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Buffalo Steampunk #1
Dead Handsome: a Buffalo Steampunk Adventure
Clara Allen needs a husband in order to keep a roof over the heads of her assorted dependents, a roof her nasty grandfather will re-appropriate unless she is married by her 21st birthday, only a few days away. Strong-minded, unwilling to take orders from any man, she decides to solve her problem by raising a murdered prisoner from the dead and marrying him. She expects an empty-headed puppet; she certainly never dreams he’ll be so devastatingly handsome.
Liam McMahon doesn’t recall much about his life before his hanging in the prison yard, other than being Irish. He does remember the kiss Clara bestowed as she brought him back to life. Every time he looks at her, his desire gets out of hand. But his former life is chasing him down like a steam engine, and when a couple of mad geniuses decide he’d make a fine experiment, he wonders if he’ll live long enough to claim Clara’s heart or if he’ll die all over again.
Liam McMahon doesn’t recall much about his life before his hanging in the prison yard, other than being Irish. He does remember the kiss Clara bestowed as she brought him back to life. Every time he looks at her, his desire gets out of hand. But his former life is chasing him down like a steam engine, and when a couple of mad geniuses decide he’d make a fine experiment, he wonders if he’ll live long enough to claim Clara’s heart or if he’ll die all over again.
327 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2015
4 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Laura Strickland
97 books172 followersBorn and raised in Western New York, Laura Strickland has pursued lifelong interests in lore, legend, magic and music, all reflected in her writing. She has made pilgrimages to both Newfoundland and Scotland in the company of her daughter, but is usually happiest at home not far from Lake Ontario, with her husband and her "fur" child, a rescue dog. Author of Scottish romances Devil Black, His Wicked Highland Ways, Honor Bound: A Highland Adventure and The Hiring Fair as well as The Guardians of Sherwood Trilogy consisting of Daughter of Sherwood, Champion of Sherwood and Lord of Sherwood, she has also published three Steampunk romances, Dead Handsome: a Buffalo Steampunk Adventure, Off Kilter: a Buffalo Steampunk Adventure and Sheer Madness: a Buffalo Steampunk Adventure as well as two Christmas novellas: The Tenth Suitor and Mrs. Claus and the Viking Ship, and a Valentine’s novella: Ask me. Her Lobster Cove Historical Romances include The White Gull and the novella, Forged By Love, which won first place in the International Digital Awards. Her latest release, Awake on Garland Street, is her sixteenth book with The Wild Rose press.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 1, 2018
Clara has a gift - she can raise the dead. It’s not a talent she uses often - but when she needs a husband to keep her home and protect the children she keeps safe she can think of no other way to get a man quickly
Though he turns out to be far less pliable than she imagined.
Steampunk! Sign me up
Steampunk with magic! Sign me up twice! I do so love a paranormal steampunk.
This is a moderately low-key steampunk and magical setting though. The central premise is that Clara does have the power to raise the dead. And I can see you looking at me now and questioning how “low key magic” and “resurrection and necromancy” can actually co-exist - but this, so far, seems to be the sum total of the magic of this book. Clara doesn’t have an army of zombies in the basement, but she can raise the recently dead so long as they’re not too beat up. And she uses this ability, for the first time, on Liam - because she needs a man. But after that she doesn’t use it much nor does she have other magic to fall back on to help her in her hour of need. The battle instead rests far more on the limited resources they have at their disposal with a lot of that limited by the prejudices and injustices of the world and time they live in
Clara has turned her house into a haven for the dispossessed. Most of them are children- abused by parents or employers, poor, injured and disabled from industrial accidents and generally desperate in a time when there’s no support and no care for the weakest and most vulnerable in society - including child labourers and the extremely lethal factories that were so common in the Industrial revolution. We also have Georgina, a Black woman and a former slave who has also joined the household - who is clever, honest, tough and deeply valued by Clara. She also has a whole side storyline of her romance with Clara’s lawyer and the whole scandal of that atr the time
Liam himself is Irish and is considered both inherently criminal and utterly disposable by many of the wealthy and powerful characters in this book.
