Lady Sesily Talbot, or "Sexily" as the other members of society like to call her, has a reputation for dark corners, hidden cupboards, and much-discussed scandal. But outside of her close-knit group of co-conspirators, no one knows what Sesily really does to those she leads astray. Well, no one except the tall, dark, and frustrating American, Caleb Calhoun. With a habit of always showing up just when her nefarious, late-night deeds are getting underway, Caleb is the both the best and worst thing to cross Sesily's path. And while both Sesily and Caleb harbor feelings for each other, they must first solve a years-old problem if Caleb ever hopes to be himself and be with Sesily. Full of spicy conversations, scandalous meet ups, and ladies doing it for themselves, Bombshell will keep you turning the page for more.
I loved Sesily's devil-may-care attitude. At 30, she had considered herself off the dating market and just absolutely did not care what anyone else thought of her; in fact, Sesily loved that society thought her crass and unmarriageable since it meant she could play the perfect siren and lure the worst of the ton to their demise. Sesily thought nothing of her own reputation if it meant helping someone else out of a foul marriage or saving someone from bullies. She was outspoken, loud, and in your face - and I loved all of her honesty. Caleb was the perfect match for Sesily; both were passionate and would go to the ends of the earth to help those they care about. Caleb definitely had some secrets of his own, but I never suspected his big reveal. These two main characters had such chemistry, and they had fabulous back and forth conversations. I absolutely loved these two on the page together.
I would've loved to see more of the secondary characters make bigger impacts in Sesily's story, but that means I can't wait for the next character(s) to take center stage in the next Hell's Belles book.
The plot of Bombshell was refreshingly fast-paced and full of strong-willed ladies and secrets lurking behind closed doors and in dark closets. I loved all the ladies that Sesily kept company with; unafraid of hijinks and subverting the status quo, they were the type of lady I'd like to see more of in historical romance.
I did split my reading between my physical copy of Bombshell and the audiobook version. I thoroughly enjoyed both means of consumption, so readers really can't go wrong with either. Mary Jane Wells did an excellent job at narrating; she nailed Sesily's attitude in every line of dialogue and had me laughing to myself on so many occasions. I also love the paperback version of Bombshell. I'm not even sure if I can properly explain it, but the book just feels good in my hands; it falls open easier than most paperbacks and the covers feel like they're made of higher quality stock. And while there is no stepback on this historical romance, I was thrilled to see that Avon included a stepback image on the back cover (see picture). I loved that extra image, and I hope this trend continues and grows.
A huge thank you to Libro.fm for providing an ALC of Bombshell. This gifted copy did not affect my review; all opinions are my own.
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Release date: 8/24/21
Format: Paperback and Audiobook
Audiobook provided by: Libro.fm ALC program