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Sass and Steam #1
Eden's Voice
Football, mechanical dragons, industrial espionage, sexy romance. Welcome to fall in Ann Arbor.
Eden Randall has her life under control. Sure, people call her weird for having a mechanical dragon with her at all times, but she’s content. All she needs are her studies and her sports—and for the football team to have another undefeated season. What she doesn’t need are nosy men from out-of-town poking into her business.
Spending months in a tiny town shadowing the football team is the last thing Boston reporter Bruce Caldwell wants to do, but the tedious job could be his ticket to something bigger and better. When he meets a sports-mad spitfire on the sidelines, he realizes the town may hold stories far more interesting than he expected.
With dragons running loose in the laboratory and a ruthless New York industrialist threatening their budding friendship, Eden and Bruce find themselves players in a game far more dangerous than the one on the gridiron. Never ones to quit, they know the only way to emerge as The Victors is to become a team. This football season, winning might mean losing their hearts.
Eden Randall has her life under control. Sure, people call her weird for having a mechanical dragon with her at all times, but she’s content. All she needs are her studies and her sports—and for the football team to have another undefeated season. What she doesn’t need are nosy men from out-of-town poking into her business.
Spending months in a tiny town shadowing the football team is the last thing Boston reporter Bruce Caldwell wants to do, but the tedious job could be his ticket to something bigger and better. When he meets a sports-mad spitfire on the sidelines, he realizes the town may hold stories far more interesting than he expected.
With dragons running loose in the laboratory and a ruthless New York industrialist threatening their budding friendship, Eden and Bruce find themselves players in a game far more dangerous than the one on the gridiron. Never ones to quit, they know the only way to emerge as The Victors is to become a team. This football season, winning might mean losing their hearts.
341 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2019
8 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Stein
28 books169 followersAward-winning author Catherine Stein believes that everyone deserves love and that Happily Ever After has the power to help, to heal, and to comfort. She writes sassy, sexy romance set during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Her books are full of action, adventure, magic, and fantastic technologies.
Catherine lives in Michigan with her husband and three rambunctious kids. She loves steampunk and Oxford commas, and can often be found dressed in Renaissance Festival clothing, drinking copious amounts of tea.
Catherine lives in Michigan with her husband and three rambunctious kids. She loves steampunk and Oxford commas, and can often be found dressed in Renaissance Festival clothing, drinking copious amounts of tea.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 8, 2021
This book exists because I took all the things I love and mashed them together to make a story. Eden and Bruce (and Vox!) are near and dear to my heart and I'm so pleased to be able to share them with you. This book is for all the nerds and geeks out there as well as all the girls and women who love to play and watch sports. I am one of you.
Be warned that I do break one of the big romance-writing taboos in this book. If you do throw the book across the room, be careful not to break anything. And don't worry, I will ALWAYS give you the Happily Ever After. Always.
Be warned that I do break one of the big romance-writing taboos in this book. If you do throw the book across the room, be careful not to break anything. And don't worry, I will ALWAYS give you the Happily Ever After. Always.
March 15, 2020
"Eden's Voice" offers a delightful, refreshing mix of mid-west history and steampunk magic! The drama unfolds against a backdrop of dragons, Authomechanology and Teletics, and the Wolverines football team.
Read full review in the 2020 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2020 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.
September 2, 2022
Sass and Steam is the perfect title for Catherine Stein's historical fantasy romance series, double entendre included. That said, this book isn't only a "kissing book" (okay, much MORE than kissing) but also a mystery and adventure caper, with clues and snooping and spying and chases and close quartered combat and clever outmanuevering and close calls, and I was riveted.
I think people who love Dr. Temperance Brennan from the TV series Bones will love Eden in all her glory: awkwardly frank, passionately geeky, affectionate without being sentimental, and uninhibited about sex (though she does start the story a virgin mostly for social mores reasons).
In Eden's Voice the sparks fly not only in the University of Michigan's Automechanology & Teletics (AM&T) lab where eccentric 23-year-old Ann Arbor native Eden and her professor parents build mechanical wonders, but between Eden and the earnest, nosy visiting reporter Bruce Caldwell from Boston.
