Sometimes the best man for the job is a lady.
New York Time 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).
Author: Sarah MacLean
Title: Knockout
Genre: Emotional - Romance - Historical Romance
Publication Date: 2023
Length: 404 pages, 12 hours and 2 minutes
Geographical Setting: London, England
Time Period: 1840, Victorian Era
Series: Hell's Belles, Book 3
Length: 404 pages, 12 hours and 2 minutes
Geographical Setting: London, England
Time Period: 1840, Victorian Era
Series: Hell's Belles, Book 3
Plot Summary: Lady Imogen Loveless, the explosions expert for the Hell's Belles group of vigilante women taking down aristocratic criminals, is instructed by her brother, the Earl of Dorring, to find a husband - after all she's been on the market for years and it's time. Despite not wanting to be married, she concocts a plan to pretend to find a husband so she can try to identify which aristocrats are ordering the string of explosions that have occurred around town to certain businesses supporting women's and worker's rights. While investigating, Imogen finds herself running into surly Detective Inspector Thomas Peck, the rising star of Scotland Yard, over and over again. Thomas knows Imogen is dangerous - both with explosives and with the potential to steal his heart. In order to keep an eye on her (and to protect her from danger), Thomas finds himself enlisted as her temporary bodyguard. Sparks fly as the two team up to investigate the explosions and to find out if what is between them can last.
Content Warnings: classism, misogyny, police brutality, sexual content, violence
Subject Headings:
- Aristocracy (social class) - Fiction
- London (England) - Fiction
- Man-woman relationship - Fiction
- Secrecy - Fiction
- Vigilantes - Fiction
Appeal (based on Wyatt & Saricks, 2019):
3 Terms to Describe this Book:
- Character - Imogen is a strong, female lead who is our "heroine with modern sensibilities," (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 221). She is very relatable and her friendships help define who she is as a character. Imogen's and Thomas's friends and family are delightfully well-developed and add to the story.
- Language/style - The book is filled with witty banter, it's expressive and descriptive of both the setting and the characters thoughts, feelings, and actions.
- Relationships - Being a romance, Knockout focuses on the core romantic relationship of Imogen and Thomas, but brings in the importance of the relationships between the main characters and their friends and family.
- Setting - Set during the often romanticized time period of Victorian England, the story focuses different locales throughout London, highlighting class differences, and features balls and other social events.
- Storyline - Following the formula of the courtship, development, and ending to the romance, Knockout focuses on Imogen and Thomas's relationship while maintaining a fast paced, action packed, intricate plot.
- Emotional
- Funny
- Adventurous
3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors
- My Rogue to Ruin by Erica Ridley - strong female lead part of a cast of characters that help others, witty banter, heartwarming, action packed
- Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller - a strong female lead, storyline follows the progress of core relationship, expressive and descriptive in setting, character driven
- Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt - similar romanticized setting, vigilante female lead, action packed, fast pace
3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors
- Spare by Prince Harry - a memoir detailing the life of Prince Harry that includes the story of falling in love with a "commoner" as a prince, similar setting, focus on relationships
- A Very Dangerous Woman: The Lives, Loves, and Lies of Russia's Most Seductive Spy by Deborah McDonald and Jeremy Dronfield - strong, female lead, action packed, depiction of relationships across classes, descriptive style
- Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa, and Sarah Lennox, 1740-1832 by Stella Tillyard - similar era, detailed and descriptive style, depictions of class differences and aristocratic women
Promotional quote above pulled from author website.
References
Sarah MacLean. (n.d.). Knockout. https://www.sarahmaclean.net/knockout
Wyatt, N. & Saricks, J. G. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction (3rd ed.). ALA Editions.
This sounds like a thrilling plot. Lady Imogen Loveless seems like a compelling character with her expertise in explosions and her role in the Hell's Belles group. Detective Inspector Thomas Peck seems to add a layer of interest with his dedication to his job and his growing attraction to Imogen.
ReplyDeleteI think if we really tried, and fully supported our annotations, we could possibly work “Spare” by Prince Harry into all of our romance book annotations. There is wide appeal there. I considered using it for my romance book annotations, but I ended up going with “Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story” by Barbara Leaming. There are these archetypes that appear over and over in romance novels.
I found this series right at the beginning of the year and Imogen is by far my favorite character (although the next book is going to be FUN, I can tell). She is definitely compelling, and so is Tommy (as only Imogen calls him).
DeletePrince Harry's book was the first NF book that popped into my head, both because of the class differences in their romance, but just knowing the setting is similar as well. Leaming's book sounds very interesting! I'll have to add it to my list :)
This book sounds so fun! I typically don't read a ton of historical romance but a few years ago I read Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean and I LOVED it! Ever since then I have actually enjoyed reading some historical romance novels. This sounds like one I would like!!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like such a fun historical romance !I need to add this to my tbr. Great annotation!
ReplyDelete