Series: Hell's Belle, #3
Traits & Tropes: law enforcement hero; class difference; bluestocking heroine; bodyguard
Publication Date: 08.22.23
Genre/Setting: Historical; Victorian; London, January, 1840
Heat Level: 3
Rating: 4.5/5
Lady Imogen Loveless doesn’t exactly fit in with London high society. She has a passion for chemistry and a talent for explosions which has seen her labeled as odd. But that doesn’t matter to Imogen as long as her chaos is accepted by her friends, the Hell’s Belles, a group of vigilantes working right under the nose of most of London.
Detective Inspector Thomas Peck is excellent at his job, however, and he knows immediately that Imogen is pure chaos, not an oddity. He thinks she needs someone to keep her safe, and when her brother discovers more about what she’s been up to, he wholeheartedly agrees.
Thomas is determined to keep Imogen safe, all the while struggling to contain his attraction to the woman he sees as miles above him. Imogen has no such qualms, however, and soon the connection between them threatens them both just as much as their enemies.
This book may just be my favorite ever from this author. She has been very hit or miss for me and this series in particular has been a bit disappointing for me, but this book has changed that for the better. For a while there, I feared we were about to go right down the same old road full of misandry, but thankfully that thread changed direction quickly. Tommy was noble even to a fault and I loved that Imogen appreciated this about him yet also saw how it could make him vulnerable. They each protected the other and I loved that, especially when she finally confided in him, and they began to work together as a team. I just wish that had come sooner in the book, rather than them only getting things together nearer the end. I did really appreciate that they had quite a few conversations that were deep and serious, sometimes uncomfortable, but they never resorted to sniping at one another like petulant children. This often seems to be the modus operandi for the currently fashionable ‘strong heroine’ and I am thoroughly sick of reading it. Anyway, Tommy definitely had moments where he needed to take a second and listen, setting aside his strict adhesion to nobility, but it didn’t take him long to realize when he’d gone too far with it and Imogen wasn’t afraid to point it out either. I did want maybe one more chapter after everything was worked out, or perhaps a scene with Imogen and Tommy and her brother just to make everything feel more complete, but overall, I was surprised by how much I really liked these two together and now I have some hope for Duchess’ story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5279589841
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1076188034
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