Bombshell
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- Create Date：2021-08-25 10:16:05
- Update Date：2025-09-24
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- Author：Sarah MacLean
- ISBN：0349429626
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Summary
Sometimes the best gentleman for the job is a lady。
After years of living as London's brightest scandal， Lady Sesily Talbot has embraced the reputation and the freedom that comes with the title。 No one looks twice when she lures a gentleman into the dark gardens beyond a Mayfair ballroom。。。and no one realizes those trysts are not what they seem。
No one， that is， but Caleb Calhoun， who has spent years trying not to notice his best friend's beautiful， brash， brilliant sister。 If you ask him， he's been a saint about it， considering the way she looks at him。。。and the way she talks to him。。。and the way she'd felt in his arms during their one ill-advised kiss。
Except someone has to keep Sesily from tumbling into trouble during her dangerous late-night escapades， and maybe close proximity is exactly what Caleb needs to get this infuriating， outrageous woman out of his system。 But now Caleb is the one in trouble， because he's fast realizing that Sesily isn't for forgetting。。。she's forever。 And forever isn't something he can risk。
After years of living as London's brightest scandal， Lady Sesily Talbot has embraced the reputation and the freedom that comes with the title。 No one looks twice when she lures a gentleman into the dark gardens beyond a Mayfair ballroom。。。and no one realizes those trysts are not what they seem。
No one， that is， but Caleb Calhoun， who has spent years trying not to notice his best friend's beautiful， brash， brilliant sister。 If you ask him， he's been a saint about it， considering the way she looks at him。。。and the way she talks to him。。。and the way she'd felt in his arms during their one ill-advised kiss。
Except someone has to keep Sesily from tumbling into trouble during her dangerous late-night escapades， and maybe close proximity is exactly what Caleb needs to get this infuriating， outrageous woman out of his system。 But now Caleb is the one in trouble， because he's fast realizing that Sesily isn't for forgetting。。。she's forever。 And forever isn't something he can risk。
Reviews
Mel
，
4。5 Stars。 Sarah Maclean does a really good job of writing strong female characters and Sesily and her friends are all great examples of this。 Her book A Rogue Not Taken is firmly on my favorites shelf。 My only real complaint was it lacked the back and forth conversations Maclean normally writes so well。 When the two MCs were together they basically had a heart to heart and then got right down to business。 Wash rinse repeat and not a whole lot of conversation in between。 The banter mainly came f 4。5 Stars。 Sarah Maclean does a really good job of writing strong female characters and Sesily and her friends are all great examples of this。 Her book A Rogue Not Taken is firmly on my favorites shelf。 My only real complaint was it lacked the back and forth conversations Maclean normally writes so well。 When the two MCs were together they basically had a heart to heart and then got right down to business。 Wash rinse repeat and not a whole lot of conversation in between。 The banter mainly came from all the friends and I think the MC relationship needed a just a bit more of it to balance it out。 I think that’s what stopped this from being a 5 for me but I will absolutely be reading the rest of the books in this series。 I cannot wait for Adelaides book！ 。。。more
Rachel
，
Sarah MacLean has outdone herself with Bombshell！ I don’t even know where to begin。 It’s hot and hilarious， full of fantastic characters: a truly hateful villain and women who know what they want， aren’t afraid to go after it， and do good while being so， so bad。 If you enjoy historical romances， this one is an absolute delight from start to finish。 I can’t wait for the rest of the Hell’s Belles to get their chaotic HEAs。
Maria
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This book did not disappoint！
Tammy
，
Bombshell is the first book in the “Hell’s Belles” series。 Our heroine， Lady Sesily Talbot， is bold， beautiful and brilliant， as are the fiercely independent and powerful women in her girl gang， the Hell’s Belles—women who right the wrongs against other women。 Sesily and her sisters （all now married to wealthy nobility）， came from humble beginnings， their father a coal miner turned earl， have always been looked down upon by the ton。 No worries， Sesily is proud she’s been nicknamed Sexily and is Bombshell is the first book in the “Hell’s Belles” series。 Our heroine， Lady Sesily Talbot， is bold， beautiful and brilliant， as are the fiercely independent and powerful women in her girl gang， the Hell’s Belles—women who right the wrongs against other women。 Sesily and her sisters （all now married to wealthy nobility）， came from humble beginnings， their father a coal miner turned earl， have always been looked down upon by the ton。 No worries， Sesily is proud she’s been nicknamed Sexily and is considered scandalous by the upper crust of society。 The only person that has any affect on her though， is the American， Caleb Calhoun。 Caleb is such a cinnamon roll hero！ He’s self-made， owning taverns in America and Britain。 Caleb has pined for Sesily since the day he met her， and she’s lusted after him for years。But of course， neither knows how the other feels。 She thinks he left Britain for America without a single thought of her。 Both hold secrets and the Hell’s Belles are determined to find out Caleb’s， with their newest plan involving a very dangerous viscount。There’s searing chemistry， spicy-hot intimacy， and sexy banter between Caleb and Sesily that will have you blushing。 They are， hands down， my new favorite HR couple。 I love that Bombshell has strong independent heroines righting the wrongs against women。 It’s an interesting premise that I found very entertaining。 I’m looking forward to her next installment。 *Thanks so much to NetGalley and Avon Books for the complimentary arc in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Perrin Larton
，
