Acorn: A short steampunk adventure

by Shelley Adina

Flying and love. Which poses the greater risk?

To outsiders, Lewis Protheroe is merely private secretary to Lady Claire and Sir Andrew Malvern, the most famous inventors in steampunk London. But to insiders, Lewis is a financial wizard and the owner of the Gaius Club, where the hottest bets this month are on the races at the Kennington Oval. Lewis and Snouts can’t resist the chance to go. The races are illegal, but the purse is large enough to attract daring inventors of personal flying machines from all over the country. As long as they don’t get caught…

Lady Philomena Noakes has been driven to the Oval by pride and despair. Women are not allowed to compete, of course, but women aren’t allowed to do very much in a Blood family, except be married off to the highest bidder. If she can just fool everyone long enough to show what she can do with her dilapidated flying machine, winning the purse could change everything.

And perhaps two lonely people might discover that flying and love are the two things in the world that pose the greatest risk—and the greatest happiness.

Genres: Steampunk

109 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2022

About the author

Shelley Adina is the author of 24 novels published by Harlequin, Warner, and Hachette, and a dozen more published by Moonshell Books, Inc., her own independent press. She writes steampunk and contemporary romance as Shelley Adina, and as Adina Senft, writes Amish women’s fiction. She holds an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania, where she teaches as adjunct faculty. She won RWA’s RITA Award® in 2005, and was a finalist in 2006. When she’s not writing, Shelley is usually quilting, sewing historical costumes, or hanging out in the garden with her flock of rescued chickens.

Reviews

[Sammy · Rating 1 out of 5]

For people who have read the other books in the series and are familiar with the characters and their backstory, this may well work. unfortunately I didn't see anything telling me this was part of a series, so I'm not one of them.

So for me, the characters are shallow and poorly drawn (I'm assuming all the character development and fleshing out is done in the earlier books), and the story doesn't work very well for me either. It came across as terribly childish.

If I ever find myself reading the other books in the series, I may well revise this rating, but as it stands I didn't enjoy it at all.

[Lori Alden Holuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a dedicated reader of the Magnificent Devices series ever since the beginning. It's always fun when a new volume arrives, and Acorn is no exception.

Longtime members of Shelley Adina's reading 'flock' will of course be delighted as one of our favorite characters, Lewis Protheroe, meets Lady Philomena (Phil) Oakes and comes to her aid just as her life seems to be falling apart at all the seams. But she's no helpless damsel in distress. She's a strong, inventive, capable woman... in distress. At least she doesn't have to cope with everything on her own. With the help of friends who believe in her, good times just might be on the way!

This is one of those books you can't help but cheer for as the story develops. The plot is exciting, the challenges are difficult, and the stakes could not be higher. It's a quick read, and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the whole world of the Magnificent Devices, and have enjoyed seeing Lewis grow up from a street sparrow to a very successful businessman. As much as I enjoy the stories about the women in this world, seeing the young men come into their own is a fun, quick read. Old friends are present, which ties the story into the larger steampunk England. Anyone who has been following Claire and Andrew Malvern will want to read "Acorn".

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved reading about the Lady of Devices and her flock since the first book came out. In this book, Lewis, by far the smartest and most industrious of the Lady's charges, finds his match. He's been the Lady's secretary and running the best gentleman's club in London (for the newly rich as well as the nobility), but he's been realizing, as other members of the family find their loves, that he's lonely. And then tumbling right out of the air onto him is Philomena.

[Julian White · Rating 5 out of 5]

EPub on kobo: 9781950854592 104 pages

A fine addition - and the start of a new series of novellas. Here is Lewis Protheroe meeting up with Lady Philomena Oakes, another lady who enjoys mechanical things...

Committed readers will need no recommendation - new readers need not fear: the relationships of the main characters are clear. Early Victorian steampunk, strong female leads. Good stuff!

[Rhonda Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It

Lewis is one of my favorite supporting characters. I am so glad he got his own story. While this was a short story, it was still good with an interesting plot and more of my favorite characters to revisit with.

[Nikitah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but Beautiful

This is such a wonderful and quick romance worthy to be a part of the Magnificent Devices series. I’ve read them all and hope the author never stops writing them!

[Linda Lassman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

very short story on Lewis meeting his love