Monday, August 8, 2016

Blog Tour/Review: Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen



Beauty and the Clockwork Beast, by Nancy Campbell Allen
2016, 352p, Clean Historical Romance, Steampunk, Paranormal
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review



Jane Eyre meets Beauty and the Beast.

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. 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?


Lucy travels to Blackwell Manor to help her cousin Kate who has become ill. There have been recent, mysterious deaths of Clara, the late wife of Miles, the Lord of the manor, and his sister, Marie. There is a supposed curse that Lucy doesn't buy into, and Miles has secrets to protect. She and Miles work together to figure out what is really happening before something terrible happens to Kate.

I loved this book! I've read a few steampunk novels and have enjoyed them all so apparently it's a genre I enjoy reading. I loved how it was incorporated into this proper romance line. I loved reading about things I don't normally read about in this type of book--vampires, werewolves, ghosts and advanced technology in a Victorian setting. There was also mystery, suspense and romance, which I enjoy as well.

I was interested in this story from the beginning, but there came a point when I just couldn't put it down. Lucy is the smart, accomplished beauty and Miles is the beast. They don't hit it off at first but their relationship develops as they work together to figure out what is going on. There are twists and turns along the way to a satisfying ending. I enjoy reading books in this genre that follow the proven formula, but it was refreshing to read a book that was completely different. I hope there will be more to come!


Nancy Campbell Allen is the author of 12 published novels and several novellas, which encompass a variety of genres from contemporary romantic suspense to historical fiction. Her Civil War series, Faith of our Fathers, won the Utah Best of State award in 2005 and two of her historicals featuring Isabelle Webb, Pinkerton spy, were finalists for the Whitney Award. Her newest Regency romance, My Fair Gentleman, will be released from Shadow Mountain January, 2016, and her steampunk novel, Beauty and the Clockwork Beast, will be released also through Shadow Mountain later in 2016. She served on the 2015 LDStorymakers Conference Committee and currently serves as the marketing coordinator for The Teen Writers Confrerence. She has presented at numerous conferences and events since her initial publication in 1999.

Her formal schooling includes a B.S. in Elementary Education from Weber State University and she has worked as a ghost writer and freelance editor, contributing to the recent release, We Knew Howard Hughes, by Jim Whetton.

Nancy served as the Teen Writers Conference chair in 2011 and 2012, and has presented at numerous conferences and events since her initial publication in 1999 with Covenant Communications. Her agent is Pam Van Hylckama Vlieg of D4EO Literary Agency.

Nancy loves to read, write, travel and research, and enjoys spending time laughing with family and friends. She and her husband have three children, and she lives in Ogden, Utah with her family and one very large Siberian Husky named Thor.


  
Beauty and the Clockwork Beast Blog Tour
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17-Aug

2 comments:

sherry fundin said...

It's always a good thing when you find an unputdownable. :-)
sherry @ fundinmental

Melanie said...

Sherry, I completely agree! ;)

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