Yes！！ There were feminists in historical England。。。at least I hope so！Lady Sesily Talbot has spent the last few years becoming a scandal。 Her moniker， Sexily， has been bantered around and now everyone believes the worst of her。 Little do the men of the time and her social circle know， she and her band of merry female co-conspirators， are taking down the men who are abusing their wives， girlfriends， and other females， or who are being cruel to others。Caleb Calhoun， best friends and a business par Yes！！ There were feminists in historical England。。。at least I hope so！Lady Sesily Talbot has spent the last few years becoming a scandal。 Her moniker， Sexily， has been bantered around and now everyone believes the worst of her。 Little do the men of the time and her social circle know， she and her band of merry female co-conspirators， are taking down the men who are abusing their wives， girlfriends， and other females， or who are being cruel to others。Caleb Calhoun， best friends and a business partner with Sesily's sister， decides that he needs to be Sesily's champion， because he is more than an little attracted to her， and is worried about her safety。 Sesily heartily disagrees and their banter is fabulous as she tries to go about her 'business' but keep Caleb in the dark！ He's not going to let that happen。。。he thinks！I loved this book。 There is intrigue， danger， explosions， tight dialogue， and ultimately love。 This is the first book in the Hell's Belles series， I can't wait for the rest！I was gifted an ARC of this book by the publisher and author， and purchased the hardcover edition！ The review is my own。 。。。more
Megan Hartline
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This book was everything I wanted。 Feminist girl gang？ Explosions？ Excellent love story？ It was a wild romp of a good time。
Jen
，
Can Sarah MacLean write a bad book？ Is this even possible？ Bombshell is the introduction to a new series- Hell's Belles- in the Macleanaverse and what an explosion it was。 We meet Lady Sesily Talbot and her three friends who are hell bent on purging London of the type of men that would make you run very far away in the opposite direction。 It is- by far- a very feminist type of Romance and I loved it！Sesily， of course， is in love with Caleb （An American） who seems completely immune to her charms。 Can Sarah MacLean write a bad book？ Is this even possible？ Bombshell is the introduction to a new series- Hell's Belles- in the Macleanaverse and what an explosion it was。 We meet Lady Sesily Talbot and her three friends who are hell bent on purging London of the type of men that would make you run very far away in the opposite direction。 It is- by far- a very feminist type of Romance and I loved it！Sesily， of course， is in love with Caleb （An American） who seems completely immune to her charms。 Very frustrating for a heroine who is accustomed to having her way。 There's a lot of intrigue， secrets， sexy time （lots and lots of sexy time） and a very uncommon ending。I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series 。。。more
Abigail
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I have been waiting for this book for what feels like an eternity and BOY was it worth the wait！ Sometimes you get the right book at the right time， and this was it for me。 I laughed out loud and I cried and I just generally fell in love。 Sesily has been one of my favorite MacLean characters for a very long time and finally getting her book is like a dream coming true。 PLUS awesome Victorian girl gang taking out the patriarchy one asshole at a time。 PUT IT IN MY VEINS。
Isabella D'Ecanio
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I feel like this book gives Sesily and Caleb such a depth。 Is more that be about their love， is their journey and is heartfelt but It makes sense， we also have a lot of lighters moments。 Sarah at her best！ Probably my new Maclean favorite。 Sesily enters the hall of best heroines for me。The gang was great as well and can't wait for the next book。 I feel like this book gives Sesily and Caleb such a depth。 Is more that be about their love， is their journey and is heartfelt but It makes sense， we also have a lot of lighters moments。 Sarah at her best！ Probably my new Maclean favorite。 Sesily enters the hall of best heroines for me。The gang was great as well and can't wait for the next book。 。。。more
Claire
，
Caleb Calhoun is a cinnamon roll。
Nella Perkins
，
So worth the wait。 Definitely rereading this。Hell’s bells waiting on the rest。
MrsMascara
，
Fabulous， multilayered， unashamedly female centred HR， with a diverse set of side characters， and a wonderful girl gang at the centre of the novel， inspired by a real girl gang that existed in Victorian England。 A very modern and enjoyable take on a historical romance。Loved this so much。Lady Sesily Talbot is one of the "soiled S's"， 5 sisters forever tainted by their father's origins in trade as a Coal Baron。 Despite the disdain of the ton， Sesily's four sisters have married successfully， and ar Fabulous， multilayered， unashamedly female centred HR， with a diverse set of side characters， and a wonderful girl gang at the centre of the novel， inspired by a real girl gang that existed in Victorian England。 A very modern and enjoyable take on a historical romance。Loved this so much。Lady Sesily Talbot is one of the "soiled S's"， 5 sisters forever tainted by their father's origins in trade as a Coal Baron。 Despite the disdain of the ton， Sesily's four sisters have married successfully， and are a Duchess， a Marchioness， a Countess and married to the richest man in England。 Sesily is convinced that she won't marry or settle down like her sisters。 After a disappointment a couple of years ago， she has been recruited to the Hell's Belles， a secret society dedicated to protecting the women in Victorian England。 Their focus is on those cruel men， scared by a female on the throne， keen to abuse women and wrestle away any power and agency they have managed to take for themselves。 Together with the secretive and powerful Duchess of Trevescan， the wallflower Lady Adelaide Frampton and the explosive Lady Imogen Loveless， Sesily is on the trail of the evil Lord Coleford， who is using his position as a governor of the foundling hospital to fleece women desperate to track down their children and embezzling money。 When bully boys come to destroy a female only pub the Belles use as a retreat， Sesily tackles them head on， and comes up fighting bruisers with extreme competence， only to be blindsided by Caleb Calhoun trying to rescue her when she was doing fine on her own。 When Caleb spirits her away， he can't keep his distance any more and it is just a matter of time before he succumbs to the Bombshell Sesily。American businessman Caleb Calhoun is Sesily's sister Seraphina's partner in her pub。 Two years ago， when he was last in London， he rejected Sesily， and promptly left the country。 