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Blud #1.6
The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance
A lady with a penchant for pets meets a sexy fireman in this magical and saucy steampunk eNovella from the author of Wicked as They Come.
In a world ruled by blood, live pets are rare and kindness rarer still. London pet shop owner Frannie Pleasance has a mysterious way with animals and keeps her charges (and heart) locked in a veritable Eden. She thinks Casper Sterling is just another stray…until she takes in the troublesome lodger (and unwelcome suitor) and becomes the victim of a series of strange and dangerous occurrences.
When an unexplained fire threatens to destroy Frannie's carefully guarded world, firefighter Thom Maccallan is there to extinguish the blaze and help gather the lost creatures. The heat between Frannie and Thom begins to burn, but someone's still after the lady. Could it be Casper himself, or is Frannie’s new lodger just another victim of fate? Will they be able to figure out who's pursuing Frannie—and stop them—before she loses everything?
In a world ruled by blood, live pets are rare and kindness rarer still. London pet shop owner Frannie Pleasance has a mysterious way with animals and keeps her charges (and heart) locked in a veritable Eden. She thinks Casper Sterling is just another stray…until she takes in the troublesome lodger (and unwelcome suitor) and becomes the victim of a series of strange and dangerous occurrences.
When an unexplained fire threatens to destroy Frannie's carefully guarded world, firefighter Thom Maccallan is there to extinguish the blaze and help gather the lost creatures. The heat between Frannie and Thom begins to burn, but someone's still after the lady. Could it be Casper himself, or is Frannie’s new lodger just another victim of fate? Will they be able to figure out who's pursuing Frannie—and stop them—before she loses everything?
127 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2013
12 people are currently reading
590 people want to read
About the author
Delilah S. Dawson
173 books2,796 followersDelilah S. Dawson is the New York Times-bestselling author of Star Wars: Phasma, Black Spire: Galaxy's Edge, and The Perfect Weapon. With Kevin Hearne, she writes the Tales of Pell. As Lila Bowen, she writes the Shadow series, beginning with Wake of Vultures. Her other books include the Blud series, the Hit series, and Servants of the Storm.
She's written comics in the worlds of Marvel Action: Spider-Man, Lore's Wellington, Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars Forces of Destiny, The X-Files Case Files, Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, and her creator-owned comics include Star Pig, Ladycastle, and Sparrowhawk.
Find out more at www.whimsydark.com.
She's written comics in the worlds of Marvel Action: Spider-Man, Lore's Wellington, Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars Forces of Destiny, The X-Files Case Files, Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, and her creator-owned comics include Star Pig, Ladycastle, and Sparrowhawk.
Find out more at www.whimsydark.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
April 25, 2013
(Note: If you haven't read the first book, Wicked As They Come, there will be things you won't understand in this review. Please feel free to check out the reviews for that book to help you.)
I really wasn't expecting an actual story about pets but that's exactly what you get with this novella...well, sort of. Frannie has inherited her family's pet store and has continued to make it thrive by selling actual animals instead of clockworks. One morning she comes across Casper Sterling, who appears to have had a hard night of drinking and being sick. On top of that, he was robbed of his belongings and assaulted. Since he closely resembles Frannie's deceased brother, she has a soft spot for him and lets him lodge with her. Unfortunately, he's not the best lodger.
Wow! I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem and if you've read the first book and/or novella, you know that's not hard to do. DSD just has a way of telling a story that draws you in no matter how strange and quirky things get.
I really enjoyed Frannie. She is sweet and kind but she's had some horrible things happen to her and you can only hope that things will turn around for her.
Enter Thom....OMG...think Jamie Fraser from Outlander!! I was a goner the moment he showed up...in his firefighter gear no less! Plus he's Scottish, speaks with a brogue, WEARS A KILT (with nothing under it!!), all around handyman and animal catcher! Perfect for Frannie....but Casper throws a spin on things.
Speaking of Casper...I've never been quite sure what I think of him. I wasn't really crazy about him in Wicked As They Come and wasn't really looking forward to his book, Wicked As She Wants which is coming out the end of April. That has all changed!! While I'm still unsure of him, I'm much more curious now. I can't wait to find out what's happened to him and who he ends up with.
Frannie is not a Blud and neither is Thom and while we do have exposure to some, we also get to know a new creature called daimons. I was really intrigued by Reve and hope this isn't the last we hear of her.
I LOVED, loved, loved Frannie's secret place and what happened with her and Thom there. It was so sweet how he referred to her as "little love". And it was especially great how Casper helped her with it.
Overall, I loved the story even though it wasn't full length and there was NO Criminy!! If you enjoy the series, you don't want to miss this one!
Favorite quotes:
♥ “The day you found me, you were like an angel. The sun here is so weak I can barely feel it on my skin. But it lit up behind you like a halo. Your smile was so warm, and you smelled like warm milk and puppies and the right kind of cookies. All the women I’ve met here are these empty, grabbing harpies. They want money and jewels and riches. They want to claw their way to the top. But you just want to take care of things. That’s very attractive.”
♦ “I never trust a man in a frilly shirt.”
♥ “As you say, little love. I’ll be here if you need me.”
I really wasn't expecting an actual story about pets but that's exactly what you get with this novella...well, sort of. Frannie has inherited her family's pet store and has continued to make it thrive by selling actual animals instead of clockworks. One morning she comes across Casper Sterling, who appears to have had a hard night of drinking and being sick. On top of that, he was robbed of his belongings and assaulted. Since he closely resembles Frannie's deceased brother, she has a soft spot for him and lets him lodge with her. Unfortunately, he's not the best lodger.
Wow! I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem and if you've read the first book and/or novella, you know that's not hard to do. DSD just has a way of telling a story that draws you in no matter how strange and quirky things get.
I really enjoyed Frannie. She is sweet and kind but she's had some horrible things happen to her and you can only hope that things will turn around for her.
Enter Thom....OMG...think Jamie Fraser from Outlander!! I was a goner the moment he showed up...in his firefighter gear no less! Plus he's Scottish, speaks with a brogue, WEARS A KILT (with nothing under it!!), all around handyman and animal catcher! Perfect for Frannie....but Casper throws a spin on things.
Speaking of Casper...I've never been quite sure what I think of him. I wasn't really crazy about him in Wicked As They Come and wasn't really looking forward to his book, Wicked As She Wants which is coming out the end of April. That has all changed!! While I'm still unsure of him, I'm much more curious now. I can't wait to find out what's happened to him and who he ends up with.
Frannie is not a Blud and neither is Thom and while we do have exposure to some, we also get to know a new creature called daimons. I was really intrigued by Reve and hope this isn't the last we hear of her.
I LOVED, loved, loved Frannie's secret place and what happened with her and Thom there. It was so sweet how he referred to her as "little love". And it was especially great how Casper helped her with it.
Overall, I loved the story even though it wasn't full length and there was NO Criminy!! If you enjoy the series, you don't want to miss this one!
Favorite quotes:
♥ “The day you found me, you were like an angel. The sun here is so weak I can barely feel it on my skin. But it lit up behind you like a halo. Your smile was so warm, and you smelled like warm milk and puppies and the right kind of cookies. All the women I’ve met here are these empty, grabbing harpies. They want money and jewels and riches. They want to claw their way to the top. But you just want to take care of things. That’s very attractive.”
♦ “I never trust a man in a frilly shirt.”
♥ “As you say, little love. I’ll be here if you need me.”
February 21, 2013
Pet shop owner, Frannie Pleasance, finds a man unconscious on the streets of London. This man resembles her brother and she takes him in penniless as a boarder. It just so happens that her new boarder is Casper, a musical maestro.
Strange and deadly situations start occurring the very first night Casper stays at Frannie’s home. One occurance is a fire bringing a kilt wearing Scottish fireman named Thom Maccallan into Frannie and Casper’s lives.
Who is the target of these deadly attacks? Who can keep Frannie safe? You’ll have to read The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance and find out.
This was a fantastic novella length story. I loved it. This is my first experience of the Blud world and was overwhelmed with this magical new London of Delilah S Dawson’s imagination. Of course, that means I’m going to have to go one click Wicked as They Come right away!
Great characters, strong story, a slight steampunk element and an interesting mystery...Don’t miss out on this wonderfuladventure.
This ARC copy of The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance was given to me by Pocket Star in exchange for an honest review. Publish Date April 1, 2013.
Strange and deadly situations start occurring the very first night Casper stays at Frannie’s home. One occurance is a fire bringing a kilt wearing Scottish fireman named Thom Maccallan into Frannie and Casper’s lives.
Who is the target of these deadly attacks? Who can keep Frannie safe? You’ll have to read The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance and find out.
This was a fantastic novella length story. I loved it. This is my first experience of the Blud world and was overwhelmed with this magical new London of Delilah S Dawson’s imagination. Of course, that means I’m going to have to go one click Wicked as They Come right away!
Great characters, strong story, a slight steampunk element and an interesting mystery...Don’t miss out on this wonderfuladventure.
This ARC copy of The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance was given to me by Pocket Star in exchange for an honest review. Publish Date April 1, 2013.
January 27, 2013
ORIGINAL POST AT Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust
Beware Blud Kittens! The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance
THE PECULIAR PETS OF MISS PLEASANCE
Delilah S. Dawson
Simon and Schuster/Pocket Star
April 2013
E-Book - Novella
Provided by NetGalley loan of an E-ARC. No remuneration exchanged. Except as noted all opinions herein are my own.
This is a really early review but, I really love Deliliah's books and I was in the mood for something short.
Delilah has created this parallel world, Sang, where our world is sort of known, in whispers and secrets. In it there are human and other regular creatures, and there are bludmen, blud bunnies, blud badgers, blud rats and every other kind of bluddie beast. It's a little steampunk and circus and Dickensian. There are also the daimons of Franchia a sentient non-human of many varieties. Once in a while one of us slips through. Sometimes it's a person n a coma, others it's someone asleep.
In this book, Miss Frannie Pleasance owns a pet shop of non-blud creatures; inherited. She finds a man, Casper, who resembles her late brother, unconcious in a puddle. He reeks of wine, she helps him and gives him a room. He's a bit of a drunken cad, while he helps in the shop, he often helps not at all. He is not unemployed and becomes a paying lodger. She's a pretty young woman, so he starts to hit on her.
Strange things start to happen. It comes to pass that she has some secrets. Casper also has secrets, but is a famous musician. Suddenly people are trying to kill Frannie. When her pet shop catches fire, she meets a very nice fireman, Thom. He comes courting and well what happens next is the rest of the story, filled with mystery, magic, danger and other nasties.
