Book Review: Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

Book Description:

Jane Eyre meets Beauty and the Beast.

When Lucy Pickett arrives at Blackwell Manor to tend to her ailing cousin, Kate, she finds more than she bargained for. A restless ghost roams the hallways, werewolves have been reported in the area, and vampires lurk across the Scottish border. 

Lord Miles himself is clearly hiding a secret. He is brash and inhospitable, and does not take kindly to visitors—even one as smart and attractive as Miss Pickett. He is unsettled by the mysterious deaths of his new wife, Clara, and his sister, Marie. 

Working together, Miles and Lucy attempt to restore peace to Blackwell Manor. But can Lucy solve the mystery of Miles? Can she love the man—beast and all?

Rorie's Review:

I was a bit thrown off for the first few chapters with the Steampunk stuff, not being familiar with that genre at all. After I got used to that though, the book really drew me in.

This is the type of romance novel that I really like - where the main characters don't get along at first, and really have to work at developing their relationship. It seems stronger to me than when I read books where they fall in love almost immediately and everything's always hunky-dory between them.

I had my guesses at who the bad guy was throughout the book, but the author did a really good job of keeping the true identity hidden until the climax of the story.

I definitely enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

Andrea's Review:

Steampunk isn't a genre I'm very familiar with, so I will admit to being a bit . . . confused at the inclusion of modern-ish things in an olden day setting. I kept having visions of the movie "Wild, Wild, West" (gadget-wise, not Western setting-wise). And then there were vampires and werewolves. The practical part of my brain got hung up a bit here and there throughout the story, but I really did enjoy the book. It was well written and entertaining.

The main characters were quite likable, especially Lucy. She had such a strong personality, and was brave. I enjoyed her interactions with Miles, and the mystery involved kept me on my toes. I had my suspicions, but not too far ahead of the reveal. And how it was all going to go down was definitely a surprise.

I can see myself reading this book again (partially for enjoyment, and partially to get more comfortable with the steampunk genre). It didn't convert me to steampunk fandom, but it was a great way to dip my toes into the genre.

Tarah's Review:

What a fun addition to the Proper Romance line that Shadow Mountain is doing! I've only read a couple steam punk novels, but I find them fun and entertaining. Beauty and the Clockwork Beast is no exception. I'm a fan of fairy tale retellings, but I'm really really a fan when things get changed up from the same 'ol, same 'ol. You don't get much different than a Victorian novel with ray guns and vampires :) (Although, since I've admitted to not having read many steam-punk novels, are vampires and werewolves common in them? That did throw me a little bit.)

Both of the main characters are great, and a friend of mine mentioned that they may be too perfect. Lucy is good at everything, and Mile's only hang up is that he is, well, beastly, which in a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, that's kind of important :) I didn't mind the perfection though.

This was a quick read that I devoured the moment I got it, and have already started to reread it. The ending was satisfying and I'm actually hoping for another book for Miles' friends.

If you are wondering or curious about steampunk novels, give this one a try.

Title: Beauty and the Clockwork Beast
Author: Nancy Campbell Allen
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Published: August 2016
ISBN: 1629721751
Source: We received copies from the publisher in exchange for a review.

Purchase: Amazon | Deseret Book