He is now back as Seraphina is pregnant， and the attraction between him and Sesily burns hot as ever。 Caleb is determined not to succumb to "Sexily"'s myriad charms， as he is hiding secrets that could destroy them both， but when he sees Sesily is up to something underhand， he is immediately suspicious， and gets involved to make sure she is safe。This was a fabulous read， the women in it were all capable， strong and well rounded characters， the supporting cast was diverse， and sex positive。 The romance between Sesily and Caleb was sizzling， and the early tease was brilliant。 Caleb was so much the tormented hero， but he also was able to accept Sesily's strength and agency， once she laid out a few home truths。The real joy of this book for me was the world building， and the relationships between the women， especially the Hells's Belles。 The teasers for Adelaide and the Duke of Claybourn， and Imogen with the Detective Inspector Peck have made me desperate for the next books， and the Duchess is so mysterious， I can't wait to find out more。 Highly recommended。 I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book， and all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Book Obsessions （Amber）
，
Sesily Talbot has got to be one of the best heroines in historical romance！ A feminist badass before her time， I am crushing on her even more than our hero， Caleb。 He was great too， but even Caleb would agree that he doesn’t hold a candle to Sesily。This romance put me firmly in 1838 and it was a fun escape。 The writing I was fantastic and Sesily and her lady friends truly stole the show。Caleb， however， was a great cinnamon roll hero who let Sesily shine and it’s refreshing to see the more recent Sesily Talbot has got to be one of the best heroines in historical romance！ A feminist badass before her time， I am crushing on her even more than our hero， Caleb。 He was great too， but even Caleb would agree that he doesn’t hold a candle to Sesily。This romance put me firmly in 1838 and it was a fun escape。 The writing I was fantastic and Sesily and her lady friends truly stole the show。Caleb， however， was a great cinnamon roll hero who let Sesily shine and it’s refreshing to see the more recent historical romances do that。I loved this one and Sarah MacLean can do no wrong by me！ 。。。more
Kelleen Moriarty
，
I read this book 2。5 months ago and I still haven't been able to figure out how I feel about it。Sarah MacLean is one of my all-time favorite authors， and this book is the start of a sparkling new series。 It has tones of what I think is her best series， Rules of Scoundrels。 It has some of the best bits of all of her best books， and lays all the groundwork for the fierce， loyal， and mysterious camaraderie that makes that series so fantastic。 And this time it's a girl gang。 However， I found myself I read this book 2。5 months ago and I still haven't been able to figure out how I feel about it。Sarah MacLean is one of my all-time favorite authors， and this book is the start of a sparkling new series。 It has tones of what I think is her best series， Rules of Scoundrels。 It has some of the best bits of all of her best books， and lays all the groundwork for the fierce， loyal， and mysterious camaraderie that makes that series so fantastic。 And this time it's a girl gang。 However， I found myself really frustrated at multiple points while reading this book。 Sesily is a queer-coded character， but I can't tell if Sarah MacLean was just trying to be inclusive with her language or if she meant to make Sesily queer。 Either way， this really didn't sit right with me。 If you're going to have a queer/bi character （and please do）， they should be identifiably queer， if only in their own perspective。 As a queer reader， this didn't feel good。 This didn't feel like representation。 This felt like vague wokeness。Another thing that I found frustrating throughout this book was the vague feminism， surface feminism。 It felt like FEMINISM was written in bold print on every page， without very much actual interrogation of the systems and intersections that are required for anything to truly be feminist。 I am bored and disappointed by the cis， white （maybe het， who knows） m/f romances from historical romance writers these days， and especially from Sarah MacLean。 And most especially when it's clear that the rest in the series （at least the next 2） have been set up to be this way as well。 I want to be very clear - I am not upset about the overt feminism in this book， I'm upset that it's not enough。 I wanted this to be a radical， inclusive feminist romance， and underneath it all， it felt like all of the other simple， easy "feminist" historical romances throughout time。 I believe that reading romance is feminist， and I believe that this genre has an immense capacity for radical inclusion that centers the experiences， oppressions， loves， and joys of women and other marginalized genders。 For me， this book just didn't go far enough。 I also found myself really frustrated with the ending， which reaffirmed the very conservative social structures that the whole book was （at least nominally） fighting against。I love Sarah MacLean。 I love romance。 I so badly wanted to love this book。 I love Sesily。 I love badass heroines and holistic and profound friendship between women。 I actually found myself far more interested in the Belles and their work and relationships than in the romance or in Caleb's arc。 At times， I found myself exasperated by the foggy subterfuge of the series and world building， and I felt like the external action of the book fell a little flat。 All of that being said， I thought this book was a lot of fun！ Sarah MacLean knows the beats of a romance and writes such immersive， seductive stories。 Sesily Talbot is one of the most enticing， endearing， vulnerable， sexy and （there's no other word for it） badass heroines I have ever read and I feel so lucky that she now exists in my mind。 This book was so compelling and entertaining， a truly action-packed explosion of a story with some of my favorite tropes （second chance， sibling's best friend）。 I am glad I read it， and I will never not read a Sarah MacLean book the moment I can get my hands on it。 All in all， I think I just felt let down by this book。Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Jenny