I really enjoyed the book. Delilah has a way of developing unique characters with enough familiarity that you will feel comfortable with them — important in a short format. Frannie is remarkbly unique with her brisk London air, her sadness, her work ethic, her loneliness. Thom is more or less "the noble hero with a past." He's that handsome, steadfast guy who's still wicked sexy -- you know a cross between the guy on the cover of the romance novel and the guy a woman's father wouldn't mind giving her away to. Casper wasn't a really standup guy in WICKED AS THEY COME, he seems nice on first meeting but he is a jerk, very self-centered. He grows a little here.
The paradox of two men interested in her when none have been for some time is a catalyst for Frannie that results in one of those sudden shifts in character path. Often in short format fiction the shift that results in a big life change isn't justified. Here it is really well-done.
I also enjoy Delilah's prose. It is lovely, has good rhythm, and uses time and world appropriate language. Sometimes her sentences are insightful, noticing and naming things I would never think without her having shown me:
See, I would never have thought of an open shirt creating an illusion of intimacy and solitude in the midst of a crowd. It's this type of writing I crave. he next time I see a performer dressed in this way I will think of this and see that person differently.
This is a sweet mystery; it's easy to connect the dots between Casper's arrival and the danger which suddenly seems to seek out Frannie, but the why of it is elusive. And the love story, well, that is also sweet. Frannie's secret is as much of a miracle in Sang's London as it would be if it were more magical than it turns out to be. But the tension of the reveal is rather exciting.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Delilah's novella THE PECULIAR PETS OF MISS PLEASANCE.
Beware Blud Kittens! The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance
THE PECULIAR PETS OF MISS PLEASANCE
Delilah S. Dawson
Simon and Schuster/Pocket Star
April 2013
E-Book - Novella
Provided by NetGalley loan of an E-ARC. No remuneration exchanged. Except as noted all opinions herein are my own.
This is a really early review but, I really love Deliliah's books and I was in the mood for something short.
This e-novella follows Casper to London as he begins to rise to stardom. When lonely pet shop owner Frannie Pleasance takes in a new lodger, odd things begin to happen. Fire fighter Thom Maccallan might be the only one who can keep her safe. DelilahSDawson.com
Delilah has created this parallel world, Sang, where our world is sort of known, in whispers and secrets. In it there are human and other regular creatures, and there are bludmen, blud bunnies, blud badgers, blud rats and every other kind of bluddie beast. It's a little steampunk and circus and Dickensian. There are also the daimons of Franchia a sentient non-human of many varieties. Once in a while one of us slips through. Sometimes it's a person n a coma, others it's someone asleep.
In this book, Miss Frannie Pleasance owns a pet shop of non-blud creatures; inherited. She finds a man, Casper, who resembles her late brother, unconcious in a puddle. He reeks of wine, she helps him and gives him a room. He's a bit of a drunken cad, while he helps in the shop, he often helps not at all. He is not unemployed and becomes a paying lodger. She's a pretty young woman, so he starts to hit on her.
Strange things start to happen. It comes to pass that she has some secrets. Casper also has secrets, but is a famous musician. Suddenly people are trying to kill Frannie. When her pet shop catches fire, she meets a very nice fireman, Thom. He comes courting and well what happens next is the rest of the story, filled with mystery, magic, danger and other nasties.
I really enjoyed the book. Delilah has a way of developing unique characters with enough familiarity that you will feel comfortable with them — important in a short format. Frannie is remarkbly unique with her brisk London air, her sadness, her work ethic, her loneliness. Thom is more or less "the noble hero with a past." He's that handsome, steadfast guy who's still wicked sexy -- you know a cross between the guy on the cover of the romance novel and the guy a woman's father wouldn't mind giving her away to. Casper wasn't a really standup guy in WICKED AS THEY COME, he seems nice on first meeting but he is a jerk, very self-centered. He grows a little here.
The paradox of two men interested in her when none have been for some time is a catalyst for Frannie that results in one of those sudden shifts in character path. Often in short format fiction the shift that results in a big life change isn't justified. Here it is really well-done.
I also enjoy Delilah's prose. It is lovely, has good rhythm, and uses time and world appropriate language. Sometimes her sentences are insightful, noticing and naming things I would never think without her having shown me:
The spotlight burst onto Casper, who had removed his jacket. The intimacy of his open shirt made it seem as if he were all alone in the world instead of displayed onstage before thousands of London's richest and poorest spectators.
Delilah S. Dawson, The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance (unverified quote)
See, I would never have thought of an open shirt creating an illusion of intimacy and solitude in the midst of a crowd. It's this type of writing I crave. he next time I see a performer dressed in this way I will think of this and see that person differently.
This is a sweet mystery; it's easy to connect the dots between Casper's arrival and the danger which suddenly seems to seek out Frannie, but the why of it is elusive. And the love story, well, that is also sweet. Frannie's secret is as much of a miracle in Sang's London as it would be if it were more magical than it turns out to be. But the tension of the reveal is rather exciting.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Delilah's novella THE PECULIAR PETS OF MISS PLEASANCE.
January 1, 2014
3.5
This is much better than Madam Morpho's story. In a hundred or so pages the author actually managed to tell a very good story. It slowly moves from one point to another, revealing bit by bit. I liked it.
Frannie finds Casper lying in the street, drunk and unconscious. Since she sort of collects strays, she takes him home. That same night a fire breaks out in her room and soon it becomes clear that someone is trying to either kill her or at least harm her.
The fire had one good consequence though - she met Thom, one of the firemen. Whatever is missing from Madam Morpho's story is not missing here.
Casper is used as a third wheel. Again. His story better be good.
This is much better than Madam Morpho's story. In a hundred or so pages the author actually managed to tell a very good story. It slowly moves from one point to another, revealing bit by bit. I liked it.
Frannie finds Casper lying in the street, drunk and unconscious. Since she sort of collects strays, she takes him home. That same night a fire breaks out in her room and soon it becomes clear that someone is trying to either kill her or at least harm her.
The fire had one good consequence though - she met Thom, one of the firemen. Whatever is missing from Madam Morpho's story is not missing here.
Casper is used as a third wheel. Again. His story better be good.
March 22, 2013
I really enjoy Delilah S Dawson’s Blud series; I think it is entertaining and well written. So far she has not created a character I dislike and that didn’t change after reading The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance.
Frannie is a great lead character; she is strong, kind and likeable from beginning to end. She has no problem standing up for herself which I also liked. I was in love with Scottish fireman Thom the moment he appeared. He is completely devastating, charming, tough and brave with a kind and helpful nature. I really liked the chemistry between him and Frannie, they were clearly perfect for one another.
The other main character is the useless yet adorable Casper, Frannies lodger. Casper is a famous musician and full time drunk. He is hansom and talented but cannot stop himself from causing trouble. Despite that I really liked him and cannot wait to read more about him in the upcoming books in the series.
Despite the good characters there were times where I felt the story dragged a little and I would have liked the steampunk element to have been bigger, but apart from that it was very enjoyable.
Frannie is a great lead character; she is strong, kind and likeable from beginning to end. She has no problem standing up for herself which I also liked. I was in love with Scottish fireman Thom the moment he appeared. He is completely devastating, charming, tough and brave with a kind and helpful nature. I really liked the chemistry between him and Frannie, they were clearly perfect for one another.
The other main character is the useless yet adorable Casper, Frannies lodger. Casper is a famous musician and full time drunk. He is hansom and talented but cannot stop himself from causing trouble. Despite that I really liked him and cannot wait to read more about him in the upcoming books in the series.
Despite the good characters there were times where I felt the story dragged a little and I would have liked the steampunk element to have been bigger, but apart from that it was very enjoyable.
January 24, 2013
Cute short about a pet shop owner, the mysterious, drunken musician she saves and the burly, kilt wearing fireman (he has a brogue, be still me hear) who saves her after someone sets her shop on fire. Love this world, the language, the animals and the hot sex in this novella.
Fans of Delilah will want to read this one.
Fans of Delilah will want to read this one.
August 24, 2017
This is definitely the best of the novellas in the Blud series. I loved how respectful and thoughtful Thom was, recognising that Frannie had experienced some sort of trauma and just backing off rather than forcing her to talk about it or overcome it. More heroes like Thom, please!
May 29, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: This story has steampunk, unusual animals, and handsome men fighting for the love of one woman. On top of that, someone wants to end said woman’s life before she can find her happily-ever-after.
Opening Sentence: There was nothing unusual about finding a dead man face down in the London gutter.
The Review:
I really liked this book. I’m actually reading this series backwards by accident, but I am just in love with Delilah S. Dawson’s Blud series. Frannie is an independent woman who has not had to depend on anyone or worry about anyone since she lost her whole family in different tragic ways. All that changes when she finds an almost dead man in the gutters of London. She allows the man, Casper Sterling, known to all as “The Maestro” to stay with her for a fee and help in the pet shop she owns and runs. Not long after she takes in this stranger, weird and dangerous things start happening to her. First someone tries to set her home on fire and when that doesn’t work, the culprit tries new and more interesting ways to try and get rid of Frannie, but why? During the first attempt on Frannie’s life she meets a fireman named Thom who offers to help her save the animals that she let loose during the fire and to help fix the damage. As they work together to put Frannie’s life back to rights, sparks of a different kind start flying between Frannie and Thom. The question is, can they keep Frannie alive long enough to find the culprit and to find happiness together?
Frannie is my favorite type of heroine. She can take care of herself and doesn’t faint or any of those other weak hearted things some heroines do when things go wrong. Instead she refuses to be bullied or to give up what is hers. She stands her ground and fights to find out who would want to harm her. Also, she is so kind-hearted helping those animals and people in need. She even helps Casper, a complete stranger in his time of need. Unfortunately, Frannie’s life has not been easy or the happiest.
Thom is a great hero. He is tall, blond, and Scottish. You cannot go wrong there. He is also a firefighter, and a sweetheart who would do anything for the woman he loves. He would even go so far as to protect her with his life. Thom also has a tragic past that troubles him. Together maybe Frannie and Thom can heal each other’s wounds.
Casper is the last of this love triangle. Unfortunately for him his love is one sided. Casper is tall blond, blue-eyed, and a womanizer. He is the most talented musician in the time period. Everyone loves him and he has been given the nickname “The Maestro” because of his beautiful playing. There is something off about Casper though and he is always drunk. He claims it is a sickness, but could it be something more?
I love the steampunk in the book. There is not a lot of it in this one but it is there. Frannie is not a big fan of clockwork pets and she believes people should have real pets instead. You can see the steampunk in the type of clothing that is worn and the surroundings. I also liked this alternate London. It puts a darker twist on the real London. In this London you have to watch out because the rats are out for blud or blood and not everyone you meet is human. At the same time there are similarities such as the rain, the fog, and Hyde Park.
