Guest Review….Clockwork Mafia by Seleste deLaney

Please welcome my friend, Phoebe Chase, and her guest review of Clockwork Mafia by Seleste deLaney:

Clockwork Mafia Cover

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Synopsis:

Inventor Henrietta Mason is retiring from airships and adventuring to return home to Philadelphia. Determined to erase all trails leading to her late father’s duplicity, she dismantles his lab and removes all records of the Badlands gold. While in the city, she can’t resist the lure of a charity gala but winds up regretting the whole experience. Well, everything except a heart-racing dance with a certain U.S. Marshal.

His career and vengeance on the line, Carson Alexander must prove a connection between Senator Mason and the mafia. He lucked out happening across Mason’s strikingly beautiful daughter, only to have her slip through his fingers. On a desperate hunt to track her down, he never expects his search to take him into the brutal Badlands.

With a mechanically enhanced enforcer after them, only Carson knows the extent of the danger they face. He’ll have to win over Henrietta’s trust, and her heart, before it’s too late…

 

Phoebe’s Review:

Lots of adventure mixed in with a little romance and, of course, gadgets.

This is my second steampunk novel, the first being Delaney’s prequel to Clockwork Mafia–which I recommend both because I liked it and it helps set up this book–and I’m now calling myself a steampunk fan! Also, a Seleste deLaney fan.

The thing that shines the most in Clockwork Mafia is the adventure. If you like a fast-paced, fun romp that includes corsets, airships, strong females, and steampunk gadgetry, this is the story for you. Let me get back to that list for a minute and talk about the strong females. Delaney does an excellent job of creating women who have strength in one way or another that doesn’t make you roll your eyes with it’s over-the-top, hear-me-roar-I-am-woman feel. I love her characters.

The romance is secondary to the action, but it’s sweet and is weaved in quite nicely. I like Henrietta and Carson’s first encounter. The instant attraction is believable, but as always, I have a hard time buying the depth of those feelings right off the bat. Delaney does a good job of building on that through the rest of the story.
The steampunk elements are fun. And cool. And a little nerdy. I loved them. Animals and people enhanced by clockworks to become something stronger and, in some cases, very hard to kill. Henrietta’s own inventions are pretty and can be functional or deadly–or both.
I’m looking forward to more from this author!

4LovesRLBFour Loves

About the guest reviewer:
Phoebe Chase loves books. Keep your eye on her, she may just tempt you with some stories of her own. You can catch a little of what goes on in her head at Wickedly Twisted Tales.
About the author:
Author of speculative romance (aka Julie Particka, young adult author).Two series coming soon from Entangled Publishing!My steampunk romance series is from Carina Press: BADLANDS and CLOCKWORK MAFIA (coming April 2013).The Blood Kissed novels (KISS OF DEATH and, coming soon, KISS OF LIFE) are available from Mundania Press.

The short stories that begin the Blood Kissed series (OF COURSE I TRY and THE GHOST OF VAMPIRE PRESENT) are available at Decadent Publishing.

My short stories YES,ALANA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS; MAKING THE NAUGHTY LIST; and A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS are part of Evernight Publishing’s holiday anthologies, in addition, Evernight is the home of the Cupid’s Conquests multi-author, shared world series. (GUNSHY–book 1, and LOVE & OTHER INDOOR SPORTS–book 4)

Also writes young adult fiction as Julie Particka.

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