Title: Hearts of Steel
Author: Elizabeth Camden
Series: The Blackstone Legacy, book 3
Major Themes: Historical Fiction, New York City, Romance
Synopsis: With his position on one of the biggest steel boards in the country in jeopardy, Liam Blackstone must decide whether it’s worth his position—and perhaps even his wealth—to battle corruption and injustice among some of the highest elite of New York.
After reading the first two books in this series, I knew I wanted to finish the last one, Hearts of Steel, but somehow, it took a while to actually pick it up. I’m glad I did; this wasn’t my favorite series of all time, but it was still an entertaining, gripping read.
Publisher’s description:
His steel empire has catapulted him to the top of the world, but loving her could cost him everything.
Maggie Molinaro survived a hardscrabble childhood in the downtrodden streets of Manhattan to become a successful businesswoman. After a decade of sacrifice, she now owns a celebrated ice cream company. But when she offends a corrupt banker, she unwittingly sets off a series of calamities that threaten to destroy her life’s work.
Liam Blackstone is a charismatic steel magnate committed to overhauling factory conditions for the steelworkers of America. Standing in his way is the same villain determined to ruin Maggie. What begins as a practical alliance to defeat a common enemy soon evolves into a romance between two wounded people determined to beat the odds.
A spiraling circle of treachery grows increasingly dangerous as Liam and Maggie risk their lives and fortunes for the good of the city. It will require all their wit and ingenuity to protect everything—and everyone—they hold dear.
My thoughts:
Liam has been one of my favorite characters throughout this series, so it was a lot of fun to finally get to hear his story. He’s a bit of a rebel, mostly because of the way he was raised and the different perspectives that gave him, and while I didn’t always appreciate the way he took things into his own hands, more often than not, he was right in what he did.
And then there’s Maggie! I loved her spunk and determination, and the historical portrait this book gave of pushcart vendors in New York City—something I’ve heard about, but rarely see portrayed in a story like this.
Hearts of Steel had more adventure and danger in it than I expected, but I enjoyed going along for the ride. There were a few things that made me question their plausibility, but as a commentary on what monopolies can do in the hands of evil people, and as a bit of a picture of New York City in the early 1900s, I found the story interesting. I enjoyed the romantic side of the book, too—the focus was more on that element than I typically enjoy in books, but that’s more of a personal genre preference than reflective of this particular story. If you enjoy romantic historical fiction, you’d likely love this book. A nice wrap-up to the series!
WARNING: Some feminist leanings throughout the book. Prologue: Lying, stealing, girl punched. Chapter 3: Like the dickens. Chapter 13: What in tarnation. Chapter 14: A kiss. Chapter 17: Speaking of the devil, good heavens. Chapter 18: A kiss, mention of nuzzling. Chapter 21: Woman hurt and almost dies, fighting in self-defense. Chapter 22: Blasted, good heavens, hug, kiss. Chapter 27: Heaven help him, a fight with a man injured. Chapter 33: A kiss.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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