Very deliberately the clothing and setting details are on point for 1904, while the technology borders on magic, and I enjoyed it that way--especially with those devices being essential to character development and plot. Eden was born deaf and Bruce had a leg amputated--and in present day she has a beloved, uniquely advanced mechanical "pet" dragon Vox that doubles as a mobile hearing aid while he has a biomechanical leg.
She's self-conscious about her hard earned vocal skills and her vulnerability when people come up behind her and dependency on Vox, whose abilities are a closely guarded secret she suspects Bruce (and one other suitor) may be tempted to exploit (in his case for a "scoop" story). She doesn't let her sense of vulnerability or protectiveness of Vox stop her from walking home alone frequently though, one of her many "un-ladylike" habits.
Bruce regrets his diminished (but not gone) athleticism and curtailed sports career and is self-conscious about people seeing his metal prosthesis. There's a very sweet scene where they share their special devices with a trust and intimacy they've never known before each other, and throughout the story they look out for each other without coddling or condescending (and protect each other's privacy).
I liked these leads individually first and as a couple second, both vulnerable and strong in their own ways, so Stein excels at that yet again (this being my third of her works and me now being a collector). Eden I liked for her fierce independence, inventor brilliance, enthusiasm, close relationships with her parents and best friend Lilah and platonic friend Joey, protectiveness toward those she loved, introvert awkwardness at parties as the odd one out, scorn for unfair double standards between men and women, and nerdiness even beyond her activities (e.g., I related too well to her trying to find romantic advice in novels).
Bruce I liked for his gentlemanliness and honor, his open fondness and romanticism, his devotion to fairness and to speaking truth to power and exposing corruption even at his own risk, his persistence, his self-reflection and willingness to apologize and forgive and move forward, his supportiveness of Eden's feminism, his love of reading, and his sense of humor.
Their romance is flirty and swoony and heady, banter-filled, helped along by keen shared interests in literature and sports (including football games where tackling gives way to lip locking), and born of genuine supportive friendship and mutual admiration for the whole individual, and not primarily motivated by chemistry though there's definitely heaps of that, so I found it nearly ideal. They argue sometimes or disappoint each other, but eventually they talk it through and each admit their role in it, it's very authentic and healthy and refreshing.
The catch is that Bruce falls harder faster and yearns for long-term before headstrong Eden, whose personal history and goals gives her good reason to mistrust how marriage could up-end her life.
And then there's Evan Tagget coming between them, competing for Eden's affections (unless of course he's just after her one-of-a-kind steam powered dragon Vox--is he?). More theatrical than charming (to me) and rakish (infamous for it) the wealthy industrialist makes Bruce miserable with jealousy when, in spite of her literary education in Jane Austen and Jane Eyre that might've tipped her off Bruce would feel replaced, Eden consents to several outings with Evan to concert and theater halls.
[MILD SPOILER: Unbeknownst to Bruce (and perhaps Evan too, you be the judge!), to Eden her dates with Evan are all for larks and, er, field research into romantic pursuits--but in her defense, she's not being selfish or careless on purpose, she's very innocent and up front about it all, it's just Eden being her independent, perhaps too rational self.]
Bruce grows desperate to prove Evan is behind the mysterious sabotage and patent theft at U of Michigan's AM&T labs and plotting to do worse, and won't let Eden dissuade him. But whether Evan is pulling the strings or not, the reporter soon finds himself entangled with thugs and more trouble and occasionally needs help from a certain unconventional, irresistible lady inventor.
Overall many bonus points to Stein for how it plays out with Bruce and Eden rescuing and supporting each other (even just emotionally, and talking out their problems), no damsel in distress or hapless hunk in the lurch either!
Final note of praise, even if one character is keener to marry (or neither is), in Stein's work you'll feel the characters falling in love before it gets physical, and you can be sure they won't go all the way without mutual enthusiastic consent, both of which are strong preferences for me.
WHEN A NOVEL HAS YOU FALLING FOR THE CHARACTERS BEFORE THEY FALL FOR EACH OTHER, SPEAK UP--BOOST THE SIGNAL!
I think people who love Dr. Temperance Brennan from the TV series Bones will love Eden in all her glory: awkwardly frank, passionately geeky, affectionate without being sentimental, and uninhibited about sex (though she does start the story a virgin mostly for social mores reasons).
