Audible Book Review: Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

This is an enjoyable romance with supernatural characters and mystery.
Beauty and the Clockwork Beast: The Steampunk Proper Romances, Book 1
By: Nancy Campbell Allen
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Series: The Steampunk Proper Romances, Book 1
Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
Release date: 08-02-16
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Genre: Paranormal, Steampunk, Victorian Romance
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
Like the classic Beauty and the Beast, this steampunk romance features an unlikely love story.
The Lord of Blackwell Manor, Miles, is plagued by a family curse that changes him into a shape-shifting wolf every month during the full moon.
Lucy, a smart, attractive, and well-respected botanist, travels to Blackwell Manor to take care of her sick cousin, Kate, who is married to Miles' younger brother. For Lucy, the trip is a welcome respite from her work and recent discovery of a breakthrough serum that could eliminate the scourge of vampires from London. But Lucy finds more than she bargained for when she arrives at the Manor.
Miles, who is brash and inhospitable, does not take kindly to visitors. He is still unsettled by the mysterious death of his newlywed wife. And then there's Marie, Miles' sister, who was attacked and murdered just weeks earlier. Miles is horrified to think that he might be to blame for the deaths. And who is the ghost that haunt the halls?
Lucy is convinced that the death of Miles's wife and sister - as well as her cousin's mysterious illness - are tied together, but how? Lady Charlesworth has her eye on inheriting Blackwell Manor for her family. Could her daughter, Candice, or her son, Arthur, have had a hand in the mysterious deaths? The clues make a vampire suspect highly likely. During her investigation, Lucy finds herself caring deeply for Miles, but he fights to keep his distance in order to protect Lucy from his family's secret. And, yet, he feels attracted to the woman who is able to look past the fearsome-looking scar that has marred his handsome face. With no other option, Miles and Lucy must work together if they are to find the answer to the mysteries at the manor.
But that's not all Lucy wants to solve. There's a deeper mystery behind Miles. Can she solve that too? Ultimately, she must decide if she can love the man - beast and all.
Includes bonus novella, Marie's Story.
©2016 Nancy Campbell Allen (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Review:
Lucy is busy with her scientific and botanist tasks. She recently discovered an anti-vampire serum and wants to continue the work on this project. But she is quick to rush to her cousin’s side when she hears that Kate is ill. Kate recently married Jonathan, a younger brother to the dark Lord of Blackwell Manor, Miles. Lucy doesn’t know much about the family but there are rumors that the Lord’s may have been involved in the death of his new wife and his sister shortly after.

Miles is plagued by a family curse that is a closely held secret. He goes to his family’s hunting lodge every month at the full moon – and that is only one of his secrets. He is distressed by the unsolved murder of his wife and the brutal killing of his sister. Miles doesn’t like having strangers around and although he appreciates that Lucy wants to help her cousin, he is not so thrilled to have her snooping around. He also isn’t happy to have his aunt, Lady Charlesworth, and her adult children, Arthur and Candice, swooping in for extended visits whenever they want.

Lucy is sure Miles is hiding something but doesn’t think he is guilty of the murders in his household. Lucy soon believes that Kate is being poisoned. She also suspects that the household robotic servants are being used in the plot. Can she get enough evidence to convince the reclusive Miles to listen to her and take action before it’s too late?

I really liked the complex characters of Lucy and Miles. There is a reluctant attraction that develops slowly as they learn about and begin to trust each other. There is a lovely dance scene that changes the dynamic between them. Miles has some strong friends who are willing to stand with him, including Lucy’s brother. Several of these characters appear in the rest of the series. I enjoyed reading book 3, The Lady in the Coppergate Tower, and I just got the other books from Audible Plus. I like the mix of mystery, steampunk, shifter, and Victorian romance. I recommend this to fans of these genres.

Audio Notes: Saskia Maarleveld does a lovely job with the narration. I liked the accent and the pacing of the delivery. The narration added to my enjoyment of the story.

Source: May 17, 2021 free from Audible Plus Catalog. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.