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The anachronisms were over the top。 I don't understand why authors who insist on doing this just don't write contemporary。 I feel this does disservice to the women who lived these lives aptly chronicled by women of the day and instead writes a fairy tale。 The couple were boring as well。 I have liked two books written by this author。 I think it is time to give up。 The anachronisms were over the top。 I don't understand why authors who insist on doing this just don't write contemporary。 I feel this does disservice to the women who lived these lives aptly chronicled by women of the day and instead writes a fairy tale。 The couple were boring as well。 I have liked two books written by this author。 I think it is time to give up。 。。。more
Joanna Bishop
，
I have absolutely no idea how to review this book without getting completely emotional and detailing the hundreds of reasons why I loved it， so here's the long and short of it: this is a fantastic story that made me feel so deeply。 It is unquestionably one of the best books of the year and you will not regret it if you pick it up and read it immediately， which I highly suggest you do！ So now， if you want my incoherent thoughts and general gushing love for this story， read on！Where to start？ With I have absolutely no idea how to review this book without getting completely emotional and detailing the hundreds of reasons why I loved it， so here's the long and short of it: this is a fantastic story that made me feel so deeply。 It is unquestionably one of the best books of the year and you will not regret it if you pick it up and read it immediately， which I highly suggest you do！ So now， if you want my incoherent thoughts and general gushing love for this story， read on！Where to start？ With Caleb， the （view spoiler）[not so （hide spoiler）] American？ Listen。 I love this big， dumb， incredible man。 I would give nearly anything to hear someone call me my lady like he does， because God， the pining and absolute adoration this man has for Sesily， swoon-worthy doesn't even begin to cover it。 He's so dumb， and I mean that in the most loving way。 And Sesily， who really does love with her whole heart; when they came together it was so fierce， I cried through pretty much the last 30% of the book。 "This is how we love。 Out loud。 With truth。 This is how we fight。 Together， or not at all。"I have so many highlights in this because their love， once they figure it out， is so raw and emotional and beautiful。 If you're a sucker for mutual pining by two stubborn idiots in love， look no further！ But honestly， there was such depth， I can even begin to parse it out in this review。 Sarah MacLean is a genius storyteller。 This is how you romance！And the women。 This book （and now here's where I'm going to get emotional） felt like such a love letter to women everywhere。 It's like a literary anthem for all the girls and women who were told they were too anything。 Too brazen。 Too quiet。 Too weak or too strong。 Too smart。 Too 'dumb'。 Too much。 It managed to show how far we've come in society， and how sadly， some things are still the same。 And it showed what I think everyone has always known; if a group of women， whose fierce love and support for one another outweigh their fear of the patriarchy， get together， there is literally nothing they can't do。 This story made me so grateful for my friends and all the women in my life。This is such a modern historical romance。 There are old characters and new， friendships and love， laughter and tears， and I cannot wait to see where this story goes！ Ok， so who's ready to go start a girl gang with me？I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 Thank you to the author and Avon for giving me the opportunity to read this book！ 。。。more
Christina Lauren
，
This book！ Bombshell is definitely Sarah MacLean at her absolute best and this was the most fun I've had reading in a long time。 If you're looking for adventure， badass women， bar fights， toe curling chemistry and a romance that will knock you on your ass then this is the book for you。 A ride from start to finish。 This book！ Bombshell is definitely Sarah MacLean at her absolute best and this was the most fun I've had reading in a long time。 If you're looking for adventure， badass women， bar fights， toe curling chemistry and a romance that will knock you on your ass then this is the book for you。 A ride from start to finish。 。。。more
Bourbon， Books and Brenda
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Sarah Maclean has done it again！ Bombshell is the bomb！*****Rating: 5 starsSteam: 2 flamesGenre: Historical / Strong FMC*****Finally， we get Sesily’s story and oh what a story it is！ Sesily the second oldest of five sisters born to a wealthy coal miner who won his title in a game of cards， has never truly been accepted by the ton， the Soiled S’s is what they are called behind their backs。 Sesily is the only unmarried of the five。 She had feelings for a man once， and even expressed her feelings b Sarah Maclean has done it again！ Bombshell is the bomb！*****Rating: 5 starsSteam: 2 flamesGenre: Historical / Strong FMC*****Finally， we get Sesily’s story and oh what a story it is！ Sesily the second oldest of five sisters born to a wealthy coal miner who won his title in a game of cards， has never truly been accepted by the ton， the Soiled S’s is what they are called behind their backs。 Sesily is the only unmarried of the five。 She had feelings for a man once， and even expressed her feelings but he didn’t reciprocate。 Caleb （the American）， her sister Seraphina’s business partner， ran all the way to America after Sesily’s confession， but now he is back in England to help with the bar he and Seraphina own。In the years since Caleb left， Sesily found her people “a spymaster， a con artist， and a woman who is extremely fond of explosives。” Sesily lives her life unapologetically， as a 30 year old wealthy unmarried woman， she makes her own way， sees who she wants， and has one mission in life。。。to help those women who are trapped in terrible situations find their freedom。 These women are a force to be reckoned with。 “It was a crew if he’d ever seen one。 A revolution， clad in rouge and silk。” Caleb has secrets。 Secrets， if discovered， could hurt those he cares about。 It’s for this reason that Caleb keeps his distance from everyone， especially the very dangerous， very intelligent， and beautiful Sesily。 But， I think Sesily will have something to say about that。Bombshell was fantastic！ This book is filled with favorite characters， new characters， suspense， strong intelligent females， and a storyline that kept me engaged and turning the pages as fast as I could。 I simply adored this book。 All of it！ I can’t wait for the next in the series because it is going to take a special man to tame these belles！ A must read， definite recommendation from me！ 。。。more
