Margaret McGaffey Fisk

Lily has a secret she values over everything else in her life. Meeting Henry, an officer of the law, and a man that has been enthralled by her from a distance for quite some time, puts her and that secret at great risk. Should she risk getting closer to him and possibly lose everything, including her freedom, or should she stay true to her plans to find a safe haven?

The author has created an interesting Steampunk version of Victorian England, that felt gritty and oppressive, with fantastical mechanical devices, that made for a great background for the dilemma our main characters find themselves in. What Lily holds secret is considered dangerous by others and is illegal. As noted in one of my favorite lines, "...rules troubled the good and bad alike, little caring what reasons might put them under its weight." This theme is played throughout the story, while the potential lovers struggle with their feelings and what is right and wrong.

Lily is well drawn out, with strengths that felt realistic for her time period and situation. Henry, her male counterpart, brought a nice Yang balance to the story, without being developed as some super dominant hunk like those that have shown up in many Romance novels. The relationship between the two felt credible and I grew, quickly, to care what would become of them.

My favorite character was Sam. I don't wish to spoil any fun surprises that arise, so I will just add that she was really delightful.

I am looking forward to future stories in the world that the author has created. I, especially, want to read and learn more of the Naturals and mechanicals.

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received this e-book for free from the author for an honest review.… (mer)

I'm not generally a Regency fan, but the characters in this come to life for you.
Our heroine, Daphne, starts out as the fairly standard sheltered rich girl, but soon stretches her wings and learns both how sheltered her life really has been, and that life out there isn't as easy as you might think it is! She matures noticeably in the pages of the book.
Her gallant love Jasper, who starts out not being quite so gallant, has somewhat the opposite problem. He feels he knows/has does everything and is really just hanging about because it's expected of him. He learns that he's not quite as all knowing as he thinks he is.
It's a romance so of course there is a happy ending, but the twists and turns that take you there are definitely worth the read and the bevy of other characters are each richly presented and develop recognizable personalities despite some only showing up for a few pages here and there.

Definitely worth the read.… (mer)