#NetGalley Book Review: The Lady in the Coppergate Tower by Nancy Campbell Allen

This was a good fantasy mystery.
The Lady in the Coppergate Tower
by Nancy Campbell Allen

Series: Proper Romance Steampunk
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Shadow Mountain (August 6, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1629725544
Genre: Mystery, Steampunk, Victorian
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Hazel Hughes has spent her life believing she is a Medium—someone who can talk to ghosts. But as of yet, that skill has remained frustratingly elusive. She is also suffering from a reoccurring childhood dream of someone who looks almost exactly like Hazel, but this dream version of herself is slowly going mad.
Sam MacInnes is a talented surgeon who runs in the highest social circles thanks to his family’s position and history. When Sam hires Hazel to assist him with his medical practice, he is immediately drawn to her intelligence, wit, and beauty.
Their potential relationship is derailed one evening when a mysterious count arrives in London and reveals to Hazel the truth about her past: she was abducted at birth and her twin sister has fallen dangerously ill.
Hazel agrees to travel to Romania with Count Petrescu in order to save her sister, and Sam insists on accompanying her. The count has secrets, though, and the journey grows more sinister with every mile that draws Hazel closer to her homeland. Even as her feelings for Sam become deeper and more complicated, she fears she might not survive the quest to save her sister with her heart intact, not to mention her life. She must learn to draw on gifts she doesn’t know she has if they are going to ever return home again.
Hazel and Sam must fight their way past dark magic, clockwork beasts, and their own insecurities as they try to reach her sister in the impenetrable Coppergate Tower before time runs out.

Review:
Hazel is a gifted healer but also thinks she has skills as a Medium. She constantly dreams of a different version of herself, a young woman with different color hair who is going mad. Hazel has an unrevealed ‘thing’ for her employer, Dr. Sam MacInnes. She does not see them in the same social set so she tries to resist her feelings for him.

Sam is a talented surgeon who is attracted to Hazel, a young woman whose life he saved before she became his employee. Sam runs in the higher social circles but doesn’t let that impress him.

Wealthy and impressive Romanian Count Petrescu arrives in town telling Hazel that she is his niece who was abducted at birth. He claims that she has a twin who is seriously ill and needs her help. As Petrescu convinces Hazel to travel with him to Romania, Sam insists that he accompany her, along with his personal automaton, Eugene. Sam, who doesn’t like closed places, suffers some qualms when they realize they will be traveling by submarine.

Sam and Hazel agree that Petrescu is darkly mysterious and not to be easily trusted. He has a rough bodyguard who becomes a suspect in an attack on Hazel’s maid. The closer they come to their destination the more Hazel connects (even unwillingly) with her sister. She begins to realize her sister is trapped in a tower and her life under abusive manipulation is distressing and driving her mad.

I enjoyed the steampunk aspects of the automatons, the submarine and the wicked tower. It was easy to be drawn to Hazel and Sam who are both warm characters who are very respectful of their growing affections. Petrescu and his right hand man are appropriately villainous while Eugene makes a fun, rather smart alecky robot. The pacing was mostly good with consistent mystery even though the crisis seemed to peak as a rush to the ending. Still and all this is an engaging story and I recommend it to reader’s who enjoy steampunk, mystery and fairy tale elements.

Source: 2019 NetGalley. This qualifies for 2019NetGalley goal.

Audible Book Review:Blackmoore by Julianne Dondalson

This is a heart wrenching romance.
Blackmoore
By: Julianne Donaldson
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 09-18-13
Language: English
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Genre: Historical Regency, Romance
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall, Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
Kate Worthington knows her heart and she knows she will never to marry. Her plan is to travel to India instead - if only to find peace for her restless spirit and to escape the family she abhors. But Kate’s meddlesome mother has other plans. She makes a bargain with Kate: India, yes, but only after Kate has secured - and rejected - three marriage proposals.
Kate journeys to the stately manor of Blackmoore determined to fulfill her end of the bargain sooner rather than later and enlists the help of her dearest childhood friend, Henry Delafield. But when it comes to matters of love, bargains are meaningless and plans are changeable. There on the wild lands of Blackmoore, Kate must face the truth that has kept her heart captive. Will the proposal she is determined to reject actually be the one thing that will set her heart free?
Set in Northern England in 1820, Blackmoore is a regency romance that tells the story of a young woman struggling to learn how to follow her heart.
©2013 Julianne Clawson Donaldson (P)2013 Shadow Mountain.

