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‘As I mentioned before, one of the social issues that [Sarah] MacLean fills her books with is feminism. When asked about that, she replied, “There’s a modern perception of the historical time that we invented feminism…and that’s not accurate.” She included examples of female author of the past: “Jane Austen wrote as a lady…. That’s a feminist act.” MacLean also noted that Mary Wollstonecraft, though eventually vilified by history, is another clear example. Going on, MacLean noted, “The idea that feminist characters are antithetical to history is not necessarily true.”’

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veryromance: Sarah MacLean | Kimberly Lemming

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"One of MacLean's strengths is her characterization. Tommy and Imogen are beautifully developed with a multitude of layers that bring emotional depth, grumpy-sunshine goodness, and a whole lot of fun. I loved Imogen's boldness, her determination to bring justice to those easily forgotten, her fearless use of explosives, the chaos that swirls around her, and those deliciously pesky feelings she carries for Tommy. And let's talk about Tommy, a big, bearded, straight-arrow detective who can't get enough of Lady Imogen in spite of (because of?) the trouble that follows in her wake. So many conflicting emotions simmering in this good, honorable man. I loved the slow burn evolution of their relationship, the deep feelings on both sides that developed alongside the fiery chemistry that threatened to explode, but also overlaid with sigh-worthy sweetness. Gah, I loved these two so much!"

Romance Dish reviews Knockout

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"I knew Knockout was going to take on something pretty modern and heavy, as well—the realization that criminal justice and social justice are often at odds. This is a massive conflict—one that hits at the core of a person’s identity, especially when they realize they are part of a problem, not a solution. So I was excited and very nervous about tackling it. But I’m very proud of where I ended up. Romance is a deeply political genre because it deals with such fundamental issues—who is afforded happiness, whose love is valued, what joy and hope and triumph look like in the hands of those who are not always prioritized for those things. I have always written with this as my true north. And every book, I feel like I have to prove it to publishing, to reviewers, to readers. I think the learning moment is always the same…the realization that I will always have to convince people that this genre is a powerful, important reflection of not just who we are, but who we might become."

Sarah MacLean: If It Feels Scary, You’re Writing It Right

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"In the latest instantly irresistible addition to her Hell’s Belles series, the always brilliant MacLean smartly plays to her literary strengths with a delightfully unconventional heroine and a by-the-book hero whose combined efforts to see that justice is done generate plenty of sexy sparks along the way as well as a deftly constructed plot that will richly resonate with twenty-first-century romance readers."

Booklist's starred review of Sarah MacLean's Knockout

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"It’s always fun for me reading about characters in historical romances who rebel against the patriarchy during a time period when they didn’t have a lot of freedom or rights. Sesily was 100% a rebellious firecracker of a heroine who gives zero f***s about what society thinks of her. I love that she was so unapologetic about who she was and could care less about what others thought of her. She could have easily let others opinions of her – they call her “Sexily” – influence her negatively, but instead, my queen embraced it and channeled her time and energy into more fruitful aspirations."

The Infinite Limits of Love reviews Sarah MacLean's Bombshell

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MacLean has often professed her interest in the worst of the romance heroes, the absolute scoundrels and the nearly irredeemable men, infamously embodied by Derek Craven in Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas; so much so that she and Fated Mates podcast partner Jen Prokop have declared February 2 as Derek Craven Day. She’s written her own fair share of incorrigible heroes, including Ewan, Duke of Marwick, from Daring and the Duke, and Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, from Day of the Duchess. She seems to take particular delight in compelling these cads down the path of reformation, puncturing their bombast, prying open the clamp on their feelings and forcing them to grovel as they work their way toward the emotional growth necessary to be worthy of the women they love. She’s a master at the romance novelist’s game of Break the Rake.

Given such a predilection, it’s a pleasant surprise that the hero of Bombshell is the rake’s opposite. He’s the man with a heart of gold who has endured the darkest of circumstances. MacLean spins 180 degrees away from her Stygian-hearted cad in the Bareknuckle Bastards trilogyand gives us the cinnamon roll who can’t seem to stop sacrificing himself for others: Caleb Calhoun.

Sarah MacLean’s Riot of a Romance is Quite the “Bombshell”