The central conflict of the book - trying to fulfil the legal requirements to keep the house feels a little… odd. I mean the terms her grandfather set is that she has to be married by the age of 21 or she is evicted. Granddad clearly wants this and will maliciously pursue kicking her out… but… why? I mean, why set the condition in the first place? Why even stick to these conditions? I want to see these legal papers that the grandfather has signed that legally compel him to give a house AND annual income to his granddaughter which he doesn’t have the power to just tear up and declare “nah”. And if he was so against his daughter’s husband and his granddaughter, why even give them anything at all? If it’s social status and a fear of being seen kicking his family out onto the street, why doesn’t he fear this still? I mean, in these sexist times, a wealthy patriarchy kicking his unmarried 21 year old granddaughter into the street doesn’t exactly look good either.
Still running with it isn’t hard and it’s still fun if you don’t dwell on that which isn’t hard as it isn’t overly that central. The internal logic of the McGuffin doesn’t matter so much as the journey
An element I just can’t get past is the examination of Clara’s morality. It’s very good that we have this moral hand wringing from Clara about whether she is a terrible person in how she decided to use Liam for her own well being. Treating him as a blank slate because she needed him to keep her home rather than viewing him as a person or considering whether he has any kind of history at all. I mean this is all extremely good debate and we see Clara repeatedly make some really difficult decisions as she considers the easiest path that would save them all but be morally reprehensible. There’s one thing she doesn’t consider
Read More
Though he turns out to be far less pliable than she imagined.
Steampunk! Sign me up
Steampunk with magic! Sign me up twice! I do so love a paranormal steampunk.
This is a moderately low-key steampunk and magical setting though. The central premise is that Clara does have the power to raise the dead. And I can see you looking at me now and questioning how “low key magic” and “resurrection and necromancy” can actually co-exist - but this, so far, seems to be the sum total of the magic of this book. Clara doesn’t have an army of zombies in the basement, but she can raise the recently dead so long as they’re not too beat up. And she uses this ability, for the first time, on Liam - because she needs a man. But after that she doesn’t use it much nor does she have other magic to fall back on to help her in her hour of need. The battle instead rests far more on the limited resources they have at their disposal with a lot of that limited by the prejudices and injustices of the world and time they live in
Clara has turned her house into a haven for the dispossessed. Most of them are children- abused by parents or employers, poor, injured and disabled from industrial accidents and generally desperate in a time when there’s no support and no care for the weakest and most vulnerable in society - including child labourers and the extremely lethal factories that were so common in the Industrial revolution. We also have Georgina, a Black woman and a former slave who has also joined the household - who is clever, honest, tough and deeply valued by Clara. She also has a whole side storyline of her romance with Clara’s lawyer and the whole scandal of that atr the time
Liam himself is Irish and is considered both inherently criminal and utterly disposable by many of the wealthy and powerful characters in this book.
The central conflict of the book - trying to fulfil the legal requirements to keep the house feels a little… odd. I mean the terms her grandfather set is that she has to be married by the age of 21 or she is evicted. Granddad clearly wants this and will maliciously pursue kicking her out… but… why? I mean, why set the condition in the first place? Why even stick to these conditions? I want to see these legal papers that the grandfather has signed that legally compel him to give a house AND annual income to his granddaughter which he doesn’t have the power to just tear up and declare “nah”. And if he was so against his daughter’s husband and his granddaughter, why even give them anything at all? If it’s social status and a fear of being seen kicking his family out onto the street, why doesn’t he fear this still? I mean, in these sexist times, a wealthy patriarchy kicking his unmarried 21 year old granddaughter into the street doesn’t exactly look good either.
