Clockwork Mafia by Seleste deLaney
Genre: Steampunk Romance.
Series: Badlands #2
Publication Date: April 29th 2013
ISBN: 9781426895418
Page Count: 249
Rating: ★★★
Review Copy: ARC
Reviewed by: Lynsey
Synopsis: Inventor Henrietta Mason is retiring from airships and adventuring to return home to Philadelphia. Determined to erase all trails leading to her late father's duplicity, she dismantles his lab and removes all records of the Badlands gold. While in the city, she can't resist the lure of a charity gala but winds up regretting the whole experience. Well, everything except a heart-racing dance with a certain U.S. Marshal.
His career and vengeance on the line, Carson Alexander must prove a connection between Senator Mason and the mafia. He lucked out happening across Mason's strikingly beautiful daughter, only to have her slip through his fingers. On a desperate hunt to track her down, he never expects his search to take him into the brutal Badlands.
With a mechanically enhanced enforcer after them, only Carson knows the extent of the danger they face. He'll have to win over Henrietta's trust, and her heart, before it's too late...
Genre: Steampunk Romance.
Series: Badlands #2
Publication Date: April 29th 2013
ISBN: 9781426895418
Page Count: 249
Rating: ★★★
Review Copy: ARC
Reviewed by: Lynsey
Synopsis: Inventor Henrietta Mason is retiring from airships and adventuring to return home to Philadelphia. Determined to erase all trails leading to her late father's duplicity, she dismantles his lab and removes all records of the Badlands gold. While in the city, she can't resist the lure of a charity gala but winds up regretting the whole experience. Well, everything except a heart-racing dance with a certain U.S. Marshal.
His career and vengeance on the line, Carson Alexander must prove a connection between Senator Mason and the mafia. He lucked out happening across Mason's strikingly beautiful daughter, only to have her slip through his fingers. On a desperate hunt to track her down, he never expects his search to take him into the brutal Badlands.
With a mechanically enhanced enforcer after them, only Carson knows the extent of the danger they face. He'll have to win over Henrietta's trust, and her heart, before it's too late...
REVIEW
Steam but no sizzle.
I find myself slightly frustrated after finishing CLOCKWORK MAFIA. Like I've been short changed somehow. You see, its synopsis reads like that of any other romance novel—albeit a steampunk one—with a bit about the heroine and a bit about the hero. So I was kind of expecting a full on romance. You know, with heated kisses and intimate scenes and stuff like that. But, nope it was sadly lacking in that department. Only a couple of smooches which had little impact. And, you know, I can happily read a book with no sex in it just fine, so it's not like I'm some insatiable smutmonster or anything. But it's all about expectations. I expected more romance, I didn't get it, so I'm disappointed. So on the romance front, it gets a very low score.
However, on the Steampunk side of things, I really enjoyed it. I loved that Henrietta was so skilled with machines and clockworks, even if it did land her in hot water more often than not thanks to her late father's dealings with the mafia. I also loved that the hero, Carson, was still amiable despite being a man hell-bent on vengeance for his murdered fiance these last eight years. And the descriptions of all the various instruments were great, and the plot in general was entertaining, if fairly short. Hey, maybe they could have made it longer with some sex scenes! Just a thought.
So, all in all an entertaining steampunk, but a disappointing romance
3 Stars ★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks for this review. The synopsis sure does lead one to think there's more romance than what you got!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jonetta! You can't win with me - I complain if there's too much smut AND if there's not enough :)
ReplyDelete