I truly love this series and I plan to go back and read the rest of them and if Dawson comes out with more I will read those also. Delilah Dawson is just a wonderful author. I recommend this book to all adults, whether you like steampunk or not. This is a fantastic story. Also, if you do not like books that are too long this book is perfect because it is a shorter story, but still has all the things that a good book needs.
Notable Scene:
Thom stopped in mid-sentence, and Frannie tried to turn to him and discover what was wrong. But she couldn’t move. The fashionably poofed sleeve of her jacket was pinned to her seat by an arrow. She was slightly confused and just stared at it for a moment before Thom shoved her to the ground with an angry rip of indigo taffeta.
FTC Advisory: Pocket Star/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: This story has steampunk, unusual animals, and handsome men fighting for the love of one woman. On top of that, someone wants to end said woman’s life before she can find her happily-ever-after.
Opening Sentence: There was nothing unusual about finding a dead man face down in the London gutter.
The Review:
I really liked this book. I’m actually reading this series backwards by accident, but I am just in love with Delilah S. Dawson’s Blud series. Frannie is an independent woman who has not had to depend on anyone or worry about anyone since she lost her whole family in different tragic ways. All that changes when she finds an almost dead man in the gutters of London. She allows the man, Casper Sterling, known to all as “The Maestro” to stay with her for a fee and help in the pet shop she owns and runs. Not long after she takes in this stranger, weird and dangerous things start happening to her. First someone tries to set her home on fire and when that doesn’t work, the culprit tries new and more interesting ways to try and get rid of Frannie, but why? During the first attempt on Frannie’s life she meets a fireman named Thom who offers to help her save the animals that she let loose during the fire and to help fix the damage. As they work together to put Frannie’s life back to rights, sparks of a different kind start flying between Frannie and Thom. The question is, can they keep Frannie alive long enough to find the culprit and to find happiness together?
Frannie is my favorite type of heroine. She can take care of herself and doesn’t faint or any of those other weak hearted things some heroines do when things go wrong. Instead she refuses to be bullied or to give up what is hers. She stands her ground and fights to find out who would want to harm her. Also, she is so kind-hearted helping those animals and people in need. She even helps Casper, a complete stranger in his time of need. Unfortunately, Frannie’s life has not been easy or the happiest.
Thom is a great hero. He is tall, blond, and Scottish. You cannot go wrong there. He is also a firefighter, and a sweetheart who would do anything for the woman he loves. He would even go so far as to protect her with his life. Thom also has a tragic past that troubles him. Together maybe Frannie and Thom can heal each other’s wounds.
Casper is the last of this love triangle. Unfortunately for him his love is one sided. Casper is tall blond, blue-eyed, and a womanizer. He is the most talented musician in the time period. Everyone loves him and he has been given the nickname “The Maestro” because of his beautiful playing. There is something off about Casper though and he is always drunk. He claims it is a sickness, but could it be something more?
I love the steampunk in the book. There is not a lot of it in this one but it is there. Frannie is not a big fan of clockwork pets and she believes people should have real pets instead. You can see the steampunk in the type of clothing that is worn and the surroundings. I also liked this alternate London. It puts a darker twist on the real London. In this London you have to watch out because the rats are out for blud or blood and not everyone you meet is human. At the same time there are similarities such as the rain, the fog, and Hyde Park.
I truly love this series and I plan to go back and read the rest of them and if Dawson comes out with more I will read those also. Delilah Dawson is just a wonderful author. I recommend this book to all adults, whether you like steampunk or not. This is a fantastic story. Also, if you do not like books that are too long this book is perfect because it is a shorter story, but still has all the things that a good book needs.
Notable Scene:
Thom stopped in mid-sentence, and Frannie tried to turn to him and discover what was wrong. But she couldn’t move. The fashionably poofed sleeve of her jacket was pinned to her seat by an arrow. She was slightly confused and just stared at it for a moment before Thom shoved her to the ground with an angry rip of indigo taffeta.
FTC Advisory: Pocket Star/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
May 9, 2013
No matter what the circumstances, one thing is for certain,
Delilah Dawson delivers once again in the next novella of the Blud series.
In this next installment to the Blud world, we as readers get another introduction to Casper Sterling. Casper made a brief, but vital introduction in the first book, Wicked As They Come, and as we gear up with excitement, over his soon to be released book, Wicked As She Wants, we get a brief look at his life in Paris as a famous musician, and the unlikely heroin who saves him and takes him into her home. Although Casper is part of this story, this story is less about him and more about the quiet, but cunning female lead, Frannie.
Frannie is a lovely pet shop owner, catering to the mostly rich people of Paris. She leads a quiet life and mostly keeps to herself and her animals, but all that changes within days, as she meets not one, but two men who vie for her attention. Casper is one of those men, as she stumbles across him one day, laying in the street, nearly dead. She rescues him, and offers him a place to stay. Next, to enter her life is the hulking, uber sexy Scottish, kilt wearing fireman (can you picture him, no? then see above!) Sweet and gentle, he is the complete opposite of the crass Casper, but let me clear one thing up for you, this really isn't a love triangle. Frannie has her favorite, as the sparks are inevitable, but that doesn't stop either one of them from trying to persuade her, and win her over, but life for Frannie becomes more, and more dangerous and her life is in danger since these two have walked into her life. One must wonder if it's because of her letting these men into her life, or if there is a sinister man from her past who has come back to enact revenge.
I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, Wicked As They Come and The Mysterious Madam Morpho, as they were set in the magical world of Sang and the traveling circus, and although this one was different from those two, I equally enjoyed Miss Dawson's creative spin to the world of Sang in Paris, but I did miss some of the excitement of the blud creatures, and missed the quirky characters of the circus. One thing I can give credit too, is the writing style of Miss Dawson's and how she can write a novella and have me flipping through the pages, holding my attention to the very last page, although this isn't my favorite from the series, it is a good addition to her series. Will I look forward to more from this author? Of course, and I will be reading the next book in this series, very soon.
Delilah Dawson delivers once again in the next novella of the Blud series.
In this next installment to the Blud world, we as readers get another introduction to Casper Sterling. Casper made a brief, but vital introduction in the first book, Wicked As They Come, and as we gear up with excitement, over his soon to be released book, Wicked As She Wants, we get a brief look at his life in Paris as a famous musician, and the unlikely heroin who saves him and takes him into her home. Although Casper is part of this story, this story is less about him and more about the quiet, but cunning female lead, Frannie.
Frannie is a lovely pet shop owner, catering to the mostly rich people of Paris. She leads a quiet life and mostly keeps to herself and her animals, but all that changes within days, as she meets not one, but two men who vie for her attention. Casper is one of those men, as she stumbles across him one day, laying in the street, nearly dead. She rescues him, and offers him a place to stay. Next, to enter her life is the hulking, uber sexy Scottish, kilt wearing fireman (can you picture him, no? then see above!) Sweet and gentle, he is the complete opposite of the crass Casper, but let me clear one thing up for you, this really isn't a love triangle. Frannie has her favorite, as the sparks are inevitable, but that doesn't stop either one of them from trying to persuade her, and win her over, but life for Frannie becomes more, and more dangerous and her life is in danger since these two have walked into her life. One must wonder if it's because of her letting these men into her life, or if there is a sinister man from her past who has come back to enact revenge.
I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, Wicked As They Come and The Mysterious Madam Morpho, as they were set in the magical world of Sang and the traveling circus, and although this one was different from those two, I equally enjoyed Miss Dawson's creative spin to the world of Sang in Paris, but I did miss some of the excitement of the blud creatures, and missed the quirky characters of the circus. One thing I can give credit too, is the writing style of Miss Dawson's and how she can write a novella and have me flipping through the pages, holding my attention to the very last page, although this isn't my favorite from the series, it is a good addition to her series. Will I look forward to more from this author? Of course, and I will be reading the next book in this series, very soon.
April 14, 2013
4.5 stars
THE PECULIAR PETS OF MISS PLEASANCE is another great example of the talent Ms. Dawson has. Freakishly good! We are introduced to Frannie Pleasance, owner and shopkeeper of a pet store in times when everyone has clockworks instead. She is that ray of hope that has sort of dimmed because of the world she lives in but she still holds a piece of that with her.
She rescues Casper, sort of, off the London streets and offers him to rent her brothers’ room. He reminds her of her dead brother, which might be the connection that drives her to help him. That and her all around good nature. But Casper is bad news and brings with him problems for Miss Pleasance and her pets.
No, you might be thinking now that Casper and Miss Pleasance would be an item, but here’s where you are (and I was) wrong). We have one sexy Scottish firefighter who comes to her rescue when times get tough. Kilt and all! I’m not kidding! Holy fires was Thom hot. Casper and his crush on Frannie, and Thom maybe more than crushing on her, they both try to keep her safe.
I’ve come to expect to be scared of this world when I read it, but this wasn’t exactly scary. I think it may have been that Frannie sort of lives in her own bubble in this world and there wasn’t a lot of interactions with any baddies….except THE BLUDRATS! Vicious little things! I needed more of it!
This was definitely the perfect preamble to Casper’s book WICKED AS THEY COME. We see his struggles and get to know him just a little more….and then realize we don’t know him at all. I cannot wait to read his story! You know how I love me a bad boy! ;)
*ARC provided by publisher
THE PECULIAR PETS OF MISS PLEASANCE is another great example of the talent Ms. Dawson has. Freakishly good! We are introduced to Frannie Pleasance, owner and shopkeeper of a pet store in times when everyone has clockworks instead. She is that ray of hope that has sort of dimmed because of the world she lives in but she still holds a piece of that with her.
She rescues Casper, sort of, off the London streets and offers him to rent her brothers’ room. He reminds her of her dead brother, which might be the connection that drives her to help him. That and her all around good nature. But Casper is bad news and brings with him problems for Miss Pleasance and her pets.
No, you might be thinking now that Casper and Miss Pleasance would be an item, but here’s where you are (and I was) wrong). We have one sexy Scottish firefighter who comes to her rescue when times get tough. Kilt and all! I’m not kidding! Holy fires was Thom hot. Casper and his crush on Frannie, and Thom maybe more than crushing on her, they both try to keep her safe.
I’ve come to expect to be scared of this world when I read it, but this wasn’t exactly scary. I think it may have been that Frannie sort of lives in her own bubble in this world and there wasn’t a lot of interactions with any baddies….except THE BLUDRATS! Vicious little things! I needed more of it!
This was definitely the perfect preamble to Casper’s book WICKED AS THEY COME. We see his struggles and get to know him just a little more….and then realize we don’t know him at all. I cannot wait to read his story! You know how I love me a bad boy! ;)
*ARC provided by publisher
April 2, 2013
* * * 4.5 Stars * * *
The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance was everything that Blud fans have come to expect from this series. It's a story that immediately sucks you in with its interesting characters, original world building, and sweet romance that leads to smokin' hot sex. And this time, instead of a gypsy bludman in a top hat or a mysterious mechanist, we're treated to an animal-loving fireman in a kilt.