Still running with it isn’t hard and it’s still fun if you don’t dwell on that which isn’t hard as it isn’t overly that central. The internal logic of the McGuffin doesn’t matter so much as the journey
An element I just can’t get past is the examination of Clara’s morality. It’s very good that we have this moral hand wringing from Clara about whether she is a terrible person in how she decided to use Liam for her own well being. Treating him as a blank slate because she needed him to keep her home rather than viewing him as a person or considering whether he has any kind of history at all. I mean this is all extremely good debate and we see Clara repeatedly make some really difficult decisions as she considers the easiest path that would save them all but be morally reprehensible. There’s one thing she doesn’t consider
Read More
April 29, 2015
This was my first read of Laura Strickland’s Steam Punk and I can say it was definitely a great read.
I absolutely love this Steam Punk slash paranormal story. I don’t read much paranormal but this was an awesome addition! I also loved that this worked with an amnesia kind of feel to it. I tend to not like picking up amnesia stories but since this was a resurrection of the dead, it was different and had that mystery of not knowing what happened in the story so that was definitely a plus for me.
So as you may know Clara, a physician’s daughter has the power to bring the dead back to life and she has decided to bring back a dead man from the gallows to be her husband. He was supposed to be awaken to a forgotten past and follow her guidance to help save her home and all the folks who lives under her care. The only thing that she didn’t expect was for him to be dead handsome, have a mind of his own, and be a pain to handle. On the other hand Liam, the man she brought back to life, doesn’t remember a thing beside remembering having a noose around his neck, dying, then brought back to life, knowing things without actually knowing how he knows them, and Irish. But he sure knows he’s attracted to this witchy-lady of his that is his wife. Of course not knowing his past, he has a mission to get revenge on the person who murdered him, even if it’ll get in the way of his new life with Clara.
Oh I really love that Liam had a personality of his own despite the fact that he doesn’t know who he is, kind of. I love that Laura threw in all these things that he knew but didn’t know how he knew but that he just did. It made me feel really close to him like, I myself would know that feeling if I were to ever forget. I also love that Liam has this self worth and knew what he is and what he would do in certain situations. Like he knew what he would fight for and believe in just from feeling it in his gut. He was definitely a gentleman from the way he thought in my mind. I definitely loved the scene with Dax when he brought him home. It was the first moment that showed any sign of his true character and of who he was so that was definitely one of my favorite scenes. Loved it!
Clara is a very passionate lady in what she does. She has insecurities in her self, definitely towards her slim and unflattering figure. I liked that she was honest with it with Liam because she never thought about her looks until he came into her life. She may have felt like he deserved someone just as beautiful as he was so that was what brought on her insecurities. She also has very little trust in people. This may have been due to the fact that her father kept her safe from other people as a child, so she doesn’t have many people outside her home as friends. Even though I know these things about Clara, I felt like I didn’t know as much about her as I did Liam. I felt like this story was definitely more about Liam searching for his truth rather than Clara resurrecting Liam to help save her home, so I didn’t have that close connection with her even though she was a huge part of the story or even “the” story.
And the love scenes. Oh they were great. They were very…… there were NO Visible Sex scenes. None!! Okay maybe one but that was it! Yes, I was shocked! When I first hit that end of the chapter where there was sure to be a love scene and turned the page and it was the next morning, yeah. I Died a little I think. I Definitely didn’t expect a no sex scene in this story. With all the books I’ve been reading I was definitely expecting it but was surprised that I really enjoyed not reading the sex scenes in this story. I loved that there was a black curtain after the sexy interaction between the two that lead to the bedroom. I mean that was already hot, like steamy. Their interaction was burning the pages! It definitely made up for the no visible sex scenes. And I loved that we also got information on what went on behind the door without being there seeing it played out. It was very nice for a change you know and well written. I sometime skip over the sex scenes anyways because I wanted to get back to the main story so I really liked that there was a black curtain in here. Yeah, it was great. And I definitely think this was Laura’s strong suit in the storyline. She did a fabulous job in writing the sexual interaction and scenes between her characters.