In Eden's Voice the sparks fly not only in the University of Michigan's Automechanology & Teletics (AM&T) lab where eccentric 23-year-old Ann Arbor native Eden and her professor parents build mechanical wonders, but between Eden and the earnest, nosy visiting reporter Bruce Caldwell from Boston.
Very deliberately the clothing and setting details are on point for 1904, while the technology borders on magic, and I enjoyed it that way--especially with those devices being essential to character development and plot. Eden was born deaf and Bruce had a leg amputated--and in present day she has a beloved, uniquely advanced mechanical "pet" dragon Vox that doubles as a mobile hearing aid while he has a biomechanical leg.
She's self-conscious about her hard earned vocal skills and her vulnerability when people come up behind her and dependency on Vox, whose abilities are a closely guarded secret she suspects Bruce (and one other suitor) may be tempted to exploit (in his case for a "scoop" story). She doesn't let her sense of vulnerability or protectiveness of Vox stop her from walking home alone frequently though, one of her many "un-ladylike" habits.
Bruce regrets his diminished (but not gone) athleticism and curtailed sports career and is self-conscious about people seeing his metal prosthesis. There's a very sweet scene where they share their special devices with a trust and intimacy they've never known before each other, and throughout the story they look out for each other without coddling or condescending (and protect each other's privacy).
I liked these leads individually first and as a couple second, both vulnerable and strong in their own ways, so Stein excels at that yet again (this being my third of her works and me now being a collector). Eden I liked for her fierce independence, inventor brilliance, enthusiasm, close relationships with her parents and best friend Lilah and platonic friend Joey, protectiveness toward those she loved, introvert awkwardness at parties as the odd one out, scorn for unfair double standards between men and women, and nerdiness even beyond her activities (e.g., I related too well to her trying to find romantic advice in novels).
Bruce I liked for his gentlemanliness and honor, his open fondness and romanticism, his devotion to fairness and to speaking truth to power and exposing corruption even at his own risk, his persistence, his self-reflection and willingness to apologize and forgive and move forward, his supportiveness of Eden's feminism, his love of reading, and his sense of humor.
Their romance is flirty and swoony and heady, banter-filled, helped along by keen shared interests in literature and sports (including football games where tackling gives way to lip locking), and born of genuine supportive friendship and mutual admiration for the whole individual, and not primarily motivated by chemistry though there's definitely heaps of that, so I found it nearly ideal. They argue sometimes or disappoint each other, but eventually they talk it through and each admit their role in it, it's very authentic and healthy and refreshing.
The catch is that Bruce falls harder faster and yearns for long-term before headstrong Eden, whose personal history and goals gives her good reason to mistrust how marriage could up-end her life.
And then there's Evan Tagget coming between them, competing for Eden's affections (unless of course he's just after her one-of-a-kind steam powered dragon Vox--is he?). More theatrical than charming (to me) and rakish (infamous for it) the wealthy industrialist makes Bruce miserable with jealousy when, in spite of her literary education in Jane Austen and Jane Eyre that might've tipped her off Bruce would feel replaced, Eden consents to several outings with Evan to concert and theater halls.
[MILD SPOILER: Unbeknownst to Bruce (and perhaps Evan too, you be the judge!), to Eden her dates with Evan are all for larks and, er, field research into romantic pursuits--but in her defense, she's not being selfish or careless on purpose, she's very innocent and up front about it all, it's just Eden being her independent, perhaps too rational self.]
Bruce grows desperate to prove Evan is behind the mysterious sabotage and patent theft at U of Michigan's AM&T labs and plotting to do worse, and won't let Eden dissuade him. But whether Evan is pulling the strings or not, the reporter soon finds himself entangled with thugs and more trouble and occasionally needs help from a certain unconventional, irresistible lady inventor.
Overall many bonus points to Stein for how it plays out with Bruce and Eden rescuing and supporting each other (even just emotionally, and talking out their problems), no damsel in distress or hapless hunk in the lurch either!
Final note of praise, even if one character is keener to marry (or neither is), in Stein's work you'll feel the characters falling in love before it gets physical, and you can be sure they won't go all the way without mutual enthusiastic consent, both of which are strong preferences for me.