The story features a delightful woman named Frannie Pleasance who lives a sheltered life tending to animals in her Needful Creatures pet shop.
Frannie meets Casper Sterling, a character we are first introduced to in "Wicked As They Come". He's found face down in an alley stinking of red wine and eventually vomit. Frannie, having a weak spot for lost things and seeing a resemblance to her late brother Bertram, allows Casper to rent a room in her home.
Shortly after Casper's arrival, a fire ignites in Frannie's bedroom and this is when she meets Thom Maccallan, the smokin' hot fireman with a big heart and a lovely Scottish accent.
Despite Frannie's reservations about allowing anyone to get too close, she finds herself caring for Thom and for the first time in a long time, she's no longer satisfied with being alone.
Thom becomes protective of Frannie and when he discovers that her life is in danger, he offers to stay with her in an attempt to keep her safe. Frannie finds herself sharing her secrets, stories about her past, and eventually sharing her heart.
Blud fans won't be disappointed in this series' second novella and will be pleased to learn that Dawson is treating us to another short story, The Three Lives of Lydia, in the Carniepunk anthology that releases this July.
http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2013...
The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance was everything that Blud fans have come to expect from this series. It's a story that immediately sucks you in with its interesting characters, original world building, and sweet romance that leads to smokin' hot sex. And this time, instead of a gypsy bludman in a top hat or a mysterious mechanist, we're treated to an animal-loving fireman in a kilt.
The story features a delightful woman named Frannie Pleasance who lives a sheltered life tending to animals in her Needful Creatures pet shop.
Frannie meets Casper Sterling, a character we are first introduced to in "Wicked As They Come". He's found face down in an alley stinking of red wine and eventually vomit. Frannie, having a weak spot for lost things and seeing a resemblance to her late brother Bertram, allows Casper to rent a room in her home.
Shortly after Casper's arrival, a fire ignites in Frannie's bedroom and this is when she meets Thom Maccallan, the smokin' hot fireman with a big heart and a lovely Scottish accent.
Despite Frannie's reservations about allowing anyone to get too close, she finds herself caring for Thom and for the first time in a long time, she's no longer satisfied with being alone.
Thom becomes protective of Frannie and when he discovers that her life is in danger, he offers to stay with her in an attempt to keep her safe. Frannie finds herself sharing her secrets, stories about her past, and eventually sharing her heart.
Blud fans won't be disappointed in this series' second novella and will be pleased to learn that Dawson is treating us to another short story, The Three Lives of Lydia, in the Carniepunk anthology that releases this July.
http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2013...
March 23, 2013
I've said it before and I will say it again: I love Sang. The world Dawson has created is so complex, with many many layers, and each time I go there, it's like visiting a favorite vacation spot.
A vacation spot where even the rats can kill you, because they are bludrats. There are also bludmen, bludbunnies (which were certainly missed in this novella, but as it takes place in Sang's London it makes sense), blud ... well, pretty much any mammal has a blud equivalent. And what makes this short story especially challenging, is the main character runs a pet store. I don't know HOW she gets non-bludded animals, but that must be an accomplishment!
I love that Casper plays an important role in this story, it is a great lead in to Wicked as She Wants, which is Casper's story. I must admit, I love the cocky bastard. I also loved Criminy in Wicked as They Come, and Thom ... I love all the men Dawson creates. I am very excited to learn more about what is going on with him. I have theories, but is history holds true, I will be incredibly surprised, even if I am partially correct.
I am rambling ... Frannie is a great character. Strong and independent, yet hurt and scared. She is very believable and real. Her reasons for being shy yet cold and nervous are revealed as you go. By the end you get what is going on, look forward to finding out what comes next, but still have a sense of closure that leaves you satisfied.
And it has to be mentioned ... as creepy as this may sound, I love the way the love scenes are written throughout this whole series. They truly are "love" scenes and not just "sex " scenes. The fact that there is a noticeable difference makes them more meaningful.
If you like steampunk, vampires with a twist, alternate realities, or even just a sweet love story, this series is for you.
A solid 4.5 stars
A vacation spot where even the rats can kill you, because they are bludrats. There are also bludmen, bludbunnies (which were certainly missed in this novella, but as it takes place in Sang's London it makes sense), blud ... well, pretty much any mammal has a blud equivalent. And what makes this short story especially challenging, is the main character runs a pet store. I don't know HOW she gets non-bludded animals, but that must be an accomplishment!
I love that Casper plays an important role in this story, it is a great lead in to Wicked as She Wants, which is Casper's story. I must admit, I love the cocky bastard. I also loved Criminy in Wicked as They Come, and Thom ... I love all the men Dawson creates. I am very excited to learn more about what is going on with him. I have theories, but is history holds true, I will be incredibly surprised, even if I am partially correct.
I am rambling ... Frannie is a great character. Strong and independent, yet hurt and scared. She is very believable and real. Her reasons for being shy yet cold and nervous are revealed as you go. By the end you get what is going on, look forward to finding out what comes next, but still have a sense of closure that leaves you satisfied.
And it has to be mentioned ... as creepy as this may sound, I love the way the love scenes are written throughout this whole series. They truly are "love" scenes and not just "sex " scenes. The fact that there is a noticeable difference makes them more meaningful.
If you like steampunk, vampires with a twist, alternate realities, or even just a sweet love story, this series is for you.
A solid 4.5 stars
March 17, 2013
Frannie Pleasance's heart for all things stray has her caring for more than just the birds, kittens, and puppies that she takes into her shop. When she finds Casper, sick and alone in the road, and wearing a face so such like that of her dead brother Bertrem. She knows that she must do her best to help him...but at what price?
Readers will be taken with this story from the start. Frannie is a delightful character with a sweet heart and a quiet life in her pet shop.
That quiet is quickly shattered however, after her home is firebombed shortly after she takes the mysterious Casper London as a lodger.
Enter Thom MacCallan...
It seems that the strong and handy firefighter wants to "protect and serve" Frannie in more ways than one. It is wonderful to see their relationship bloom and quickly mature to something deep, honest, and lasting.
Under normal circumstances their whirlwind romance would be considered insta love; but given the fact that Frannie's life is in constant danger throughout the course of this story, and she and Thom fit so well together, it translates to "great reading".
Casper keeps readers guessing with his unexplained, but much alluded to "ailment". With the happenings between Thom and Frannie, it is sometimes easy to forget that this story is about Casper.
Until we learn that it is his secrets that cost Frannie her life.
This book is the perfect segue into Casper's story featured in "As Wicked As She Wants" Blud #2. See the review on my blog: http://www.wtfareyoureading.com/2013/...
Readers will be taken with this story from the start. Frannie is a delightful character with a sweet heart and a quiet life in her pet shop.
That quiet is quickly shattered however, after her home is firebombed shortly after she takes the mysterious Casper London as a lodger.
Enter Thom MacCallan...
It seems that the strong and handy firefighter wants to "protect and serve" Frannie in more ways than one. It is wonderful to see their relationship bloom and quickly mature to something deep, honest, and lasting.
Under normal circumstances their whirlwind romance would be considered insta love; but given the fact that Frannie's life is in constant danger throughout the course of this story, and she and Thom fit so well together, it translates to "great reading".
Casper keeps readers guessing with his unexplained, but much alluded to "ailment". With the happenings between Thom and Frannie, it is sometimes easy to forget that this story is about Casper.
Until we learn that it is his secrets that cost Frannie her life.
This book is the perfect segue into Casper's story featured in "As Wicked As She Wants" Blud #2. See the review on my blog: http://www.wtfareyoureading.com/2013/...
April 5, 2013
Getting this much backstory in the characters of a novella is something most authors can't pull off. But in this wonderful story we are treated to rich characters whose full lives are reveled to us without hitting us over the head with details, more in the engaging way you learn about a friend through conversation. That said this tale is far more than backstory, it is an adventure in the dangerous world of Sang where we at first think we are following Casper, a character from a the first Blud Novel, but later find out this is not his story at all. This is the story Miss Pleasance and I won't ruin it by telling her story, it is far to much fun to read it yourself.
August 28, 2018
The Blud series never lets me down! Even the short stories are well written and engaging. In this little #1.6 novella we readers are introduced to a pet shop owner named Miss Frannie Pleasance. While on her way home one day she encounters an obviously bludgeoned man face down in a dark alleyway.
Despite the possible danger of the situation Frannie tries to help the fellow out. Much to my surprise the man who was face down in the dirt is none other than Casper Sterling! But just like in the first book, he is still a schmuck. Frannie has a good heart though and decides to let the obviously drunk and disoriented Casper stay at her pet shop.
She usually doesn't take in lodgers like this, however Frannie could always use the money and assistance when Casper says he will earn his keep. Later that night a fire starts in the heroines room that threatens to burn down the whole shop. Her livelihood is at stake! Fortunately the MC is saved by a rather kind and dashing fireman named Thom Maccallan. He puts things to rights, extinguishes the flames, and ensures that the shop doesn't burn to the ground.
Casper is currently rather useless for the time being as he's still sleeping off his booze induced stupor. Mr. Maccallan, on the other hand, insists on helping repair the damages done to Frannie's home. From the very moment they met there is this immediate chemistry or sizzle between Frannie and Thom. They are quite cute together! And he is so patient with her. It's a very sweet pairing! It was also nice to read about a humble male lead for once. They are so rare in books!
But not everything is all puppies, kittens and birds! Not long after the story begins trouble comes a knocking. First with the fire and then more death attempts. Someone wants Miss Pleasance dead! The question is, why? What could she have done to warrant someone wanting her death?
Deciding to work together, Frannie and Thom try to figure out who could be behind it all while trying to keep the heroine alive. There is mystery, character depth, sweet romance, passion and resolve in this novella. I enjoyed it very much! Granted the 'mystery' aspect of the story isn't hard to piece together but the way Dawson wove her tale made it entertaining. I like how she wrapped everything up too! It's a clean and tidy happy ending.
This was a great addition to the Blud series. I can't wait to sink my fangs into the next one!
Despite the possible danger of the situation Frannie tries to help the fellow out. Much to my surprise the man who was face down in the dirt is none other than Casper Sterling! But just like in the first book, he is still a schmuck. Frannie has a good heart though and decides to let the obviously drunk and disoriented Casper stay at her pet shop.
She usually doesn't take in lodgers like this, however Frannie could always use the money and assistance when Casper says he will earn his keep. Later that night a fire starts in the heroines room that threatens to burn down the whole shop. Her livelihood is at stake! Fortunately the MC is saved by a rather kind and dashing fireman named Thom Maccallan. He puts things to rights, extinguishes the flames, and ensures that the shop doesn't burn to the ground.