The secondary characters really got me interested in their background stories and even looking forward to the next books if there are any coming up. The world of steam punk in this book was definitely different from ones I’ve read before. It’s less dark and less action packed but still every well enjoyable.
Now the problems….. When Clara said no. That was a problem of mine. I really wished Liam had obeyed or just, you know, got her wet without finishing, but… Yeah, moving on… I had problems with how certain sentences were structured. Not just that but the dialog. I had to re-read many of them and I tried not to think much of it at first but it did bother me once it occurred more throughout the story. Another problem was how modern the characters were speaking. Many times I had to stop and think about, If certain words were used during the Victorian era, and having read many Regency and Victorian novels, I felt like some were not used during those times. It really did pull me out of the story and supposed time period.
But so far I did like the story and it was definitely something different. Yes, it had its problems but if you can over look them and just enjoy the story then all is good. This is a great example of the black curtain romance and the mystery and paranormal aspect of the story made for a very interesting and intense read. It’s light and smooth and will keep you reading till the end.
*This book was provided by the Publisher for an honest review.
Merged review:
This was my first read of Laura Strickland’s Steam Punk and I can say it was definitely a great read.
I absolutely love this Steam Punk slash paranormal story. I don’t read much paranormal but this was an awesome addition! I also loved that this worked with an amnesia kind of feel to it. I tend to not like picking up amnesia stories but since this was a resurrection of the dead, it was different and had that mystery of not knowing what happened in the story so that was definitely a plus for me.
So as you may know Clara, a physician’s daughter has the power to bring the dead back to life and she has decided to bring back a dead man from the gallows to be her husband. He was supposed to be awaken to a forgotten past and follow her guidance to help save her home and all the folks who lives under her care. The only thing that she didn’t expect was for him to be dead handsome, have a mind of his own, and be a pain to handle. On the other hand Liam, the man she brought back to life, doesn’t remember a thing beside remembering having a noose around his neck, dying, then brought back to life, knowing things without actually knowing how he knows them, and Irish. But he sure knows he’s attracted to this witchy-lady of his that is his wife. Of course not knowing his past, he has a mission to get revenge on the person who murdered him, even if it’ll get in the way of his new life with Clara.
Oh I really love that Liam had a personality of his own despite the fact that he doesn’t know who he is, kind of. I love that Laura threw in all these things that he knew but didn’t know how he knew but that he just did. It made me feel really close to him like, I myself would know that feeling if I were to ever forget. I also love that Liam has this self worth and knew what he is and what he would do in certain situations. Like he knew what he would fight for and believe in just from feeling it in his gut. He was definitely a gentleman from the way he thought in my mind. I definitely loved the scene with Dax when he brought him home. It was the first moment that showed any sign of his true character and of who he was so that was definitely one of my favorite scenes. Loved it!
Clara is a very passionate lady in what she does. She has insecurities in her self, definitely towards her slim and unflattering figure. I liked that she was honest with it with Liam because she never thought about her looks until he came into her life. She may have felt like he deserved someone just as beautiful as he was so that was what brought on her insecurities. She also has very little trust in people. This may have been due to the fact that her father kept her safe from other people as a child, so she doesn’t have many people outside her home as friends. Even though I know these things about Clara, I felt like I didn’t know as much about her as I did Liam. I felt like this story was definitely more about Liam searching for his truth rather than Clara resurrecting Liam to help save her home, so I didn’t have that close connection with her even though she was a huge part of the story or even “the” story.
And the love scenes. Oh they were great. They were very…… there were NO Visible Sex scenes. None!! Okay maybe one but that was it! Yes, I was shocked! When I first hit that end of the chapter where there was sure to be a love scene and turned the page and it was the next morning, yeah. I Died a little I think. I Definitely didn’t expect a no sex scene in this story. With all the books I’ve been reading I was definitely expecting it but was surprised that I really enjoyed not reading the sex scenes in this story. I loved that there was a black curtain after the sexy interaction between the two that lead to the bedroom. I mean that was already hot, like steamy. Their interaction was burning the pages! It definitely made up for the no visible sex scenes. And I loved that we also got information on what went on behind the door without being there seeing it played out. It was very nice for a change you know and well written. I sometime skip over the sex scenes anyways because I wanted to get back to the main story so I really liked that there was a black curtain in here. Yeah, it was great. And I definitely think this was Laura’s strong suit in the storyline. She did a fabulous job in writing the sexual interaction and scenes between her characters.