PlotTrysts
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Bombshell has a lot of what we like about Sarah MacLean: modern references in a historical setting， super fun female characters who define their own roles in society， and scorching hot sex scenes - all in a coherent world that began way back in Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake。 We've been waiting for Caleb and Sesily's story since The Day of the Duchess， so we were stoked to finally be reading it。Bombshell is also the start of a new series， Hell's Belles， which will revolve around a vig Bombshell has a lot of what we like about Sarah MacLean: modern references in a historical setting， super fun female characters who define their own roles in society， and scorching hot sex scenes - all in a coherent world that began way back in Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake。 We've been waiting for Caleb and Sesily's story since The Day of the Duchess， so we were stoked to finally be reading it。Bombshell is also the start of a new series， Hell's Belles， which will revolve around a vigilante group of high society women。 We are so ready to read about safecracking chemists， bluestockings with hidden depths， and the men who will come to love them。 What we weren't sure about was combining the two things - a long-awaited romance between beloved secondary characters AND a brand new series concept。 We wouldn't have minded a little more romance and lyricism between Caleb and Sesily！45 Word Summaries: Laine: Sesily was never going to fade quietly into spinsterhood， so it makes sense that she'd join a troupe of vigilante women getting revenge。 Thank goodness her investigations lead to her finding out secrets of his past that he'd never tell her himself， like an adult。Meg: Sesily has been pining for Caleb since she first met him， and we devoted readers all know he’s been doing the same thing。 It takes a bar brawl， a rainy walk on the moors， some spying， and a jailbreak for him to see the light。This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel。 。。。more
Robin （Bridge Four）
，
This review was originally posted on Books of My HeartReview copy was received from NetGalley。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。Bombshell is the first book in a the new Hell's Belles series。 The first book in this series seems to follow a side character previously seen in possibly another series I have not read。 But no worries on that front， you don't need to have read anything else to enjoy Sesily and her scandalous ways。 She isn't your typ This review was originally posted on Books of My HeartReview copy was received from NetGalley。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。Bombshell is the first book in a the new Hell's Belles series。 The first book in this series seems to follow a side character previously seen in possibly another series I have not read。 But no worries on that front， you don't need to have read anything else to enjoy Sesily and her scandalous ways。 She isn't your typical HR heroine。Sesily has been on the shelf for years and there is some great freedom to that。 She told Caleb a few years ago she thought he was the one and he promptly left to America for two years， for some mysterious reason。 In that time， Sesily has been busy。 She has a great crew of friends who have decided to help other women of the Ton not end up in horrible marriages or get out of them。 They aren't afraid of getting their hands a little dirty and each in the crew brings a different expertise。 Sesily is somewhat of a sexpot so she is often the temptation distraction and she plays the part well。Caleb has a secret from his past looming and it is dangerous for him to be in London。 He has wanted Sesily since he first met her but if his enemy finds out he is alive or who the people he cares about are they will be in danger。 So he has tried to shield all the people he cares about from this and in so has only lived a half life。 No worries， Sesily is determined to find his secrets and protect him from them to get only man she has wanted。 "Men are ridiculous。""For wanting to keep you safe？""For believing that you aren't the thing from which we are most in danger。" I really loved the female crew in this and how they banded together to help one another。 You have the widowed Duchess， the brains and money behind the operation。 There is the quirky scientist with some pretty dangerous experiments happening that could blow someone up accidently at anytime and no one would be surprised。 Then there is the wallflower who really is a fantastic spy and can listen in to get most peoples secrets without being noticed。 All of these women make up a really fun cast of characters that you can't wait to see what other trouble they can get into。Caleb means well but sometimes that male protective streak runs a little too deep。 I was glad that he and Sesily eventually learned to work together to clear up the mess he is in。 They make a great power couple。I had a lot of fun with this book and I really enjoyed all the smart characters throughout the story and how they found unique ways to play their parts in society。 。。。more
Kira
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Sesily annoyed me。 I hate it when characters use feminism as an excuse to act like a complete idiot。 Her behavior was reckless and stupid despite her many protestations that it wasn't。 I hated it that she constantly got mad at Caleb when he informed her she acted stupid。 Besides I wasn't into the romance。Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this copy！ Sesily annoyed me。 I hate it when characters use feminism as an excuse to act like a complete idiot。 Her behavior was reckless and stupid despite her many protestations that it wasn't。 I hated it that she constantly got mad at Caleb when he informed her she acted stupid。 Besides I wasn't into the romance。Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this copy！ 。。。more
Danielle
