Title: The Halifax HellionsAuthor: Alexandra Vasti
Pages: 320
Publication Date: February 17, 2026
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical
Synopsis:
From the day of their debut, when Matilda smoked a cheroot and Margo tied a cherry stem in a knot with her tongue, the Halifax twins have flouted convention at every turn. But when Matilda runs off with the dangerous Marquess of Ashford – who has every reason to hate her – she may have gone a bit too far.
Determined to stop Matilda’s inexplicable elopement, her sister Margo turns to her oldest friend for because if anyone can get her to Scotland in time, it’s starchy solicitor Henry Mortimer. But the road to Scotland is paved with secrets. Beneath his buttoned-up exterior, Henry is ardently, wildly, miserably in love with Margo. And Matilda and Ashford’s relationship too may not be quite what it seems.
Between salacious engravings, secret identities, and demanding feral cats, nothing about the journey goes as planned. With the Halifax Hellions at the reins, a week in a carriage is exactly enough time to turn the world upside down . . . and, perhaps, find the love stories they never expected.
For the first time ever in print, The Halifax Hellions brings together Margo and Matilda’s novellas, along with a swoony new epilogue.
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The Halifax Hellions includes two novellas that follow sisters as they find their happily ever afters. Both stories are compelling, and I was easily pulled into the first, which focused on Margo and Henry as they travel to stop Matilda from eloping. I love friends to lovers romances and road trips, and when these characters embark on their journeys, chaos, shenanigans, obstacles, and romance ensues.
Margot is so over the top and vivacious, and it’s clear from the start that Henry is deeply in love with her. Did I mention Henry is also Margot’s brother’s best friend? Love it!! They had amazing chemistry, and the pining was fabulous.
Matilda’s novella had a completely different tone from her sister’s, which made sense considering how different her story is from Margot’s. I enjoyed hers just as much as the first one. I actually liked Matilda a bit more than Margot, and Christian surprised me in the best way. He ended up being so different from his cold and standoffish persona, and once they were at his home, he shone. He was such a strong match for her and their dynamic pulled me in right away. I also loved Matilda’s budding relationship with Christian’s sister. There are definitely some strong messages about female empowerment and sisterhood in both pieces.
And that new epilogue—it made me smile so much. It felt like getting to check in on old friends one last time and left me completely happy with where things ended. Special thanks to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
- brothers best friend
- road trip
- forced proximity
Alexandra Vasti is a British literature professor by day and USA Today bestselling romance writer by night. After finishing her PhD at Columbia University, she moved to New Orleans with her family. Her books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal, BookPage, and Kirkus, and have been featured in The New York Times, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, People, and elsewhere.
I am not a big fan of siblings in books (especially sisters) but this one sounds like fun! And that cover is sooooo cute!