The secondary characters really got me interested in their background stories and even looking forward to the next books if there are any coming up. The world of steam punk in this book was definitely different from ones I’ve read before. It’s less dark and less action packed but still every well enjoyable.
Now the problems….. When Clara said no. That was a problem of mine. I really wished Liam had obeyed or just, you know, got her wet without finishing, but… Yeah, moving on… I had problems with how certain sentences were structured. Not just that but the dialog. I had to re-read many of them and I tried not to think much of it at first but it did bother me once it occurred more throughout the story. Another problem was how modern the characters were speaking. Many times I had to stop and think about, If certain words were used during the Victorian era, and having read many Regency and Victorian novels, I felt like some were not used during those times. It really did pull me out of the story and supposed time period.
But so far I did like the story and it was definitely something different. Yes, it had its problems but if you can over look them and just enjoy the story then all is good. This is a great example of the black curtain romance and the mystery and paranormal aspect of the story made for a very interesting and intense read. It’s light and smooth and will keep you reading till the end.
*This book was provided by the Publisher for an honest review.
I absolutely love this Steam Punk slash paranormal story. I don’t read much paranormal but this was an awesome addition! I also loved that this worked with an amnesia kind of feel to it. I tend to not like picking up amnesia stories but since this was a resurrection of the dead, it was different and had that mystery of not knowing what happened in the story so that was definitely a plus for me.
So as you may know Clara, a physician’s daughter has the power to bring the dead back to life and she has decided to bring back a dead man from the gallows to be her husband. He was supposed to be awaken to a forgotten past and follow her guidance to help save her home and all the folks who lives under her care. The only thing that she didn’t expect was for him to be dead handsome, have a mind of his own, and be a pain to handle. On the other hand Liam, the man she brought back to life, doesn’t remember a thing beside remembering having a noose around his neck, dying, then brought back to life, knowing things without actually knowing how he knows them, and Irish. But he sure knows he’s attracted to this witchy-lady of his that is his wife. Of course not knowing his past, he has a mission to get revenge on the person who murdered him, even if it’ll get in the way of his new life with Clara.
Oh I really love that Liam had a personality of his own despite the fact that he doesn’t know who he is, kind of. I love that Laura threw in all these things that he knew but didn’t know how he knew but that he just did. It made me feel really close to him like, I myself would know that feeling if I were to ever forget. I also love that Liam has this self worth and knew what he is and what he would do in certain situations. Like he knew what he would fight for and believe in just from feeling it in his gut. He was definitely a gentleman from the way he thought in my mind. I definitely loved the scene with Dax when he brought him home. It was the first moment that showed any sign of his true character and of who he was so that was definitely one of my favorite scenes. Loved it!
Clara is a very passionate lady in what she does. She has insecurities in her self, definitely towards her slim and unflattering figure. I liked that she was honest with it with Liam because she never thought about her looks until he came into her life. She may have felt like he deserved someone just as beautiful as he was so that was what brought on her insecurities. She also has very little trust in people. This may have been due to the fact that her father kept her safe from other people as a child, so she doesn’t have many people outside her home as friends. Even though I know these things about Clara, I felt like I didn’t know as much about her as I did Liam. I felt like this story was definitely more about Liam searching for his truth rather than Clara resurrecting Liam to help save her home, so I didn’t have that close connection with her even though she was a huge part of the story or even “the” story.
