Book Review: Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts by Nancy Campbell Allen

Book: Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts by Nancy Campbell Allen

Genre: steampunk fantasy

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

This is a fun one about a feisty girl, Emme O'Shea, who is on a mission to fight for Shape Shifter rights. She is making quite the name for herself in society as the spokesperson for this cause. And in so doing, she tends to get herself in a lot of trouble. The dude who happens to always be there to pull her out, and then arrest her, is her nemesis of a detective...Mr. Oliver Reed. He doesn't think twice about literally throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her off to the slammer! 

But then one day when she is about to set off to Scotland for a summit where she will be giving the keynote speech trying to change legislation in favor of Shifters, she is sent a life threatening message. And suddenly she finds this detective has now been appointed as her bodyguard! 

This makes for an awesome scenario in which lots of fun banter, flirting and compromising moments arise. Not to mention life and death adventure! And they both quickly find that they don't hate each other quite as much as they originally thought.

This book is very very loosely based on Cinderella but I only found a few similarities... mostly a wicked step sister, a carriage filled with pumpkins, curious mice, an ally named Gus, some fancy shoes, and midnight. LOL! So yeah, very fun! Throw in some vampires and you have it all, right? 

So yeah, I really enjoyed the banter and many romantically charged moments. And of course the steampunk setting. Always fun. 

This book, due to be released in October, is part of the Proper Romance line from Shadow Mountain, and specifically part of the steampunk romance line. (I reviewed another book in this line here. The stories have no connection as far as I can tell, just the world and setting.) Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the opportunity read and review another fun book!

Here's a fun book trailer:

And more about the author:

Nancy Campbell Allen is the author of seventeen published novels and numerous novellas, which span genres from contemporary romantic suspense to historical fiction. In 2005, her work won the Utah Best of State award, and she received a Whitney Award for My Fair Gentleman. She has presented at numerous writing conferences and events since her first book was released in 1999. Nancy received a BS in Elementary Education from Weber State University. She loves to read, write, travel, and research, and enjoys spending time laughing with family and friends. She is married and the mother of three children. Visit her at nancycampbellallen.com, on Instagram @authornancycampbellallen, on Facebook at nancycampbellallen, or on Twitter @necallen.

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

Name: The Lady in the Coppergate Tower by Nancy Campbell Allen
Genre: Steampunk romance fantasy
Rating: ★ ★ ★ 

I ended up getting this ARC from Shadow Mountain to read and review. The premise sounded very intriguing and so, yeah, it was an easy "SURE!"

This one is very steampunk, set in the regency time period, but with all sorts of funky gizmos and gadgets (they can even text!) and magic and most importantly automatons, aka robots. I love those things! LOL!

Anyway, we have our girl who is a very spirited thing full of fun and adventure. And very very beautiful. She has an incident in the prologue that lets us know she might perhaps have some sort of healing and/or ghosting power? I can't quite recall, but we get an inkling of something. When the book actually opens, she is working as an assistant to a doctor that we learn she is very much has a crush on, well, and in fact very much loves.

When we get his point of view, we learn that he also loves her. But of course, they think neither one of them is worthy and so have never acted on these feelings.

ANYWAY, one day a very creepy regal weird and other sorts of adjectives, dude appears and says he is her uncle. And that she is a long lost princess and that she has a twin who is sick and needs her.

So she decides to go off with this guy to see her twin that she never knew existed, to a very romantic places called Vania... or something.

The doctor says, NOT WITHOUT ME YOU DON'T and he goes with her! Yes!

They travel in a an exotic submarine. Like a cruise ship, only a submarine. Fascinating.

And weird things start happening and these two begin to realize that the dude who says he is her uncle is even more creepy and weird than they first anticipated! They also realize that they maybe should tell each other their feelings. Yes.

This book is really fun and is a twist on a fairy tale, and other famous characters (I feel if I reveal who and what it will be spoilery, so read it to find out!) If you like a fun mash up of all sorts of things you will love this one! All with a fun sweet romance included!

(This is part of the Proper Romance line from Shadow Mountain. And if I understand right, there is a line of Steampunk Proper Romances... so more where this came from!)

Anyway. I really enjoyed it. So fun. Thanks to Shadow Mountain for the chance to read and review this one!