Review:
Kate made a decision at age 14 that she would never marry. Instead, she plans to travel, with her restless spirit and her aunt, to India. She particularly wants to get away for her toxic household where her father ignores the family and her mother flirts with any man, young or old, and ties to teach her daughters to do the same, and to trap an appropriate husband.

Before Kate goes to India she wants to visit Blackmoore, the estate of her childhood neighbor and friend, Henry Delafield. She has wanted to visit the estate for years, but their mothers despise each other. Henry and Kate were only able to spend time together because Kate was best friends with Henry’s awkward sister. But Lady Delafield had made it very clear that Henry will never marry Kate. In fact, Henry has an arranged fiancé waiting for him.

Kate finally makes a desperate bargain with her mother. She must receive and reject three proposals to get the right to go to India. Plus one other stipulation that Kate doesn’t think through. Kate convinces her mother to allow her to make the visit to Blackmoore with the expectation there will be available matches to meet at the house party.

Kate arrives at Blackmoore to find that Henry’s future bride is there with his mother. The young woman is beautiful, refined, and already preparing to take her place as the mistress of the manor. And Lady Delafield is far from pleased that Henry invited Kate.

Henry continues to seek time to walk and talk with Kate in between the scheduled dinners and tête-à-têtes with his intended. When her first few attempts to engage the interest of other men are unsuccessful, Kate comes up with another plan. It becomes clear she may succeed but at the cost of her heart.

It was hard to like Kate at first as she seemed rather self-absorbed and cold. Only further into the story does it become clear the horrible household she has had to endure and the sacrifice she has determined to make for the one she loves. Henry is a wonderful, proper young gentleman. I appreciated that this contained a lovely romance with no need for sexual innuendos. The undercurrent of love builds even as the conflict for Kate and Henry builds. I have no idea why this is dubbed ‘a Proper romance.” It is heart wrenching to get to the point where they recognize their love. I recommend this to readers who enjoy the struggles of a thwarted romance.

Audio Notes: Cassandra Campbell does a beautiful job with the narration. She manages to put the right edge to the characters to help bring the story more intensity. I am glad I listened to this.

Source: December 2016 Audible sale. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook Goals.

Audible Book Review: Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennet

I really liked this - it is a bit of a surprise.
Jacob T. Marley
Narrated by: Simon Vance
By: R. William Bennett

Length: 4 hrs and 10 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 05-30-13
Language: English
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Genre: Ghost, Inspirational
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall, 4.5 Story and 5.0 Narration

Publisher's Summary
"Marley was dead to begin with...."
These chillingly familiar words begin the classic Christmas tale of remorse and redemption in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Now R. William Bennett rewinds the story and focuses the spotlight on Scrooge’s miserly business partner, Jacob T. Marley, who was allowed to return as a ghost to warn Scrooge away from his ill-fated path. Why was Marley allowed to return? And why hadn't he been given the same chance as Ebenezer Scrooge?
Or had he?
Written with a voice reminiscent of Dickens, Jacob T. Marley is a masterfully crafted story of remorse and redemption, sure to become a Christmas favorite.
©2011 Burgess Adams Inc. (P)2011 Shadow Mountain

Review:
Most of us are familiar with Dickens story of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Now we have the story of Scrooge’s mentor and partner, Jacob T. Marley. Of course, Marley appears as a ghost in A Christmas Carol. In this story the author shares the background that creates the character of Marley. He develops the history of Marley meeting and becoming partners with Scrooge. And he presents Marley as a ghost/spirit seeking to help Scrooge before it's too late.

I wasn’t quite sure on this but I really enjoyed it. The style is consistent with Dickens, including issues of the human condition, so it carries along well from Scrooge’s story. Themes of remorse and redemption are well presented. I recommend this to those who enjoy the original classic.

Audio Notes: This was superbly narrated by the veteran narrator, Simon Vance. His expert voicing and narration adds extra richness to the story. This is wonderful listening entertainment and a real bargain at the deal price!

Source: 2017 Audible Daily Deal $1.95. This qualifies for 2018TBR and Audiobook Challenge.