And the love scenes. Oh they were great. They were very…… there were NO Visible Sex scenes. None!! Okay maybe one but that was it! Yes, I was shocked! When I first hit that end of the chapter where there was sure to be a love scene and turned the page and it was the next morning, yeah. I Died a little I think. I Definitely didn’t expect a no sex scene in this story. With all the books I’ve been reading I was definitely expecting it but was surprised that I really enjoyed not reading the sex scenes in this story. I loved that there was a black curtain after the sexy interaction between the two that lead to the bedroom. I mean that was already hot, like steamy. Their interaction was burning the pages! It definitely made up for the no visible sex scenes. And I loved that we also got information on what went on behind the door without being there seeing it played out. It was very nice for a change you know and well written. I sometime skip over the sex scenes anyways because I wanted to get back to the main story so I really liked that there was a black curtain in here. Yeah, it was great. And I definitely think this was Laura’s strong suit in the storyline. She did a fabulous job in writing the sexual interaction and scenes between her characters.
The secondary characters really got me interested in their background stories and even looking forward to the next books if there are any coming up. The world of steam punk in this book was definitely different from ones I’ve read before. It’s less dark and less action packed but still every well enjoyable.
Now the problems….. When Clara said no. That was a problem of mine. I really wished Liam had obeyed or just, you know, got her wet without finishing, but… Yeah, moving on… I had problems with how certain sentences were structured. Not just that but the dialog. I had to re-read many of them and I tried not to think much of it at first but it did bother me once it occurred more throughout the story. Another problem was how modern the characters were speaking. Many times I had to stop and think about, If certain words were used during the Victorian era, and having read many Regency and Victorian novels, I felt like some were not used during those times. It really did pull me out of the story and supposed time period.
But so far I did like the story and it was definitely something different. Yes, it had its problems but if you can over look them and just enjoy the story then all is good. This is a great example of the black curtain romance and the mystery and paranormal aspect of the story made for a very interesting and intense read. It’s light and smooth and will keep you reading till the end.
*This book was provided by the Publisher for an honest review.
Merged review:
This was my first read of Laura Strickland’s Steam Punk and I can say it was definitely a great read.
I absolutely love this Steam Punk slash paranormal story. I don’t read much paranormal but this was an awesome addition! I also loved that this worked with an amnesia kind of feel to it. I tend to not like picking up amnesia stories but since this was a resurrection of the dead, it was different and had that mystery of not knowing what happened in the story so that was definitely a plus for me.
So as you may know Clara, a physician’s daughter has the power to bring the dead back to life and she has decided to bring back a dead man from the gallows to be her husband. He was supposed to be awaken to a forgotten past and follow her guidance to help save her home and all the folks who lives under her care. The only thing that she didn’t expect was for him to be dead handsome, have a mind of his own, and be a pain to handle. On the other hand Liam, the man she brought back to life, doesn’t remember a thing beside remembering having a noose around his neck, dying, then brought back to life, knowing things without actually knowing how he knows them, and Irish. But he sure knows he’s attracted to this witchy-lady of his that is his wife. Of course not knowing his past, he has a mission to get revenge on the person who murdered him, even if it’ll get in the way of his new life with Clara.
Oh I really love that Liam had a personality of his own despite the fact that he doesn’t know who he is, kind of. I love that Laura threw in all these things that he knew but didn’t know how he knew but that he just did. It made me feel really close to him like, I myself would know that feeling if I were to ever forget. I also love that Liam has this self worth and knew what he is and what he would do in certain situations. Like he knew what he would fight for and believe in just from feeling it in his gut. He was definitely a gentleman from the way he thought in my mind. I definitely loved the scene with Dax when he brought him home. It was the first moment that showed any sign of his true character and of who he was so that was definitely one of my favorite scenes. Loved it!
Clara is a very passionate lady in what she does. She has insecurities in her self, definitely towards her slim and unflattering figure. I liked that she was honest with it with Liam because she never thought about her looks until he came into her life. She may have felt like he deserved someone just as beautiful as he was so that was what brought on her insecurities. She also has very little trust in people. This may have been due to the fact that her father kept her safe from other people as a child, so she doesn’t have many people outside her home as friends. Even though I know these things about Clara, I felt like I didn’t know as much about her as I did Liam. I felt like this story was definitely more about Liam searching for his truth rather than Clara resurrecting Liam to help save her home, so I didn’t have that close connection with her even though she was a huge part of the story or even “the” story.