WHEN A NOVEL HAS YOU FALLING FOR THE CHARACTERS BEFORE THEY FALL FOR EACH OTHER, SPEAK UP--BOOST THE SIGNAL!
October 3, 2019
A fun steampunk romance with a heroine who can’t hear very well and a hero with a damaged leg. Yay, for steampunk inventions that help them. And yay, for them meeting each other and accepting the imperfections the other one has. And I don’t just mean the physical ones.
April 20, 2021
Eden Randall is an unusual young woman, who does not conform to convention. She is intelligent, inquisitive, vivacious and beautiful. She is also deaf, but with the help of Vox her mechanical dragon, she can pursue her independent life full of football and studies.
But the appearance of the athletic, muscular, tall and handsome Bruce Caldwell is about to change all of that.
Bruce soon becomes captivated by this little spitfire and the matches of the Ann Arbor football team, mechanical dragons and suspected espionage.
As a ruthless, spoilt and extremely wealthy New York industrialist starts to interfere with everyone's lives, the plot begins to thicken, sabotage occurs, lives are threatened and passions heighten.
I smiled throughout most of this very entertaining book, Catherine Stein's sense of humour is sewn beautifully through all the pages in this book, her descriptive writing has you there in the laboratories as she takes you on a vividly captivating tale.
I couldn't put it down!
But the appearance of the athletic, muscular, tall and handsome Bruce Caldwell is about to change all of that.
Bruce soon becomes captivated by this little spitfire and the matches of the Ann Arbor football team, mechanical dragons and suspected espionage.
As a ruthless, spoilt and extremely wealthy New York industrialist starts to interfere with everyone's lives, the plot begins to thicken, sabotage occurs, lives are threatened and passions heighten.
I smiled throughout most of this very entertaining book, Catherine Stein's sense of humour is sewn beautifully through all the pages in this book, her descriptive writing has you there in the laboratories as she takes you on a vividly captivating tale.
I couldn't put it down!
February 15, 2020
Book one in the Sass and Steam series a well written story that had me smiling as I read. Boston reporter Bruce Caldwell and Eden Randall's story there is twists, turns, drama, steampunk, dragons, and romance. I want to read more in this series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 16, 2020
Loved the characters! Eden is strong and fierce and takes no nonsense, but that doesn't mean she's faultless. Bruce is far from perfect, but has many redeeming qualities and also, suspenders!
February 13, 2020
I adore this book. It hits all the things that I like steampunk, dragons, romance, a feisty heroine, a nice persistent hero, intelligence conversations and on and on. So well plotted and written it is a joy to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 29, 2020
Got this bc I enjoy dragons, and have spent some time in Ann Arbor. Will be following this author for sure! Her writing style is smooth and quirky, and the characters feel genuine. Loved Eden, and her passion for football (even though I myself am not a huge fan), and Bruce and his passion for the truth - and of course their passion for each other! Couple of surprise twists and turns, molybdomancy, dragons, fast cars, explosions, uber-rich suitors, and of course an ending that gives you all the happy you could wish for. Read this now!!!
June 18, 2021
Absolutely loved this book! The ideas are amazing and a fantastic plot with strong characters. I loved how it all came together and things slowly started to make sense as you work things out alongside the characters. I can’t wait to read more!
February 6, 2020
Sexy fun steampunk with college football (almost lost a star because it was Michigan!)
October 2, 2019
I am a ARC reader and I was not paid for my review. I did receive a free copy however.
I really enjoyed this story, I admit I almost didn't volunteer to read it because I don't do sports. I marched in the band, I did half time shows, but I socialized during the game. So part of me was afraid it would be so technical and sports heavy that I would lose interest. NOT THE CASE WITH THIS STORY. While there was a great deal of sporting scenes it was exciting and well written. I mean she had me at mechanical dragons, and she kept me there with the refreshing heroine.
It was a fantastic love story, Eden had me chuckling quite a bit, and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. Eden is not a Mary Sue and I appreciate that she is intelligent without knowing EVERYTHING. I also loved how we were given things from Bruce's point of view, instead of just Eden's. He was very real and I love how he wrestled and thought things through and had his own imperfections. Too often are we given perfect men with one thing wrong with them, like they are manwhores, and she suddenly fixes him! No, he has his own foibles and it's cute.
