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  • Bombshell

  • A Hell's Belles Novel
  • Written by: Sarah MacLean
  • Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
  • Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (18 ratings)

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Bombshell

Written by: Sarah MacLean
Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
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Publisher's Summary

New York Times best-selling author Sarah MacLean returns with a blazingly sexy, unapologetically feminist new series, Hell’s Belles, beginning with a bold, bombshell of a heroine, able to dispose of a scoundrel - or seduce one - in a single night.

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.

©2021 Sarah MacLean (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Featured Article: Best Romance Authors For a Little Love Into Your Life


You can never have enough romance in your life. If there isn't enough in the real world, there's always an entire history of romance novels to get lost in, from the Victorian stylings of Jane Austen (who doesn't dream of Mr. Darcy?) to contemporary romance authors like Talia Hibbert After all, who doesn't love a good swoon from time to time? You can't beat a good love story, and there are many reasons why television and cinema are filled with their adaptations.

What listeners say about Bombshell

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing!

I loved it!! It was so refreshing to see actual strong female character and not one that is simply strong until a man tells her not to be. Outspoken and smart female lead. She makes no compromises on who she is. She is straight forward and loves her life as she sees fit. Doesn’t let anyone do the saving for her. I hope the rest of the series stays with these strong women. I absolutely loved it and looking forward to the rest!!!

2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A new style that works

The first of this series has a strong style. The writing is stronger than her last series, fewer wishy washy internals and more substance. This is a strong start to the series

1 person found this helpful

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  • Lit_Goddess
  • 2021-08-29

I’d give the performance 6 stars if I could!

Another reviewer (here or elsewhere) said that this book was like an all-female Avengers set in 19th century London, and I think it’s an apt description. High energy, funny, lots of action, lots of characters to like (and plenty to hate)… loads of fun.

Sesily/Sexily may be my favorite MacLean heroine of all time, and this is a scorcher of a love story. Like other MacLean novels, this book is devastatingly smart and wonderfully feminist. I won’t say too much more about the story, but I’ll note that Caleb is super sexy and likable.

A few words about the narration, which is wildly, vastly superior to the other recent MacLean narrators, Rosalyn Landor and Justine Eyre. Landor sounds old and constipated, and her male voices sound stuffy and not the teensiest but sexy. Eyre is ridiculously breathy, bad with certain (but not all) accents (Scottish is the worst for her), and, worse than all that, she’s not a smart reader. What I mean is that the number of times in a given book she reads a sentence wrong/emphasizes the wrong word/messes up tone is noteworthy. It happens a ton, and it always yanks me out of the narration.

But back to this book! Mary Jane Wells is a delight. Sexy male and female voices, great with accents, fun when she needs to be, with a tone that is always clever and somehow conspiratorial… she makes me feel as though I am in on the action and part of the secret! She’s just wonderful. Wells also differentiates her many female characters’ voices, which Eyre is terrible at.

I love this book, but I also now love Mary Jane Wells, and will be seeking out other titles that she narrates.

23 people found this helpful

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  • Maine Knitter
  • 2021-08-26

The narrator deserves 10 stars

This was delightful. Mary Jane Wells’ narration created a fantastic listening experience.

Sarah MacLean is one of my favorite authors. This new series brings back one of the Soiled S’s, the Talbot sisters. Sesily and her friends, Hell’s Belles, are quite the heroines and I look forward to reading their stories. This one, with Sesily and Caleb, is a great start to the series.

9 people found this helpful

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  • My escape
  • 2021-09-09

An almost perfect combination

I would listen to Mary Jane Wells read anything as she is amazing . MJW has got me through many an average listen. So to listen to her narrate a book that is beautifully written and so engaging is sheer joy. This story made me laugh out loud. It is captivating and developed well. It is not only a romance, it’s about friendship, strength, being true to yourself. For anyone who likes this genre it is a pleasure. There are some erotic scenes but they are not overdone and don’t dominate. The only tiny criticism I could make was the hero’s thoughts were a little repetitive. Overall I would highly recommend this story, especially to any strong willed woman. Though I have listened to many historical romances Sarah MacLean was new to me. I’m delighted to have hopefully found a new stock of intelligent romances, from a fascinating time , written expertly.

8 people found this helpful

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  • CB MacIntyre
  • 2021-12-30

Tasteless and Vulgar

The storyline was interesting and less predictable than many I’ve heard, but the constant stream of blasphemy from the main male lead did not create romance. It was vulgar, rude, and it felt like the author thought it made the character sexier? Bleh. To portray him as a man with self-control while frequently unleashing atomic level bad language was incongruous. If a supposed loved one of mine asked God to damn me to hell as often as this man, I’d have left him in a matter of minutes.

In addition, an over the top ridiculous use of simile (just what is “sluicing like sin” anyway?) made me nearly get a headache from constant eye rolling.

One also needed to suspend belief at what the female characters were allowed to do in the time period. While admirable and likable female characters, they appeared never to experience true consequences of their schemes, as if they were the only ones smart enough to hold such talent and everyone else’s secrets. It was a small world, too small to allow them full reign of the London society while keeping such questionable company.

Not Mary Jane Wells best work, but possibly the only thing making this listen tolerable.

5 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2021-08-30

Just okay

Not my favorite by the author. The heroine was too silly for my taste. The hero lost his luster as the book progressed.

3 people found this helpful

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  • Maria
  • 2022-03-27

Easily distracted heroine

So our heroine is supposed to be a strong no nonsense woman with kick ass skills. But on the first mission of this story. She stops following the plan to get her pleasures in a closet. I don’t mind bawdiness, but the fact that she’s on a mission and can completely botch it for a man is an oxymoron. The story unfortunately felt weak for me because our heroine wasn’t as bad ass as you’d think.

2 people found this helpful

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  • Kindle Customer
  • 2021-09-18

Narration Ruined It

The Narrator's voice switches pitch, tone and speed so frequently it is difficult to listen to the story. I couldn't finish it.

2 people found this helpful

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  • mks
  • 2022-11-11

Surpisingly Off-putting

I read Regency novels to "get away" from Corporate America, where it can get a little rough and tumble. It was like this book was written by two different authors -- one whom I've come to love, filled with witty dialogue and interesting characters -- and one who inserted gratuitous vulgarity and f-bombs that jarred me while listening. Sorry, but not relaxing to me…didn’t finish…returned for credit…won’t be buying another in the series.

1 person found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Stephanie S Morgan
  • 2022-10-28

Too much Modern Feminism for this Period Genre

The contemporary feminism in this one is just too much!! I’ve liked books from this author and realize she specializes in a more modern spin for this genre, but this time she pushed it too fa. There are ways to weave in more modern ideas into historical works without making it so outlandish.

BTW: the cursing was not attractive… way too much of the f*** word.

1 person found this helpful

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  • Sarah Laj
  • 2022-10-13

Read A Day of the Duchess first

I really enjoyed this book but when I realized that Sesily and her sisters had appeared in previous series, I went back to have a listen. At the very least, I wish I had listened to Seraphina and Malcom’s story first. It is where Sesily and Caleb meet for the first time so you better understand their attraction to each other.

1 person found this helpful