Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Allen

 

Click on the image to go to the audiobook or here to go to the  kindle book

What can give old the Regency Gothic Romance some new life? Well, let’s see, maybe add some shifter elements? That has been done, so what’s next? Nancy Allen knew, and she created an England not only with shifters and other paranormal characters but also in a steampunk world. Clockwork engines and gadgets abound in this creative new world where automatons are everywhere and can be used for nefarious reasons.

She also created a great team of characters that promise to delight in the following books. We meet Lucy and Miles in the first as they try and save Lucy’s cousin, whose health is failing fast. Lucy is a hard-headed woman and senses something horrible is hiding in plain sight.  What follows is the usual push and pull, shocking discoveries and a lonely man who, in the end, is loved by a headstrong, independent woman.

This was a wonderful respite from fantasy as it was enough regency love story with the trappings of paranormal. I chose to listen to the audiobook, and it was really easy to listen to and relaxing. A job well done by the narrator and the author.

If you have time, do indulge, especially as it is squeaky clean, has no swearing and no sexual content. You won’t have to turn down the volume if someone walks by.