And the love scenes. Oh they were great. They were very…… there were NO Visible Sex scenes. None!! Okay maybe one but that was it! Yes, I was shocked! When I first hit that end of the chapter where there was sure to be a love scene and turned the page and it was the next morning, yeah. I Died a little I think. I Definitely didn’t expect a no sex scene in this story. With all the books I’ve been reading I was definitely expecting it but was surprised that I really enjoyed not reading the sex scenes in this story. I loved that there was a black curtain after the sexy interaction between the two that lead to the bedroom. I mean that was already hot, like steamy. Their interaction was burning the pages! It definitely made up for the no visible sex scenes. And I loved that we also got information on what went on behind the door without being there seeing it played out. It was very nice for a change you know and well written. I sometime skip over the sex scenes anyways because I wanted to get back to the main story so I really liked that there was a black curtain in here. Yeah, it was great. And I definitely think this was Laura’s strong suit in the storyline. She did a fabulous job in writing the sexual interaction and scenes between her characters.
The secondary characters really got me interested in their background stories and even looking forward to the next books if there are any coming up. The world of steam punk in this book was definitely different from ones I’ve read before. It’s less dark and less action packed but still every well enjoyable.
Now the problems….. When Clara said no. That was a problem of mine. I really wished Liam had obeyed or just, you know, got her wet without finishing, but… Yeah, moving on… I had problems with how certain sentences were structured. Not just that but the dialog. I had to re-read many of them and I tried not to think much of it at first but it did bother me once it occurred more throughout the story. Another problem was how modern the characters were speaking. Many times I had to stop and think about, If certain words were used during the Victorian era, and having read many Regency and Victorian novels, I felt like some were not used during those times. It really did pull me out of the story and supposed time period.
But so far I did like the story and it was definitely something different. Yes, it had its problems but if you can over look them and just enjoy the story then all is good. This is a great example of the black curtain romance and the mystery and paranormal aspect of the story made for a very interesting and intense read. It’s light and smooth and will keep you reading till the end.
*This book was provided by the Publisher for an honest review.
June 22, 2020
Being a big fan of Laura Strickland's work, I ventured into the Steampunk genre solely because of her. True to her writing style that draws me into her characters and their woes, she took me through a new genre without a blip as I devoured every word, robotic types of characters as engaging as human. No spoilers here, but I found the heroine and her plight immediately engaging. The unlikely hero soon captured my attention, and the impossibilities of their relationship, salted with moments of well written romantic passion, drew me to him like a magnet. Laura has developed worthy foes to counter the couple's union and success, not to mention endearing secondary characters with diverse personalities and motivations. I highly recommend this book for anyone, even those of us unfamiliar with the Steampunk genre!
September 9, 2015
This story hits all my happiness buttons. A handsome roguish Irish man, a spunky heroine and a truly weird mix of steam punk and paranormal elements (robots!). I fell in love with Liam and Clara and their devotion for each other. Attraction wrought by magic and reinforced with good old fashioned soulmate love, these two sizzled across the pages.
While the opening moved a little too slowly for me, once you hit the major story mystery (no spoilers!) the pace picks up to where you finish reading before you know it!
The author wrought the combination of steam driven mechanical servants with 19th century life seamlessly. Her portrayal of 19th century sociology was true to life adding a realistic edge to a fantastical story. Oh, and if you are woman and don't fall in love with Liam, you have no soul. ;)
This story will appeal to readers of romance, paranormal romance, magical realism, steam punk and science fiction. If you want some spice in your lunch time latte pick up this book.