There was quite a bit of realism that you don't see in other romantic stories, I enjoyed all of historical references (and just because there is mechanical dragons doesn't mean there wasn't some obvious historical research out into this story!). Everything had a wonderful detail amount of detail, and I wish I had some of Eden's corsets! I'm also very interested in one of the make leads and I hope that he receives his own story sometime in the future!
I really enjoyed this story, I admit I almost didn't volunteer to read it because I don't do sports. I marched in the band, I did half time shows, but I socialized during the game. So part of me was afraid it would be so technical and sports heavy that I would lose interest. NOT THE CASE WITH THIS STORY. While there was a great deal of sporting scenes it was exciting and well written. I mean she had me at mechanical dragons, and she kept me there with the refreshing heroine.
It was a fantastic love story, Eden had me chuckling quite a bit, and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. Eden is not a Mary Sue and I appreciate that she is intelligent without knowing EVERYTHING. I also loved how we were given things from Bruce's point of view, instead of just Eden's. He was very real and I love how he wrestled and thought things through and had his own imperfections. Too often are we given perfect men with one thing wrong with them, like they are manwhores, and she suddenly fixes him! No, he has his own foibles and it's cute.
There was quite a bit of realism that you don't see in other romantic stories, I enjoyed all of historical references (and just because there is mechanical dragons doesn't mean there wasn't some obvious historical research out into this story!). Everything had a wonderful detail amount of detail, and I wish I had some of Eden's corsets! I'm also very interested in one of the make leads and I hope that he receives his own story sometime in the future!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2020
Eden’s Voice by Catherine Stein is a steampunk fantasy set in Ann Arbor, Michigan in autumn of 1904. Bruce Caldwell is a writer who covers athletic events. Eden Randall is a young lady fascinated with football, speaks her mind freely, and is ambivalent to 1904 manners. The novel does a lot with Eden’s frankness and unwillingness to abide by societal norms.
The novel shines as a romance. Forget your preconceived notions of how it will evolve, it will go in a completely different, and delightful, direction. Following Eden navigate the adult world of romance to apply her matter-of-fact scientific method is hilarious. Another wonderful aspect of Eden’s Voice is its setting. Ann Arbor is a small Midwestern city centered around a college campus, and things like bonfires and football games add to the “magic” that is a university.
Overall, Eden’s Voice is a book with charming characters, a unique setting (both place and time), and a well-incorporated use of steampunk. The elements come together to reward the reader with a fantastic, independently-published novel.
The novel shines as a romance. Forget your preconceived notions of how it will evolve, it will go in a completely different, and delightful, direction. Following Eden navigate the adult world of romance to apply her matter-of-fact scientific method is hilarious. Another wonderful aspect of Eden’s Voice is its setting. Ann Arbor is a small Midwestern city centered around a college campus, and things like bonfires and football games add to the “magic” that is a university.
Overall, Eden’s Voice is a book with charming characters, a unique setting (both place and time), and a well-incorporated use of steampunk. The elements come together to reward the reader with a fantastic, independently-published novel.
October 2, 2019
OMG I loved Eden & Bruce & didn't want this book to end. Why can't more authors write characters that feel real, and are people I would actually want to know? There are more fully formed characters in this than just the primary lovers, which is fantastic. I enjoy how Stein's people often (though not always-she's not formulaic or unrealistic like that) make their weaknesses into their strengths. And who doesn't love mechanical dragons, rulebreaking women, villainry and a happy ending? Exactly what the doctor ordered. More please!!!
October 8, 2019
4&1/2 stars
Hail! To the Victors!
A great start to a new series. Mechanical dragons, football, and a few historical Michigan facts thrown into a great romance.
I’ll be honest and say the author was correct and I did want to slam my book closed and throw it across the room at one point. (Sadly that doesn’t work so well with a Kindle) However, I took a breath opened the book back up, and kept reading. I was so glad I stuck around for Bruce and Eden’s happily ever after.
I look forward to more in this series, and I already have hopes for a few characters getting their HEA soon!
Hail! To the Victors!
