Hearts of Steel by Elizabeth Camden: Book Review

Details

• Genre: Historical fiction
• Series: The Blackstone Legacy (Book #3)
• Length: 336 pages (Paperback)
• Publication Date: January 17, 2023

Tropes

• Opposites attract
• Class difference

My Rating

Book Description

“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 fortune for the good of the city. It will require all their wit and ingenuity to navigate the dangerous waters ahead, but their crusade could cost them everything.”

— from Goodreads

My Review

When a corrupt businessman threatens all they’ve worked hard for, Liam Blackstone and Maggie Molinaro join forces in order to stop him. But when such a task proves easier said than done, will their deepening feelings become a distraction or a lifeline?

I absolutely loved Liam and Maggie’s romance! They were opposites in some ways so that they balanced each other out, but had enough similarities to bond over.

All that talk of ice cream sounded delicious 😋 I read this book in the winter, and yet I was still craving a scoop or two.

With how much Theodore Blackstone was praised in both this book and Carved in Stone, it was easy to understand why Liam would struggle under the weight of his father’s legacy.

So it was very sweet of his sister Gwen, who probably knew their father best, to reassure him that Theodore would be happy with the man Liam has become.

Charles Morse made for a great villain. His pettiness and greed really made me want the heroes to succeed. And I had no idea he was an actual person (or how important ice was back then).

Favorite Moments

🍨 A tour of Gadsen Street
🍨 going to Maine for ice 
🍨 might have a future after all
🍨 love confession
🍨 last party at Molinaro’s 
🍨 reunion

Favorite Quotes

“There was no shame in losing a battle, but running away from one was a regret he’d carry forever.“

Elizabeth Camden

“‘You don’t have anything to fear from Darla. She was always beautiful and fun, but she let me down. We collapsed at our first real test. You and I have been tested since the beginning. Maggie, you’re the woman I want beside me in any storm. Rain or shine. For better or for worse. In sickness or in health…it’s you, Maggie.’“

Elizabeth Camden

“A sense of well-being that felt almost holy descended on him. It came out of nowhere and blanketed him with assurance that he was on the right track. He had found a woman with the ambition to take on the world, but who could also sit beside him and appreciate the simple joy of watching trains roll in and out of the station. This day was a gift from God.“

Elizabeth Camden

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