I liked Kiss of the Spindle more, but I still really enjoyed its predecessor Beauty and the Clockwork Beast. It was fun to see the hints of more story to come with Lucy’s brother Daniel. Since there were also hints about the medium Hazel, I hope that means we’ll get a novel about her too.
I like this steampunk world and its characters, and I’d love to read more romances in this setting. The actual steampunk world building is on the light side—all the gadgets that work like our modern-day computers, cell phones and electricity aren’t explained in any depth, but simply given new names and slightly different equipment—but that’s not my main purpose for reading these books, nor do I think it’s the author’s for writing them. My object is to read swoony romance with great characters and an element of the supernatural, and that’s exactly what I got with this and Kiss of the Spindle.
This one has a definite gothic romance vibe that was fun to tuck into, very atmospheric. I loved Miles and Lucy, perhaps not quite as much as I loved Isla and Daniel in Spindle, but it’s close. I like that Allen’s heroines tend to be practical, straightforward, and strong in a way that doesn’t require them—or the author—to be constantly proclaiming it to the reader. Her heroes in the two books I’ve read are, among other things, war veterans dealing with PTSD. It added depth to a character attribute that might otherwise just be a throwaway detail to explain a character’s bravery or fighting ability. Characterization is where Allen shines.
This was a 5-star read for me right up until the denouement, which included the standard maniacal villain’s evil plan explanation, and it was a little too silly for me to overlook. Dropped my rating a bit, but the book is still totally worth the read, and I’ll be reading more by this author. ( )

Cool retelling of beauty and the beast with all the special elements of steampunk! A fun read/listen with a heroine who is definitely a woman to be reckoned with. ( )

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Steampunk Proper Romance series. I borrowed this audiobook through Audible Escapes.

Audiobook Quality: I really enjoyed the narration in this audiobook a lot. It’s very well done and I would recommend to those who enjoy audiobooks.

Story (5/5): This was a well balanced blend of a lot of story elements (mystery, action, romance, vampires, ghosts, shapeshifters) that I really enjoyed. It was a very entertaining, light read and I loved that it also included fairy tale retelling elements.

Characters (5/5): The characters are engaging and likable. Lucy is a professional botanist who is smart and witty and I enjoyed her. Miles has some issues he is struggling with but he is also smart, loyal, tough, and practical. The two have excellent chemistry together. I also really enjoyed a lot of the side characters, they have a lot of depth and add a lot to the story.

Setting (4/5): The world is a strange, yet fun, blend of vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, and steampunk elements. It is set in an alternate history type of Victorian setting. It sounds like there’s a lot going on here, and there is, but it works really well for this story and I enjoyed it.

Writing Style (4/5): The writing flowed really well and was easy to read. The story was engaging and the dialogue and characters were well done. Very good writing quality throughout.

Summary (4.5/5): Overall I would definitely recommend if you are a fan of fairy tale retellings and/or steampunk romance. I loved this book and just thought it was such a fun read. I plan on continuing with the series, this is definitely one of the better steampunk romance series I have read. ( )

In this steampunk novel, loosely framed around the Beauty and the Beast narrative, Lucy Pickett travels to Blackwell Manor to visit her cousin, Kate, who has recently married the younger brother of the notorious Earl of Blackwell. The Earl has a beastly reputation but Lucy is determined to stay at the manor to investigate the mysterious illness Kate has been suffering from ever since her marriage. But all at the manor is not as it seems and as Kate learns more about Miles, the intimidating Earl of Blackwell may not be so beastly after all.

I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast retellings and I enjoy a good steampunk romp so I had high hopes for this novel. After reading it the best I can say is that if you share those interests, you'll probably find it a serviceable read but it's not going to knock any socks off. There's a Gail Carriger-lite feeling to the whole novel as we have dirrigibles, vampires, shape shifters, and ghosts wandering about the narrative. And while the characters are well-drawn they're a bit lacking in sparkle and charm. I also had some believability issues - if you're going to seriously injure your main character, you can't have her climbing and crawling over the place just days later. I also couldn't forgive the book for naming a housekeeper with a gypsy background Mrs. Romany - such a lack of imagination. I don't regret the read but it didn't really scratch my Beauty and the Beast itch as much as I'd like and I won't be seeking out more books in the series or by the author. ( )

Lucy is an appealing heroine and Miles is the perfect blend of brooding and handsome hero. Set in a steampunk world with supernatural characters, Miles is literally a beast (werewolf). Lucy joins his household determined to discover who is behind her cousin's mysterious illness. ( )