A great start to a new series. Mechanical dragons, football, and a few historical Michigan facts thrown into a great romance.
I’ll be honest and say the author was correct and I did want to slam my book closed and throw it across the room at one point. (Sadly that doesn’t work so well with a Kindle) However, I took a breath opened the book back up, and kept reading. I was so glad I stuck around for Bruce and Eden’s happily ever after.
I look forward to more in this series, and I already have hopes for a few characters getting their HEA soon!
August 17, 2019
A strong and smart heroine with a unique voice! I really enjoyed the story and Edens relationship with Bruce ❤️
This was my first novel of the steampunk genre! Really enjoyed it!
This was my first novel of the steampunk genre! Really enjoyed it!
September 29, 2019
An Original.
Full review will be posted at MaidaMalby.com on October 1.
Full review will be posted at MaidaMalby.com on October 1.
January 4, 2021
If only Goodreads gave half stars...this is somewhere between a three and a four star read for me. It had a lot going for it but I found myself irritated with the heroine's cluelessness more than once. I don't want to post spoilers, which means I can't lay out the most egregious example because it would reveal too much about the plot. Yet...I really want someone else to read this book in my circle of friends and family so that I can determine if they, too, found this particular circumstance to be too much of a stretch or if I'm just being a picky pain in the you-know-what.
I can be rough on heroes and heroines alike. I think this is important to know because things I find objectionable in a character might not even register for another reader.
That being the case, let me give you a few bullet points on aspects of the book I did enjoy.
1. There was a cute little mechanical dragon that would bite anyone not considered a friend.
2. Football was a part of the story but woven so skillfully into the prose that it didn't detract from the actual story.
3. The writing was good, the plot interesting, the pacing great, and the characters memorable.
4. I like HEA endings, which is what I expect when I pick up a romance, and this one delivered.
Given my only real complaint is that the lead character seemed too often clueless about human relations - and I'm not just talking the birds and the bees, which is very common in historical romances - I really couldn't live with giving it a three star rating. There was a lot that worked and very little that didn't. I'm just picky.
I can be rough on heroes and heroines alike. I think this is important to know because things I find objectionable in a character might not even register for another reader.
That being the case, let me give you a few bullet points on aspects of the book I did enjoy.
1. There was a cute little mechanical dragon that would bite anyone not considered a friend.
2. Football was a part of the story but woven so skillfully into the prose that it didn't detract from the actual story.
3. The writing was good, the plot interesting, the pacing great, and the characters memorable.
4. I like HEA endings, which is what I expect when I pick up a romance, and this one delivered.
Given my only real complaint is that the lead character seemed too often clueless about human relations - and I'm not just talking the birds and the bees, which is very common in historical romances - I really couldn't live with giving it a three star rating. There was a lot that worked and very little that didn't. I'm just picky.
February 19, 2022
This book was a great introduction into the Sass and Steam world. I am used to steampunk taking place in England so Michigan was different and exciting.
Eden is a great character. She is super smart and extremely scientific. She is blunt and honest to a fault.
Bruce is exactly how I would have pictured a journalist in the 1900s. He is also socially awkward and of course finds Eden to be wonderful.
My favorite chapter was the one chapter that is in Vox's perspective. The author does a good job giving metal life throughout the book.
I loved the representation and the use of biomechanical technology is well thought out.
The mystery and plot twists around Tagget kept me engaged and reading. There was a turning point in the book where I wasn't going to stop reading until it was done.
The ending was good, but it also felt a little rushed. It was hard for me to picture Tagget just doing what he did at the end (trying to avoid spoilers here).
Overall, I'm excited to see what happens next in the Sass and Steam world. I would recommend this book to those that enjoy steampunk and a little bit of romance.
Eden is a great character. She is super smart and extremely scientific. She is blunt and honest to a fault.
Bruce is exactly how I would have pictured a journalist in the 1900s. He is also socially awkward and of course finds Eden to be wonderful.
My favorite chapter was the one chapter that is in Vox's perspective. The author does a good job giving metal life throughout the book.
I loved the representation and the use of biomechanical technology is well thought out.
The mystery and plot twists around Tagget kept me engaged and reading. There was a turning point in the book where I wasn't going to stop reading until it was done.