Casper is currently rather useless for the time being as he's still sleeping off his booze induced stupor. Mr. Maccallan, on the other hand, insists on helping repair the damages done to Frannie's home. From the very moment they met there is this immediate chemistry or sizzle between Frannie and Thom. They are quite cute together! And he is so patient with her. It's a very sweet pairing! It was also nice to read about a humble male lead for once. They are so rare in books!
But not everything is all puppies, kittens and birds! Not long after the story begins trouble comes a knocking. First with the fire and then more death attempts. Someone wants Miss Pleasance dead! The question is, why? What could she have done to warrant someone wanting her death?
Deciding to work together, Frannie and Thom try to figure out who could be behind it all while trying to keep the heroine alive. There is mystery, character depth, sweet romance, passion and resolve in this novella. I enjoyed it very much! Granted the 'mystery' aspect of the story isn't hard to piece together but the way Dawson wove her tale made it entertaining. I like how she wrapped everything up too! It's a clean and tidy happy ending.
This was a great addition to the Blud series. I can't wait to sink my fangs into the next one!
August 9, 2018
I loved this novella! Great characters, great world-building and a dramatic, entertaining plot - there was nothing I didn't enjoy about this story!
Frannie is a strong, resourceful independent woman looking after herself and her business in a very difficult and dangerous world. But despite all the challenges she faces, she hasn't lost the ability to be kind, or to pick up and help strays - not just animal strays either!
I have read other books in this series, and I really like the world-building the author has done with it. It's a unique and clever take on paranormal fiction, and it is peopled with interesting, flawed but still likable characters.
Even though this was a novella, it felt like a fully realized story, and I very much enjoyed reading it. I'm already looking forward to reading the next full-length book in the series!
Frannie is a strong, resourceful independent woman looking after herself and her business in a very difficult and dangerous world. But despite all the challenges she faces, she hasn't lost the ability to be kind, or to pick up and help strays - not just animal strays either!
I have read other books in this series, and I really like the world-building the author has done with it. It's a unique and clever take on paranormal fiction, and it is peopled with interesting, flawed but still likable characters.
Even though this was a novella, it felt like a fully realized story, and I very much enjoyed reading it. I'm already looking forward to reading the next full-length book in the series!
October 17, 2016
I have loved all of Dawson’s novellas set in the Blud world (I like the novellas even better than the full length novels). This was a wonderfully unique and sweet novella that I absolutely adored. I love animals and loved Frannie’s beautiful shop full of critters.
The romance between Frannie and Thom is sweetly done and was just so perfect. These characters had great chemistry together.
I also enjoyed spending some time in Blud’s version of London. Additionally, we get to see what Casper was up to before the events that took place in Wicked as She Wants (the 2nd Blud novel).
This book would also be great as a stand alone for those who want an intro to the Blud world. The ebook also includes the first part of “Wicked as She Wants”.
Overall a perfectly wonderful little steampunk novella. I adored the characters and continue to love the Blud world and all its fearsome creatures. I would love to read more novellas set in this world. I recommend all the Blud novels and novellas to those who enjoy steampunk romance with a heavy paranormal element.
The romance between Frannie and Thom is sweetly done and was just so perfect. These characters had great chemistry together.
I also enjoyed spending some time in Blud’s version of London. Additionally, we get to see what Casper was up to before the events that took place in Wicked as She Wants (the 2nd Blud novel).
This book would also be great as a stand alone for those who want an intro to the Blud world. The ebook also includes the first part of “Wicked as She Wants”.
Overall a perfectly wonderful little steampunk novella. I adored the characters and continue to love the Blud world and all its fearsome creatures. I would love to read more novellas set in this world. I recommend all the Blud novels and novellas to those who enjoy steampunk romance with a heavy paranormal element.
July 7, 2018
I liked it but I don’t want to read any more of the books in the series. Not sure why exactly...maybe the vampire thing? I’m seriously burnt out on vampires.
March 9, 2022
Really enjoyed this one!
April 3, 2013
Originally posted on The Book Tart http://thebooktart.com/new-fiction-re...
I love the writing style of Delilah S. Dawson! I fell in love with it when I read Wicked As She Comes last spring and with every book I’ve just fallen harder. I see her stories in living color. They read very visual and paint pictures in my imagination. The feelings and emotions she invokes can be beautiful, snarky, painful, sensual, scary and wicked… and all this just in a novella!
The heroine is the owner of a pet shop with the rare animals that haven’t become blood drinking predators. She doesn’t sell clock work creatures either. Frannie has birds and kittens and puppies oh my. She loves what she does, but she has become guarded. She has isolated herself because she trusted someone who betrayed her and caused the loss of a loved one. I ached for her pain and sympathized with her desire to not be hurt again. I liked seeing her let down some of her walls and learn to live again.
Casper comes into her life because he needs a helping hand and he reminds her of someone she loved. He’s been a secondary character since the first book and I liked learning more about him. Anyway, he gets picked up like a stray pet and taken into Frannie home. He’s a talented musician and because of his unique situation in the world of Sang, he has issues. But we get more of his journey in Wicked As She Wants. I can’t wait.
Trouble enters Frannie’s sheltered world. There are threats, danger and fire. But the fires bring the firemen. I adored the Scottish fireman Thom with the kilts and the accent and his protectiveness. *swoon* He comes into Frannie’s life like a gentle giant. He is so patient and gentle with Frannie. I loved seeing their relationship ignite. I liked the warmth and then the heat and fire. Yum!
A few of my fav lines…
♥ She couldn’t help admitting that there was some advantage to the clock-work pets that were all the rage. They weren’t much to cuddle, but the cleanup was vastly more pleasant.
♥ “…but I don’t want to run away anymore. You make me feel safe, make me realize that hiding isn’t actually living. Actions speak louder than words, for me. You make me want to live again.”
♥ He chuckled and rolled to his side, taking her with him and making her yelp in surprise. ” I won’t pin ye down, but I’ll hold you close enough.” Curling around her, he draped an arm over her side, pulling her against him.
♥ “I am plagued by attractive men and bludkittens,” she muttered to herself. “And I’m not wearing nearly enough clothes to deal with either.” :)
Yes. You can read The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance without reading the previous books. It’s a delicious entry into her alternate, steampunky world building. I highly recommend you read all her Blud books though. Delilah’s storytelling is funny and clever, witty, warm and whimsical. If you like your stories a bit different with colorful, interesting characters and settings then pick up any and all of her Blud books and get caught of in the romance and intrigue of the world of Sang.
((hugs))) Kat
The Queen of Tarts
♦ ebook provided for review for my honest opinion. :)
I love the writing style of Delilah S. Dawson! I fell in love with it when I read Wicked As She Comes last spring and with every book I’ve just fallen harder. I see her stories in living color. They read very visual and paint pictures in my imagination. The feelings and emotions she invokes can be beautiful, snarky, painful, sensual, scary and wicked… and all this just in a novella!
The heroine is the owner of a pet shop with the rare animals that haven’t become blood drinking predators. She doesn’t sell clock work creatures either. Frannie has birds and kittens and puppies oh my. She loves what she does, but she has become guarded. She has isolated herself because she trusted someone who betrayed her and caused the loss of a loved one. I ached for her pain and sympathized with her desire to not be hurt again. I liked seeing her let down some of her walls and learn to live again.
Casper comes into her life because he needs a helping hand and he reminds her of someone she loved. He’s been a secondary character since the first book and I liked learning more about him. Anyway, he gets picked up like a stray pet and taken into Frannie home. He’s a talented musician and because of his unique situation in the world of Sang, he has issues. But we get more of his journey in Wicked As She Wants. I can’t wait.
Trouble enters Frannie’s sheltered world. There are threats, danger and fire. But the fires bring the firemen. I adored the Scottish fireman Thom with the kilts and the accent and his protectiveness. *swoon* He comes into Frannie’s life like a gentle giant. He is so patient and gentle with Frannie. I loved seeing their relationship ignite. I liked the warmth and then the heat and fire. Yum!
A few of my fav lines…
♥ She couldn’t help admitting that there was some advantage to the clock-work pets that were all the rage. They weren’t much to cuddle, but the cleanup was vastly more pleasant.
♥ “…but I don’t want to run away anymore. You make me feel safe, make me realize that hiding isn’t actually living. Actions speak louder than words, for me. You make me want to live again.”
♥ He chuckled and rolled to his side, taking her with him and making her yelp in surprise. ” I won’t pin ye down, but I’ll hold you close enough.” Curling around her, he draped an arm over her side, pulling her against him.
♥ “I am plagued by attractive men and bludkittens,” she muttered to herself. “And I’m not wearing nearly enough clothes to deal with either.” :)
Yes. You can read The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance without reading the previous books. It’s a delicious entry into her alternate, steampunky world building. I highly recommend you read all her Blud books though. Delilah’s storytelling is funny and clever, witty, warm and whimsical. If you like your stories a bit different with colorful, interesting characters and settings then pick up any and all of her Blud books and get caught of in the romance and intrigue of the world of Sang.
((hugs))) Kat
The Queen of Tarts
♦ ebook provided for review for my honest opinion. :)
April 3, 2013
This is a cute novella set in the crazy world of Sang. Frannie Pleasance owns and runs a pet store called Needful Creatures. She lives alone above the pet store, having lost her parents in a conveyance accident, and her brother was lost a few years later. She is a very strong and independent woman to live alone in such a harsh world.
When she takes in a boarder who strongly resembles her brother, things start to really go wrong. Someone is trying to kill her! When someone lights her bedroom on fire, she encounters a super sweet firefighter named Thom. He offers to help her clean up her shop after the fire, and she accepts.
The story itself is pretty cute. It’s got mystery, romance, and secrets. Why would anyone want to kill a lonely pet shop owner? And what on earth is she hiding? These questions kept this reader engulfed in the story from start to finish. Seriously, I couldn’t put it down! I really wanted to know what her huge secret was, and how things were going to go with Thom. In some ways the story was sad also. This woman was fairly young and alone in the world. She has few friends and her life seems focused on her pet stores.
We learn that there are more species of supernatural creatures in Sang than just Bludmen. Daemons make an appearance and we learn that they all have different specialties. It appears there are more layers of Sang than we originally knew! The Blud animals are not as much a part of this story as they are in some of Dawson’s other books, but in exchange for blud animals, normal animals are present. Miss Pleasance only carries regular animals. Puppies, kittens, snakes, birds, all kinds of animals. I would really like to know more about where and how she gets these animals.
Frannie’s boarder is none other than Casper, the “Maestro” from Wicked as They Come. I think he is a fairly disappointing person, and poor excuse for a man in this book, but I am still drawn to him for some reason. He is one of those characters that you really want to see get themselves together and quit screwing up their life. He spends most of his time in this book drunk, or on his way to being drunk. I was surprised at how much time was spent on developing his character in this story when he was not a main character. His story is told in Wicked as She Comes.
I think the growth in the relationship between Frannie and Thom goes kind of slow, but because of the fact that she is holding onto something from her past, it pretty much has to be slow or it wouldn’t make any sense that she is taking things slow. I really found myself wanting them to just get down to business and handle the loving. It’s obvious from the beginning that they are attracted to each other.
I would recommend this novella to anyone who likes books. If you are (im)patiently awaiting Dawson’s next book, pick this up for a quick read. It’s pretty short, so it won’t take forever to read, and it sets up Casper’s character for the next book in the series.
When she takes in a boarder who strongly resembles her brother, things start to really go wrong. Someone is trying to kill her! When someone lights her bedroom on fire, she encounters a super sweet firefighter named Thom. He offers to help her clean up her shop after the fire, and she accepts.
The story itself is pretty cute. It’s got mystery, romance, and secrets. Why would anyone want to kill a lonely pet shop owner? And what on earth is she hiding? These questions kept this reader engulfed in the story from start to finish. Seriously, I couldn’t put it down! I really wanted to know what her huge secret was, and how things were going to go with Thom. In some ways the story was sad also. This woman was fairly young and alone in the world. She has few friends and her life seems focused on her pet stores.
We learn that there are more species of supernatural creatures in Sang than just Bludmen. Daemons make an appearance and we learn that they all have different specialties. It appears there are more layers of Sang than we originally knew! The Blud animals are not as much a part of this story as they are in some of Dawson’s other books, but in exchange for blud animals, normal animals are present. Miss Pleasance only carries regular animals. Puppies, kittens, snakes, birds, all kinds of animals. I would really like to know more about where and how she gets these animals.
Frannie’s boarder is none other than Casper, the “Maestro” from Wicked as They Come. I think he is a fairly disappointing person, and poor excuse for a man in this book, but I am still drawn to him for some reason. He is one of those characters that you really want to see get themselves together and quit screwing up their life. He spends most of his time in this book drunk, or on his way to being drunk. I was surprised at how much time was spent on developing his character in this story when he was not a main character. His story is told in Wicked as She Comes.
I think the growth in the relationship between Frannie and Thom goes kind of slow, but because of the fact that she is holding onto something from her past, it pretty much has to be slow or it wouldn’t make any sense that she is taking things slow. I really found myself wanting them to just get down to business and handle the loving. It’s obvious from the beginning that they are attracted to each other.
I would recommend this novella to anyone who likes books. If you are (im)patiently awaiting Dawson’s next book, pick this up for a quick read. It’s pretty short, so it won’t take forever to read, and it sets up Casper’s character for the next book in the series.
May 21, 2013
In this latest installment of the Blud series, the scene shifts away from Criminy's Carnival to follow a new character in London. It takes place after the first book, Wicked as They Come, but before the upcoming novel Wicked As She Wants. Though the main character is a woman from London, it does offer the story of what happens with Caspar after he leaves the Carnival so it is important to read it in order.
Alone after the deaths of the rest of her family and the poor treatment from her ex-fiance, Frannie Pleasance runs the family pet shop in London both because she loves the animals, but because she wishes to preserve her family heritage. One night on the way home from retrieving some kittens for her shop, she encounters a man face down looking like he's dead in a back alley. He's dressed like someone with affluence and he turns out to be just concussed and not dead. He also turns out to be in the spitting image of her dead brother. She takes pity on him by offering him a place to stay when she sees that he has vomited on himself, was robbed and has been tossed out of his lodgings. He turns out to be Caspar Sterling a famous musician.
Shortly after bringing Caspar home, there is a fire in Frannie's bedroom that the fire brigade quickly puts out. She is drawn to one of the dashing firemen, Thom McCallan. He is drawn to her too and returns the next day to help right her room and search for some of her pet birds that she released during the fire. Frannie now has the big, bluff warmhearted Thom's interest as well as the flirtatious attentions of Caspar after going years deliberately seeking to go unnoticed. Someone else has noticed her too because the attempts on her life just keep coming. Yes, she is keeping a secret, but its nothing anyone would kill her for.
This is a novella-length story that is told mostly from Frannie's point of view with just a small segment that goes third person. I like how the story jumped right in with the characters and the action without too much explanation since this is the third visit to the world of Sang. It was refreshing to see what it was like for the city dwellers. I liked how there was a mystery to the plot as they tried to figure out who was trying to kill Frannie and why. The romance between Frannie and Thom was tender, but passionate once it got to the point that Frannie was able to get past her fears. If you are a Caspar fan, he's not at his best in this one and I felt so sorry for him. Gotta say that I loved that Thom was a Scotsman- love a man in a kilt with a Scottish accent going on.
Enjoyable and quick visit to the land of Sang! Now I'm rarin' to go for Caspar's story.
Alone after the deaths of the rest of her family and the poor treatment from her ex-fiance, Frannie Pleasance runs the family pet shop in London both because she loves the animals, but because she wishes to preserve her family heritage. One night on the way home from retrieving some kittens for her shop, she encounters a man face down looking like he's dead in a back alley. He's dressed like someone with affluence and he turns out to be just concussed and not dead. He also turns out to be in the spitting image of her dead brother. She takes pity on him by offering him a place to stay when she sees that he has vomited on himself, was robbed and has been tossed out of his lodgings. He turns out to be Caspar Sterling a famous musician.
Shortly after bringing Caspar home, there is a fire in Frannie's bedroom that the fire brigade quickly puts out. She is drawn to one of the dashing firemen, Thom McCallan. He is drawn to her too and returns the next day to help right her room and search for some of her pet birds that she released during the fire. Frannie now has the big, bluff warmhearted Thom's interest as well as the flirtatious attentions of Caspar after going years deliberately seeking to go unnoticed. Someone else has noticed her too because the attempts on her life just keep coming. Yes, she is keeping a secret, but its nothing anyone would kill her for.
This is a novella-length story that is told mostly from Frannie's point of view with just a small segment that goes third person. I like how the story jumped right in with the characters and the action without too much explanation since this is the third visit to the world of Sang. It was refreshing to see what it was like for the city dwellers. I liked how there was a mystery to the plot as they tried to figure out who was trying to kill Frannie and why. The romance between Frannie and Thom was tender, but passionate once it got to the point that Frannie was able to get past her fears. If you are a Caspar fan, he's not at his best in this one and I felt so sorry for him. Gotta say that I loved that Thom was a Scotsman- love a man in a kilt with a Scottish accent going on.
Enjoyable and quick visit to the land of Sang! Now I'm rarin' to go for Caspar's story.
April 29, 2013
I still miss Tish and Criminy, but this was a quick and fun read. I love the world this series is set in, and it gets even better with each book. The story was a mix of romance and mystery, as Frannie, the main character, kept being attacked by outside sources, after taking Casper in as a boarder. It all started with a fire. This was where the story took off, because she met Thom, and the pace picked up.
I loved Frannie's love for animals. It made her stand out from a lot of female leads, since she had a really good heart. She never wanted to hurt defenseless animals, and it made me really like her. I also thought her stubbornness was a great characteristic, because it made her more than just an animal lover. She was a strong female character, and if you've read any of my other reviews, you know how much I love those. Delilah Dawson seems to have a knack for making great female lead characters, and Frannie just solidified this for me.
I loved Thom, and thought he was wonderful for Frannie. He had a similarly soft heart, and wouldn't ever hurt any of the animals, and I knew they would be a perfect match when I saw how he acted in the pet shop. He was also a great hero, since he was a firefighter. I think I liked him right away, when we first met him. He helped Frannie as much as he could, and went above and beyond the call of duty. After learning his backstory, I loved him even more for Frannie. They make a perfect couple.
Casper was featured in this novella, and I'm pretty excited to read the next book in the series, since it's his story. He was boarding with Frannie, and we saw quite a few sides to him. I never was a fan of him, but I have a feeling that that could change. Some of the things he did for Frannie were really great, and I was sad to see all his self-destructive behavior. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens with him.
The plot of the novel was fast-paced. Frannie had to run her pet shop, while trying to stay alive. I never got bored with it, and I had to see how the story ended, which made me read this novella pretty quickly.
With a great mix of action and romance, the Blud series was just expanded more. Even though this was only a novella, I felt like I really got to know Frannie and Thom. I love how Delilah Dawson just keeps building her world, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next. Since I'm more of an urban fantasy girl, the fact that I'm reading the novellas in a paranormal romance series, as well as the books, should definitely tell you something.
I loved Frannie's love for animals. It made her stand out from a lot of female leads, since she had a really good heart. She never wanted to hurt defenseless animals, and it made me really like her. I also thought her stubbornness was a great characteristic, because it made her more than just an animal lover. She was a strong female character, and if you've read any of my other reviews, you know how much I love those. Delilah Dawson seems to have a knack for making great female lead characters, and Frannie just solidified this for me.
I loved Thom, and thought he was wonderful for Frannie. He had a similarly soft heart, and wouldn't ever hurt any of the animals, and I knew they would be a perfect match when I saw how he acted in the pet shop. He was also a great hero, since he was a firefighter. I think I liked him right away, when we first met him. He helped Frannie as much as he could, and went above and beyond the call of duty. After learning his backstory, I loved him even more for Frannie. They make a perfect couple.
Casper was featured in this novella, and I'm pretty excited to read the next book in the series, since it's his story. He was boarding with Frannie, and we saw quite a few sides to him. I never was a fan of him, but I have a feeling that that could change. Some of the things he did for Frannie were really great, and I was sad to see all his self-destructive behavior. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens with him.
The plot of the novel was fast-paced. Frannie had to run her pet shop, while trying to stay alive. I never got bored with it, and I had to see how the story ended, which made me read this novella pretty quickly.
With a great mix of action and romance, the Blud series was just expanded more. Even though this was only a novella, I felt like I really got to know Frannie and Thom. I love how Delilah Dawson just keeps building her world, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next. Since I'm more of an urban fantasy girl, the fact that I'm reading the novellas in a paranormal romance series, as well as the books, should definitely tell you something.
August 3, 2013
*Genre* Steampunk, Romance
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
If it hasn't become apparent to you by now, I have become a fan of the Blud series by Delilah Dawson and look forward to each release impatiently. In each story, Wicked as They Come, The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance, and Wicked as She Wants, the series becomes that much harder to put down in order to read something else. Each book focuses on new and interesting characters like Criminay Stain, Tish Everett, Casper Sterling, and Freesian Blud Princess Ahnastasia Feodor.
