine to come from a humbler background than the hero, and b) often when the hero has begun life in a rough part of London or the working class, he has often made a gajillion dollars in the time between his childhood and present day. While I am ofc trash for a self-made historical billionaire, I really enjoyed here that that wasn’t Tommy’s story. He doesn’t have an empire to offer Imogen and he knows it. This fact made the conflict keeping these two apart heart-wrenching. It also creates a real forbidden fruit situation and I was HERE for it 🥵🥵🥵.

Overall, you really don’t want to miss this one!

Sarah MacLean delivers another action-packed romance following the Hell's Belles. Detective Thomas Peck of Scotland Yard finds himself once again at the scene of an explosion, and even worse, once again in the company of Lady Imogen Loveless at previously mentioned scene of an explosion. Lady Imogen is chaos, and decidedly not for Thomas, despite the feelings he keeps experiencing for her. However, when Thomas begins spending more time with Imogen after asking her brother to be her personal guard, he finds that Imogen's chaos is just one of her many charms.

Readers of the Hell's Belles series will enjoy finally seeing Thomas and Imogen's story play out, although new readers may miss some of the tension that has built between the characters in previous books. All of the Hell's Belles and a few characters from other MacLean series make appearances and add to the enjoyable cast of characters. The ending will be sure to leave readers eager for the next installment in the series!

I wasn't entirely into the optimistic nod of "maybe cops can be better if a Black guy is in charge!" at the end, but Sarah did discuss in her author's note, and she gets it: ACAB, even olden times. Also, TOMMY AND IMOGEN, big swoon.

The thing is, every character MacLean writes is so damn charming. And she never allows anyone to tip into being insipid or cloying. Knockout is a romp, it is fantastical, it has all the expected tropes, but it never---as the main character Imogen Loveless fears about herself---is too much. While part of a series, the reader is quickly and easily brought into the world and the story, and MacLean balances plot, banter, heartache, and explosions. with far more substantial issues such as class and gendered violence, and how, and if, true justice can found with such seemingly impenetrable power imbalances. With a different author, this could easily be too sweet, or too trite, but MacLean makes it work. Delicious and satisfying in the best ways.

This series just keeps getting better and better! In her latest, Sarah MacLean is serving major Miss Scarlet and the Duke vibes as Lady Imogen Loveless and Detective Inspector Thomas Peck get their moment in the spotlight.

In Knockout, the Belles are working to uncover who's been targeting the informal network looking to better things for people on the East End. Simultaneously, Imogen's brother, the Earl of Dorring, decides it's about time she puts aside her interest in explosives and gets herself a husband. Luckily one effort will aid the other. But then DI Tommy Peck is enlisted as her bodyguard and to reign in Imogen's chaos (as if).

It's opposites attract, it's got a growly, working class hero, it's got women who know their own minds, and it's a rip-roaring adventure from the word go. Things are never boring with the Belles.

My one itty bitty nit is the explosives theme (and number of references) gets a little heavy handed, but whatever. I can't wait for Duchess' book!

Knockout (Hell's Belles #3)
by Sarah MacLean
I love all of Sarah MacLean's books, but the Hell's Belle's are some of my favorite characters. And Imogen's story did not disappoint!
Always lots of action with plenty of romance.
Another great book by this author.

✨”Later, she would marvel at the beauty of it—Thomas Peck out of control.”✨

The hype for Knockout has been incredibly unreal—I swear the tides changed with the teaser at the end of Heartbreaker—so it was imperative that I read and review this book as soon as possible.

<b>Potential mild spoilers below, but nothing too specific.</b>

So naturally, I edged the arc and edged this review even harder. My brain (and ovaries) basically exploded every chapter, so there was a lot ✨emotionally✨ for me to process. But what I really can’t do is process the teaser for book four because !!!!!!! and ????? Safe to say there was a lot going on in Knockout, but I won’t go into much detail since I’ve gotta preserve the mystery. However, I will list a few of my favorite things:

💥 - She ripped HIS bodice (he’s just ripped)
💥 - Explosions (literal)
💥 - Explosions (sexual)
💥 - Strained sibling relationship (wholesome)
💥 - Post-injury banging (ouch)
💥 - Post-injury exhibitionism (???)
💥 - Post-she’s been slightly wounded/put in danger and he’s made it everybody’s problem (hot)
💥 - Meet the parent scene (found family sweetness)
💥 - Beard (luscious)
💥 - Modest rooms (immodest thighs)

All in all, Tommy and Imogen were just as horny and chaotically matched as we were promised, and thick thighs will never disappoint. They actually ARE the point. I’m such a sucker for couples who’ve circled each other for books, and those two were making shapes all over this series!!! Plus, I learned so much about Tommy and Imogen that I simply could predict from the previous books.

I especially loved the depth of Imogen’s character; she sparked right off the page. Tommy fell just a smidge flat, as he was really hung up on their class differences. It got repetitive in the middle, and HURT (Imogen and me) by the end. But if there’s one thing Sarah MacLean is good for, it’s gotta be that she’ll always give the heroine a bomb-ass telling-off-the-hero scene. This did help me feel better.

But even more, I really wanted Tommy to fully go BOOM at the end. He was held back at the last fight, and boy did I feel cheated!! There was a line about kissing OR killing, but I wanted BOTH. I just don’t think Tommy reached his boomiest potential, even though he did get splendidly close.

Overall, I ultimately decided on rounding up because of the last line of the book and the last line of the epilogue respectively. I think my opinions will probably change for the even better upon my audiobook reread because Mary Jane Wells is going to read me into the grave. #prayformeandtommy

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️*/5

*I’ll be honest that I don’t remember many details, but I do remember Tommy being exasperated and horny and exasperated because he was horny, so that’ll do.


Thanks to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.