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Review originally posted on Overflowing Shelf。I’ve been waiting for Sesily’s story since we met her in A Rogue Not Taken over five years ago。 I was also so worried her love story with Caleb would not live up to all the hype around this book。 It’s safe to say that Bombshell truly lives up to the hype – and even exceeds it – in so many ways。 I didn’t want this book to end while reading。 I actually cried happy tears when I finished it because it was so dang perfect and I was so happy to have th Review originally posted on Overflowing Shelf。I’ve been waiting for Sesily’s story since we met her in A Rogue Not Taken over five years ago。 I was also so worried her love story with Caleb would not live up to all the hype around this book。 It’s safe to say that Bombshell truly lives up to the hype – and even exceeds it – in so many ways。 I didn’t want this book to end while reading。 I actually cried happy tears when I finished it because it was so dang perfect and I was so happy to have the story in my life。 It literally blew me away。Lady Sesily Talbot has embraced being a walking scandal。 No one second-guesses her leaving a ballroom for a tryst。 Little do they know she’s up to something more than that。 The only person who sees through her is Caleb Calhoun， the American business partner of her sister。 Ever since Sesily walked into Caleb’s life two years ago， he’s tried his hardest to forget her。 However， he can’t seem to get her out of his head， especially when she keeps getting into dangerous late-night escapades while he’s around。 As the two of them continue to get thrown together， it’s hard for him to stay away from her， even though he knows he has to， and she wants nothing more than for him to notice her and desire her。 This book had everything including things I didn’t even know I wanted from it。 A kickass girl gang？ Check。 Hardcore pining between our leads？ Check。 A cabinet bang？ Check。 Tavern brawl？ Check。 Kissing in front of a dead body？ Check。 Explosions – both literal and figurative？ CHECK。 Sesily might be one of my favorite MacLean characters ever， and that’s saying something as she writes some amazing female characters。 I’ve always loved and admired how Sesily was always herself。 She revels in the scandal and managed to turn society’s scorn into power。 She also always has the back of her friends and family， no matter what。 And I couldn’t wait to spend a whole book with her。 In Bombshell， Sesily was even more of an intriguing character than before。 She truly turned her scandalous reputation into a weapon to take down the terrible men in society who hurt， misuse and look down upon women。 While the rest of the world might see Sesily as reckless， she’s fierce， independent， confident， clever， sexy and able to protect herself。 I loved every minute we got to spend with her。 Her feelings towards Caleb also tugged right at my heartstrings。 For a girl nicknamed Sexily， the one man she wants more than anything doesn’t want her back and it’s killing her。 While she tries to act like her typical flirty， charming self around Caleb， she wants nothing more for him to notice her and see her for the woman she is。 I’m not sure if Caleb is my favorite MacLean male lead， but he’s got to be up there。 Ever since he showed up in The Day of the Duchess， I’ve been waiting to get more of Sesily and him。 The connection between them was there from the start。 MacLean definitely added more depth to him in this novel than what we saw previously。 There is more to the American than meets the eye。 I honestly wasn’t expecting this book to have a hero with a secret， but that’s what we get。 I’m a sucker for that trope as I love trying to figure out what the secret is that prevents them from being with the person they love and MacLean did a great job with peeling back the layers until all is revealed about Caleb’s past。 I also love it when the male lead is so far gone for the woman and Caleb definitely falls in that bucket。 As much as Caleb tries to put distance between him and Sesily to protect her， he cannot help but be in her orbit。 When it comes to the romance between Caleb and Sesily， MacLean knows how to pack all the emotional punches。 It was perfect。 There was so much longing and pining between them for so long。 My heart was aching so many times for Sesily and Caleb as they both wanted each other but circumstances kept getting in the way。 The push and pull between the two of them was fire。 When they come together， it’s explosive。 Truly， MacLean knows how to write some steamy love scenes （hello servant’s cupboard！）。 But when they get pushed apart， it’s devastating。 I feel like for every step forward， they would take two steps back in their relationship。 That might sound problematic， but it worked really well for this story。 It builds up the tension and helped push Caleb and Sesily forward in the relationship and their character’s journey。 I will say at one point I did yell at Caleb as he decided to make a stupid ass decision， but luckily Sesily， like Nick Fury， elected to ignore it and take matters into her own hands。Outside Sesily and Caleb and the romance， what also made this book so special was the supporting cast of characters。 MacLean always does an amazing job with her secondary characters – probably because they’ll end up stars of their own book – and the supporting cast in Bombshell is no exception。 I loved the ladies who make up the rest of Sesily’s the Hell’s Belles。 The Duchess of Trevescan is the ring leader of the whole enterprise and perhaps the biggest mystery of the gang。 I’m very curious as to what set her down the path she’s on of taking down terrible men。 Then we have Imogen Loveless who will find any excuse to blow things up。 She might be my favorite of the group。 I have an idea of who she’ll be paired up with and I’m very excited for when we get her story。 Finally， Adelaide， the shy wallflower who collects secrets， rounds out the group。 I really liked her as well and cannot wait to get her story next as we got a little bit of a setup of who it will be with。 The banter of this group is what really sold me on them though。 While they’re not sisters by blood， they act as a family nevertheless。 They all have each other’s backs and will protect each other against any threat – whether it be physical or emotional。We also get to see some familiar faces from the MacLean universe with Sesily’s sisters – the Dangerous Daughters all grown up。 They’re another fierce group of girls who also have Sesily’s back no matter what。 Honestly， this book delivers on strong female characters all around。 There are also some fun little cameos from other characters in the MacLean universe which makes for great easter eggs for long-time fans of hers。This has turned into a much longer review than I anticipated， but I cannot help but gush about this book。 It made me cry after finishing it， for goodness sake！ Not because it was sad， but because I was so happy to have this story in my life。 The wait for the next book will be killer， but I’m already looking forward to getting an opportunity to reread this one。 There is no doubt that Bombshell delivers on the hype。 It’s a smart， sexy， thrilling read that will keep you on your toes and tug at your heartstrings。 This book is one you won’t want to miss！ 。。。more
JoAnna
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Thank you to NetGalley， Avon， and HarperCollins for an ARC of this book。 All opinions in this review are my own。 I think this is my first historical romance book I have ever read， and boy was it a story to cut my teeth on。 From my understanding this is the first in a series， but I believe that these characters also appear in previous books written by Sarah MacLean。 While I didn't know the history of anyone in the books， this didn't distract from enjoying this story - which is not always the case Thank you to NetGalley， Avon， and HarperCollins for an ARC of this book。 All opinions in this review are my own。 I think this is my first historical romance book I have ever read， and boy was it a story to cut my teeth on。 From my understanding this is the first in a series， but I believe that these characters also appear in previous books written by Sarah MacLean。 While I didn't know the history of anyone in the books， this didn't distract from enjoying this story - which is not always the case， even with separate stories！ Pros: STRONG WOMEN CHARACTERS！ I cannot praise the strength of the female characters enough in this book。 Just the utter wealth of characters and the diversity of them is a huge plus in this book when many of the characters are only there for plot movement。 Sesily and Caleb also have a fun relationship， and I enjoyed watching scenes change between their POVs。Cons: This is probably something that you get the hang of from reading more historical books， but I had a hard time with some of the language。 It also felt like it dragged at parts， and that it took a really long time for some of the main plot points to be revealed - one of which didn't seem to be revealed until about 65% of the way through the book。 Many aspects of the books just felt like they weren't connecting with me but I am going to chalk it up to it being outside of my realm of literature competency。Overall this was an enjoyable book， with a HEA/HFN ending， and will probably appeal to a wide swath of people。 I would definitely be interested in reading the next book in this series。 3。5/5 。。。more
Cassidy
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Bombshell was a delight。 It sucked me in and took me on such an epic ride。 The heroine is part of a girl gang working to right wrongs。 She’s not afraid to live out loud。 I’m already dying for the other girls’ books。 Love a hero that is obsessed with the heroine。 The adventure， the banter， and the sexiness was exactly what I needed。 Thank you Sarah for a wonderful book。 I voluntarily read an early copy。
Norah Gibbons
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I received an ARC of this book to read through Edelweiss+。 All opinions are my own。 Bombshell by Sarah MacLean is the first book in her exciting new series Hell’s Belles。 While this is the first book in the series， characters from other series appear in this book。Lady Sessily Talbot is one of the Soiled S’s， five daughters of the newly minted Earl of Wight。 She’s thirty years old， the second oldest and the only one of the dangerous daughters who is unmarried。 Bored with society’s expectations， S I received an ARC of this book to read through Edelweiss+。 All opinions are my own。 Bombshell by Sarah MacLean is the first book in her exciting new series Hell’s Belles。 While this is the first book in the series， characters from other series appear in this book。Lady Sessily Talbot is one of the Soiled S’s， five daughters of the newly minted Earl of Wight。 She’s thirty years old， the second oldest and the only one of the dangerous daughters who is unmarried。 Bored with society’s expectations， Sessily has joined a group of women who are seeking to make a difference in the world they live in one small step at a time。 Caleb Calhoun is a business partner with Sessily’s sister and has several businesses in Boston， where he is based。 There is a powerful attraction between them， but Caleb has done his best to avoid Sessily as he has dangerous secrets that he believes prevent him from having a relationship with her。 I loved Sessily and her girl gang; they are smart， brave， loyal to each other willing to risk all。 I also thought Caleb was the perfect match for Sessily。 He’s not an aristocrat， his fortune is self-made， and he understands and admires Sessily even if she does drive his protective instincts crazy。 This was a fun book to read， the perfect balance of humour， angst and steam。 I can’t wait to read the further adventures of the Hell’s Belles as I enjoyed this one so much。 Steam Level: Medium。 Publishing Date: August 24， 2021。 #Bombshell #SarahMacLean #HellsBellesSeries #HistoricalRomance #SecondChanceAtLove #HistoricalRomanceReader #AvonRomance #HarperCollinsCanada #RomanceReader #Bookstagramer #Bookstagram 。。。more
Kat
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Very possibly my new favorite Sarah MacLean -- at the very least tied with Day of the Duchess <3
Maureen Carden
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I thought for sure the scandalous Lady Sesily Talbot would end the Scandal and Scoundrel’s series with a bang。 Sheesh， I was half right， but I should have known one series was too big to contain Lady Sesily and Caleb Calhoun。 Instead Lady Sesily starts off the new Hell’s Belle’s series first book， Bombshell （Hell's Belles #1）， with a bang。 Not a literal one， it’s just that Sesily just about explodes a room with her outsized personality， and her joie de vive。 I think the actual bangs will come la I thought for sure the scandalous Lady Sesily Talbot would end the Scandal and Scoundrel’s series with a bang。 Sheesh， I was half right， but I should have known one series was too big to contain Lady Sesily and Caleb Calhoun。 Instead Lady Sesily starts off the new Hell’s Belle’s series first book， Bombshell （Hell's Belles #1）， with a bang。 Not a literal one， it’s just that Sesily just about explodes a room with her outsized personality， and her joie de vive。 I think the actual bangs will come later in the series。Lady Sesily and I are good enough friends that I will dispose of the title and go with just Sesily。 