*I haven't read The Mysterious Madam Morpho, yet, but will remedy that mistake asap!*
The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance is the story about Frannie Pleasance who owns a pet shop called Needful Creatures and just happens to discover Casper Sterling lying unconscious in the streets and takes him in. If you've read Wicked as They Come, you know that Sang is filled with Bludman, Pinkies (Humans) and Blud rabbits, rats, and even kittens who live side by side.
In WATC, you were also introduced to Casper Sterling aka The Maestro who came to SangLand as a Stranger and never went back. If you haven't read that book, please go back and read it first before trying to read the short stories for which there are currently two with another, The Three Lives of Lydia, that was just released as part of Carniepunk.
Frannie, who caterers to those who want everything from puppies, to kittens, to parrots and other domesticated pets in a London, takes a chance by letting Casper stay in a spare bedroom which leads to some strange incidents happening including her shop catching on fire, and a question as to why anyone would want to harm Frannie who is a genuinely sweet and adorable person and wouldn't harm anyone let alone a blud kitty who is trying to chew on her ankles.
When Frannie's pet shop catches on fire, the mysterious & debonair Thom Maccallan, who just happens to be Scottish and wears a KILT, arrives on the scene and quickly finds his way into Frannie's life and her heart. The romance between Thom and Frannie slowly builds to a crescendo, and no, there is no 3 way love triangle with Casper as the third wheel.
I'm sure that Blud series veterans will find this short story absolutely worth your time and effort to read. It's probably a good idea to read these books and short stories as they are released so that the story line stays continuous and you don't miss out on interesting characters and a world that is truly unusual for a steampunk driven series.
Released: April 1st 2013 by Pocket Star
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
If it hasn't become apparent to you by now, I have become a fan of the Blud series by Delilah Dawson and look forward to each release impatiently. In each story, Wicked as They Come, The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance, and Wicked as She Wants, the series becomes that much harder to put down in order to read something else. Each book focuses on new and interesting characters like Criminay Stain, Tish Everett, Casper Sterling, and Freesian Blud Princess Ahnastasia Feodor.
*I haven't read The Mysterious Madam Morpho, yet, but will remedy that mistake asap!*
The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance is the story about Frannie Pleasance who owns a pet shop called Needful Creatures and just happens to discover Casper Sterling lying unconscious in the streets and takes him in. If you've read Wicked as They Come, you know that Sang is filled with Bludman, Pinkies (Humans) and Blud rabbits, rats, and even kittens who live side by side.
In WATC, you were also introduced to Casper Sterling aka The Maestro who came to SangLand as a Stranger and never went back. If you haven't read that book, please go back and read it first before trying to read the short stories for which there are currently two with another, The Three Lives of Lydia, that was just released as part of Carniepunk.
Frannie, who caterers to those who want everything from puppies, to kittens, to parrots and other domesticated pets in a London, takes a chance by letting Casper stay in a spare bedroom which leads to some strange incidents happening including her shop catching on fire, and a question as to why anyone would want to harm Frannie who is a genuinely sweet and adorable person and wouldn't harm anyone let alone a blud kitty who is trying to chew on her ankles.
When Frannie's pet shop catches on fire, the mysterious & debonair Thom Maccallan, who just happens to be Scottish and wears a KILT, arrives on the scene and quickly finds his way into Frannie's life and her heart. The romance between Thom and Frannie slowly builds to a crescendo, and no, there is no 3 way love triangle with Casper as the third wheel.
I'm sure that Blud series veterans will find this short story absolutely worth your time and effort to read. It's probably a good idea to read these books and short stories as they are released so that the story line stays continuous and you don't miss out on interesting characters and a world that is truly unusual for a steampunk driven series.
Released: April 1st 2013 by Pocket Star
April 24, 2013
4.5 stars - My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2013/04...
In the grim and often bloody world of Sang, real pets are a rarity. Pet shop owner Frannie Pleasance is used to taking in strays, but famed musician Casper Sterling is a far different breed from her usual kittens and puppies. But taking Casper on as a lodger might be more trouble than Frannie anticipated. Upon his arrival strange and dangerous things start happening. When someone sets Frannie’s room on fire, she’s rescued by Scottish firefighter Thom Maccallan, a man whose kind heart and quiet strength draw Frannie out of her shell. Yet if Frannie hopes to have a future with Thom, the two of them must first discover who is trying to kill her and why. The answer may lie with Frannie’s inconvenient houseguest…
Despite danger lurking in the shadows, The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance is as warm and inviting as Frannie’s shop. In Frannie and Thom, Delilah S. Dawson has created two loveable, hardworking protagonists who are impossible to resist. Frannie’s been badly hurt in the past, but in The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance she begins to start truly living again, and she does so without losing her innate kindness. Thom too has suffered loss and it’s the scars of his past which drive him to be protective of others. I love how patient and giving Thom is. He and Frannie are a truly wonderful pair and thus it’s easy to be swept away by their romance.
Casper Sterling — everyone’s favorite sexy musician from the first Blud book, Wicked as They Come — is an important secondary character in The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance . Once again Casper is looking for love in the wrong place, and as much as I like him, I’m glad Ms. Dawson didn’t add a love triangle to this story. The fact that the rather colorful Casper doesn’t manage to upstage the quieter Frannie and Thom is a testament to Ms. Dawson’s writing. That being said, I did finish The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance wanting to dive right into Casper’s book, Wicked as She Wants, for reasons I won’t spoil.
The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance is a charming story I simply adored. If you haven’t read Ms. Dawson’s first Blud novel, Wicked as They Come, The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance provides a taste of the world that is satisfying as a standalone but will have you craving more of the fantastic world that is Sang.
In the grim and often bloody world of Sang, real pets are a rarity. Pet shop owner Frannie Pleasance is used to taking in strays, but famed musician Casper Sterling is a far different breed from her usual kittens and puppies. But taking Casper on as a lodger might be more trouble than Frannie anticipated. Upon his arrival strange and dangerous things start happening. When someone sets Frannie’s room on fire, she’s rescued by Scottish firefighter Thom Maccallan, a man whose kind heart and quiet strength draw Frannie out of her shell. Yet if Frannie hopes to have a future with Thom, the two of them must first discover who is trying to kill her and why. The answer may lie with Frannie’s inconvenient houseguest…
Despite danger lurking in the shadows, The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance is as warm and inviting as Frannie’s shop. In Frannie and Thom, Delilah S. Dawson has created two loveable, hardworking protagonists who are impossible to resist. Frannie’s been badly hurt in the past, but in The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance she begins to start truly living again, and she does so without losing her innate kindness. Thom too has suffered loss and it’s the scars of his past which drive him to be protective of others. I love how patient and giving Thom is. He and Frannie are a truly wonderful pair and thus it’s easy to be swept away by their romance.
Casper Sterling — everyone’s favorite sexy musician from the first Blud book, Wicked as They Come — is an important secondary character in The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance . Once again Casper is looking for love in the wrong place, and as much as I like him, I’m glad Ms. Dawson didn’t add a love triangle to this story. The fact that the rather colorful Casper doesn’t manage to upstage the quieter Frannie and Thom is a testament to Ms. Dawson’s writing. That being said, I did finish The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance wanting to dive right into Casper’s book, Wicked as She Wants, for reasons I won’t spoil.
The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance is a charming story I simply adored. If you haven’t read Ms. Dawson’s first Blud novel, Wicked as They Come, The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance provides a taste of the world that is satisfying as a standalone but will have you craving more of the fantastic world that is Sang.
May 12, 2013
Originally published at Reading Reality
As a reminder of all things Blud, The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance is a treat. It also serves as a re-introduction to Casper Sterling, Tish’s failed suitor from Wicked as They Come, since that unlucky gentleman will be the hero of Wicked As She Wants.
Casper, last seen leaving Criminy’s circus in a rather despondent mood, doesn’t appear any too well when Frannie Pleasance finds him in a London gutter. The first thing he does is yark all over himself. Then he discovers that he’s been rolled and has neither wallet nor luggage.
In a city crawling with bludrats, being left for dead could have had worse consequences. He would have been dead quite soon.
Frannie takes Casper home with her. She picks up stray animals, and thinks he’s another one. And, he looks just like her brother. Her dead brother.
But Casper Sterling is NOT a stray. He’s “The Maestro”, the greatest harpsichord player that this version of London has ever seen. He’s also a drunk, and a user, and someone wants him very, very dead.
Frannie Pleasance just owns a pet shop. She takes in stray pets that wander through from our world to Sang and finds homes for them. She keeps them safe until she finds the right place for them.
But accidents start happening. Her house catches fire. Then fireman Thom Maccallan comes in to put out the fire in the house, but starts a whole new fire in Frannie.
Frannie has secrets that she has never revealed to a soul. Secrets that may be worth more than her life. Someone might be after her house. Someone might be after Casper. Casper might even be after her.
Can her fireman get to the bottom of the mystery before Frannie and her precious pets all wind up dead?
Escape Rating B: This was fun but not as absorbing in and of itself as The Mysterious Madam Morpho (see review). It hinges too much on the need to re-introduce Casper and the mystery surrounding whatever he’s doing to himself. He’s doing something and we’re teased about it, but we don't find out the consequences until well into Wicked As They Come.
I’d have enjoyed this more if the story had focused on Thom and Frannie. Their love story was sweet and sensual and didn’t need Casper’s business in particular. Alternatively, there needed to be more resolution, which of course we can’t get because that’s the next book. Which I’m glad is here. Wicked As They Come was fantastic so I’ve been on pins and needles for Wicked As She Wants for months!
As a reminder of all things Blud, The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance is a treat. It also serves as a re-introduction to Casper Sterling, Tish’s failed suitor from Wicked as They Come, since that unlucky gentleman will be the hero of Wicked As She Wants.
Casper, last seen leaving Criminy’s circus in a rather despondent mood, doesn’t appear any too well when Frannie Pleasance finds him in a London gutter. The first thing he does is yark all over himself. Then he discovers that he’s been rolled and has neither wallet nor luggage.
In a city crawling with bludrats, being left for dead could have had worse consequences. He would have been dead quite soon.
Frannie takes Casper home with her. She picks up stray animals, and thinks he’s another one. And, he looks just like her brother. Her dead brother.
But Casper Sterling is NOT a stray. He’s “The Maestro”, the greatest harpsichord player that this version of London has ever seen. He’s also a drunk, and a user, and someone wants him very, very dead.
Frannie Pleasance just owns a pet shop. She takes in stray pets that wander through from our world to Sang and finds homes for them. She keeps them safe until she finds the right place for them.
But accidents start happening. Her house catches fire. Then fireman Thom Maccallan comes in to put out the fire in the house, but starts a whole new fire in Frannie.
