Knockout

A Novel

By: Sarah MacLean

Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells

New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean returns with the next Hell’s Belles novel about a chaotic bluestocking and the buttoned-up detective enlisted to keep her out of trouble (spoiler: She is the trouble).

With her headful of wild curls and wilder ideas and an unabashed love of experiments and explosives, society has labeled Lady Imogen Loveless peculiar…and doesn’t know she’s one of the Hell’s Belles—a group of vigilantes operating outside the notice of most of London.

Thomas Peck is not most of London. The brilliant detective fought his way off the streets and into a promising career through sheer force of will and a keen ability to see things others miss, like the fact that Imogen isn’t peculiar…she’s pandemonium. If you ask him, she requires a keeper. When her powerful family discovers her late-night activities, they couldn’t agree more…and they know just the man for the task.

Thomas wants nothing to do with guarding Imogen. He is a grown man with a proper job and no time for the lady’s incendiary chaos, no matter how lushly it is packaged. But some assignments are too explosive to pass up, and the gruff detective is soon caught up in Imogen’s world, full of her bold smiles and burning secrets…and a fiery passion that threatens to consume them both.

I was misled by the reviews of book 1

“Nothing to worry about, just a bit of light gunpowder.”
I was wrong.
I passed over book 1 (Bombshell) based on reviews alleging too much sex, F bombs and feminism.
Thank goodness for the Daily Deal to lure me into giving the series a second chance.

“He’s not my detective!”
This is exactly my kind of regency romance: feisty ladies and the growly, but honorable, gents finding their HEA with danger flirting and quirky banter. If you’re tickled by the Netflix treatment, as opposed to the traditional book treatment, of The Bridgertons series, then this series is a perfect next step in delivering frothy, feel good, idealized regency romance while modernizing and empowering the ladies.

“He shouldn’t like it, the way she sparred with him, the way everything went brighter with
the battle of wits she offered. He shouldn’t like the way her curls bounced about her face.
He shouldn’t notice how her cheeks flushed with her own pleasure.
And he most certainly should not wonder what other things made her cheeks flush with pleasure.”
There’s a base of truth behind the science, detective work, and these ‘ladies who do more than lunch.’
I enjoyed the author’s note about some of the history that she tweaked for this.
I didn’t find the feminism too strident. I didn’t find the few F bombs too crass.
And for goodness sake, I have no idea how folks could say this is all sex and no story.
In the entire first half, there is only a single scene (and it’s 4.5 hrs in at that).

My only dilemma now is whether I can hold out until books 1 and 2 go on sale,
because Hell’s Bells are my kind of ladies and this is my kind of romance.

Explosive

Imojen is a brilliant, explosive, character like no other. Sarah Maclean's ability to write banter and dialog both internal and out loud is exemplary! The Chemistry between the two main characters is truly unique and makes me feel giddy! Mary Jane Wells as always brings the characters to life! Bring on The Duchess!

Smart, witty, sexy and fun.

Sarah MacLean is an EXCELLENT writer, let's just get that out there. This we know. She has finely honed her skills and she remains one of the only authors I will auto-buy. The Hells Belles series remains fun but thoughtful, smart and sexy - the BANTER, my god the banter. I could fill a ludicrously capacious bag full of praise for this series and still have more.

Mary Jane Wells is the Meryl Streep of romance novel narrators. She understands the nuance of speech, how the narrative sounds inside the characters' heads and makes me forget that only one person is doing all of the voices. A++++

The narration is outstanding.

The narrator has the great ability to sound just like a “real” person in speech and thought. It was more like a dramatization. It was soooo lovely to hear.

Worth the wait!!

Loved the book from start to finish.
MJ Wells always does a great job!