GIVEN COPY BY AUTHOR IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
While the opening moved a little too slowly for me, once you hit the major story mystery (no spoilers!) the pace picks up to where you finish reading before you know it!
The author wrought the combination of steam driven mechanical servants with 19th century life seamlessly. Her portrayal of 19th century sociology was true to life adding a realistic edge to a fantastical story. Oh, and if you are woman and don't fall in love with Liam, you have no soul. ;)
This story will appeal to readers of romance, paranormal romance, magical realism, steam punk and science fiction. If you want some spice in your lunch time latte pick up this book.
GIVEN COPY BY AUTHOR IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
September 12, 2015
This is the first Steampunk book I have ever read. I'm not sure really what I was expecting so I can't honestly say rather or not it met my expectation. But it was different. Odd at times. I had some troubles really getting into it. In part because of the style of book it's written as but also the story itself. It just didn't excite me. It felt like something was missing. A lack of connection. Which made the book only just okay to me.
****Gifted ARC copy****
L.
Merged review:
REVIEW - Dead Handsome by Laura Strickland My review of Dead Handsome written by Laura Strickland
This is the first Steampunk book I have ever read. I'm not sure really what I was expecting so I can't honestly say rather or not it met my expectation. But it was different. Odd at times. I had some troubles really getting into it. In part because of the style of book it's written as but also the story itself. It just didn't excite me. It felt like something was missing. A lack of connection. Which made the book only just okay to me.****Gifted ARC copy****L.
****Gifted ARC copy****
L.
Merged review:
REVIEW - Dead Handsome by Laura Strickland My review of Dead Handsome written by Laura Strickland
This is the first Steampunk book I have ever read. I'm not sure really what I was expecting so I can't honestly say rather or not it met my expectation. But it was different. Odd at times. I had some troubles really getting into it. In part because of the style of book it's written as but also the story itself. It just didn't excite me. It felt like something was missing. A lack of connection. Which made the book only just okay to me.****Gifted ARC copy****L.
June 23, 2021
Clara has an unusual power, she can raise the dead. She's also got a house full of adopted children, a house which she can't afford unless her tight-fisted uncle will hand over the deed. He won't do that, if she doesn't marry by her next birthday. With no marriage prospects on the horizon, she's going to have to resort to some unusual methods to catch a man. Although which is worse, how she rescued her soon-to-be husband from executioners, or that he's Irish, she doesn't know. Nor does she know the secrets of his past.
I’d read a later book in this series first, so I was looking forward to reading this first volume. And author Laura Strickland didn’t disappoint! I adored Clara and Liam and found myself rooting for them, easily. If you like steampunk, with romance and a little unusual kick, do check out Dead Handsome. I think you will enjoy it.
I’d read a later book in this series first, so I was looking forward to reading this first volume. And author Laura Strickland didn’t disappoint! I adored Clara and Liam and found myself rooting for them, easily. If you like steampunk, with romance and a little unusual kick, do check out Dead Handsome. I think you will enjoy it.
September 3, 2015
I got this in exchange of an honest review, I was surprised in this one it felt more realistic and the author had done her homework in research since I felt it had a lot authenticity in each description of the time place and characters, I loved the adventure as well I recommend this to everyone you will feel something new in this one I know I did and want more of this
September 6, 2015
★★★★ from Mercedes Prizmonte on September 4, 2015
Great adventure, mystery
A steampunk Fanatsy paranormal set in Victorian period.
Great adventure,mystery,romance,intriguing different story.
Enjoyed reading,kept my interest.
Received free in exchange for a honest review.
Great adventure, mystery
A steampunk Fanatsy paranormal set in Victorian period.
Great adventure,mystery,romance,intriguing different story.
Enjoyed reading,kept my interest.
Received free in exchange for a honest review.
June 8, 2021
Great book!
I chose this book because I fell in love with the cover. It was my first steampunk book and I loved it. I will be checking out the rest of this series.
I chose this book because I fell in love with the cover. It was my first steampunk book and I loved it. I will be checking out the rest of this series.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews