Thrillers & Suspense
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Knockout: A Hell's Belles Novel (Hell's Belles, 3)
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.
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.
Editorial Reviews
"Sarah MacLean is unparalleled. I will read anything she writes." - Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Happy Place
"Sarah MacLean's books are fierce." - Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series
"Sharp, sexy, action-packed, propulsive escapism at its absolute finest. We are lucky to be living and breathing in the Sarah Maclean era." - Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners
"MacLean is a master at threading social commentary through chapters of high stakes adventure and swoony, steamy love scenes. Quite simply no one does historical romance like her. She is not just the belle of the ball but the queen too." - Entertainment Weekly
"With KNOCKOUT, Sarah MacLean once again proves there is no one in the genre who does it quite like she does: this book is brilliant, modern, and moving. KNOCKOUT is as explosive as its plot, as compelling as its central characters. Prepare to clear your schedule: once I read the first page of Imogen and Tommy's story, I knew nothing else would feel as good as following along with their journey to a happily ever after. The best kind of immersive romance by one of the absolute best in the game." - Kate Clayborn, Author of Georgie, All Along
"Another patriarchy smashing masterpiece...Knockout is perfection, and Sarah MacLean once again sets a new bar for what romance can be." - Adriana Herrera, USA Today bestselling author of An Island Princess Starts a Scandal
"The third entry in MacLean's vibrant historical "Hell's Belles" series (following Heartbreaker) is exciting and danger-filled... MacLean excels in crafting characters that know who they are and where they stand. Adding to the pleasures are the abiding friendships that make the story and the foun...
"Sarah MacLean's books are fierce." - Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series
"Sharp, sexy, action-packed, propulsive escapism at its absolute finest. We are lucky to be living and breathing in the Sarah Maclean era." - Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners
"MacLean is a master at threading social commentary through chapters of high stakes adventure and swoony, steamy love scenes. Quite simply no one does historical romance like her. She is not just the belle of the ball but the queen too." - Entertainment Weekly
"With KNOCKOUT, Sarah MacLean once again proves there is no one in the genre who does it quite like she does: this book is brilliant, modern, and moving. KNOCKOUT is as explosive as its plot, as compelling as its central characters. Prepare to clear your schedule: once I read the first page of Imogen and Tommy's story, I knew nothing else would feel as good as following along with their journey to a happily ever after. The best kind of immersive romance by one of the absolute best in the game." - Kate Clayborn, Author of Georgie, All Along
"Another patriarchy smashing masterpiece...Knockout is perfection, and Sarah MacLean once again sets a new bar for what romance can be." - Adriana Herrera, USA Today bestselling author of An Island Princess Starts a Scandal
"The third entry in MacLean's vibrant historical "Hell's Belles" series (following Heartbreaker) is exciting and danger-filled... MacLean excels in crafting characters that know who they are and where they stand. Adding to the pleasures are the abiding friendships that make the story and the foun...
Readers Top Reviews
GillianBy teaandb
I’ve been waiting on this book for what seems like ages, and it did not disappoint. Hot, clever, witty, exciting, well written, as you’d expect from SM, Loved it, can’t wait for the next one 😍
SPGillianBy teaan
What a book!!!!! Definitely fire and explosions everywhere and you will never be ready for what you will find out next! The best book of this series so far! Couldn't stop reading...incredible! I love Imogen and the Belles adventures! Laughed so much with their antics as well and how Tommy was handled by the ladies! Soooo worth the wait! And...the end???? How are we going to survive until the next book???? Well done!!! I would give it 10 stars!!!
MainerSPGillianBy
This is the third Hell's Belles book, which centers around Imogen, the scientist Belle who loves explosives. Her love interest is Detective Tommy Peck, who we've met in the previous books, so this is a slow-burn romance that is finally culminating as they investigate a series of explosions in the East End of London. Imogen is an earl's sister and is considered on the shelf because of her scientific bent and the chaos she invokes with her experiments. She and Tommy are aware of each other from back in the first book, but he regards her as too far above him in class and an impediment to his investigations, even when she provides him with needed evidence. Imogen doesn't plan on marrying anyway, but she's fascinated with Tommy. The plot is somewhat predictable with corruption in both Scotland Yard and the House of Lords, but it's a good read. However, I'm looking forward to the next book as I want to know what's going to happen with Duchess and her mysterious absent Duke.
Avid ReaderMainer
Finally, Tommy and Imogene explode their way to a well deserved HEA. However, Sarah, I'm sure I've read at least portions of this book before. I've double checked my library, as I have all of your books, and it isn't there in an earlier version. For example, (Spoiler. Alert) when Adams showed up at Peck's mother's home, I immediately knew where his story line was going. It raises the question, did someone pirate you???? Not that my knowing stuff and finding some parts too familiar presented any impediment to my thorough enjoyment of this book. I would buy it again and have already recommended it to my Romance Reader friends. But I also feel as though I may have read the Duchess's story too. Is that possible? At any rate, I anxiously await the next Hell's Belles novel and the unravelling of Duchess and her mysterious Duke. Don't make us wait too long. Sarah MacLean, you never disappoint. I hope someday we can enjoy another tea together.
Jody LeeAvid Read
I've been waiting for Imogen's book, and Sarah MacLean in no way disappointed! The chemistry (no pun intended) between Imogen and Tommy has been so scorching since the first Hell's Belles book, and it comes to a wonderful conclusion here. It's interesting what keeps them apart even though they are both so drawn to each other. Imogen thinks herself "too much" and inherently unloveable, since she doesn't fit the societal mode of what an Earl's sister should be. Tommy is completely blocked by their class differences and just can't visualize a future for them, and is blinkered to the possibilities of one. MacLean does this so well and it's my favorite thread of the book. Although Tommy has risen to nearly the top ranks of Scotland Yard, he never can forget his extremely humble beginnings with a street sweeper father. This blinds him to the possibility of a future with Imogen, even though nothing in her actions bears this out - the other paired HBs have class differences as well, although with Sesily and Caleb he's wealthy, and with Duke and Duchess of Clayborn its more common since she's the low-born one as the woman (and she's comfortable in society). He first meets Imogen at The Place, where classes mingle freely, but that's more his level (even though he's not welcome there), when he sees her at a society ball, he feels reminded that she out of his depth. My favorite scene in the book is where she comes to his world, and fits in completely. Affectionate and friendly, settled and at home. Both of them in their POVs long to have this visit be a reality, but feel it's impossible. I really loved what MacLean was doing here with the role of the police, of class and society, of power and its use for good, and abuse for ill, of boundaries and limits and how we cross (or blow through, pun very much intended) them when we hit that wall. Plus the kicker of a set up for Duchess's book! UGH HOW WILL WE WAIT??
