My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Note: I received this ARC from NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager in exchange for my honest review.
Heartbreaker was my first foray into the Hell’s Belles series. Though it contains a common trope – riffraff falls in love with aristocrat – the characters and plot do well to ensure that this novel won’t fade easily into the background.
Henry, the hero of this story, is a duke with a secret – one that makes him feel unworthy of his place in the world. Adelaide, the heroine, likewise feels unworthy given her origins as a thief and daughter of a crime lord.
The sweetest thing about this story is the way Henry and Adelaide slowly convince each other that they are deserving of happiness and love. In the process, they also manage to take down a few villains with the help of Adelaide’s friends, the Hell’s Belles (the most interesting of which in my opinion was Imogen).
I will admit, this book for me was a bit of a slow read. I’m not sure if it was because the action seemed to fizzle at points, or if it was the heavy-handed feminist trope. I do appreciate the strength of all the female characters in this universe, however, I found it frustrating that the women were so often hesitant to accept help from men, and in fact seemed to love to belittle them.
I would have liked a better balance of strength/determination and softheartedness. That being said, this book is still a good, solid read. I find myself looking forward to Imogen’s book, so I will be sure to check back in with the series!