The ending was good, but it also felt a little rushed. It was hard for me to picture Tagget just doing what he did at the end (trying to avoid spoilers here).
Overall, I'm excited to see what happens next in the Sass and Steam world. I would recommend this book to those that enjoy steampunk and a little bit of romance.
July 25, 2021
I really loved aspects of this unusual steampunk, with its focus on disability. I loved that the FMC had relationships with 2 different men on page, especially since it's clear it's not a triangle exactly, there's not really cheating and we know who is the MMC. But I couldn't get past the idea that everyone, including the FMC knows the other guy is the villain and he's actively trying to harm her business, her parent's business and steal their livelihood and what is essentially her guide pet, and she still has a semi relationship with him? It was bizarre to me and unexplored at all or explained.
February 23, 2023
Laughed aloud in delight several times at this, sometimes at the banter, sometimes at the delightfully off-kilter way Eden sees the world, sometimes at the fiendish twists Catherine Stein puts her poor characters through. Grimaced at least once, too.
I was fascinated to learn that all of the football zaniness was true-to-life (and it's a measure of how engaging I found the characters and the novel that I was a little swept up in the football stuff by the end; normally it's very much Not My Bag).
Should maybe mention: This has a pretty big romance no-no in it, but I think it really makes sense in context/for the characters.
Rep notes: Everybody on-page in this novel seems cis/het. There's at least one supporting character identified as POC. There's substantial disability representation: Eden can't hear without assistive technology, Bruce suffered an injury (prior to this novel) that left him with physical and psychological challenges. I'm inclined to read Eden as neurodivergent, although no one in the story uses (or has, at the dawn of the 20th century) that vocabulary.
I was fascinated to learn that all of the football zaniness was true-to-life (and it's a measure of how engaging I found the characters and the novel that I was a little swept up in the football stuff by the end; normally it's very much Not My Bag).
Should maybe mention: This has a pretty big romance no-no in it, but I think it really makes sense in context/for the characters.
Rep notes: Everybody on-page in this novel seems cis/het. There's at least one supporting character identified as POC. There's substantial disability representation: Eden can't hear without assistive technology, Bruce suffered an injury (prior to this novel) that left him with physical and psychological challenges. I'm inclined to read Eden as neurodivergent, although no one in the story uses (or has, at the dawn of the 20th century) that vocabulary.
May 31, 2021
Eden's Voice, the first in the Sass and Steam series by Catherine Stein, has many things I love all mashed up in this cute book. Loveable and unique characters, historical background settings, and of course, the massive steampunk/steam aspect! This book is perfect for readers that love sports, the adorable romance between two not-so-average characters (one partially deaf, and the other with a damaged leg). It's fun and unique reading about how these two characters deal with life in their own way while using the fascinating steampunk inventions.
August 20, 2022
Set in a Steampunk version of 1904 Ann Abor, on and around the University campus; twenty-three year old Eden Randall is partially deaf. She is also an engineer.
Twenty-four year old Bruce Calwell, is a Boston sports reporter.
Evan Tagget is a wealthy industrialist who has an interest in Eden’s Vox, a small mechanical dragon.
It’s refreshing to read about characters who are strong and independent, while living with a disability.
Twenty-four year old Bruce Calwell, is a Boston sports reporter.
Evan Tagget is a wealthy industrialist who has an interest in Eden’s Vox, a small mechanical dragon.
It’s refreshing to read about characters who are strong and independent, while living with a disability.
April 3, 2023
A steampunk narrative, Eden and Bruce cross paths. The chapters switch predominantly between Eden and Bruce and introduce further characters along the way. The storyline is on football, but the narrative focuses more on the interaction between Eden and Bruce, delving into their romantic interests.
I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to StoryOrigin and author.
I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to StoryOrigin and author.
February 17, 2020
This is the 1st book I've read written by Catherine Stein; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
July 14, 2022
Delightful. Wonderful mix of research and world building.
January 1, 2024
Steampunk in Ann Arbor, Michigan! I loved everything about this book- love, female empowerment, engineering.
June 23, 2025
4.5 Stars
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November 1, 2019Review posted here: https://courtneyreadsromancesite.word...
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews