Beauty and the Clockwork Beast
Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen is $1.99! This is the first book in the Steampunk Proper Romance series and, as the name suggests, it has Beauty and the Beast vibes. Some readers felt there were 10 pounds of extra stuff shoved into a 5 pound book. However, there’s one review on Goodreads where the reader admits sitting in her car in a parking lot just so she can finish the book.
When Lucy Pickett arrives at Blackwell Manor to tend to her ailing cousin, Kate, she finds more than she bargained for. A restless ghost roams the hallways, werewolves have been reported in the area, and vampires lurk across the Scottish border.
Lord Miles himself is clearly hiding a secret. He is brash and inhospitable and does not take kindly to visitors—even one as smart and attractive as Miss Pickett. He is unsettled by the mysterious deaths of his new wife, Clara, and his sister, Marie. Could Miles himself be to blame for the deaths?
Working together, Miles and Lucy attempt to restore peace to Blackwell Manor. But can Lucy solve the mystery of Miles? Can she love the man—beast and all?
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The Lady and the Highwayman by Sarah M. Eden is $1.99! Lara reviewed this one and gave it a C-. She admits she actually liked the book, but after finishing realized it could have been so much better.
Elizabeth Black is the headmistress of a girls’ school in 1830s Victorian London. She is also a well-respected author of ”silver-fork” novels, stories written both for and about the upper-class ladies of Victorian society. But by night, she writes very different kinds of stories–the Penny Dreadfuls that are all the rage among the working-class men. Under the pseudonym Charles King, Elizabeth has written about dashing heroes fighting supernatural threats, intelligent detectives solving grisly murders, and dangerous outlaws romancing helpless women. They contain all the adventure and mystery that her real life lacks.
Fletcher Walker began life as a street urchin, but is now the most successful author in the Penny Dreadful market, that is until Charles King started taking all of his readers. No one knows who King is, including Fletcher’s fellow members of the Dread Penny Society, a fraternity of authors dedicated to secretly fighting for the social and political causes of their working-class readers. The group knows King could be an asset with his obvious monetary success, or he could be the group’s undoing as King’s readership continues to cut into their profits.
Determined to find the elusive Mr. King, Fletcher approaches Miss Black. As a fellow-author, she is well-known among the high-class writers; perhaps she could be persuaded to make some inquiries as to Mr. King’s whereabouts? Elizabeth agrees to help Fletcher, if only to insure her secret identity is never discovered. What neither author anticipated was the instant attraction, even though their social positions dictate the impossibility of a relationship.
For the first time Elizabeth experiences the thrill of a cat-and-mouse adventure reminiscent of one of her own novels as she tries to throw Fletcher off her scent. But the more time they spend together, the more she loses her heart. Its upper-class against working-class, author against author where readers, reputations, and romance are all on the line.
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Charming by Elliott James is $1.99! This is book one in the Pax Arcana urban fantasy series and has been frequently compared to the Iron Druid series and the Harry Dresden Files. Many readers loved the premise of the book, though some felt it didn’t quite live up to the expectations of the book’s description. It has a 3.7-star rating on Goodreads.
John Charming isn’t your average Prince…
He comes from a line of Charmings — an illustrious family of dragon slayers, witch-finders and killers dating back to before the fall of Rome. Trained by a modern day version of the Knights Templar, monster hunters who have updated their methods from chainmail and crossbows to kevlar and shotguns, he was one of the best. That is — until he became the abomination the Knights were sworn to hunt.
That was a lifetime ago. Now, he tends bar under an assumed name in rural Virginia and leads a peaceful, quiet life. One that shouldn’t change just because a vampire and a blonde walked into his bar… Right?
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Beard Science by Penny Reid is FREE! This is part of the Winston Brothers series and can be read on its own. Readers seem divided on whether this was their favorite so far in the series or their least favorite. What do you think?
Make a deal with the devil and you might get what you want, but will it be what you need?
Jennifer Sylvester wants one thing, and that one thing is NOT to be Tennessee’s reigning Banana Cake Queen. Ever the perpetual good girl and obedient daughter, Jennifer is buckling under the weight of her social media celebrity, her mother’s ambitions, and her father’s puritanical mandates. Jennifer is officially desperate.
And desperate times call for Cletus Winston.
Cletus Winston is a puzzle wrapped in a mystery covered in conundrum sauce, and now he’s in a pickle. Despite being convinced of his own omniscience, extortion by the exalted Banana Cake Queen of Green Valley has taken him completely by surprise. So… what’s a maniacal mastermind to do?
Likely, the last thing you expect.
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Wow, so I’ve read two books from today’s post. That never happens.
I really enjoyed Beauty and the Clockwork Beast. I was hesitant because it was described, I think, as a “clean read” and I always expect those to be rather sanctimonious. It wasn’t at all though. In fact, I was surprised by how sensual some scenes were without being at all explicit. And the heroine is a paranormal expert so it might be good for those who like competence porn, though it’s been a while since I read it.
I’ve also read Charming and enjoyed it a lot more than the series it’s compared to. It’s not epic but slice of life and more down to earth. Hat tip to Ilona Andrews for explaining the distinction and giving me terms for why I like some fantasy and not others.
I’ve mentioned before that Penny Reid is a bit of a hit and miss for me but Beard Science is definitely a hit. I am not a fan of her Winston Brothers series (I’ve started and dropped a couple of the books) but this is definitely an exception.
The Beauty and the Clockwork Beast sounds pretty tempting even if I am not all that big on steampunk.
@MaryK, I am now considering Charming too, I really wanted to like the Dresden Files, but something just didn’t click for me. I haven’t come across that explanation from Ilona Andrews but I absolutely love their books so I’d trust anything they say 😀
I read Charming when it first came out and liked it. But all the follow up books were expensive, so it fell off my radar. But now the next three books in the series are also $1.99, so maybe I’ll try again.
CHARMING is a squee for me, the entire series. I hope the first being on sale means a new one is in the works. John Charming is a great, flawed character. Actually everyone is for many reasons, and Mollie the priest is one of my favorites. Yes, there is some info-dumping, but the dialog and character growth always bring me back. Take a chance on Charming.
Beard Science is one of my all-time favorites. It just hits all of the right notes for me. I think people really enjoy the eccentric sort of evil-genius hero, but I personally have a soft spot for the heroine. She’s talented and kind and a lot of the book is her working through being a pushover. I just really enjoy her and their dynamic.
I also really enjoyed Beauty and the Clockwork Beast. I felt that it was too long, but I also loved the heroine in that one. She’s super smart and competent and loves working and the hero loves her intelligence and competence.
I’m another one who enjoyed Beauty and the Clockwork Beast much more than I was expecting to! I’d definitely go for it at this price!
@Sunflower – It was in a recent blog post. https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2022/secret-snippet-questions-and-other-things/
Here’s the relevant quote: “For example, the original Star Wars trilogy is an epic fantasy with a definite goal, while Mandalorian series is a slice of life.” Which explains why I like The Mandalorian but can take or leave Star Wars. Slice of life is more personal and how I like my stories.
Love Beard Science – one of my all time favourite comfort reads I return to every year. Clever, engaging, romantic, sexy, healing and empowering for both of them, and hilariously funny at times. The related mysteries involving Cletus and Jen are also great reading.
@MaryK—you might also like Gail Carriger’s THE HEROINE’S JOURNEY. She uses three foundational myths (Demeter, Isis, and Inanna) and a bunch of pop culture references (including Harry Potter, Twilight, Star Wars, Batman, etc.) to draw a distinction between the classic hero’s journey (a la THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES of which Star Wars is a classic example) and the heroine’s journey which features friendship and collaboration as key strengths.
I’m probably mangling it a bit, but I found it very helpful for thinking about different types of stories.
Beard Science was definitely my favorite of the series. I’m a sucker for underestimated heroines with hidden depths paired up with heroes who think they’ve got the world figured out. Love it when the hero just keeps getting bopped in the nose with the realization that they don’t, in fact, have *this* woman figured out.
@MaryK Thank you for digging that up for me, it does make sense (although, I do love the original SW trilogy…). In any case, I got Charming, so we’ll see how it goes 😀