Caffeinated Reviewer

I have been having a blast reading the Hell’s Belles novels and was excited for Lady Imogen Loveless & Detective Thomas Peck’s romance. Knockout by Sarah MacLean delivered with plenty of sizzle. Grab an iced mocha and see why I loved their story…..

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.

We’ve met both Lady Imogen and Thomas Peck in previous novels from the Hell’s Belles series. Read the books in order of release to avoid spoiling previous romances and properly meet the characters.

MacLean herself called this couple order & chaos, and it fit perfectly. Lady Imogen is unconventional and prefers tinkering with explosives in her brother’s basement to balls. I rather liked her. She is fearless, carries a large carpetbag filled with bits and baubles and is loyal to her friends.

Previously, Thomas Peck helped the Belles, and they also assisted him in making arrests. The chemistry between them sizzles, but Peck is a man of order and respects his station. However, fate has other ideas, and he keeps bumping into said lady while investigating explosions on the lower east side.

I enjoyed the rescues and the building of trust as much as the stolen kisses. The two will have to work together to crack this case, and the danger only escalates. I tried to saviour the read, but ended up devouring it in just a few sittings.

I enjoyed the arson cases and enjoying piecing together the clues. While this case wrapped up, the author set us up for the next book in the series, which is as yet untitled. I, for one, cannot wait!

Perfect for fans of historical romances with strong heroines, the men who fall for them and a dash of suspense.

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About Sarah MacLean

MacLean burst onto the romance scene with Nine Rules to Break When Romancing A Rake, the first in her best-selling and critically acclaimed three-book Love By Numbers series. In early 2012, she began her new, pre-Victorian Rules of Scoundrels series with A Rogue by Any Other Name, which received the 2013 RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America. The third book in the series, No Good Duke Goes Unpunished, won the 2014 RITA Award. When she is not writing romance, Sarah travels the country to discuss the romance genre and its place in both gender and cultural studies. She writes a monthly column celebrating the best in romance for the Washington Post, and her columns have appeared in the New York Times Book Review and Parents Magazine. She is also a vocal advocate for issues relating to education and literacy. She lives in New York City with her husband, her daughter and their dog.

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About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

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