Frannie has secrets that she has never revealed to a soul. Secrets that may be worth more than her life. Someone might be after her house. Someone might be after Casper. Casper might even be after her.
Can her fireman get to the bottom of the mystery before Frannie and her precious pets all wind up dead?
Escape Rating B: This was fun but not as absorbing in and of itself as The Mysterious Madam Morpho (see review). It hinges too much on the need to re-introduce Casper and the mystery surrounding whatever he’s doing to himself. He’s doing something and we’re teased about it, but we don't find out the consequences until well into Wicked As They Come.
I’d have enjoyed this more if the story had focused on Thom and Frannie. Their love story was sweet and sensual and didn’t need Casper’s business in particular. Alternatively, there needed to be more resolution, which of course we can’t get because that’s the next book. Which I’m glad is here. Wicked As They Come was fantastic so I’ve been on pins and needles for Wicked As She Wants for months!
May 26, 2013
This is an ARC review. I received a copy of this novella from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This was another beautiful addition to Delilah S. Dawson’s wonderfully original Blud Series. In THE PECULIAR PETS OF MISS PLEASANCE, Dawson takes us out of Criminy Stain’s caravan and sets us in the London of the Blud world. Here we meet Frannie Pleasance, a pet shop owner, dealing with the loss of her family and trying dearly to protect a secret.
What I love about this series is the world. Every time I open one of Dawson’s Blud stories, it feels like sinking into a dream. The world is dark but whimsical, and through her characters there is always a tenderness and pure romanticism that is achingly beautiful. In this particular story, we see this through the budding relationship between Frannie and Thom Maccallan, a fireman that helps save her house and shop from burning down. He’s also Scottish and wears a kilt, which are always big plusses in my book. Their connection is immediate and he sees in Frannie someone who may need his protection and so begins the very sweet dance of two lonely hearts coming together.
In the background is Caspar, a side character in the first book in the series, who is also interested in Frannie. I was hoping that Dawson wouldn’t make this into a novella about a tired love triangle. What Dawson does is better and I love that Frannie knows her mind, doesn’t fall for the wrong guy, and is just so darned independent that it makes you smile and cheer for her.
Frannie’s desperate to protect a secret and when you find out what that secret is, it’s an enchanting moment, a bit of light in the murkiness that is Dawson’s London. In a way, I think you may have to read WICKED AS SHE WANTS, the first book in the series, to fully appreciate what Frannie is protecting only because in that book you get a better sense of the darkness that is the Blud world.
Someone is out to get Frannie and you’re not sure why. The novella is well-paced in uncovering the mystery of it, and opening up a new one, and the conclusion is definitely satisfying.
If you haven’t read this series, I really wish you would. I am honestly swept away by the whimsy and the darkness of this world every time I read one of its stories.
This review comes courtesy of the blog, She-Wolf Reads.
This was another beautiful addition to Delilah S. Dawson’s wonderfully original Blud Series. In THE PECULIAR PETS OF MISS PLEASANCE, Dawson takes us out of Criminy Stain’s caravan and sets us in the London of the Blud world. Here we meet Frannie Pleasance, a pet shop owner, dealing with the loss of her family and trying dearly to protect a secret.
What I love about this series is the world. Every time I open one of Dawson’s Blud stories, it feels like sinking into a dream. The world is dark but whimsical, and through her characters there is always a tenderness and pure romanticism that is achingly beautiful. In this particular story, we see this through the budding relationship between Frannie and Thom Maccallan, a fireman that helps save her house and shop from burning down. He’s also Scottish and wears a kilt, which are always big plusses in my book. Their connection is immediate and he sees in Frannie someone who may need his protection and so begins the very sweet dance of two lonely hearts coming together.
In the background is Caspar, a side character in the first book in the series, who is also interested in Frannie. I was hoping that Dawson wouldn’t make this into a novella about a tired love triangle. What Dawson does is better and I love that Frannie knows her mind, doesn’t fall for the wrong guy, and is just so darned independent that it makes you smile and cheer for her.
Frannie’s desperate to protect a secret and when you find out what that secret is, it’s an enchanting moment, a bit of light in the murkiness that is Dawson’s London. In a way, I think you may have to read WICKED AS SHE WANTS, the first book in the series, to fully appreciate what Frannie is protecting only because in that book you get a better sense of the darkness that is the Blud world.
Someone is out to get Frannie and you’re not sure why. The novella is well-paced in uncovering the mystery of it, and opening up a new one, and the conclusion is definitely satisfying.
If you haven’t read this series, I really wish you would. I am honestly swept away by the whimsy and the darkness of this world every time I read one of its stories.
This review comes courtesy of the blog, She-Wolf Reads.
April 1, 2013
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
In Sang, the majority of animals are blud creatures that must be guarded against at all times. Pets are most often clockworks but Frannie Pleasance deals in a rarity...real, live puppies, kittens, birds and other creatures. At her pet shop, Needful Creatures, Frannie takes in, cares for and places the furry, feather, and scaly in proper homes. That even includes the wayward Maestro, Casper Sterling.
But trouble starts to plaque the pet shop once the rakish Maestro is settled. A nighttime fire nearly destroys the pet shop, but is extinguished thanks to firefighter Thom Maccallan. Once the fire is out, the sexy Scot also steps in to help Frannie repair the damage to the shop and locate the creatures who were released during the fire. As additional mysterious attacks appear to be target Frannie she must decide to protect her own secrets or turn to Thom for help, protection, and maybe even a second chance of love.
Dawson has created such a unique parallel world in Sang. Locations are similar or at least recognizable to ours, but set in a terrific combination of steampunk, old-time carnival/circus, and vampirism. And it's not just the bludmen's bite you have to watch out...in Sang bludrats, bludbunnies, and even bludkittens sport wickedly sharp teeth and lurk to catch you unaware.
Dawson has a knack for creating truly interesting characters that make you feel like you've know them for a lifetime within a few pages. Her world building is so vivid that you feel like you're a part of her world.
The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance is a quick, fun mystery/love story and is a wonderful introduction to the world of Sang if you haven't read book one, Wicked As They Come, or the first novella, The Mysterious Madame Morpho. This novella can easily be read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend that you check out the entire series. You could easily catch up before book two, Wicked As She Wants, comes out April 30th.
I received an e-copy of this book through Edelwiess in exchange for an honest review
In Sang, the majority of animals are blud creatures that must be guarded against at all times. Pets are most often clockworks but Frannie Pleasance deals in a rarity...real, live puppies, kittens, birds and other creatures. At her pet shop, Needful Creatures, Frannie takes in, cares for and places the furry, feather, and scaly in proper homes. That even includes the wayward Maestro, Casper Sterling.
But trouble starts to plaque the pet shop once the rakish Maestro is settled. A nighttime fire nearly destroys the pet shop, but is extinguished thanks to firefighter Thom Maccallan. Once the fire is out, the sexy Scot also steps in to help Frannie repair the damage to the shop and locate the creatures who were released during the fire. As additional mysterious attacks appear to be target Frannie she must decide to protect her own secrets or turn to Thom for help, protection, and maybe even a second chance of love.
Dawson has created such a unique parallel world in Sang. Locations are similar or at least recognizable to ours, but set in a terrific combination of steampunk, old-time carnival/circus, and vampirism. And it's not just the bludmen's bite you have to watch out...in Sang bludrats, bludbunnies, and even bludkittens sport wickedly sharp teeth and lurk to catch you unaware.
Dawson has a knack for creating truly interesting characters that make you feel like you've know them for a lifetime within a few pages. Her world building is so vivid that you feel like you're a part of her world.
The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance is a quick, fun mystery/love story and is a wonderful introduction to the world of Sang if you haven't read book one, Wicked As They Come, or the first novella, The Mysterious Madame Morpho. This novella can easily be read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend that you check out the entire series. You could easily catch up before book two, Wicked As She Wants, comes out April 30th.
I received an e-copy of this book through Edelwiess in exchange for an honest review
May 6, 2013
I read this story when it first came out and I very much enjoyed the little romance between pet shop owner Fannie and the kilt wearing fireman (brogue, kilt, fireman, sigh...) but it was very interesting to look back through it after reading Casper's book, Wicked as She Wants, because there were a lot of subtle hints as to what was going on with him in this story and a very nice letter to Fannie at the end to let us know that he's more than the drunk he seems here at heart. So fun on it's own - I love these little fill-in shorts - and fun in the hints about Casper, I am glad to see that Dawson has more of these planned with the Damsel and the Daggerman and the "Three Lives of Lidia" in Carniepunk.
The Blud series:
The Blud series:
March 20, 2013
Frannie Pleasance is a little fearful of the world right now. She generally sticks to her pet shop only venturing out when she needs to. On one of her excursions, she comes across a passed out, beat up, and naked fellow. If you've read Wicked as They Come (I highly recommend you do, if you haven't), then you're probably curious to find out what happened to Casper. You get a glimpse of what his life has been like since leaving the circus and coming to London, because he is the man Frannie finds passed out and invites to stay with her.
But this isn't Casper's story; it's Frannie's. One evening she wakes up to find her shop on fire. Her shop is saved by firefighter Thom Maccallan. Frannie is quite taken with this brawny Scottish firefighter. He shows up the next day to help her search for the animals she had let free to save from the fire. But he's not only there to help her with the animals. He too is quite smitten with Frannie. I found their romance quite lovely. Thom brings Frannie out of her shell. And Frannie is able to show Thom a part of herself she has kept hidden from everybody. There is also danger surrounding their romance as they come to find out the fire was no accident and other incidents soon follow.
So far Dawson hasn't let me down with her characters. For a novella, I really felt her characters were fleshed out and beautifully done. Her alternate world is fascinating, and though I missed the circus, I was happy to visit Sang's version of London.
I got enough of Casper in this book be make me eager for his. Bring on the music!
ARC provided through Edelweiss.
But this isn't Casper's story; it's Frannie's. One evening she wakes up to find her shop on fire. Her shop is saved by firefighter Thom Maccallan. Frannie is quite taken with this brawny Scottish firefighter. He shows up the next day to help her search for the animals she had let free to save from the fire. But he's not only there to help her with the animals. He too is quite smitten with Frannie. I found their romance quite lovely. Thom brings Frannie out of her shell. And Frannie is able to show Thom a part of herself she has kept hidden from everybody. There is also danger surrounding their romance as they come to find out the fire was no accident and other incidents soon follow.
So far Dawson hasn't let me down with her characters. For a novella, I really felt her characters were fleshed out and beautifully done. Her alternate world is fascinating, and though I missed the circus, I was happy to visit Sang's version of London.
I got enough of Casper in this book be make me eager for his. Bring on the music!
ARC provided through Edelweiss.
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