I am positive she would prefer it。 Her father won the title of Earl in a card game with the Prince Regent。 Since he was a coal magnate， the five Talbot sisters were known as the soiled sisters。 Ha！ This title beat these women down so badly that four of them married and became a duchess， marchioness， countess and wife of the wealthiest men in Britain。 Sesily just wants Caleb Calhoun， the wealthy American partnered with her sister， Seraphina， in owning a bar。 In both Caleb’s and Sera’s eyes this makes Sesily off limits。After Caleb scurried back to America after kissing Sesily， the Duchess of Trevescan invited Sesily to join her small group of women， the hell’s belles who are determined to help women trapped by abusive husbands or abusive employers。 Class matters little to these four strong willed women。As an aside， I want to say the prologue of the book was truly one of the most playful and delightful beginnings to a book I’ve read。 Even with a heartbroken Sesily。 Neat trick。Two years after scurrying off to America after kissing Sesily， Caleb returns and quickly stumbles onto the little group of friends。 He worries the actions of these fierce and clever women will land them into deep trouble。 Despite fearing close proximity to Sesily， Caleb tries to keep track of her。The theme of strong feminism in Bombshell ， set during the hopeful beginnings of Queen Victoria’s reign， is marvelous to read about。 I hope there really were strong women during that time doing their best to help other women。 Sadly history is written by the victor and the victors are always men。Caleb holds his own secrets keeping him from Sesily， MacLean does a good job of hinting， but then making the secrets a total surprise。This is Sesily’s and Caleb’s story to be sure， but the rest of the Hell’s Belles are so delightful and intriguing that the next books will be hotly anticipated。Speaking of hot…three words， Caleb and Sesily。I had a major problem with Bombshell 。 Sarah MacLean carried the wink and nod cuteness of her anachronisms a star too far in Bombshell 。 “Lean into it”？ Referencing Casablanca in an obvious way？ There were more。MacLean is the author of three of my top ten favorite HR series and three of my top ten individual books。 I am anxious to see where the Hell’s Belles land。Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for review purpose。 。。。more
Monika
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*Full Review will be posted at a later date。Big thanks to Avon/Harper Voyager for the advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Overall 5 starsThis was my first Sarah MacLean book and I really loved it。 Sesily was an awesome heroine who exceeded all my expectations。 Caleb met my expectations but didn't necessarily exceed them。 Overall I think this was an awesome start to a new series and I can't wait for what else the author has planned for the Hell's Bells。I don *Full Review will be posted at a later date。Big thanks to Avon/Harper Voyager for the advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Overall 5 starsThis was my first Sarah MacLean book and I really loved it。 Sesily was an awesome heroine who exceeded all my expectations。 Caleb met my expectations but didn't necessarily exceed them。 Overall I think this was an awesome start to a new series and I can't wait for what else the author has planned for the Hell's Bells。I don't think one needs to read the previous books that feature our main characters or Sesily's sisters， but it might be beneficial。 This is because it is mentioned that Sesily & Caleb have known each other for years and I think it would make keeping track of all of the characters a bit easier。 。。。more
Lauren
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I want to be Sesily Talbot when I grow up！ Ok， I know I’m older than her， but she is an historical romance heroine goddess and one of my favorite characters。 She’s strong and fierce while fighting for others and loyal and loving towards family and friends。She’s loved Caleb for two years， two years in which he has spent more time in America than in England。 He wants her too， but he’s hiding dangerous secrets that are about to come to light。 Sesily’s work and Caleb’s secrets merge into one dangero I want to be Sesily Talbot when I grow up！ Ok， I know I’m older than her， but she is an historical romance heroine goddess and one of my favorite characters。 She’s strong and fierce while fighting for others and loyal and loving towards family and friends。She’s loved Caleb for two years， two years in which he has spent more time in America than in England。 He wants her too， but he’s hiding dangerous secrets that are about to come to light。 Sesily’s work and Caleb’s secrets merge into one dangerous situation， but with the help of friends there is always hope。This book was sexy and funny， heartbreaking and uplifting。 。。。more
Blodeuedd Finland
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The narrator was great， I have listened to her before and she works so well with historical romance。 Great with different voices and emotions。But， something was not clicking with the story itself。 I did not really like Sesily。 She was a bit too much， and even though I was told she cared so much about everyone， well the way she acted I did not feel it。Caleb was nice， but I felt that was all I knew， he was nice。Sesily's gang， yes I did not understand that。 I felt like I had missed like 5 previous The narrator was great， I have listened to her before and she works so well with historical romance。 Great with different voices and emotions。But， something was not clicking with the story itself。 I did not really like Sesily。 She was a bit too much， and even though I was told she cared so much about everyone， well the way she acted I did not feel it。Caleb was nice， but I felt that was all I knew， he was nice。Sesily's gang， yes I did not understand that。 I felt like I had missed like 5 previous books about how it all started and such， have I？ Or？ I felt thrown into something I had no idea about， and she was so callous about it all， like if I am in danger I will just kill someone。。wait what？So yes sadly I didn't really connect to anyone。 The only people I felt were intriguing was a haughty Duke and a wallflower。 I'd read about those two 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Bombshell
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Bombshell&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Bombshell&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0